An Essay by Miyo Fukuzawa.
The most emotionally charged nights of my high school years, fighting with my closest friends, frustrated, confused, hurt, and very angry. Sitting in bed, sweating furiously, wondering why my friends could not understand. Why could no one see the true Way of things? Why was i, alone, the only one who saw the truth of the world?
How could they not see how attractive Gerard Way is?
My own dearest companions, standing apart from me on the most important topic of my angsty high school years.
Every day, I am burdened, knowing that the students that I share the halls with do not share the same love and honor for Gerard Way. I am now determined to enlighten the world of his excellence and beauty that is beyond belief, and everyone will see that I was right all along.
Gerard Arthur Way (affectionately called “Gee”) is most well known for being the frontman and singer for the band My Chemical Romance. He is also a solo musician as well as a comic book artist (1)(2). He has astounding talent, a fascinating and exclusive mind, and, most importantly, the looks of a god.
As all dedicated My Chemical Romance fans know, the band has 4 significant eras that correspond with their albums. Bullets, Revenge, The Black Parade, and Danger Days. Gerard has a drastically different style in each one of these eras (and that’s not mentioning current day gerard, in which he has a far more laid back, post-MCR style. This essay will not cover this Gerard.). This is one of the fantastic qualities of Gerard, he has so many different styles and personalities packed within his gorgeous self.
Click here for a quick overview on the evolution of his style.
Let’s look at how Gerard’s style has changed over the years…
In the Bullets and Revenge eras, Mr. Way’s style is all black and emo*, often with much dark eye makeup.
How could they not see how attractive Gerard Way is?
My own dearest companions, standing apart from me on the most important topic of my angsty high school years.
Every day, I am burdened, knowing that the students that I share the halls with do not share the same love and honor for Gerard Way. I am now determined to enlighten the world of his excellence and beauty that is beyond belief, and everyone will see that I was right all along.
Gerard Arthur Way (affectionately called “Gee”) is most well known for being the frontman and singer for the band My Chemical Romance. He is also a solo musician as well as a comic book artist (1)(2). He has astounding talent, a fascinating and exclusive mind, and, most importantly, the looks of a god.
As all dedicated My Chemical Romance fans know, the band has 4 significant eras that correspond with their albums. Bullets, Revenge, The Black Parade, and Danger Days. Gerard has a drastically different style in each one of these eras (and that’s not mentioning current day gerard, in which he has a far more laid back, post-MCR style. This essay will not cover this Gerard.). This is one of the fantastic qualities of Gerard, he has so many different styles and personalities packed within his gorgeous self.
Click here for a quick overview on the evolution of his style.
Let’s look at how Gerard’s style has changed over the years…
In the Bullets and Revenge eras, Mr. Way’s style is all black and emo*, often with much dark eye makeup.
The Revenge era corresponds with the second album, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge. Gerard created the album cover for this record and built a storyline for the songs to be based on.
*Many people categorize Gerard Way and My Chemical Romance as emo, which is not entirely incorrect. Gerard and his band have some of the emo characteristics, but I believe that they transcend this term and this genre. My Chemical Romance is bursting with an originality and creativity that is not characteristically emo, and they approach songs and lyrics with a different viewpoint and style. Despite the eyeliner and black skinny jeans, one will find that they are actually quite different from emo. They’re not emo—they’re My Chemical Romance.
Now we move into the era of the Black Parade, perhaps MCR’s most well-known album. Gerard bleached his hair and cut it short for this era, and the whole band wore black military like suits.
*Many people categorize Gerard Way and My Chemical Romance as emo, which is not entirely incorrect. Gerard and his band have some of the emo characteristics, but I believe that they transcend this term and this genre. My Chemical Romance is bursting with an originality and creativity that is not characteristically emo, and they approach songs and lyrics with a different viewpoint and style. Despite the eyeliner and black skinny jeans, one will find that they are actually quite different from emo. They’re not emo—they’re My Chemical Romance.
Now we move into the era of the Black Parade, perhaps MCR’s most well-known album. Gerard bleached his hair and cut it short for this era, and the whole band wore black military like suits.
Yet, notice, despite this harsher aesthetic and haircut, Gerard still had his adorable qualities about him.
The Black Parade was My Chemical Romance's legacy, as Gerard said, the end of the Black Parade tour was the band "conquering the world".
The (heartbreakingly) final era of MCR is Danger Days, in which the band took a different direction from their previous dark and "emo" days. Danger Days is much more colorful and the music is happier and less angry than the rest of their albums. Fittingly, Gerard’s appearance took a turn as well, he dyed his hair bright red and dressed according to the character he represented in this era.
