Is "goth" taken seriously anymore?

[TOM 002]

This is a fairly simple question. With the bombardment of goth being the "it thing", it almost seems that everyone is doing it. We have "emo" wannabes that think they are tragic and deep by listening to Evanescence and writing overly setimental poetry. Hot Topic has become mainstream, straying away from what some people consider its true roots. Even the music of most metal bands is being viewed as cheesy because of Evanesence's contribution to pop culture.

Nowadays, people listen to songs about depression and darkness and think it not to be tragic but cheesy beyond belief. Boys and girls start to wear goth clothes not to stand out from the crowd, but because it's "cool". Whenever someone speaks of the darkness of their soul, people roll their eyes instead of being suspended in deep thought. Things that used to be considered creepy and alternative are now in the rooms of trendy girls who know nothing of their significance.

So considering how many aspects of this subculture have become mainstream, is it possible to still take this stuff seriously, or has it all been written up as another fad? Is there a difference between those who are really like this and the posers who just wanna fit in? And could there be any credibility to something like this or has it already been ruined beyond repair?

[FredNash]

I never took goth seriously.

[randomguy]

I never took goth seriously.Yeah, same here.

I'm pretty sure that nobody really took goth seriously in the first place. I'd say that only goths took goths seriously. The difference, nowadays, is that even goths don't really take the idea seriously. I think it's more or less just a joke to everyone now, whereas before, it was just a joke to 99.5% of the population.

[Czar Gato]

I used to wear dark makeup and "goth accesories" in high school to stand out (I went to a Catholic school where everyone had to wear uniforms, so it was the best I could do as far as making myself noticeable, really) I was always confused for a "real" goth at my high school for some reason; I always laughed it off, though. I think the fact that I, of all people, was confused for one kinda shows how silly it all is now.

[AmeliaSaillune]

I personally dont like these newfangled pouser punk/goths. This fad will pass. And soon I hope. And if goths dress the way they do to stand out from the crowd, arent they just following to goth crowd? Makes no sense.

[SSJPabs]

I personally dont like these newfangled pouser punk/goths. This fad will pass. And soon I hope. And if goths dress the way they do to stand out from the crowd, arent they just following to goth crowd? Makes no sense.Well at the beginning they DID stand out, but then as usual it was coopted by the market-place so they could maximize revenue and then people who follow fads got into it. Really the only way to truly stand out is to dress how you like because you like it, not because its cool, or because its shocking etc. If it happens to be the fad, then so be it. If its out of style, then so what?

Thats the only way I can see to truly do your own thing.

Besides, I LIKE Evanescense and Avril Lavigne!

[Sailor Chibi Otaku]

Want gothic music? I'll give you gothic music.

I have a CD entitled, "Music of the Gothic Era", performed by the Early Music Consort of London, performing gothic songs from these eras:

1160-1250

1250-1320

1320-1380

Can someone please inform me on how the term "goth" came into play with the meaning of "wearing nothing but black and listening to gloomy music"? I'd like to know how the Germanic goths got to have that meaning, after the Renaissance decided to call art and buildings from the Middle Ages "gothic art".

For me, for the meaning of "goth" these days, is nothing more than a clique for people to join just to fit in, like all those "emo" kids. Honestly. :rolleyes:

[g_UnIt_GaNsTa]

Goth shouldn't be taken seriously.

[Sailor Chibi Otaku]

When I was in high school and liking wrestling, I was semi-goth because I was a huge Undertaker fan at the time.

Now that I abhor wrestling and know what goth really means, I get nit picky when people say they're "goth".

[Eddie G.]

I try the avoid the "I'm more indie", "I'm more deep," "I'm not a poser, you're a poser" wars (which seems to be something emoes, punks, goths, and others take part in) and just accept things as are. I came to this decision when in a playwriting class a fellow student took a stab at me in her play for being a poser because I wear Converse All Stars. But I don't wear Converse All Stars because I'm trying to be punk or emo or goth or metal or underground or indie, I wear them because they're the coolest sneakers ever invented. It's the same thing with Hot Topic, I don't care if people who like Simple Plan shop there, a lot of the shirts at Hot Topic are still pretty cool. I'm not going to stop buying cool shirts because of other people who shop there, I mean tons of people I don't like probably go to the same super market as me, and I don't stop shopping there.

Anyway I don't think anyone claims to be goth or punk anymore, but there are a few people who still have the image and sometimes it's a pretty cool image.

However I do lose respect for anyone who can actually say Bright Eyes is a good band. I forgot the name of the song, but all this fake depth and angst some people carry with them is represented in this song that has to be the worst song ever written.

[True Noir]

The wannab's in my school are going phyco with it. They cut themselves and take things to far and the teachers know about it, but don't do much.

