Gothy Stereotypes Ever Bug You?

[pomba gira]

While I technically don't look goth, I fit in best with goths because I never really did fit in anywhere else. I was never a jock, never preppy, never all that trendy. I wear black a lot because of my part-time (Mon-Wed) job. It's our uniform. At the salon, I can wear whatever I want. Just no jeans. I was wearing black polish LONG before black polish was cool. I loved skulls WAY before most people thought of it as fashion. As far as I'm concerned, most everyone else who has only just begun wearing it stole it from us. But boy, does it look stupid with a Louis Vuitton bag.

The stereotypes DO bug me. Do we worship Satan because we wear all black? Not necessarily. Are we ungoth because we might listen to something other than what we hear at City Club outside of said venue? I don't believe so. Are we all depressed and on meds? NO. We're just a bunch of people who seem to just fit here because we didn't seem to fit anywhere else. So what if we love graveyards. If a so-called "normal person" went to a graveyard with an open mind and open eyes, they might just see the true beauty of the old-school headstones. It's ART.

Sorry if I'm rambling or not making sense to anyone. I'm sleepy and have been cleaning.

Fumes.....

What she said!

I really hesitate to label myself "goth" for many reasons, but I've spent most of my life in various subcultures and this is the one I fit into the best at this stage of my life.

I dislike stereotypes in general, because IMO attaching any stereotype to someone is a way to avoid making the attempt to communicate with or understand them on any meaningtul level. I am as guilty as the next person of this sometimes... but at least I'm somewhat conscious of it and I do make an effort to get beyond pre-judgments and try to appreciate people for WHO they are rather than WHAT I think they are.

And yeah, it bugs the hell out of me when my students say "oh you listen to goth music/wear goth clothes- that means you worship the devil?" But, then again, it's a chance to politely educate them... about tolerance and stereotypes in general, as well as what the gothic subculture is & isn't about... so I'm glad they're asking me and not someone who'd give them a snide answer & just reinforce their negative assumptions.

[Homicidalheathen]

...some people come use my puter and are shocked!!!! Oh no! At my favorets list. I have a Satan folder and a zombies folder......no I am not a satanist.....I just find sociopaths interesting....but they think me being influence by the 'goth culture' has 'gotten to me' and are freaked.

I think its kinda funny.

[Shade Everdark]

Honestly I only wear black because I am a slob. I would otherwise go through clothes like crazy because of food and soil stains.

Oh and I am always cold...and black draws and holds in heat. Especially nylon.

Now if I could just get rid of the white pet hair.

Oh and I have black hair because it goes best with my skin tone...

I have always loved grave yards and dark sounding music...

I don't know why that makes me goth but I guess it does?

Oh and I have a fasincation with crime and serial killers.

I didn't even know I was goth until someone pointed it out to me. I am just me. I don't care much for Marilyn Manson...and at the time thats what I thought a goth was so I was kinda surprised.

That is the wonderfully paradoxical genius of the goth subculture. It covers such a broad spectrum of interests, mores, and 'norms,' for lack of a better word, and lacks any sort of limit on thresholds of participation (to quote Fight Club: "You decide your own level of involvement") that it becomes very easy to self-identify as a goth (even if only to oneself). On the other hand, as Scary Guy points out, goths of most stripes refuse to openly self-identify, out of, presumably, a strong desire to hold onto every last scrap of individuality they can (whether that individuality is real or illusory is for a different debate).

Personally, I don't see the problem with self-identifying, particularly within the group. Most, erm, 'not-goths' I know have quite a bit of fun mocking the stereotypes, which suggest that they are both comfortably aware that they exist, and also realize that, while most of those stereotypes have the grain of truth, they don't define the subculture or the tremendously diverse group it encompasses.

[Scary Guy]

OVERCULTURE! This is the term I use to describe it as it effects way to many cultures to be a subculture. It's a complex web woven through all the cultures. Once again if you can appreciate the beauty in wilted flowers or a thunderstorm you can consider yourself at least partly goth. Depression isn't happiness but it's.... not depressing since we deal with it differently than most people.

I think I'll start a list of what makes what goth. I'll get back to this later.

[Steven]

i don't hate mexican-americans, i hate beaners

(i love you, steven...)

I chuckle...

[Homicidalheathen]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/arti...amp;expand=true

[Troy Spiral (13)]

Bothered me in the ye olden days. But now i generally either just chuckle or put the idiots on mental ignore. If i know them well enough they get a brief re-education. If they don't react well i just move on to a different subject.