The Black Parade was My Chemical Romance's legacy, as Gerard said, the end of the Black Parade tour was the band "conquering the world".
The (heartbreakingly) final era of MCR is Danger Days, in which the band took a different direction from their previous dark and "emo" days. Danger Days is much more colorful and the music is happier and less angry than the rest of their albums. Fittingly, Gerard’s appearance took a turn as well, he dyed his hair bright red and dressed according to the character he represented in this era.
Of course, this album has a storyline as well and the band created a whole world out of it. I've used some of the slogans from this album and this world as some of my life mottos. This is also the album that some of Gerard's comic books were based off of.
In each one of these eras, Gerard is always outrageously attractive, no matter what type of style he takes on. It’s not the typical chiseled face that girls often go for, but just look at this picture:
In each one of these eras, Gerard is always outrageously attractive, no matter what type of style he takes on. It’s not the typical chiseled face that girls often go for, but just look at this picture:
He's still just as striking, if not more. Part of his appeal is his different and unique appearance.
Personality:
Gerard’s character has so many endless variations that i cannot really pinpoint and sum up his personality. To begin, his stage personality is quite significant, although obviously much different from the Way he acts when not performing. However, the Way he performs is in no Way fake or made up, it is just an extension of his self. As he states, "I never act on stage, even when it appears that I am, even when I'm hamming it up or delivering a soliloquy".
Gerard’s stage personality is quite theatrical. His expressions and his voice are charismatic and unique, and vary from dark and sensual to quirky and original. All of his acts are so uniquely “Gerard”; they cannot be compared to anyone else and that is what makes him extraordinary. The perfect combination of an dark and agressive persona with his quirky and imaginative one makes for an eclectic and a perfect man. His character has so many endless variations that i cannot really pinpoint and sum up his personality. I have a hard enough time imagining how so many perfect qualities can fit inside one person.
One of their biggest hits from their second album, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, is Helena. Gerard’s facial expressions in the music video quite accurately displays his theatrical stage personality:
Personality:
Gerard’s character has so many endless variations that i cannot really pinpoint and sum up his personality. To begin, his stage personality is quite significant, although obviously much different from the Way he acts when not performing. However, the Way he performs is in no Way fake or made up, it is just an extension of his self. As he states, "I never act on stage, even when it appears that I am, even when I'm hamming it up or delivering a soliloquy".
Gerard’s stage personality is quite theatrical. His expressions and his voice are charismatic and unique, and vary from dark and sensual to quirky and original. All of his acts are so uniquely “Gerard”; they cannot be compared to anyone else and that is what makes him extraordinary. The perfect combination of an dark and agressive persona with his quirky and imaginative one makes for an eclectic and a perfect man. His character has so many endless variations that i cannot really pinpoint and sum up his personality. I have a hard enough time imagining how so many perfect qualities can fit inside one person.
One of their biggest hits from their second album, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, is Helena. Gerard’s facial expressions in the music video quite accurately displays his theatrical stage personality:
This music video in particular shows Gerard's expressive capabilities. His expressions are dramatic are dramatic and emotional, and, of course, drop dead gorgeous.
If you do not yet think that Gerard is an amazing and breathtakingly beautiful man, then this shall surely convince you. The simplest Way to show you Gerard's personality and physical attractiveness is through pictures:
If you do not yet think that Gerard is an amazing and breathtakingly beautiful man, then this shall surely convince you. The simplest Way to show you Gerard's personality and physical attractiveness is through pictures:
Of course, even with all of these pictures, I cannot explain the full character of Gerard to you, the only Way to truly know him is to immerse yourself into the My Chemical Romance fandom, and through discovering MCR, you will discover much about Gerard, as he writes the lyrics and is the large creative force behind the band. There is much more to him than his physical appearance. Him and his band have been an inspiration to me and they never cease to amaze.
Gerard Way, artist, hero, man. He described My Chemical Romance as: "Fiction. Friction. Creation. Destruction. Opposition. Aggression. Ambition. Heart. Hate. Courage. Spite. Beauty. Desperation. LOVE. Fear. Glamour. Weakness. Hope. Fatalism." This is My Chemical Romance, this is Gerard.
Gerard Way, artist, hero, man. He described My Chemical Romance as: "Fiction. Friction. Creation. Destruction. Opposition. Aggression. Ambition. Heart. Hate. Courage. Spite. Beauty. Desperation. LOVE. Fear. Glamour. Weakness. Hope. Fatalism." This is My Chemical Romance, this is Gerard.
I'm just a man, not a hero, just a boy, who wants to sing this song.
-Gerard Way, Welcome to the Black Parade