What exactly is the whole Goth culture about?

Question

I know about the dark clothes thing, what is the meaning behind it though? It must stand for something, there are so many of you out there, you got to know what you're about.

Answer 1

Goth is more a lifestyle or outlook on life than anything. They tend to accept that there are bad things as well as good things in life, rather than 'sweep them under the rug', to say, and pretend they don't exist. They can dress however they want, although many prefer darker colors and more dramatic clothes and makeup, and listen to lots of songs and varied genres of music, which can include but are by no means limited to, new wave, darkwave, ethereal, Celtic, goth rock, punk, postpunk, chants, heavy metal, industrial, Latin, et cetera. Not all are interested in vampires - in fact, relatively few are. Many if not most have good relationships with their parents. Very few have mental or psychological problems. Most are actually quite nice, if a bit saturnine. Very, very, very few are 'satanists' or 'devil worsippers'. Most of the young teenagers who listen to Marilyn Manson, Disturbed, Slipknot, Korn, My Chemical Romance, Drowning Pool, et cetera and wear heavy thick makeup and studded spike collars and bracelets are called 'Mall goths', shop mostly at Hot Topic, and - this is important - they're not real goths. They just seem to think they are. They act disturbed and surly and try to impress/intimidate people. It seldom works, as most are obviously pathetic, and almost all will (thankfully) grow out of it. If you'd like a comprehensive explanation, try visiting goth.net. Some songs that goths might listen to:
Dragonfly (Conjure one mix) - Cruxshadows
Dazzle - Siouxsie and the Banshees
The Passion of Lovers - Bauhaus
Lucretia My Reflection - Sisters Of Mercy
Lullaby - The Cure
She's Lost Control - Joy Division
In Our Angelhood - The Cocteau Twins
Funeral Night - Bella Morte
Deliverance - The Mission UK
Cemetary Gates - The Smiths
Are 'Friends' Electric? - Tubeway Army
Love Is Stronger than Death - The The
Nowhere Girl - B-Movie
Twilight Of The Mortal - Killing Joke
Seconds - The Human League
Indigo Eyes - Peter Murphy
Right Now - The Creatures
Walk on the Moon - Daniel Ash
No Big Deal - Love and Rockets
Fire Woman - The Cult

Answer 2

Goth is basically indefinable, because "Goth" means different things to each follower. Many adopt unusual fashions in order to separate themselves from other youth. It is up to the individual to define what Goth is for themselves ... The mentality is, 'I want to be left alone but I want to be seen. I want to see the shock on other peoples' faces. The words Goth and Gothic have had many, largely unrelated meanings in the past: The name of the Germanic Visigoth tribes that overthrew the Roman Empire. From this source arose the concept of a Goth as an uncivilized person, a barbarian. a style of horror/mystery literature that is dark, eerie and gloomy. Goth, as a modern movement, started as one component of the punk rock scene. As the latter faded, Goth survived by creating its own subculture. The movement first became established in the Batcave, a nightclub in London, England, in the early 1980's. Spreading to the U.S., it first became popular in California. Many Goths reflect popular culture and are probably nominal or devout Christians. Atheism, Agnosticism, the New Age, Gnosticism, Shamanism, Wicca, other Neopagan traditions, and other minority faith groups are represented more frequently than in the general population. Goths often wear Christian crosses or Christian crucifixes, which many regard as a pre-Christian religious symbol. Others wear New Age/ancient Egyptian Ankh symbols. Some do this as expression of their religious beliefs, some for satire, and others because they like their appearance.

Answer 3

It depends on who you're talking about. Hot Topic goths/ Babybats are teenagers (mostly) who are just wearing clothes and listening to music that they think are gothic. They're the ones who are just going through a phase, and their attitude and choice of music have nothing to do with real goths.

As for real goths, being goth has nothing to do with what clothes you wear or music you listen to, it is a way of thinking and seeing the world. The clothes that goths wear and the music that goths listen to is just a reflection of that mindset. Goths see that there is extreme pain and evil in the world, along with the good. Instead of condemning it or ignoring it, goths accept these things as a part of life and try and enjoy the good along with the bad, since they can't stop the bad from happening. They are not obsessed with death, they just accept it as an inevitability. They do not try and cause more pain in their (or anybody else's) lives, since there is plenty to start with. Goths tend to be kind, intelligent, non-violent, emotional, and artistic

Answer 4

I'm a goth so I'll tell you a bit about me. I'm not what you'd call a gloomy person. On the contrary, I'm quite a happy bubbly girl. I wear lots of colours, my favourite is bottle green but I also wear white, red, purple, midnight blue and yes black too. I love gothic architecture because it's beautiful, a work of art. To me, goth is about appreciating beauty. I love reading tragedies yes because it shows human emotion in it's rawest form and I believe human nature to be a wondrous thing. Whether you feel happy, angry, sad, jealous, love...the important thing is that you DO feel something. Emotion makes us human. I do not hide from myself, I'm honest about my flaws and not afraid to admit what I'm good at. I love wearing over the top outfits, I love being dramatic because it's in my nature. Yeah you'll get some weirdos who wear black and are wannabe vampires but they are not goths, they're just unhappy kids. I'm 25, happily married with 2 children and have a job I love. So I'm not rebelling, have nothing to prove and am generally quite happy with how my life's going. Sure there's a few problems that need ironed out but a problem free life doesn't exist outside a Brady bunch episode now does it?

Answer 5

Goth girls are hot! It is about a reversal, or alternate take, on what is attractive. The opposite of blond and tan is pale and dark. The opposite of bubbly, cheerful and optimistic is gloomy, sad and depressed and mysterious.

Answer 6

Wearing dark clothes and being generally gloomy, that's pretty much all there is to it. I reckon some goth chicks are hot though, and punk and emo.

Answer 7

and who is the judge and jury that certain people don't fit into mainstream society? is it good-looking, well-off, happy people?
is it the son's and daughter's of the good-looking, well-off happy people? everybody always says it takes all kinds to make the world go around, but then society always somehow determines which group of people do not belong. i know some very nice goth people and i would rather be around them somtimes than anyone else, they don't judge others.

Answer 8

Being deep dark and misunderstood. Outside the "NORM" of things. Basiclaly a cry for attention and help until they move on to a new fad. Im only tlaking from personal experience.

Answer 9

what makes them not acceptable, maybe it should be the otherway around. Goths i know dress like that because they were picked on. imo their the nicest people because they know what it's like to have people be cruel to them!!!

Answer 10

Watch the episode of southpark where they get into that, best explanation I've seen.