What does it mean to be Goth?

Question

Yeah I know they wear black but its got to be something other than that, otherwise anyone who wore black would be a goth.

Answer 1

Well, there is a very good historical answer above, but to me being goth is the embrace and beauty of the darker side of things, life and human emotion...make no mistake...it is not evil things. Embracing being sad as much as being happy, for it is also a human emotion.

People of course will always take it too far.....to those I would remind them that life will suck if you pretend (or allow yourself) to be angry or sad all the time...plus other people won't really wanna be around you.

I, as a younger me, was all out gothic....clothes, makeup, friends, music, etc...now I don't look like that, I will go to a bar even if it doesn't feel like a cave or dungeon, have hip hop and country friends, dress to suit my profession, listen to all types of music, but you know what...most people can still tell that I have gothy tendancies.

And yah..I would marry the real life version of that character from Corpse Bride.

Answer 2

Goth: this is short for Gothic.....Goth has its roots interior the Gothic era of Europe, a lot of which remains seen immediately, from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, to Notre Dame Cathedral, to Tower Bridge (in London). regardless of if the present Gothic "revival", dubbed the Goth way of existence, sprouted up interior the Seventies. in the time of that factor flashy vivid colours have been in, as replaced into Disco music and greater suitable visibility of drug use. Goth began as an offshoot of Punk, focused on silently and peacefully revolting against Disco. on an analogous time as black clothing is favorite, it relatively is not mandatory. apart from, there is not any unmarried spectacular definition of what Goth is... each and every Goth could make it easier to realize a distinctive version. some like vampires, others do no longer. Vampires are a Gothic "merchandise", like Tower Bridge, yet Goths at the instant are not vampires. 2 issues that doubtless ALL Goths proportion universally are self-expression and attractiveness of others. they're generally inventive, considerate, and thinking human beings, regularly welcoming of others except mocked or provoked.

Answer 3

An above answer gives the most thorough answer--but I think for the most common explanation would be: An angst-filled white suburban teenage girl who listens to Evanescence, and dreams of marrying the character Johnny Depp did the voice for in Corpse Bride. She's the kind of girl whose love of fairies and unicorns took a darker turn.

Answer 4

Goth is knowing and embracing the dark and even ominous side of humanity...it is accepting who you are completely, not just the side you show others. Go to goth.net and find out for yourself.

Answer 5

The original Goths were an Eastern Germanic tribe who played an important role in the fall of the western Roman Empire. In some circles, the name "goth" later became pejorative: synonymous with "barbarian" and the uncultured due to the then-contemporary view of the fall of Rome and historically inaccurate depictions of the pagan Gothic tribes during and after the process of Christianization of Europe. During the Renaissance period in Europe, medieval architecture was retroactively labeled gothic architecture, and was considered unfashionable in contrast to the then-modern lines of classical architecture.

In the United Kingdom, by the late 1700s, however, nostalgia for the medieval period led people to become fascinated with medieval gothic ruins. This fascination was often combined with an interest in medieval romances, Roman Catholic religion and the supernatural. Enthusiasts for gothic revival architecture in the United Kingdom were led by Horace Walpole, and were sometimes nicknamed "goths", the first positive use of the term in the modern period.

The gothic novel of the late eighteenth century, a genre founded by Horace Walpole with the 1764 publication of The Castle of Otranto, was responsible for the more modern connotations of the term gothic. Henceforth, the term was associated with a mood of horror, morbidity, darkness and the supernatural. The gothic novel established much of the iconography of later horror literature and cinema, such as graveyards, ruined castles or churches, ghosts, vampires, nightmares, cursed families, being buried alive and melodramatic plots. Another notable element was the brooding figure of the gothic villain, which developed into the Byronic hero. The most famous gothic villain is the vampire, Dracula, originally depicted in a novel by Bram Stoker, then made more famous through the medium of horror movies.

The powerful imagery of horror movies began in German expressionist cinema in the twenties then passed onto the Universal Studios films of the thirties, then to camp horror B films such as Plan 9 From Outer Space and then to Hammer Horror films. By the 1960s, TV series, such as The Addams Family and The Munsters, used these stereotypes for camp comedy.

Certain elements in the dark, atmospheric music and dress of the post punk scene were clearly gothic in this sense. The use of gothic as an adjective in describing this music and its followers led to the term goth.

The "medieval" ambience was only tenuously connected with medievalism. A gothic accessories website asserted "Our dragon products were inspired by the European Mid-Century [sic] Gothic and Medieval sculptures and artwork and are individually crafted in polyresin... For an intense Medieval effect place a number of your favorite Gothic theme, Medieval theme, Celtic theme, and skull theme tea light holder and candle holder art pieces around your space to make a candle lit ambience all your own."

goth subculture is a contemporary subculture prevalent in many countries. It began in the United Kingdom during the late 1970s to early 1980s in the gothic rock scene, an offshoot of the post-punk genre. The goth subculture has survived much longer than others of the same era. Its imagery and cultural proclivities indicate influences from nineteenth century Gothic literature, mainly through horror movies.

The goth subculture has associated gothic tastes in music and fashion. Gothic music encompasses a number of different styles. Common to all is a tendency towards a “dark” sound and outlook. Styles of dress within the subculture range from death rock, punk, androgynous, some Renaissance and Victorian style clothes, or combinations of the above, most often with black attire, makeup and hair.

sorry i have to add this in,a true goth would never,ever listen to Evanesense

Answer 6

these days it means dressing in black, listening to a certain kind of music (Lacuna Coil, Manson, Evanesense) and wearing lots of makeup & platform boots

Answer 7

Hmm. You really want to know it all? Go to goth.net and start reading. Hope you learn everything you need.

Answer 8

THE TRUTH?

IT MEANS IGNORANCE.....ESCAPE FROM REALITY..SILLY PEOPLE IN A REAL WORLD.

Answer 9

just a sterio type i think