[The Frog]

I never really cared for Goths. They used being 'outsiders' as an excuse to be self centered. They whine about how much life sucks, but don't do anything to change it. They just feel self pity and mock others for being in 'cliques'. Like Goths aren't a clique. :rolleyes:

For the record though, I'm talking about hardcore goths, not people who like certain gothic things.

[Youko Recca]

Oh yeah...I had a gothic kid in my school. He wore roller blades ALL the time. When push came to shove, I beat his ass but it was more my fault so I kinda don't consider it a fight.

What the heck are emoes?

[HumanoidTyphoon]

What the heck are emoes?Kinda fluffy looks like a smaller ostrich.

[Phantasm]

Frankly speaking, I don'tt really know much about this 'Goth' cuture or whatever, BUT I am in love with gothic architecture...:shrug:

[Tay the Cat]

The wannab's in my school are going phyco with it. They cut themselves and take things to far and the teachers know about it, but don't do much.

Where I live we call those people "emo kids".

[Youko Recca]

Kinda fluffy looks like a smaller ostrich.
Yeeaaah...what about how it's being used here?

[Evil & Lovin It]

However I do lose respect for anyone who can actually say Bright Eyes is a good band. I forgot the name of the song, but all this fake depth and angst some people carry with them is represented in this song that has to be the worst song ever written.
Fake agnst pisses me off so much. I hate when people have that stupid "I'm angry and listen to depressing music cuz life sucks" attitude. They just do it because they think it makes them cool, but in reality it is so old and over-used that it just makes them look like dorks.

[AF$]

This is a fairly simple question. With the bombardment of goth being the "it thing", it almost seems that everyone is doing it. We have "emo" wannabes that think they are tragic and deep by listening to Evanescence and writing overly setimental poetry. Hot Topic has become mainstream, straying away from what some people consider its true roots. Even the music of most metal bands is being viewed as cheesy because of Evanesence's contribution to pop culture.

Just by saying that the "emo" kids listen to Evanescence you show that you no nothing about the subject. Nobody who is anyone in the the scene takes Hot Topic seriously either. And the people saying that emo kids "cut themselves" are way off base as well. To stay on topic, goth is not emo.

[Lucky Bob]

Want gothic music? I'll give you gothic music.

I have a CD entitled, "Music of the Gothic Era", performed by the Early Music Consort of London, performing gothic songs from these eras:

1160-1250

1250-1320

1320-1380

Can someone please inform me on how the term "goth" came into play with the meaning of "wearing nothing but black and listening to gloomy music"? I'd like to know how the Germanic goths got to have that meaning, after the Renaissance decided to call art and buildings from the Middle Ages "gothic art".

For me, for the meaning of "goth" these days, is nothing more than a clique for people to join just to fit in, like all those "emo" kids. Honestly. :rolleyes:
Heartily, teetotally, and yeehawily AGREED.

[Roman Legion]

Can someone please inform me on how the term "goth" came into play with the meaning of "wearing nothing but black and listening to gloomy music"? I'd like to know how the Germanic goths got to have that meaning, after the Renaissance decided to call art and buildings from the Middle Ages "gothic art".

To be frank, the whole goth thing was vandalized by a bunch of barbarians who couldn't care less about culture. Everyone enlightened loves to lambast the lombards and ostracize the ostrogoths, anyway.

Romey
--Lame post for the day.

[Mr. Pedro]

The only goth that I ever took seriously, :D

http://www.gothic.com.ua/ukrrus/articles/images/gothic_bands/thecure/cure_candles_s.jpg

("Friday I'm In Love" "Why Can't I Be You" Some good stuff right there).

[Shnay]

Finding (and, consequently, becoming comfortable with) a sense of self, or a personal identity, whatever you want to call it, can be very hard for some people. If someone is having trouble with this, they turn to others for validation of who they are (we all do this to some degree, these people do it more than others). This is why trends like these go on. People who are confused or unconfortable with who they are turn to a community that will accept them. What's interesting, is that the community, in this case, Goths, will only accept them for "who they are" if they work hard to conform to the community standards (see that South Park episode for reference :) ).

By joining a group/trend like "Goths," these people accopmlish two things: First, they get the acceptance they need from others, and second, they carve out a self-identity by going out of their way to be different from the "average" person.

