"What is Goth?"

  








Jillian Venters, (a.k.a. The Lady of The Manners), the author of Gothic Charm School and site author of the website gothic-charm-school.com ( <3 ) has said that there is no real definitive answer, and that it's difficult to describe what goth is exactly.  While I adore The Lady of the Manners and love everything she has to say, I'd have to disagree.  Goth has a definitive answer, it's a long answer, but it's an answer.

   In the first post I gave a brief description of what goth is, a subculture that formed from the music, and I named some bands that were classified as goth rock (Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division, The Cure, etc...).  Let's break it down even further. 
        Goth rock is in off-shoot of punk rock/post-punk that began in the late 1970's and early 1980's.

• (Punk rock:  The Sex Pistols, The Ramones, The Clash, etc...)
• (Post-Punk: many goth rock bands are also classified as post-punk). 

So, it began with music in England.  Most goth rock bands you encounter will be from England.  At this time in the 1980's, goth was at it's peak.  There were many goth clubs, such as the very famous Batcave in London (founded by two members of the band Specimen - very influential).  The Batcave featured many bands from Alien Sex Fiend to Siouxsie and the Banshees.

A Tangent:  Why do we mention this Batcave?  It's very important, often described as the birthplace of goth.  Old-school goths have sometimes been called Batcavers. Not to be confused with the term ElderGoth to describe old goths.

    SO...as goth rock began to separate itself from post-punk, the followers of the bands began to become recognizable.  And there you go, goth was born.  In the same style as the somber music, so the goths styled themselves.  In black clothes, in black make-up.  It was more than just a musical movement, it was a lifestyle.
    The goth style began to branch out, it didn't change, it was just borrowing pieces from history.  There are Victorian goths, Gypsy goths (like me ;D ), Flapper goths, and on and on.  There are still more styles that aren't historical, such as the Fetish goths, who incorporate BDSM into their wardrobes.
  Now here's what's important:  There are no sub-sub-cultures in the goth subculture.  There is no specific Victorian Goth subculture.  There are only goths who dress differently...yet still gothy, amirite? 
   What's sad is that as time went on goth began to become a term that was loosely thrown around to describe anyone who looked sad/wore black.  And then moreover, anyone that was violent to themselves or others and wore black.  So that now, goth is thought to be no more than a teenage phase, something that is temporary and has no meaning behind it, no history.  Dare I say that goth is not a superficial subculture!  While it is about dressing up and looking pretty, the goths tend to have a certain mindset that is unafraid to delve into the dark secrets and is fascinated by the ethereal and spooky - acknowleding the darker aspects of life, not wallowing in our err..."pain".
   Even if goth is just a teenage phase, for god's sakes, why does it matter if they're actual goths?  Honest-to-goth Bauhaus fans?  It shouldn't matter.  But since goth has gotten such a bad reputation over the years and so few people have even the slightest idea what goth really is, it's difficult to accept young goths.  The term "babybat" has been used to describe any goth that either: a) doesn't know what goth is and uses it as a way to shock their parents/friends/teachers or b) is simply a younger goth.  The term can be quite degrading when used on a young goth that actually knows what they're talking about.
   Now, I'm not very involved in the local goth scene, I'm a babybat!  So I don't know what's it's like here, but I side with Jillian Venters on this one; goth is going to have it's day again.  The style is too involved in the mainstream - even with all the misconceptions.  It's always going to be around, we'll just hope that when it does get bigger it's for the 30-year history as a musical movement that doesn't involved popular metal bands.


THE ESSENTIALS:

So what have we learned...

Goth is a musical movement that began in the 80's that gave rise to the goth subculture.  Goths aren't interested in harming themselves or others and they aren't depressed.  They also wear black.

That's the very-VERY-short version.  See everything I told you up there, too?  Yea, that's the short version. :)

So now some misconceptions that I didn't mention.


Misconceptions:

1. Goth is a cult - goth is not a cult.
2. You have to be a certain religion to be a goth - no way.
3. Goth is a religion - nope.
4. Goths self-harm - lies.
5. Goths are depressed - still a lie.
6. Goths want to hurt other people - not at all.
7. Goth is only a phase - heck. no.  It would never have survived this long.
8. Goths listen to metal - no, we listen to goth rock, often synonymous with post-punk
9. Goths are looking for attention - no, actually we don't need people staring at us all the time, if anything it's actually a bit disconcerting
10. Goths are whores - NO.  Maybe this idea comes from the slutty gothy halloween costumes?  But no, no, no Goths are not whores.

There are probably even more that I missed, but I tried to put everything under a umbrella that would pretty much get all the tiny details that were easily classifiable.

Make sense?

