The Big One: Are emos sexy?

He cracks a smile as often as Jade Goody quotes Shakespeare. His complexion is so pasty he makes Morticia Adams look like a sun worshipper. And the Daily Mail reckons he's part of a "dangerous teenage cult". Yup, that's right, he's an emo boy. At first, it was easy to assume that these sensitive, whey-faced rockers appealed exclusively to teenage girls on the cusp of puberty. But, a couple of years ago, lascivious whispers about the emo scene began to arise. These whispers built to a deafening roar last year when Pete Wentz - bassist in Fall Out Boy, perhaps the most popular emo band of all - unveiled his impressive manhood on the internet. The question just can't be put off any longer: are emos sexy?

It almost goes without saying that the emo boy isn't your typical male pin-up. In many ways his look is the antithesis to the Western masculine ideal. He isn't buff, bronzed and brashly confident; he's thin, pale and awkward-looking. And, because he adheres to a teen movement formed by kids who feel like they don't fit in, the emo likes to branded by his uniform. His hair is lank, greasy and preferably dark - a blond emo is as popular as Jeremy Clarkson at a WI meeting - and his clothing is tight. The standard emo garb consists of crotch-hugging jeans, a child-sized T-shirt and a pair of chequered Vans trainers. This look won’t be troubling the editors of Vogue any time soon, but it’s damn easy to mimic. Feel like an outsider? Pat your hair down, shrink-wash your favourite top, buy a lip ring from Clare’s Accessories... hey presto! You’re part of the scene. There’s nothing sexier than feeling like you belong, is there?

A large part of an emo's sex appeal lies in his perceived sensitivity. The archetypal emo is emotionally aware, pensive and has a tendency to wallow. For those of us whose lives aren't quite what we’d like them to be, most male sex symbols, though physically appealing, don't offer much comfort. Take Brad Pitt: he's handsome, unfathomably wealthy and attached to the most beautiful woman in the world - how are we supposed to relate to that? By contrast, Frank Iero - bassist in multi-platinum emo band My Chemical Romance - retains his approachability and endearing awkwardness however many records he sells. That cute face doesn’t harm matters, either.

For gay fans, emo’s playful flirtation with homosexuality is almost too good to be true. Emos aren’t afraid of eyeliner; their spray-on jeans have a tendency to frame their bulging trouser-snakes; and some of them - gasp! - like to kiss other boys. Hell, My Chemical Romance even persuaded Liza Minnelli to cameo on their last album – vindications of gay culture don’t come much stronger than that. Plus, as this smoochtastic picture of two of the Panic! At The Disco boys attests, emo on emo action is hot.

One last thing: the common misconception that emo boys are meek and unassertive needs to be overthrown. The guys in Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance and Panic! At The Disco fill the world's enormodromes with their catchy rock songs and mesmerising performance skills; they're no shrinking violets. When Panic!’s Brendon Urie vows - on the ridiculously-titled 'Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off' - that he's "got more wit, a better kiss, a hotter touch, a better f**k than any boy you'll ever meet," there's no doubt that he means it. Followed by his trademark carnal moan, the effect borders on the orgasmic. Cute, sensitive and confident in the bedroom? The emos have, without a doubt, brought sexy back to teen culture.

Fancy seeing some emo boys in action? Check out DS' video interview with the stars of the Decaydance record label here.