Do you find goth stereotypes accurate?

I know no one enjoys being judged simply by the way they dress or what not, but if you consider yourself goth do you find that the stereotypes (such as always dressing black) surrounding the goth culture are accurate to you?

As for me personally, with the exception of the constantly being depressed bit I think I fit most stereotypical goth assumptions. I dress in dark colors and enjoy sinister sounding music, as well as enjoy dark decorations and as much as I try not to reveal it in person I'm quite fond of mythical creatures such as dragons.

They're accurate in the same way being a vegan is an accurate reflection of your choice in music.

Goth, or for that matter punk, emo, metal, ska and Guatemalan trancecore, is not something you 'are' or 'are not'. Some people make it a large part of their lives, some just drop in for a few hours on a Saturday evening. There's nothing wrong with either, but it's certainly wrong to be told that the other aspects of your life don't fit.

I've gone shopping in stage clothes, but I'll wear a suit when it's appropriate. OK, so I haven't worn shorts in living memory, but if I'm in leather or a lumberjack shirt it's still me, and if you put my mcody on shuffle you'll get everything from Type O to Oasis. Sometimes I'll even wear the fluffy white bathrobes we've collected from hotels. I don't feel like I'm selling out my image, or breaking the Lore of Goth, I just feel schnuggly.

mG

some are more accurate than others, but all of them are hillarious.

I don't know really. A lot of teens I see these days look the part, but who knows if they have a clue as to what's what? I know it's not your point, but labels suck. I look more like a ex-con than a goth but I'm into the music and culture. I don't feel the need to look like anything in particular.

I wear all black, but so did Johnny Cash...

Too long to copy and paste.

http://www.gothicrevue.com/GCommandments.html

Sorry I couldn't find the shorter versian. :1orglaugh

" Thou shalt have a sense of humour about thyself and thy subculture, for really, thou doest looketh like a bit of a dick. Thou shalt know when thou lookest like a dick, and thou shalt laugh about it, for if thou doest not, someone else will. "

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Originally Posted by Lady Alias

http://www.gothicrevue.com/GCommandments.html

Sorry I couldn't find the shorter versian. :1orglaugh

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Thank you, that made my day! :1orglaugh

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Originally Posted by Mindgames

They're accurate in the same way being a vegan is an accurate reflection of your choice in music.

Goth, or for that matter punk, emo, metal, ska and Guatemalan trancecore, is not something you 'are' or 'are not'. Some people make it a large part of their lives, some just drop in for a few hours on a Saturday evening. There's nothing wrong with either, but it's certainly wrong to be told that the other aspects of your life don't fit.

I've gone shopping in stage clothes, but I'll wear a suit when it's appropriate. OK, so I haven't worn shorts in living memory, but if I'm in leather or a lumberjack shirt it's still me, and if you put my mcody on shuffle you'll get everything from Type O to Oasis. Sometimes I'll even wear the fluffy white bathrobes we've collected from hotels. I don't feel like I'm selling out my image, or breaking the Lore of Goth, I just feel schnuggly.

mG

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Aren't hotel bathrobes the fucking best!

scnhuggly... yumm.
heh yeah im not "stereotipical goth" at all... i love the music and pretty much everything else... but i dont dress in all black or anything... most of the time i dress closer to what the little raver candy kids wear haha... its just comfy!

That's a hard one, considering that the stereotypical Goth does exist, and there are alot of them. I think that the stereotype doesn't meet how I am much at all, besides being a sarcastic outcast who switches her haircolor every few months. Otherwise one tends to get it from both ends, not "looking" Goth enough for the Goths, and too Gothic for the others. It always hands me a pretty big laugh on the one hand, yet sometimes stung a little on the other.

I think in the last years its gotten a little more polarized because there is a lack of guidance that alot of younger Goths have from anything but the stereotype they've seen on TV, and passing by the local Hot Topic. I mean, for goodness sake, I saw one younger Goth yelling at another on a Message board for touting Bauhaus, The Cure, and Christian Death as overrated 80's crap. Perhaps I shouldn't fit in with them!

