*Very long and detailed post, covered all facts of the modern goth sub-culture*
After the demise of the pioneering goths such as Bauhaus listeners, the social niche called "goth" has MANY different definitions and misconceptions used throughout different age groups, social standing, location, etc. The common misconceptions in the United States (could be similar in other countries, but seeing as I haven't lived anywhere else I can't comment for sure) about "goths" is that they dress in all black, sulk constantly, and only think about death, suicide, religion, and the cliché... vampires, these people are NOT goth. They are adolescent punks that think that if they act all depressed they'll get the attention they thrive on. True goths that are the way they are because it is their true personality and think about topics like death and the struggle that a vampire living among humans would experience if they existed in modern times because they instill deep thought. Discussing topics like this are more than a way to pass the time, they're a way for many modern goths to think deeply and candidly about where they stand in the world, and if they are being true to what they believe in without changing their unique personality for the sake of others. Most gothic people are quite intelligent, if not in a "school" sense then in a "philosophical" sense and though they may have a relatively dark sense of humor or media, it does mean that all goths obsess about the end of someone's time on this earth. When an individual spends a high percentage of their life thinking without distraction, death, religion, and afterlife is a major topic. *THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT GOTHS ARE SUICIDAL OR DEPRESSED* Many people think that someone who listens to satanic metal and wears pentagrams all over as accessories are gothic, while a goth may listen to black metal and other genres like it, listening to it does not make you goth; another misconception that leads many people to group together dozens of sub-cultures into "goth". Goths are most commonly very in touch with their emotions and aren't afraid to express them in whatever way they see fit. This differs from modern emo or hardcore metal culture because that is comprised of kids that think all they feel is pain and depression followed by a "true love" based upon hormone driven infatuation, a goth will acknowledge all emotion be it happiness, grief, or the very rare but very beautiful love with open arms. Just living their lives free of fear that they may be shunned among their peers for being an intellectual individual is what a true goth will seek in their life. There are constant stories of "goth" high-schoolers taking their own lives because of a dismal outlook that, "no one understands how they feel," because they're too caught up in the moment that they don't acknowledge that the grief will pass and many, many people before them went through the exact same issues. This isn't to disrespect people that have done this, if i knew every-single one of their names I would pay tribute to them regularly because many of them did in fact just need someone to really listen to them instead of just saying, "It's just teenage angst, you'll calm down soon enough," but know I'm divulging way off topic, this is simply to say that said people are most likely not a true goth and self-labelled themselves as such because that's what they thought goth was. Goths also do not have to wear all black clothes or clothing you don't see commonly to be part of the goth culture like corsets for women or tight fitting clothes for effeminate men; though many do, it is not what makes them goth. Many goths listen to all sorts of music (maybe even a couple pop songs with lyrics that are relevant to their lives at the end of a good day) and there are plenty of goths that will wear bright colors and dress in a way that is (relatively) unique to their personality. Many people don't recognize these people as "goth" because of stereotypes that they have grown up with. A true goth will have an open mind to new ideas, music, literature and is all for discussing them regularly with a select group of friends and acquaintances that they associate with not for any sense of belonging or popularity, but because they too have open minds to new ideas and don't judge people on their outer appearance. A popular defining trait of a true goth is that they do not suddenly assosciate with the "mall goths" that patrol the neighborhood shopping center dressed completely over the top as to grab attention; these are nothing but immature followers that think that the attention they get when people stare will dressing over the top will make them happy. A true goth will not fret over any popularity or social status and will never change themselves for the sake of being well-liked among their peers; again, this is not to say that goths are total loners, a true goth will enjoy close friends just as much as anyone, they just may have stricter stipulations when choosing to spend time with them. Final misconception I have time to soliloquize, goths are not freaks in any way shape or form, most goths are normal people that just take interest in non-mainstream media and culture, goths are not all establishment-hating anarchists. A true goth will most often refrain from judging someone based on appearance and the clique they assosciate, they have all experienced what its like to be judged by appearance and are not quick to shun someone just because they fall into a different social niche. Final moral to whoever read this entire post, if you aren't already a true goth or have a goth friend, try meeting one by ignoring their appearance and forming opinions about them based solely on your compatibility as friends or just casual acquaintances. I hope this cleared up any misconceptions about the modern goth sub-culture. I'm not saying goths are perfect, or strange, "wacky", angry, or freaks. I am writing this because of all the misunderstanding being thrown around and people getting these stereotyped, dismal impressions of modern gothic culture.
