I have no problem with people who want to be “goth”… however, a girl I used to work with who was “goth” always called me a yuppy because I didn’t have pink hair, torn clothes, or was not constantly in financial trouble. I have found other gothic people to think that of me too, and I am nowhere NEAR yuppy, and was actually offended because I don’t represent a yuppy whatsoever. It goes to show you everyone on this planet has their own perceptions of what other people are like. It’s a waste of time to get pissed off that someone doesn’t see you for WHO you really are, They’ll form their own opinions anyway. Why is it the people who are tattooed, pierced, dyed, etc who have to goddamn PROVE themselves??? I wear jeans and tank tops, does make me less of an opiniated person or less depressed?
Goth is fine, but like anything else, if it’s thrown in my face I immediately turn away.
I thought frat was just short for fraternity, I did not realise it was considered derogitory to use the term ‘frat boy’. Sorry if it caused offence, what is the correct term?
Here is a correct form of my statement
A true Goth would be far less likely to be rude to someone else than Polycarp would.
Since True Goth does not exist, whilst Polycarp does exist.
no real experience with goths. I see a lot of them in my girls High school. Unique hairstyle (saw one with 2 foot spikes! that ws cool) and dark clothes. I did see one this morning (oddly enuf) and upon closer inspection, her entire ensemble was coordinated from makeup to shoes to dark stockings. she was rather pretty in dark hair and dark lipstick. She’d be stunning in “normal” clothes but she wore her stuff very well.
I don’t dislike goths as individuals, but I do think it’s a little silly as a movement/subculture/clothing style/whatever. Not because I think they’re freaks, but because I think they aren’t freaks but they think they’re freaks. If that makes any sense. Goths aren’t scary, they aren’t original, and they don’t really seem that strange to me. But they do seem cliche, and that bothers me a bit. C’mon, sure those clothes are interesting, but what about a style more personalized?
I’ll admit most of my interactions with goths haven’t been entirely positive. Most of my friends who are goths seem to be caught up in the idea that they’re somehow unique and special and totally misunderstood (as opposed to other people?), and that annoys me. Random goths seem to have some idea that they’re scary or cooler than others, which is also silly.
I don’t have any problem with the things goths wear on an individual basis, it just seems odd to abandon the standard ‘preppie’ uniform and immediately jump into another. If you wanna be unique, don’t be a man in black lipstick, be a man in GREEN lipstick! Or blue, or pink, or whatever color you individually like.
I hope this post doesn’t sound harsher than I mean it to.
Bah. I used to work in a rock club (have the t-shirt on today!) Which also had a dance club in the basement (different club, same franchise) The people in the rock club were goths/metallers/skaters/whatever, were all perfectly polite to me behind the bar. I had very little trouble (apart from the odd ancient trying to chat me up, as mentioned in another thread). In the dance club, the ‘normal’ people were the most obnoxious people. They’d yell at me, even though I was working as fast as I could, were rude, would refuse to pay and all sorts. I even had one guy complain that I should have been looking after his coat (it got nicked from the back of a chair) simply because he couldn’t be bothered to put it in the cloakroom! Twats. Give me the goths anyday.
I am learning to speak Gothic this summer. Although I am not an antagonistic person by nature, I am looking forward to yelling at my Goth friends about how they don’t even speak their own language.
I had several friends in high school who were Goths or Goth-ish. I was never a full-blown Goth, although I liked to wear black and still feel an inclination towards darker clothes and hair.
This was almost 15 years ago, though, and I’m simultaneously amused and pleased to see that it’s held on all these years!
However, unless something has changed over the years, the people described by the OP don’t sound much like the Goths I knew and hanged out with. I could never imagine them hurling insults at strangers on the street. Indeed, they were on the whole very pleasant people, and few of them maintained a “doom and gloom” persona all the time. They tended to be a bit deeper and more sensitive than many of their colleagues in high school, and usually gravitated toward the arts.
They were among the few individuals with whom i could have a serious conversation, and at the same time have fun with. Their extreme appearance usually masked a very well-balanced and well-rounded personality.
