This is the first part of a series I plan on doing about what the gothic subculture is. I'm writing this for other kids who, if you're like I was, are curious about the subculture, but didn't know how to go about looking into it. I'm also writing this for curious or concerned friends and family of said kids. Those of you who are already goths can read it with nostalgia and judge whether or not you want to take my Goth Card.
So what is goth? This is a question that I get asked on occasion, but not nearly as much as I would like. I really wish I could educate more people on what the gothic lifestyle entails, and more importantly, what it DOESN'T.
Goth is not Marilyn Manson, Satanism, Hot Topic, devil-worship of any kind, the glorification of suicide or self-harm, emo, evil, a cult, the occult, a religion, sexual deviance, unhappiness, parent-hating, people-hating, or an ancient European people who sacked Rome.
You got that? Good. Now that we've got that out of the way, it's talk about what goth is.
Goth is a little bit hard to pin down since so many different kinds of people can be found within the subculture. You have people all up and down the spectrum from your goody-two-shoes Christian girls like me to the more wild'n'crazy types, to, yes, even Satanists. It's not about what we're like individually, though as much as what we have in common. What do goths have in common?
- A knowledge and love for the gothic musical genre which includes bands like Bauhaus, Sisters of Mercy, Siouxsie and the Banshees. These are the "real" goth bands that surfaced in the late 70's and 80's when the movement took shape and reared its spooky head from the ashes of the punk scene. The gothic music umbrella is...HUGE. There are the trad bands like I previously mentioned, but then there are a bazillion little subgenres of goth music. There is also a lot of arguing back and forth amongst goths over what makes a real goth band, but it is widely agreed that the foundation is with Joy Division, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Sisters of Mercy, Bauhaus, The Cure, and the like.
-A love for the fashion and style. Victorian? Punk? Steampunk? Futuristic? Elizabethan? Lolita? Vampire? Faery? Fetish? Just lots and lots of black? Well, as long as it has a touch of the morbid, the Old World, or the eerie, it's all good. Whether we dress this way with tonuges in our cheeks, for shock effect, or merely to look our idea of beautiful, we do our best to do it well. With the exception of some newbie babybats (don't worry, chirruns, you'll get there) most real goths take their fashion seriously and put a LOT of effort into their outfits and makeup. A true goth will cringe in horror at badly-done whiteface, badly-worn Tripp pants, and your typical mallgoth fare that makes most people cringe anyway. However, when it's done right...
-An appreciation for the spooky, the romantic, and morbid. Everything in the gothic subculture has to do with this aesthetic, from the art to the music to the clothting. Aaand...that's really all there is to it. Goths aren't afraid of the dark, but instead choose to either laugh at it or celebrate it. Or, just make a huge deal of mourning the tragedy of this vile world. Or all of the above. No matter how we do it, we have our spooky aesthetic in common and our love for creepy 80's music. (Yeah, yeah, it goes beyond the 80's. details, details.)
That's just the bare bones of what the Gothic Subculture is about, though. Without the music and the fashion, it's a lot of really eccentric (usually very artistic) people from different backgrounds and lives who like dark stuff. Goths are pretty normal in most respects, though. We just choose to be more open about what we like or how we feel. Since I tend wear my heart on my sleeve anyway, this is great for me. Unlike Lady Gaga, I have no poker face. Goths can be the most pretentious, obnoxious people you've ever known, or they can be the most fun-loving, accepting folks on the planet. It just depends on who they are as a person, and it's quite true that the subculture attracts both kinds of people. Just like there are a lot of people who like to scrapbook, there are a lot of people who like being "gothic". There are also gothic scrapbookers.
So that's more or less goth, for all you curious black-clad kids at the mall and for all you worried parents of said black-clad kids. Personally, I consider myself just out of my babybat phase, if out at all. I still have questionable makeup skills and I continue to fail at DIY. I'm still pretty young, but I love my gothy goodness.
Thanks for reading!
Z
So what is goth? This is a question that I get asked on occasion, but not nearly as much as I would like. I really wish I could educate more people on what the gothic lifestyle entails, and more importantly, what it DOESN'T.
 |
| Goth: Whatever it is, ur doin it rong |
Goth is not Marilyn Manson, Satanism, Hot Topic, devil-worship of any kind, the glorification of suicide or self-harm, emo, evil, a cult, the occult, a religion, sexual deviance, unhappiness, parent-hating, people-hating, or an ancient European people who sacked Rome.
You got that? Good. Now that we've got that out of the way, it's talk about what goth is.
Goth is a little bit hard to pin down since so many different kinds of people can be found within the subculture. You have people all up and down the spectrum from your goody-two-shoes Christian girls like me to the more wild'n'crazy types, to, yes, even Satanists. It's not about what we're like individually, though as much as what we have in common. What do goths have in common?
 |
| Big Frigging Rings is what we have in common, yo. Show 'em how it's done, honey. |
- A knowledge and love for the gothic musical genre which includes bands like Bauhaus, Sisters of Mercy, Siouxsie and the Banshees. These are the "real" goth bands that surfaced in the late 70's and 80's when the movement took shape and reared its spooky head from the ashes of the punk scene. The gothic music umbrella is...HUGE. There are the trad bands like I previously mentioned, but then there are a bazillion little subgenres of goth music. There is also a lot of arguing back and forth amongst goths over what makes a real goth band, but it is widely agreed that the foundation is with Joy Division, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Sisters of Mercy, Bauhaus, The Cure, and the like.
-A love for the fashion and style. Victorian? Punk? Steampunk? Futuristic? Elizabethan? Lolita? Vampire? Faery? Fetish? Just lots and lots of black? Well, as long as it has a touch of the morbid, the Old World, or the eerie, it's all good. Whether we dress this way with tonuges in our cheeks, for shock effect, or merely to look our idea of beautiful, we do our best to do it well. With the exception of some newbie babybats (don't worry, chirruns, you'll get there) most real goths take their fashion seriously and put a LOT of effort into their outfits and makeup. A true goth will cringe in horror at badly-done whiteface, badly-worn Tripp pants, and your typical mallgoth fare that makes most people cringe anyway. However, when it's done right...
 |
| Yeah, look me in the eye and tell me that's the ugliest, most evil thing you've ever seen in your life. |
-An appreciation for the spooky, the romantic, and morbid. Everything in the gothic subculture has to do with this aesthetic, from the art to the music to the clothting. Aaand...that's really all there is to it. Goths aren't afraid of the dark, but instead choose to either laugh at it or celebrate it. Or, just make a huge deal of mourning the tragedy of this vile world. Or all of the above. No matter how we do it, we have our spooky aesthetic in common and our love for creepy 80's music. (Yeah, yeah, it goes beyond the 80's. details, details.)
 |
| The Angst Flower. Never leave home without one. |
So that's more or less goth, for all you curious black-clad kids at the mall and for all you worried parents of said black-clad kids. Personally, I consider myself just out of my babybat phase, if out at all. I still have questionable makeup skills and I continue to fail at DIY. I'm still pretty young, but I love my gothy goodness.
 |
| Me, HAVING MUCH ANGST AND SADNESS!!!1! So tragic. |
For further well-informed reading on the subject, check out one the awesome Ultimate Goth Guide, if you haven't already. She's been doing this WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY longer than I have.
Z
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