Goth

The more flamboyant putting-the-effort-in goth look, rarely seen outside of goth clubs and festivals.

Time to put on some Music

Soundtrack

Straight edge Stop Murder Music A440 Tomorrow Belongs to Me Kurt Cobain murder conspiracy theories Rock Against Racism

Musicians

The Beatles Immortal Technique Varg Vikernes Orrin Hatch Pat Boone Kenneth Copeland v - t - e

The cheap and lazy goth look you're more likely to encounter on the street or in the mall: band T-shirt (in black, naturally), dyed hair, spikes, token faux-Satanic emblems, big clunky boots (out of shot).
That's pretty much it.

Goth is many things. Historically, it referred to the east-germanic tribes and their aestheistic language. Nowadays, it's a music subculture and lifestyle choice traditionally associated with art students and post-punk music (and, more lately, dark techno), as well as black clothing (often with metal and leather trim and accessories) and "Gothic" literature. In the 1990s Goth fashion became widely adopted by high school students and marketed heavily by youth clothing stores such as Hot Topic; older Goths often refer to such people as "mall Goth", a derisive nickname derived from their most commonly observed hangout.

Spot that Goth

There are no defining Goth characteristics. It is a vague umbrella term that lumps many people who wear an abundance of make-up and black, sometimes flamboyant, clothing.

Goth cultures often either overlap or are misidentified with similar outcast subcultures such as "Juggalos" (fans of the rap group Insane Clown Posse), though such associations are generally shunned by the subcultures themselves.

History

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Gothic architecture

A precursor to renaissance architecture, its obsession with pointed arches and stained glass windows can be found in Christian buildings made during the medival times.

Gothic horror

Gothic literature in the 18th century would rise out of horror stories that use gothic architecture as its setting. They often include themes of horror, dark romanticism, and mystery. The first self-proclaimed gothic novel would be the The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole in 1764.

Beginnings of "goth"

The Victorian era of England provided a foundation of where dark fashion would go with macabre, all black dresses, often worn to mourn recently deceased friends and relatives. Corsets, boots, pale skin, and dark lace patterns would also play a role in such fashion. Gothic films in the 20th century would spread the staple archetypes along with dark makeup.

Darkness and horror in rock began with Screamin' Jay Hawkins and his performences of the song I Put a Spell on You. The first mentions of gothic when it came to rock would be in 1967 to describe the music of the American rock band the doors.

Glam rock, a genre consisting of artists who dress in glittery androgynous fashion, would predate the dark romanticism and aesthetic that goth today would display, especially in the British scene. David Bowie would be the most influential, influence the baritone vocal style present in goth rock. Punk would also contribute to goth by bringing in a sense of rebellion in the fashion and music. The real beginnings of goth would began in post-punk, where some bands wanted to bring more creativity into punk. With the influence of the ~~sexy vampires~~, darkness, glam rock, and punk, gothic rock commences with bands such as Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and The Cure.

Goth rock would reach United States via California with bands such as Christian Death and 45 Grave introducing more heavy elements into goth, giving rise to the sub-genre deathrock. This is to not be confused with the more general genre horror punk. Popular acts that incorporated gothic elements include Marilyn Manson and Type O Negative despite most of the acts not being true goth rock, but rather a sub-genre of death-doom metal called gothic metal. Goth today is as underground as 80s.

The confusing association of goth and emo begins when the fashion in San Diego's hardcore scene leaned more towards the dark and alternative, which at first spread from screamo, to metalcore, and then eventually to the pop punk scenes that would dominate 2000s emo. Bands such as My Chemical Romance and AFI are examples of popular emo bands that embrace the darkness. At that point, Hot Topic was dominant among mall goth fashion. As emo waned in popularity, so did the fashion until the fusion genre emo rap would revive and evolve the fashion into the e-kid subculture.

Prejudice

Goth culture is often associated with societal outcasts and misfits, and has been falsely stigmatized as a source of youth violence (Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, the Columbine shooters, were misidentified as members of a Goth clique in Columbine High School).

In Iraq, the "emo" style - is associated with homosexuality. In March 2012 it was reported that at least 15 teenagers (with some human rights groups saying that the actual figure was much higher) had been killed in the past month for being emos and, therefore, homosexuals. Reportedly, a militia group called the Brigades of Anger has posted leaflets listing potential victims.

In the UK there have been some attempts to classify attacks on goths as hate crimes, similar to racial or homophobic violence. This results from serious incidents such as the murder of Sophie Lancaster, a 20 year old goth and student, in 2007.

If there's one thing that the Harry Potter movies have taught us, it's that goths are pure evil.

See also

• Frankenstein
• Hippie
• Romanticism
• Vampire
• Fake Goth

References

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