Then, when no ones looking i give my speech about how most (but obviously not ALL) stereotypes are deeply rooted in fact.

[TygerLili]

"Gothy Stereotypes Ever Bug You?"

--all stereotypes bug me

Ditto, but everyone makes assumptions sometimes.

[torn asunder]

Then, when no ones looking i give my speech about how most (but obviously not ALL) stereotypes are deeply rooted in fact.

:innocent

[Steven]

I think Xtian stereotypes are closer to my heart....

[hellequin]

Bothered me in the ye olden days. But now i generally either just chuckle or put the idiots on mental ignore. If i know them well enough they get a brief re-education. If they don't react well i just move on to a different subject.

Then, when no ones looking i give my speech about how most (but obviously not ALL) stereotypes are deeply rooted in fact.

ditto here too.

completely. it bugs me from time to time now but i have come to realize that if i decide to dress or act in any way that makes me stand out of the crowd, then i should accept responsibility for my choice. if my choice makes people stare or misconceive me, yes it's annoying, but what else should i expect?

[n0Mad]

One of my coworkers just can't wrap his mind around the concept that I'm goth and Christian. He just doesn't think that's possible for some reason. I could lecture him on how goth is not a religion, it's a style of music, fashion, art, architecture, etc. Like Victorian. Which there's a lot of crossover between goth and victorian but that's another lecture. Anyway ... I could lecture him on that but I just shake my head and sigh.

i have come to realize that if i decide to dress or act in any way that makes me stand out of the crowd, then i should accept responsibility for my choice. if my choice makes people stare or misconceive me, yes it's annoying, but what else should i expect?

Very good point.

[sinmantyx]

One of my coworkers just can't wrap his mind around the concept that I'm goth and Christian. He just doesn't think that's possible for some reason. I could lecture him on how goth is not a religion, it's a style of music, fashion, art, architecture, etc. Like Victorian. Which there's a lot of crossover between goth and victorian but that's another lecture. Anyway ... I could lecture him on that but I just shake my head and sigh.

Very good point.

...or that if you are goth you have to be a certain TYPE of Christian. i.e. not actually one.

I'm trying to explain to my secular friend that he may not really understand how the faith of his latest love interest may effect how she thinks and acts in a relationship...and he needed to learn to respect that. Having been in a relationship when I was a Christian and my boyfriend was a humanist...I thought I might have some insight for him.

He's like: Well, she goes to Necto. Did you go to goth clubs when you were a Christian?!

I just shook my head and decided he was just going to have to learn the hard way. He did.

[Steven]

One of my coworkers just can't wrap his mind around the concept that I'm goth and Christian. He just doesn't think that's possible for some reason. I could lecture him on how goth is not a religion, it's a style of music, fashion, art, architecture, etc. Like Victorian. Which there's a lot of crossover between goth and victorian but that's another lecture. Anyway ... I could lecture him on that but I just shake my head and sigh.

Very good point.

unfortunately this is common but changing. some other "conflicts" for bread and butter christian models might be...

"how can you be a christian and":

smoke

drink

hang with non christians

have tats

listen to that music

watch those movies

wear that

love them

hate them others

be part of that political party

sadly, you often get the same puzzled looks and questions from non christians.

I get it all the time.

[Troy Spiral (13)]

:innocent

ditto here too.

completely. it bugs me from time to time now but i have come to realize that if i decide to dress or act in any way that makes me stand out of the crowd, then i should accept responsibility for my choice. if my choice makes people stare or misconceive me, yes it's annoying, but what else should i expect?

[Joey Deadcat]

Actually, majority of the folks here fit the misconceptions that the media has about goth than any stereotypes.

[Shade Everdark]

Actually, majority of the folks here fit the misconceptions that the media has about goth than any stereotypes.

And you, of course, would know.

[Homicidalheathen]

My kid got picked on in school again by some judgemental bitch who doesn't know her at all. She makes good grades, works..pays for her own car.....

It was all about how she dresses.

[Homicidalheathen]

So my kid tells me when she went up to get an award the other day that the teacher called her name and when she went up there she looked shocked like 'wow, a freak that actually does this well'

My kid wears the typical 'ghetto goth' attire.

(if she hadn't taken that damn algebra 2 class she would be validictorian.)

And when we all had to get on stage when she accepted another award one of her teachers said it was cute.....a little family of people all dressed in black.

[Homicidalheathen]

And you, of course, would know.

Um yah......WTF?