Hahaha wow, those commandments are funny as hell. "Thou shalt seek an 'alternative religion', no matter how wacky, and thou shalt practise it. Thou shalt not give two shits if another bad-mouths said 'alternative religion' for thou art not just scary and mean, but thou art fucked-in-the-head as well. "

lollys

Oh and..before I look like a dick for not replying to the main point..

Its lame to stereotype anyone, its easy..and feels gooood....But lame. Sure there are alotta things that put goth people incommon with eachother..but everyone i've met acts different. Well, all of them atleast seem to like the idea of being tied up..and listen to a weird group of eclectic music.

Goth has covered so many things for so many years that stereotypes for goth are about as useful for stereotypes of Americans. Imagine trying to apply the stereotypes of a rural Georgian to someone who grew up in Berkley. Now try to apply the stereotypes of say a late 90's mopey goth to a post punk goth from the late 70's.

Stereotypes exist for a reason, our minds want a pattern. Sometimes they hit but more often than not they are either so general as to be near useless (Goths like black) or so specific that they couldn't possibly be accurate on any large scale (all goths are antisocial, trench coat wearing Charlie Manson wannabees).

I am sure I fall into some of the stereotypes of goths, but if you picked a half dozen random subcultures I probably fit some of their stereotypes as well. Makes it hard to take it seriously.

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Originally Posted by Toe Cutter

I don't know really. A lot of teens I see these days look the part, but who knows if they have a clue as to what's what? I know it's not your point, but labels suck. I look more like a ex-con than a goth but I'm into the music and culture. I don't feel the need to look like anything in particular.

I wear all black, but so did Johnny Cash...

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:yeeaaahh:

Depends really.

I mean, where I live, the idea of Goth is

a kid who dresses in dark clothes, worships satan and listens to metal.

at least that is the assumption, the stereotype.

Cause appearantly, I'm goth. (even though I dress like a bum, i'm agnostic and honestly I'm very picky about my metal)



But no, I dont think I'm the stereotypical goth, but then again, I dont think I'm goth at all.

I'm kate. : )

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I'm kate. : )

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you is sexeh :D

Nah, the whole thing doesn't realy anger me too much, if people realy want to judge you then they will- goth or not.

One thing that did bother me was when i guy seriously asked me if i worshiped the devil, when i said no and explaned that i was actualy a human being under my makeup and not a monster who was trying to leed his godly soul away from the true path of the lord *say that last bit in the voice of a southern preacher*

No realy i don't think that i have met the "stereotypical" goth, there are so many diverse and interesting people who consider themselves gothic that even the stereotype isn't stereotypical (if that last part made sense)

never knew stereotypes were supposed to be accurate

Hmm... From what I know this is my breakdown of this stereotype.

• Black Hair, usually short and spikey or long. Various Hairstyles exist within the two mentioned
• Most Wear Dark Bold Makeup (Eyeliner, Lipsick, Nailpolish
• Multiple Peircings are common in several places, nipples and ears being the most common.
• Clothing ranges from leather pants to baggy pants. Fishnet, Corsets, High Leather Boots, and Hoodies.
• Color of choice is Black with either red or White as common complimentary colors.
• Leather collars and bracelets are often worn. Usually containing spikes or D-Rings
• Various tattoos are popular, usually depicting demons/bats/angels... ect
• Shirts and Hoodies commonly have slogans such as "Do not disturb, I'm already Disturbed Enough"
• Pale skin is usually strived towards
• Music ranges from goth rock to metal and even ranges into emo.
• Popular music includes: Korn, Slipknot, NIN, Marilyn Manson, and Cradle of Filth

"Goths" tend to be solitary... but very intermingled on the internet. Goths are frequent internet users for the most part, which is a big part of communicating with one another and meeting others. They often feel discriminated against because of the way they dress. Most perceive them to be angry and violent, though this isn't always the case. Their style of music is a mix between metal and gothrock. They also tend to have a fascination with vampires, ghosts, and spooky stuff in general. Poetry and art is also a mjor hobby within this sub-culture.