After the demise of the pioneering goths such as Bauhaus listeners, the social niche called "goth" has MANY different definitions and misconceptions used throughout different age groups, social standing, location, etc. The common misconceptions in the United States (could be similar in other countries, but seeing as I haven't lived anywhere else I can't comment for sure) about "goths" is that they dress in all black, sulk constantly, and only think about death, suicide, religion, and the cliché... vampires, these people are NOT goth. They are adolescent punks that think that if they act all depressed they'll get the attention they thrive on. True goths that are the way they are because it is their true personality and think about topics like death and the struggle that a vampire living among humans would experience if they existed in modern times because they instill deep thought. Discussing topics like this are more than a way to pass the time, they're a way for many modern goths to think deeply and candidly about where they stand in the world, and if they are being true to what they believe in without changing their unique personality for the sake of others. Most gothic people are quite intelligent, if not in a "school" sense then in a "philosophical" sense and though they may have a relatively dark sense of humor or media, it does mean that all goths obsess about the end of someone's time on this earth. When an individual spends a high percentage of their life thinking without distraction, death, religion, and afterlife is a major topic. *THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT GOTHS ARE SUICIDAL OR DEPRESSED* Many people think that someone who listens to satanic metal and wears pentagrams all over as accessories are gothic, while a goth may listen to black metal and other genres like it, listening to it does not make you goth; another misconception that leads many people to group together dozens of sub-cultures into "goth". Goths are most commonly very in touch with their emotions and aren't afraid to express them in whatever way they see fit. This differs from modern emo or hardcore metal culture because that is comprised of kids that think all they feel is pain and depression followed by a "true love" based upon hormone driven infatuation, a goth will acknowledge all emotion be it happiness, grief, or the very rare but very beautiful love with open arms. Just living their lives free of fear that they may be shunned among their peers for being an intellectual individual is what a true goth will seek in their life. There are constant stories of "goth" high-schoolers taking their own lives because of a dismal outlook that, "no one understands how they feel," because they're too caught up in the moment that they don't acknowledge that the grief will pass and many, many people before them went through the exact same issues. This isn't to disrespect people that have done this, if i knew every-single one of their names I would pay tribute to them regularly because many of them did in fact just need someone to really listen to them instead of just saying, "It's just teenage angst, you'll calm down soon enough," but know I'm divulging way off topic, this is simply to say that said people are most likely not a true goth and self-labelled themselves as such because that's what they thought goth was. Goths also do not have to wear all black clothes or clothing you don't see commonly to be part of the goth culture like corsets for women or tight fitting clothes for effeminate men; though many do, it is not what makes them goth. Many goths listen to all sorts of music (maybe even a couple pop songs with lyrics that are relevant to their lives at the end of a good day) and there are plenty of goths that will wear bright colors and dress in a way that is (relatively) unique to their personality. Many people don't recognize these people as "goth" because of stereotypes that they have grown up with. A true goth will have an open mind to new ideas, music, literature and is all for discussing them regularly with a select group of friends and acquaintances that they associate with not for any sense of belonging or popularity, but because they too have open minds to new ideas and don't judge people on their outer appearance. A popular defining trait of a true goth is that they do not suddenly assosciate with the "mall goths" that patrol the neighborhood shopping center dressed completely over the top as to grab attention; these are nothing but immature followers that think that the attention they get when people stare will dressing over the top will make them happy. A true goth will not fret over any popularity or social status and will never change themselves for the sake of being well-liked among their peers; again, this is not to say that goths are total loners, a true goth will enjoy close friends just as much as anyone, they just may have stricter stipulations when choosing to spend time with them. Final misconception I have time to soliloquize, goths are not freaks in any way shape or form, most goths are normal people that just take interest in non-mainstream media and culture, goths are not all establishment-hating anarchists. A true goth will most often refrain from judging someone based on appearance and the clique they assosciate, they have all experienced what its like to be judged by appearance and are not quick to shun someone just because they fall into a different social niche. Final moral to whoever read this entire post, if you aren't already a true goth or have a goth friend, try meeting one by ignoring their appearance and forming opinions about them based solely on your compatibility as friends or just casual acquaintances. I hope this cleared up any misconceptions about the modern goth sub-culture. I'm not saying goths are perfect, or strange, "wacky", angry, or freaks. I am writing this because of all the misunderstanding being thrown around and people getting these stereotyped, dismal impressions of modern gothic culture.
-Fifteen year old girl with scars on her wrists that only wears black every day=Poser
-Young man with an "interesting" but not necessarily over the top outfit and haircut of primarily black, white, and some vibrant colors such as blue and purple, and will most like be relatively clean cut (Men may look rather effeminate, which many can take as a positive)=From first glance, most likely a true to his heart modern goth!
