bleagh

[burntcopper]

Need to write more nanowrimo. Am currently listening to a Radio 1 doc on goths, narrated by Tony Head. Most amusing. I know goths better than most. Personally (apologising to most goths I know) - I'm sorry, but this is really what I think - they're sad.

Goth is a case of teen angst that people take up as a uniform when they rebel against the status quo. I hear them going on about 'We want to think for ourselves, blah de blah'. Bull. Shit. You all end up looking exactly the same and listening to the same music. You go from rejecting the cookie-cutter clone of perky and high street to embracing the cookie cutter clone of black lace, spikes, rubber and velvet.

And don't even get me started on the poetry, music, or Anne Rice.

Comments

[antheia.livejournal.com]

A friend of mine once wondered aloud whether Goths were happy or sad that the movement was dead...

I thought it was genius...

[burntcopper.livejournal.com]

heh. I just embrace the tag of 'want to look good, and dammit, TopShop is my goddess! As is looking as tarty as I want!'

Re:

[antheia.livejournal.com]

buahaha

I think I love you

[minkboylove.livejournal.com]

YES! Finally someone says what I've been desperate to say. Goths are sad.

Some of my best friends are goths. ;-) Actually I'm practically married to one. He listens to Fields of the Nephilim without flinching or wanting to slit his wrists. I don't mind that since he doesn't wear black and wallow around in states of artsy angst. In my own way, I'm part goth. I own fishnets, Cure albums, had been known to paint my fingernails and bedroom black as a teenager and write appalling poetry. Advancing merrily into my Ageing Hypocrite years I tend to favour bright cheerful colours, try to be friendly and smiley to people I meet and where practicable, use a condom. I find myself a lot less boring this way.

What irks and bores the living shit out of me is the desperate victim mentality of some teenage goths. Most of them are well nourished white kids with parents who don't exactly despise and neglect them judging by the amount of time and money they have on their hands to write poetry (stop, please, in the name of all that is sacred and beautiful about language) and construct sites dedicated to their own Dark Brooding Otherness on the frigging internet.

Angst, self absorption, narcissism, writing dreadful poetry, writing worse prose and painting your bedroom black are all very very normal teenage traits, if my own experience is anything to go by. I suppose this is the worst thing you could tell a teenage goth - "You're perfectly normal."

The ones that worry me are the ones who continue dressing up and writing gloomy poetry and lamenting and celebrating their difference into their thirties - continuing the teenage sulk into adulthood when there are so many other and more important things in the world to get angry and unhappy about. There are grotesque human rights abuses occurring in the world, bigotry, intolerance. Things that would be far more worthy of channelling one's indignation into instead of posting pictures of your new hair colour or your latest angry poem written in the wake of daddy getting upset with you for getting your eyebrow pierced and wearing a black wedding gown and dead flowers in your hair at a family christening. Cheer up, PLEASE. It's not that bad.

You know a meme I really want to see but don't have the technical skill to do? A Random Goth Poetry generator. That would be fun. :-)

Goth poetry generator? Here ya go!

[lasayla.livejournal.com]

I obviously have way too much time on my hands...

You should also check out this site.

[souldo.livejournal.com]

*isn't goth, just likes the clothes*

I think being actually original in clothing, whatever 'genre' you feel you're in (or at least vaguely near to), is pretty much impossible. I don't really care if what I wear is stunningly original and unique (hah), or the same as every other person. I'll dress how I want, preferably in clothes that make me go "oooh, I want!". Er, and in jeans. Yes.

Well

[entrippy.livejournal.com]

"I hear them going on about 'We want to think for ourselves, blah de blah'." I dunno about that. You know, I've heard this sort of comment many, many times (and I'm an admitted former goth, so take anything I say with a grain of salt. Not that I was much of a goth, more that I thought goth girls were cute. Anyhow, on with the show) but even when I was on the goth scene, I didn't actually hear it much. Well, no more than you hear from any collection of teenagers going through their rebellious stages.

But mostly it's a fallacy - goths (those past their teens, in any case) don't spend all thier time running around and saying "I'm such an individual because I wear black" for the most part they'll say they appreciate one of the following.

a) The ethos of the scene - the clothes, music, art and literature resonate with them.
b) The ease of not having to know which colours go with what.
c) The people.