While the posers and confused teens are merely going through a stage, there may be some people who have other reasons for turning to a "Goth lifestyle." Now, to many of us, this looks pretty silly. But, since we're on the outside, I really don't think we really can judge it fairly. I'm sure there are a lot of people who would find it silly for adults to gather and talk about cartoons. :)

[shogunthethird]

I'm not a goth in any way shape or form, I lampoon goths, but most goths I know are just otaku who like wearing a lot of black as for me and Hot Topic I usually just get t-shirts like the ones with animated stuff or 80's franchises (anyone who claims to be a hardcore gamer and doesn't know the Konami code is as big a poser as those "extreme" guys from Harold and Kumar go to white castle

[g_UnIt_GaNsTa]

The only Goth I ever took seriously was Chris Kattan on SNL when they did that Gothic skit:D

[Sailor Chibi Otaku]

Frankly speaking, I don'tt really know much about this 'Goth' cuture or whatever, BUT I am in love with gothic architecture...:shrug:

Exacte. The higher to Heaven, the closer to God, the better, as I've read.

I'm curious to see if those "gothic" kids are religious (going by the Renaissance, not the Germanics in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th centuries conquering most of the Roman empire).

No one can be themselves these days (and even back when I was in school). They have to be a part of something. I was ALWAYS me and still am and darn tooting proud of it!! :D

*bows to Lucky Bob* ;)

[Emmanuel Cruz]

I am fed up with all these silly cliques we have in our pop culture today. People who are Goths, Emoes, Hoodlums, etc. all annoy me because they follow everyone like a flock of sheep. (BTW, I call people who act "ghetto" or take up the hip-hop lifestyle hoodlums.)

I don't follow any of these crowds. I dress in no specific fashion, I love listening to music from the 50s to the 80s, my vocabulary confuses the heck of people, I love cartoons, I'm into politics, I'm stress the importance of education alot, and I do my own thing, yet I'm happy that people respect me for the way I am. They enjoy being in my presence because my actions and thoughts are spontaneuos. But people say that I act like an older person or I was born 40 years too late, because I enjoy many things that came before me. I do have the wise-cracks who critique me (Mostly hoodlums, because my neighborhood and town is full of them. Dregs of society, IMO.) People tell me to act a certain way, talk a certain way. I do whatever I want to do.

I go to Hot Topic only to buy shirts of cartoons I enjoy and research about (TMNT, Family Guy) and I buy those Super Mario Bros. shirts because I like the SMB games. I don't like going into that store, just as much as I don't like going inside Against All Odds or some other store that has a specific trend in their clothing. But, if I see something I enjoy, then I go in and get it, not because all the other kids do. I also bought a Doors shirt there. But the problem with many kids who go to that store is that they buy these shirts of cartoons, games, etc. because they think it's hip or fashionable to do. I buy those shirts because I show my enjoyment of these cartoons, games, etc. and I at least know about THEM! I saw a kid wearing a 1987 TMNT cartoon shirt and I asked them, "I loved that show, and still do! How about you?" They told me they only wear it because it's a cool thing to do.

Be yourselves! Sure I'm both admired, respected, loathed and hated by people. But I wouldn't have it any other way!:)

-Emmanuel:bosko:

[BrendaBat]

For the longest time I absolutely lothed goths because, back in sixth grade, there was this group of goth girls who would tease me everyday by calling me things like "preppy" (I liked wearing khaki pants and nice shirts). At the time I had never seen a goth before and I couldn't believe that a bunch of girls wearing ripped stockings and dog collars were criticising MY wardrobe!


(BTW, I call people who act "ghetto" or take up the hip-hop lifestyle hoodlums.)Personally, I prefer the term "Wannabe gangsta" :D My high school had TONS of those. They were the most annoying clique in the whole school.


BTW, no one ever explained what "emoe" means. Could someone please tell me what it means?

[True Noir]

Just by saying that the "emo" kids listen to Evanescence you show that you no nothing about the subject. Nobody who is anyone in the the scene takes Hot Topic seriously either. And the people saying that emo kids "cut themselves" are way off base as well. To stay on topic, goth is not emo.
The kid was cutting himself right in front of the teacher. I personally think they do this for attention, because before they became wannab's, their life was perfectly fine. And yeh... just cause a kid listens to Eva. doesn't mean there goth. I listen to Eva. and I'm far from goth.

[Phantasm]

i LOVE EVANESCENCE!:)

[Mynd Hed]

BTW, no one ever explained what "emoe" means. Could someone please tell me what it means?
I've had this problem before, trying to get someone to give me a concise definition for the term, and then I hit upon the answer-- NOBODY KNOWS. It's just one of those fashion words people toss around with only a vague and often contradictory idea of what it's supposed to mean. Like the way they use the word "diva" on VH1.

[Eddie G.]

Emo started out as a music scene, like punk and metal did. But since we have punks and metal heads we now have emoes. I'm not sure if anyone calls themselves emo or any emo bands call themselves an emo band (I only know one girl who is a self proclaimed emo). Basically emo music is moody hard rock played by thin white males who usually sing about broken hearts and being lonely. They tend to sing poetic lines that sound kind of deep but are really cliche and moody, example: "The master and the slave share the same fate."