-Young man with an "interesting" but not necessarily over the top outfit and haircut of primarily black, white, and some vibrant colors such as blue and purple, and will most like be relatively clean cut (Men may look rather effeminate, which many can take as a positive)=From first glance, most likely a true to his heart modern goth!
by BefriendPersonality_NotAppearance January 11, 2009
Get the Gothmug. Gothic culture and style is whatever the perpetrator wants it to be. Every individual has their own interpretation of what is and what is not Gothic. The style is based on a few basic common denominators: black usually being the precursor to the rest. A person who adopts the Gothic style will inevitably place their own mark on what is deemed to be 'Goth', variants in style, poise and demeanour are common among Goth's and no two are ever the same. Goth's as a sub-culture are undeniably the most misunderstood, the stereotypes portrayed by the media and other groups (i.e. the chav) are grossly inaccurate and offensive on occasion! 90% of the Gothic culture revolves around intellect, creativity and differentiation. A usual Goth will try to distance themselves from the 'norm' of society, sometimes to feel different, sometimes for attention (although on a temporary basis) but nine times out of ten it is just because they want to. A Goths' individuality is paramount, we do it because we want to and we do it because it makes us feel happy and secure within our own skin...nothing more.
Individual, creative, insightful, unique to themselves. These are presiding attributes of the Gothic culture.
by VIII June 15, 2005
Get the Gothmug. Along with some history thingy about Vikings or another. Goth is a shallow label stuck onto some consumerist subculture originally cultivated as an architectural design, but has grossly mutated into a fashion statement for slightly alienated teens (and occasionally adults).
I have read a lot of these definitions, and most of them define the "true" goth and the "wannabe" goth. Let me just say this:
There is no difference.
It doesn't matter if someone spends $500 a week on mass-manufactured Hot Topic merchandise, or sits in their room for hours reading nihilist literature and/or casting spells from Barnes and Noble spellbooks. There is no label for it.
And no, there aren't different "subcategories" of the "goth" sphere. There are those that call themselves "goth", but how are they worse than those who call themselves "true" goths? Why not just be yourself and to hell with the labels?
There is no point saying "Most are teenage losers who need to validate themselves with fashion, but I, of course, am a true GOTH." It makes you sound just as arrogant and presumptuous.
Shop at Hot Topic, Abercrombie and Fitch, Value Village, wherever, just...
Don't bother categorizing everything, most especially fashion statements.
I have read a lot of these definitions, and most of them define the "true" goth and the "wannabe" goth. Let me just say this:
There is no difference.
It doesn't matter if someone spends $500 a week on mass-manufactured Hot Topic merchandise, or sits in their room for hours reading nihilist literature and/or casting spells from Barnes and Noble spellbooks. There is no label for it.
And no, there aren't different "subcategories" of the "goth" sphere. There are those that call themselves "goth", but how are they worse than those who call themselves "true" goths? Why not just be yourself and to hell with the labels?
There is no point saying "Most are teenage losers who need to validate themselves with fashion, but I, of course, am a true GOTH." It makes you sound just as arrogant and presumptuous.
Shop at Hot Topic, Abercrombie and Fitch, Value Village, wherever, just...
Don't bother categorizing everything, most especially fashion statements.
Wannabe: "I dress in black all the time and listen to Cradle Of Filth."
True: "I wear darker colors, most often black and medieval styles, and like to study philosophy and art. Wannabes suck."
Me: "I dress in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, black, white, silver, and all colors and 'styles' in between. Is an emergency vest 'gothic'? My friends are the same ways, so give up the labels.
True: "I wear darker colors, most often black and medieval styles, and like to study philosophy and art. Wannabes suck."
Me: "I dress in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, black, white, silver, and all colors and 'styles' in between. Is an emergency vest 'gothic'? My friends are the same ways, so give up the labels.
by Bumpy January 14, 2005
Get the gothmug. 1. A persom whom embraces the macarbeness of life
2. (singular) A person from a pre history tribe of Germans
3. A style of architecture
PS: i would just like to say, Marylin manson is not goth but shock rock, or industrial, one of those. but any who his musics still good, and you gotta love that make up :)
2. (singular) A person from a pre history tribe of Germans
3. A style of architecture
PS: i would just like to say, Marylin manson is not goth but shock rock, or industrial, one of those. but any who his musics still good, and you gotta love that make up :)
John: hello steve i see that you are in some form enbracing the macarbness of life.
steve: yes indeed
john: by definition you would be performing a gothic act, but not necisarly making you a goth.
steve: indeed
John: lets go burn some heretics!
steve: bahahaha burn the heretics!
steve: yes indeed
john: by definition you would be performing a gothic act, but not necisarly making you a goth.
steve: indeed
John: lets go burn some heretics!
steve: bahahaha burn the heretics!
by David Gio December 28, 2005
Get the gothmug. While many think of goths as bloodsucking vampiric satanists, very little of that is true. It's not just about gobs of eyeliner and white face paint. It's about being who we ARE.