 -- G. Andromeda

P.S.  If you want to know more, you can always visit gothic-charm-school.com which features lessons on being a friendly goth, there are TONS of other internet resources as well, for god's sake you can wikipedia it. :D

Dear World, I have OCD

I have OCD.

OCD is an anxiety disorder, and it's more than just being mildly annoyed by something being out of place.  It's being afraid of it being out of place or that something bad will happen..or...something.
  Now, that's not what happens to me.  I have no issues with things being askew.  I get thoughts.  Thoughts that have no business being in my mind, evil ones, dark ones, thoughts that I don't want.  And I have to get rid of them.  I may say something in my head over and over again, or I may count.  At one point, I remember actually saying the words under my breath.  I know I must've sounded CRAZY! :D  I remember it being over the summer, and telling my babysitter that I was just singing.  It would take a long time to explain.  I find it necessary to tell you that I had no idea that I had OCD at this time, I thought something was just wrong with me and I would just have to wait until it went away.  That was when I was maybe nine years old.  I don't remember my exact age.  But I remember how terrifying it was. I remember breaking down on the stairs, at nine years old, praying to God, "why, why".  I didn't understand where the thoughts were coming from, because I certainly didn't agree with them.  But they wouldn't stop coming, no matter what I did.
   I suppose that eventually I was rid of them.  I don't remember what I did or how I did it, but they began to go away at some point and they haven't bothered me for many years.  Twice in my childhood did it happen, and now once as a teenager they came back.  This time around, however, I was determined to find out what was going on in my skull and in this lump of clay sitting inside it (brain).
   They came out of nowhere.  Of course, I was stressed out from school and from a rather disturbing incident, and so out of nowhere they were born and invaded my Somewhere.  My past came back to me and I couldn't wake up.  I was questioning everything going on in my brain.  I wanted to know why I was counting in my head, and why these thoughts were coming.
   That week - excuse me, last week - I stayed home from school for several days because I was so preoccupied with trying to dispel the thoughts with my rituals.  I didn't care what answer I got, I just wanted an answer, any answer.  So where did I go?  The therapist.  Because something was wrong with my brain.
  Well, I got my answer.  SURPRISE!!

DEAR WORLD
I HAVE OCD

The First

Welcome one and all to Somewhere.  In case you haven't noticed, you are, right now, in the Somewhere.  That's where I am all the time, me, Gloom Andromeda.  The blog of In The Somewhere will be updated weekly? monthly? with various posts, maybe it will change, but it depends on whether or not I can actually keep up with this thing.
  So, I'll start with telling you a little about myself.  Well, I'm a Goth.  Now, don't roll your eyes at me.  It may not mean what you think it does.


A Tangent:  Goth:  Goth came from the 1980's when Post-Punk sprang out of Punk and, gloom-shrouded and atmospheric, became what's known as Goth Rock or sometimes Post-Punk.  These bands that formed a genre include:  Joy Division, Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Cure, etc.  The music formed the people, the subculture.  There are tons of goth rock bands, most old, some new.  It also means that I dress like a Goth, black clothes, big boots, makeup, you know what I mean.  To a lesser extent it also includes a certain "mindset", this mindset has mainly to do with acknowledging the spookier parts of life (and the sadder ones as well).  That doesn't mean goths are sad, depressed, self-harm, do drugs, or anything like that.  That's why I italicized "acknowledging".  To quote The Lady of the Manners, it's about "finding beauty in dark and unexpected places".  But don't forget that it's the music that makes the Goth, that's much much important.

Sorry about that.
For some reason I felt like it was necessary for me to tell you that.  It's just that most people don't know and end up judging me before they know me, that's why I really don't tell people that I'm a goth.
So where were we?  Oh yes, my favorite subject: ME!  I like to read. Duh.  I like the Green Rider series.  They're my faaaaavorite.

Here are some little things:
I like Tim Burton and Edward Gorey(again, duh.)
I like Alan Menken
I like to write
I like to act
I like to sing
I like Greek Mythology
I like World of Warcraft

I don't like stupid people
I don't like catty people

Stupid/Catty people are my pet peeves, that and rotting food.  I just can't deal with it.  I strive to make sure I'm accurate, constantly.  With so much information at my fingertips, how can I not be?  The internet is a treasure trove of information and I looooove information.
     For example, I know tons about Greek Mythology.  Everything from the 12 Olympians to the Rivers of the Underworld.  From Aurora to Psyche, from Thanatos to Hippolyta.

I think I've covered most everything!!  Well, I've covered everything meaningless and superficial, really, what does any of this stuff matter in the end?  I don't know, maybe I'll find out one day.

I'll see you in the Somewhere

--G. Andromeda