Of course, there were always exceptions to those general tendencies, and you’d occasionally find a new person who emulated the Goth look just because they seemed cool and mysterious, or just because of the shock value. I hope that the “Goths” that the OP encountered were such exceptions.
You don’t know what it’s like, okay? Jocks put ya’ down, you don’t stand a chance in hell with the good looking girls. The only option you’re left with is to listen to Marilyn Manson and smoke weed and study witchcraft and play Magic The Gathering.
I ain’t turnin’ into no book totin’ nerd! And since I can’t be a jock or a sosh or a greaser, the only niche I can belong to is GOTH! Some of the girls here are somewhat hot, although for every one of those there are 20 fat ones.
So before you put us down, take a look at yourself and see if you can face your own antagonistic and self righteous accusations!
rhinostylee what makes you think you are a Goth?
Marilyn Manson, weed, witchcraft, and Magic The Gathering have no connection to Goth, though I am sure many Goths have interest in some of those passtimes.
You are correct in the sentiment that those things mentioned by rhinostylee do not necessarily make one Goth or are requirements for one to be Goth. I personally have no interest in any of the above save for Magic: The Gathering and even then it is only a passing interest at that.
The rest of his post, however, does hold some credence. For many people Goth is the only place to turn. It is one of the few niches you can find where you will be accepted and respected…period. Most of the Goths I hang around with will even go so far as to look down upon another Goth who attempts to bring others down (referring to it as being “More goth than thou” ).
Goth is more of a mindset than a style of dress or musical preference and as such many people turn to it when they find no where else to go. I for one found that despite doing well in my classes and having a penchant for the geek-arts I did not fit in with the nerds. Not having any desire to spend my Mondays trying to find out exactly what I did over the weekend left the preps and jocks, and nearly everyone else in my town out.
Interestingly enough I went Goth before I even knew there was such a thing. I just went for a style of dress that matched the way I was feeling about the world (not very good) and went with it. It wasn’t until a couple of years later, after finally meeting some other Goths that I realized there was an entire subculture.
To further complicate matters I am a Goth and a Christian. This makes for some very intersting conversations and may also serve as proof that there as many different kinds of “Goth” as there are actual Goths.
Thanks Meros I see my last post comes off snarkier than I meant. I don’t mean to say that rhinostylee is somehow not Goth, I just wanted to ask what about him/her makes him/her feel to be Goth.
<Major Confession> When Goth came around again in the 1980’s I was too much a coward to embrace the style, though I loved both the music and the style. It was much later that I found the self confidence to embrace items of the style in everyday life, and to be a weekend “Goth”. Though I would not claim to be Goth, I derive my clothing (lack of ? ) style from punk, Goth, fettish and my own insane ideas. I am sure that some weekends I would be thought of by some of the posters here as Goth.
Goth is a great niche for many people, as it is very accepting of new comers, and does not force particular ideas and ideals on its members, save for a certain self expression of style. There is no religion to Goth, so Goth Christian is no more strange than Raver Christian.
I apologize for being so quick to jump the gun Bippy.
Don’t worry about just being a “weekend Goth” since there’s more to it than just the clothing. If you can “fit in” with them you are one, even if for one reason or another you can’t look it all the time.
I, for one, have had to go that way myself having picked up a real job that requires me to wear a shirt and tie :::gag:::
Wow, the goths you all met were a lot different than the ones I know. The ones I know are snobbier than the “preppies.”
I realize that no one “type” of people are all going to be cool, or snobby or whatever, but in my experiences, the goths I’ve met all looked down their noses at me. Guess I wasn’t “cool” enough for them.
rather mildly Well, I do know several goths with extensive weapons and hand-to-hand combat training. Some of them wear makeup, but I’ve found that it’s usually the industrial-type goths rather than the Romantic ones who have the training.
I don’t understand the hang-up about cosmetics.
Oh, hi, Meros! I’m a Christian, too.
Maybe it’s the “amateur historian” thing, but I don’t understand why goth fasion is considered laughable. I think a girl in a tight vinyl cheongsam, heels, and dark makeup can look damn good.