Well... That about sums up what the stereotype is...

Any Q's or comments feel free to PM me or something of the sort....

goths tend to be drama queens and tell everyone how shit their life is and how they get picked on etc etc, but once they are comfortable in the scene they become a goth bully doing the same to newbies and people they dont like

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Originally Posted by grebo

goths tend to be drama queens and tell everyone how shit their life is.

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That sounds more Emo than Goth.

Emo = goth repackaged.

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Originally Posted by grebo

goths tend to be drama queens and tell everyone how shit their life is

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Oh, there has always been a few goths like that, and I would consider it a stereotype of goth, but I would have to say I haven't met many that fit the description. Either that or maybe, I just didn't hang out with 'em long, if they did qualify for it..

I think most racial steroetypes are fairly accurate about a large portion of the community, i mean it tends to be how they are developed. like black people liking chicken. Unless they're a vegetarian everyone on my island that i know of KILLS chicken which is why kfc and the chicken shack do well.

Most christians are against homosexuality and that tends to be true as well though myself as a catholic and a believer in you can't judge me the bible says so am bisexual.

Love the sinner, not the sin. Gods OK with that as long as your not practicing. But seriously if you did, and you confess how many Hail Marys is that?

I consider myself to be a Goth, usually the stereotype classed as Trad Goth, though I do seem to be tending toward the "DeathRocker/Gothabilly" types quoted in the Voltaire book, What is Goth, mostly due to my musical tastes. If you haven't read What is Goth, (where have you been if you haven't) I can highly recommend it.

I like what I like, some have called me goth but honestly I change my hair colour as much as I change my socks so whatever. What I do know is this:

I like Opera, I like Manson, I like Duran Duran. I like Oscar Wilde and Romance Novels. I like a good Anita Blake book with lots of biting. I love black and white movies and Star Trek. I like black and white and red and not just because they are the international colours of fascism. I love scotch and a nice burnt martini. I love chocolate like I love my women, dark and bitter. I love the smell of latex in the evening and leather in the morning. I want to learn how to surf but I burn to easily so now I scuba dive. I was pagan back in the day and I still believe in karma and the power of positive thinking. I'm happy and well adjusted on most days.

I'm not goth or emo or metal or anything I'm just me, crazy insane me.

Yes... I am so Goth... Everyone I date is Goth... They are all typical Goths...

All my affairs are SO GOTH, the whole outfit, the latex, corsets, sado masochistic, etc.... So goth....

But I do have my posh side. I am sort of Saks Fifth Avenue Goth.... I think I am sort of like a Vampire Socialite Goth....

I like Goth because you are just not supposed to do it... I like to scare people, especially boys....

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Originally Posted by Exquisite

I like what I like, some have called me goth but honestly I change my hair colour as much as I change my socks so whatever. What I do know is this:

I like Opera, I like Manson, I like Duran Duran. I like Oscar Wilde and Romance Novels. I like a good Anita Blake book with lots of biting. I love black and white movies and Star Trek. I like black and white and red and not just because they are the international colours of fascism. I love scotch and a nice burnt martini. I love chocolate like I love my women, dark and bitter. I love the smell of latex in the evening and leather in the morning. I want to learn how to surf but I burn to easily so now I scuba dive. I was pagan back in the day and I still believe in karma and the power of positive thinking. I'm happy and well adjusted on most days.

I'm not goth or emo or metal or anything I'm just me, crazy insane me.

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What is a burnt martini?

Scotch instead of vermouth, smooths out the gin nicely, makes them way too easy to drink though.

I like being judged by what I wear. It's a quick way I can weed out idiots. I just steer clear of ever getting to know someone who judges me that way.

As far as goth stereotypes being accurate, I think that certain people become goth to fit a mold of what they see it as being. So those people do epitomize the stereotype. They want to sit in corners, they want to drink their own blood, they want to wear capes, and they want to do it cause it is the goth thing to do.

However there are others who are drawn to spooky stuff, like to wear black, and have interest in other goth-y things whose have not set out to 'become' goth, and those people probably don't fit the stereotypes.....