I am a goth. I am proud to be one. I don't think it matters if I dress in all black, because I'm nicer to ANYBODY than any chav could ever be? Why? Simple. Golden Rule. Too bad ignorant chavs and self centered preps have failed to realize that. And no, listening to Marilyn Manson will not make you 'goth'. Nor will he 'un-goth' you. Same with any band. I myself listen to bands like Crossfade and Disturbed, but then I also listen to heavier things like Metallica and Dragonforce. But it's not just music. It's how you are. And who you are. So before you pathetic chav's go to pick on that 'freak' think about this. Who's more pathetic? The kid in black or you, going to pick on him because your self esteem is too low and your ego too big. Not to mention your pants don't stay up.
I am a goth. I am proud to be one. I don't think it matters if I dress in all black, because I'm nicer to ANYBODY than any chav could ever be? Why? Simple. Golden Rule. Too bad ignorant chavs and self centered preps have failed to realize that. And no, listening to Marilyn Manson will not make you 'goth'. Nor will he 'un-goth' you. Same with any band. I myself listen to bands like Crossfade and Disturbed, but then I also listen to heavier things like Metallica and Dragonforce. But it's not just music. It's how you are. And who you are. So before you pathetic chav's go to pick on that 'freak' think about this. Who's more pathetic? The kid in black or you, going to pick on him because your self esteem is too low and your ego too big. Not to mention your pants don't stay up.
Chav:look at that goth what a loserrrrr
Chav2:i know right? let's go make fun of that weirdo
Chav1:what are you, goth, a VAMPIRE?
Goth:uh no?
Chav2: he is definitely a vampire dude.
Goth:go away, your arrogance and ignorance combined are enough to bring the armageddon.
Chav1: dude this guy makes NO sense
Chav2:i know right? let's go make fun of that weirdo
Chav1:what are you, goth, a VAMPIRE?
Goth:uh no?
Chav2: he is definitely a vampire dude.
Goth:go away, your arrogance and ignorance combined are enough to bring the armageddon.
Chav1: dude this guy makes NO sense
by Darkshadow7965156 February 24, 2007
Get the gothmug. A person who is themselves,so what if they wear darker clothing,and some,not all are depressed.they are people.they usually like different music/art then others,and are usually very funny and nice.
by jordan January 31, 2004
Get the gothmug. A goth is basically a person who likes the darker side of most things, and often wear a lot of black, but sometimes they wear other colors too. Goths like people, are not all the same. For instance, not all goths like metal. Some prefer softer music. Goths DO NOT worship Satan, and ARE NOT all cutters/suicidal depressing low-lives like the people you always see at Hot Topic. Just because a person wears all black n' stuff and listens to metal or something like that, it DOES NOT mean that they are suicide or cut themselves. You could be a prep who listens to Christina Aguilara and be a cutter. Some goths can be that way, but that's because they are PEOPLE not living labels and r all different! They r not psychotic and they certainly aren't all gay/lesbian or have social issues. If somebody OBSESSES about black and says he/she loves 666 and Satan, talks about Hot Topic and/or even so much as calls him/her self a goth, they are most likely a poser. Goth is a state of mind, not a trend. A lot of posers decide to "go goth" because they think it makes them feel special or "cool". It doesn't. It makes them look stupid. Goths are not afraid to show who they really are and what they stand for. They don't care about being popular and would rather be considered an outcast or a freak than conform to everyone else. Goth(in my opinion) is a state of mind in which one sees the world through a shadowed window, but sees things for what they truly are and accept their position in the world and arn't afraid of what people think of them. So, if you go up to a goth and rag on him/her about Satan and crap and beat them up, I'll come after you. Unless it's a poser goth in which case i will gladly lend you a hand.
Oh yeah, and one more thing, goth is NOT the same as emo. Just so we're clear on that.
Oh yeah, and one more thing, goth is NOT the same as emo. Just so we're clear on that.
Poser Goth: Hey, u wanna hang out with me at Hot Topic?
Me: No!
Poser Goth: Oh okay then, yeah i guess I'll just go so i can get goth stuff so i can piss off my parents, and show how fcuked up my life is . . ."
Random asshole: You guys are fucked up! Why don't you get the hell out of here, slit your wrists already and join Marilyn Manson in Hell!
(me punches random asshole)
Me: (to poser) Get a goddamn life!
Me: No!
Poser Goth: Oh okay then, yeah i guess I'll just go so i can get goth stuff so i can piss off my parents, and show how fcuked up my life is . . ."
Random asshole: You guys are fucked up! Why don't you get the hell out of here, slit your wrists already and join Marilyn Manson in Hell!
(me punches random asshole)
Me: (to poser) Get a goddamn life!
by Matt R H January 15, 2007
Get the gothmug.