So Sary Walrus posted
this which includes the lovely Kazlovesbats talking about goths attacking other goths within the scene. I do not have this trouble since there are not many goths where I live. But online...well...that is a different story. Since when is it okay to make rules within the goth community? When is it okay for one to determine what "goth is and what it is not". I do know that the Gothic subculture started as an off-shoot of the post-punk genre. But it also evolved with 19th century Gothic literature,campy shows like The Munsters, and even Tim Burton adding to this culture. In my opinion Goth now is what you make of it. It is not just listening to specific music but it is a way of life. It is finding beauty in the darkness. Every person is different, so what Goth means to me will not be the same for others. There are many new styles of Goth withing the subculture. The newest styles emerging are pastel goth and nu goth. Nu goth being not too far from traditional goths. Think about it...torn tights,BDSM influences,and esoteric symbols. Pastel goth seems to be a mash up of lolita and grunge. Pastel goths incorporate spooky imagery but with lighter colors. Goths have black bats and they have lilac bats. I personally like certain aspects of both of these styles. I do incorporate some things into my wardrobe.
Why? Because my style is constantly evolving. Aesthetically I like the look of ripped knee highs and baggy sweaters. (Robert Smith was the king of baggy sweaters by the way.) I like big round sunglasses and clunky 90's shoes. (I own a pair of Mudd shoes.) I love skeleton hair clips and layering torn fabrics together. As Goths we do evolve. We decide that we are not dressing this way for others but for us. Goths as much as anybody need to accept others for their choices. The popularity of nu-goth has also made it easier for me to get clothing in "normal" stores. (There is a store that has a bat printed onesie for crying out loud!) There is slight controversy (ahem...people bitching...) about "nu-goths are not goth...they do not listen to goth music..they just copy our style!" but hello...there are plenty of goths that do not listen to Sisters of Mercy. There are goths who like mainstream music,industrial music,classical music, and hell my spotify playlist is all over the place. So for the "elite" goths that decide the rules of goth...go fuck yourself. I am no less of a Goth because of my interests.
Hear here!!! You said it better than I could have. We didn't leave the mainstream culture only to form our own "mainstream goth" culture. Goth came into being as a subculture because people wanted to be themselves, not someone else! Those who cannot remember the past may be condemned to repeat it, but sometimes those who CAN remember the past put it on a pedestal and glorify it ("THOSE were the Goode Olde Dayes..."), and this is not necessarily a good thing. In fact, it usually isn't good at all. We need to keep some of the old, yes, if it's worth keeping, but we also need to change and evolve, because the "new" goths come from a different background than we did, and they may have a different viewpoint that is worth incorporating and keeps the subculture alive. Look what happened to Latin; it became a dead language because it stopped changing. Don't think for a minute that goth can't do the same.
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