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I don't know anymore. There are so many definitions of goth nowdays, especially music. For example:
There's classic goth music, like the Sisters Of Mercy (including the greatest 80's pop song ever made, This Corrosion) and Bauhaus. There's Victorian-style goth, but that's rare. The only good example I can think of is Rasputina. (Their song "Transylvanian Concubine" was on a Buffy soundtrack.) There's electrogoth, like Switchblade Symphony and Faith and The Muse.
After this, things get fuzzy.
Symphonic metal, like Within Temptation and Lacuna Coil, is sometimes considered gothic metal. Industrial music, like Nine Inch Nails, occcasionally mixes with gothic music. Electrogoth and electropop sometimes overlap, an example being Ladytron and Depeche Mode. There's pagan rock, like Inkubus Sukkubus, but the only reason that has a gothic following is because many goths follow a Pagan or Wiccan path.
In conclusion, no one knows what goth is anymore, because it's forked so many times. However, it is agreeded upon that Marilyn Manson is not goth.
"What is gothic music?"
"I...just don't know anymore."
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To a Scally: Someone wearing black clothes, and make up.
To a 12 year old Linkin Park fan: Someone who likes Korn.
To a goth: I'm not a goth!
Really: A tribe of eastern european barbarians that sacked rome in the 4th century. The name of an artistic style, associated with clothing, and architecture
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You are NOT Goth Just Because You Wear Black
You Are NOT Goth Just Because You Like Horror Movies
You Are NOT Goth Just Because You Are Depressed
You Are NOT Goth Just Because You Think It Looks Neat
You Are NOT Goth Just Because You Listen To Metal (which isn't real goth music by the way)
You Are NOT Goth Just Because You Like Blood
You Are NOT Goth Because You "cut yourself"
You Are NOT Goth Because You Wear Tripp Jeans
You Are NOT Goth Because "love " Hot Topic
A True Goth isn't defined by their look but by their music.
I am going to try to put this into my own words as much as possible because I am tired of "trendy teens" Calling themselves goth and giving us a bad name.
Lets start at the early goth first. The Gothic Romanticism.
Gothic was a type of architecture as i;m sure most of you are well aware. The ruins of the Gothic architecture became to symbolize the inevitable decay and collapse of human creations. This is where Gothic Literature stemmed from. The writings were meant to produce the same feel of emotions as the Gothic architecture for lack of better word. Think of Edgar Allan Poe and how his writing mostly stood for the collapse of the human psyche. See where this ties together? This is where the Victorian Goth style also comes from.
Now Fast forward a few hundred years to the most recent and well know revival of goth in the 70's.
First Generation Goth- 1979-1985
this derived from post-punk with the most influential bands of this time being Siouxsie and the Banshees, Christian Death, Bauhaus, and sisters of mercy. These are just a few of the many bands where goth music has derived from. If the music doesn't have some kind of resemblance to this kind of music it is NOT goth. Metal is NOT goth. I love metal but please don't confuse it with goth. So all you COF fans out there..hate to tell you this but they aren't goth. They are Black Metal and Marilyn Manson? Nope. He is just EBM. Nothing more and nothing less.
Now Second Generation goth- 1985-1995
By now the post-punk era was starting to give way to some newer music styles such as the blending of industrial with Gothic themes as seen in such bands like Skinny Puppy and Depeche Mode.
Now Here We are. Third Generation 1995-present
The Gothic aesthetic has become popular due to bands such as HIM, Marilyn Manson, Within Temptation, whose music is nowhere near being Gothic but because of their looks they have become associated with that genre much to the chagrin of true goths everywhere. Hot topic also helped to make this culture mainstream and breeding mall goths who probably have never even heard of Siouxsie Sioux.
In order to be a "true goth" you have to love true Gothic music. And it should be a good majority of what you listen too. Liking one song by switchblade symphony and then listening to nothing but nightwish and within temptation won't make you a goth, no mater how much make-up or hair gel you are wearing.
So please learn about a culture before you try to embrace it and end up embarrassing yourself and others.
And try listening to some old school Goth/Punk
Siouxise and the Banshees, and the Cure are always good start.
Person 1-What are your favorite goth bands?
Person 2-I like Christian Death, Suspiria, Bauhaus, Siouxsie, and Lamb Of God Is pretty kick ass too.
Person 1-Awesome.
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Commonly, it refers to one of three things: music, lifestyle, and fashion, though it is not seen as proper to designate one's self as goth based purely on their manner of dress, and most goths do not publicly proclaim themselves as such anyway. The gothic subculture tends to have a poor reputation because so many of the people who choose to label themselves as such know nothing about the culture, and involve themselves in juvenille or melodramatic behavior that they feel "is goth".
Musically, it refers to an alternate form of rock that first developed in the late 70's as a post-punk form of music. This early, guitar driven form of goth is commonly called "death rock". The guitars often serve as an ambient rather than melodic instrument, drumming tends to be dance oriented and the vocals are often somewhat haunting or distant. Lyrics deal heavily with introspection, nilhilism and the occult, though most assume it deals strictly with satanism. Many gothic bands mix industrial elements into their music, leading some to believe that all industrial music is gothic. Common bands associatdd with the term include The Cure, Bahaus, 45 Grave, Sisters of Mercy, Joy Division, etc.