Emo kids tend to be the children of former hippies and/or yuppies. They tend to be pale and very fragile. Although they are very moody and deep and have broken souls they tend to travel in packs. For some reason they talk about llamas a lot (it's a Monty Python refrence. The one girl who says she's emo liked llamas, but then I discovered are llama obsessed) They're clothes range in styles, I've seen some who shop at Old Navy and some who shop at the Salvation Army. They also tend to bash the mainstream sometimes, and can be rather arrogant. But keep in mind I have a good emo friend who I like a lot, they ain't that bad.

And now an emo song (http://www.highscoreonline.com/guitar.html) by Matt Wilson.

[Kurtman]

I'm not really into goth accessories and music (I wear normal clothes and listen to 70's Rock and 80's New Wave). But sometimes I can act quite cynical for the catholic kid I am. I'm just basically an eccentric.

[Jaguar]

I know some "goths" and they confuse me to the point where I don't know if I'm supposed to take them seriously or not.

And I'm called emo by just about everyone that knows me, even though I don't consider myself that.

The social attitude of a human being is just a confusing jigsaw puzzle.

[Czar Gato]

Emo started out as a music scene, like punk and metal did. But since we have punks and metal heads we now have emoes. I'm not sure if anyone calls themselves emo or any emo bands call themselves an emo band (I only know one girl who is a self proclaimed emo). Basically emo music is moody hard rock played by thin white males who usually sing about broken hearts and being lonely. They tend to sing poetic lines that sound kind of deep but are really cliche and moody, example: "The master and the slave share the same fate."

Emo kids tend to be the children of former hippies and/or yuppies. They tend to be pale and very fragile. Although they are very moody and deep and have broken souls they tend to travel in packs. For some reason they talk about llamas a lot (it's a Monty Python refrence. The one girl who says she's emo liked llamas, but then I discovered are llama obsessed) They're clothes range in styles, I've seen some who shop at Old Navy and some who shop at the Salvation Army. They also tend to bash the mainstream sometimes, and can be rather arrogant. But keep in mind I have a good emo friend who I like a lot, they ain't that bad.

I knew a bunch of kids in my HS who were like that; they took great pride in "being emo" or some junk. My younger brother and I used to make fun of them- not because they were into emo music and style, but because they had that self-contradictory additude that life was crap but they and their music were somehow superior to everyone else.

[AF$]

A great many of you here have no idea what emo is or what the emo scene is. Emo is not a "hate the world, angst, angst, angst" thing. As to where it comes from, emo comes from emotional. That is all it is, emotional music. It's not because kids are pale and wear tight clothes, it's not because they cut themselves. That's like saying all videogamers are such because they are fat and ugly. As to why they all "hang out" together, it's because they like the same music and have common interests. People like to hang around people that like the same things they do, this is a natural part of society. The reason kids get so into it is because these artists write music that people can relate to, and the artists themselves are much more accessible. This makes the kids just as important in the lives of the artist/bands, as they bands are to the kids. Hence why it is called a scene.

[shogunthethird]

I wrote some goth poetry as a gag once...

"red haze of pain"
all I see is a red haze of pain
I look down and I cringe
I wish...
I wish....
I wish I remembered to bring my crotch protector to baseball practice

[HellCat]

There's alot of the poser goths at college and they're definetly annoying. Most of them try to act all angsty and the like, then go on about how their parents get them basically whatever they want and how good their life is. Am I missing something here? I agree fully with those saying it's best just to be yourself. I hate following trends and fashion, especially ones which are conforming to something you're not about. I'll stick to my own life philosophy, not one generated by a marketting gimmick.

[Roman Legion]

One annoying side effect of "angst scenes" is causing the general populace to roll their eyes when they encounter people with real problems, which, in turn, results in an equally annoying ripple of apathy:

"Half your family was gunned down in a gang war, and now you're depressed about it? Grow up, get over it, and get a @#$% job, loser."

These obnoxious extremists then go out in the world to make "outcasts" of people with relatively minor problems who further the whole annoying spiral.

Darned humans.

--Romey

[HumanoidTyphoon]

One annoying side effect of "angst scenes" is causing the general populace to roll their eyes when they encounter people with real problems, which, in turn, results in an equally annoying ripple of apathy:

"Half your family was gunned down in a gang war, and now you're depressed about it? Grow up, get over it, and get a @#$% job, loser."

These obnoxious extremists then go out in the world to make "outcasts" of people with relatively minor problems who further the whole annoying spiral.

Darned humans.

--RomeyYes, I agree There are people with genuine problems but all they get is stop whining and get over it. It's as if no one is allowed to show emotion anymore.