The Goth Culture

[Iron_Ranger]

Alright, I could be wrong on ALL this but..Anyway..Ok so its my understanding that The Goths were one of the several Germanic tribes centurys ago..And were one of the first to convert to christanity..

Ok fast forward to present day..Now goths are this people that were black and are angry at the world and all that good stuff..Ok thats a generalzation..But you know what I mean..Now from my experinces most 'presnt day' goths dont believe in Chrisanity, and I am assuming most of them dont..Yet..There seems to be alot of crosses involved in the Goth cluture..Present day goth culture..

Why? Seems pretty confuesing to me..Ancient goths converted to christianty..Present day goths dont believe in chrisanity, yet still seem to have alot of crosses invloved in their culture..

I guess the word 'goth' doesnt neccarily mean the same thing..You know? But why else would present day goths be called goths?

[Angelousss]

because it imitates gothic styles and symbolism(like a gothic cathedrals)

[Luvian]

I find it funny that people try to look rebel by following certain trends of clothing. If you dress like a goth or punk, you don't look rebel, you look conformist...

Same things for tatoo or piercing. Maybe the first guy that did it was rebel, but now it's just a trend. You might as well wear adidas and nike clothing.

[ 02-08-2003, 02:35 AM: Message edited by: Luvian ]

[LennonCook]

Originally posted by Luvian: I find it funny that people try to look rebel by following certain trends of clothing. If you dress like a goth or punk, you don't look rebel, you look conformist... Same things for tatoo or piercing. Maybe the first guy that did it was rebel, but now it's just a trend. You might as well wear adidas and nike clothing.

I agree. Fashions do not rebel - wearing things purely because *NOONE* does would be rebelling.
Body art should be just that - an artwork, done because you like the idea of it. Not because you don`t like someone else...

[The Hunter of Jahanna]

Same things for tatoo or piercing. Maybe the first guy that did it was rebel, but now it's just a trend. You might as well wear adidas and nike clothing.

I feel your pain , Luvian. I see way too many frat daddies with the exact same tribal armband. The guy I go to to get my tattoos has made a habit of over chargeing them for it. It seems like they all think that they are the first person to ever pick that particular desighn off of the wall.

Now to the point of the thread. I am kind of part of the goth subculture. I am into industrial music, which is often lumped into the same category.From my observations there are 3 kinds of goths. #1 is the "Mopey goth" These are the ones who act miserable all of the time and hang out in grave yards. They are a HUGE downer and should be avoided at all costs. THey should also be encouraged to go through with their juvinile suicide plots because they are always full of shit.

#2 Is the "Fashion goth". These are usualy Ex cheerleaders who think dressing in PVC, rubber and leather and wearing too much makeup makes them less of a vapid little nothing. THey are wrong and should be crushed and expelled from the scene as soon as possible. All they will do is contaminate everyone with drama and stupidity.

#3 Is the "Perky goth". THey are and oxymoron , but they are usualy swell people. They dont hate anything , are usualy cheerfull and generaly lack the angst required for true gothness. If it wasnt for all of the black clothes and eyeliner , you could almost mistake them for ravers.

For more info and a few laughs check out www.sykospark.net It is a friends website and she is just as sweet as she is funny.

[karlosovic]

actually I'm not sure many modern day goths are aware their name stems from a barbarian tribe, but anyway.

You guys kinda miss the point of the rebel thing. It's not supposed to rebel against everything. If you rebelled against EVERYTHING you would have no friends and no-one would talk to you. It's only rebelling from mainstream society (ie. their parents), and doing it in a big group (because then they don't feel like such freakozoids). Yes they have a 'uniform', that identifies them as part of their sub-culture, and distinguishes them from 'normal' culture (that they feel is so horridly wrong, for some reason (and I'm sure they don't even know why themselves really)).

As for the Goth bit, it's named after an architechtural style of the middle-ages (think of all those European churches etc with big sharp stone arches, gargoyles etc)... although I'm not sure of the exact progression from Germanic Tribe -> Style of Architecture.

[The Hierophant]

Indeed, an historical goth would have more in common with Ghengis Khan than with Lestat the Vampire. Modern 'gothism' uses the name of the ancient horde, but nothing more.

[Grojlach]

Originally posted by Luvian: I find it funny that people try to look rebel by following certain trends of clothing. If you dress like a goth or punk, you don't look rebel, you look conformist...

Actually, that wasn't really the case a few years back; there were times that dressing as a goth was actually rather original and freaking people out, mostly parents. But it was more of an expression of being interested in romanticism (literature, for example) than a fad in those days. But I think Melusine could explain this a lot better than I do, I'm not much of an expert.
But it has definitely turned into a fad the last few years, also because a lot of pseudo-Goth music made it to the top 40 here in the Netherlands. Heck, I once received an entire Goth clothing catalogue with my magazine on music last year with the "hippest" Goth labels around at that moment. Good chance kids actually choose their Goth-clothing with their parents nowadays, even. [img]graemlins/uhoh1.gif[/img]

[ 02-08-2003, 10:20 AM: Message edited by: Grojlach ]

[Kaltia]

I have to agree with this. It seems you can divide kids into several categories. Tammy, a clothes shop for kids aged 6-14, sells goth clothing, because it's "hip". Personally I prefer to avoid brandnames. I like *some* goth music. I don't wear dog collars and black (well, I do wear black occasionally). I'm usually pretty cheerful, even if I don't make sense. I buy my clothes for £5 from market stalls in Camden, up in London...oops....
One of my friends is a goth. She's just like any other person when that mask of "I'm evil, I hate the world" slips.

Plus everyone knows that goths dissolve into dust at twenty and rise again as accountants *cue sunglass-wearing smiley*

[ 02-08-2003, 09:14 AM: Message edited by: Kaltia ]

[Iron_Ranger]

Originally posted by Kaltia: Plus everyone knows that goths dissolve into dust at twenty and rise again as accountants *cue sunglass-wearing smiley*

LOL, isnt that the case with most subcultures?

Ok so anciet goths and mondern day goths have no real connection. Thanks for clearing it up everyone.