Lifestyle-wise, there doesn't appear to be a lifestyle that all gothics follow, though some seem to share similar characteristics, which can include an interest in occultist themes, poetry, religion, introspection, gothic literature (which was written some time during the Victorian Era), folklore, etc. Most gothics are known for regularly attending dance clubs that play gothic and industrial music, and some are also known for their interest in the S&M culture.
Fashion-wise, there tends to be a lot of accessories, and the most common of which are victorian/medieval inspired (velvet and lace, pirate shirts, corsets, etc.), bondage inspired (slave bracelets, chokers, large boots, fishnet and mesh clothing, clothing made out of PVC, leather, rubber, latex or vinyl), or punk inspired (bondage pants, leather jackets, spiked or studded jewelry). Gothics have a tenendency to wear mostly black, though sometimes white or red, and have their hair dyed, usually purple or jet black (the hair is also stylized in a certain fashion, usually mushroomed out like Robert Smith of The Cutre, dreadlocked, or black with bangs like Emily (the mascot for a line of products of the same name), or other similar, outlandish designs. There is also a tendency for theatrical-style make-up (white foundation with black emphasis around the eyes and sometimes mouth). Goth fashion is sometimes mistaken for the on-stage presence of black metal groups.
Many think that bands such as Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails are goth rock bands, but they're really just commercialized industrial music.
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State of mind, with no regret of being ones own person. One who doesn't strive to be a clone of everyone else. Someone with there own mind set, not willing to change a belief because of anyone but themselves. They don't go out of there way to become someones friend but is a good one if u know one. Not always the nicest, can become pissed off very easily if annoyed but an ignorant asshole.
Foamy-"Goth is not a fashion statement just like punk."
Person 1-"Dude that kid is Goth."
Person 2-"No that kid is emo, Goths can't just go buy a couple things at Hot Topic and be a Goth."
Person 1-"Oh yeah, well that make sense."
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I. The Gothic personality.
Generally speaking, true Goths are intelligent, artistic individuals with an almost fanatic reverence for the arts and all types of beauty. Many Goths possess certain qualities prior to their initial identification with the subculture or even their knowledge that it exists; some of these qualities include thoughtfulness, creativity, intelligence, shyness, and an introspective nature.
II. The Gothic philosophy.
I will strive to sum this up in as few words as possible. The Gothic subculture is based on the idea of finding beauty and light in all those things dark, grotesque, tragic, and sorrowful. The seeming fixation with Death is an example of this; Goths embrace things that cause fear and revulsion in mainstream society, because in truth they are no less beautiful than their daylight counterparts.
If any among you wishes to further enlighten him or herself, I suggest the study of old Gothic literature, the very best of which is exemplified in the works of Dante, Shelley, Byron, Lovecraft, and Poe.
III. Gothic music.
The term "Gothic" was, to my knowledge, first used to describe the emerging subculture by the band Joy Division in the late 70's. Along with Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Sisters of Mercy, and The Cure, this band helped establish Gothic as a musical genre. The Gothic sound is characterized by dark, brooding, strange music that can sound cacophonous to the uninitiated. Some other notable Goth bands include Switchblade Symphony, Dead Can Dance, This Mortal Coil, and Christian Death. By the way, bands that are widely mislabeled as being Gothic, yet are NOT, include (to name a few): Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails, Type O Negative, Evanescence.
IV. Gothic attire.
Most people know that Goths favor black if they know anything at all. There are so many different styles of dress among Goths that I dare not attempt a complete list; here are some of the most commonly worn materials and articles of clothing among Goths: velvet, silk, fishnet stockings, PVC, brocade, lace, LOTS of boots, things with buckles, dark jewel tones such as purple and wine colored garments, gloves, very high heels, band T-shirts, chokers, corsets. Many Goths, especially the "old-school" Goths, will tease their hair mercilessly with crimpers and hairspray to achieve an "Edward Scissorhands" type of effect. Hair dye is, of course, widely used. Traditional Gothic makeup consists of stark-white powder, and black or dark eyeliner and lipstick. Men and women both have a tendency to pluck their eyebrows nearly out of existence, and then draw them back in. It goes without saying that a person who looks like this is not necessarily a Goth. This aesthetic, however, is an intrinsic part of the subculture and cannot be disregarded for its superficiality; Goths tend to thrive on artifice anyway.
V. Miscellaneous Information.
Goths are commonly found passing their free time in small coffee houses, book shops, art galleries, Gothic clubs, and, of course, cemeteries. Many Goths smoke; clove cigarettes are very popular with our crowd. Drugs of choice for those Goths who wish to indulge in the vice may include Speed, LSD, Alcohol, Ecstasy, and the like...I applaud those who abstain from drug use, for they have greater strength than my own. Goths frequently enjoy movies and television shows such as The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Hunger, Nosferatu, and The Addams Family. Goths do NOT eat bugs and drink blood; we eat Cheerios just like everyone else.
I myself have been a part of the subculture for a mere two years-- I am by no means a veteran of the Scene, but my passion for it is great and grows continuously. I hope that this definition has been useful. To know more, I suggest The Autumn Cemetery Text (available online... google it).
Famous goths, despite their denials of affiliation with the scene, include Peter Murphy, Andrew Eldritch, and Siouxsie Sioux.
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