Goths-trying to set the record straight

[lightoftruth]

I have recently found that a lot of people have some very "mis-informed" ideas about the goth culture in britain and i'd just like to set a few myths to right.

myth 1-goths are linked with satanism

In actual fact most among the gothic world abhore all forms of sacrifical rituals and bloodshed and are on principle mostly of a passifist nature.

myth 2-goths self harm on a regular basis.

Most goths heartily dislike the idea of self harm for the pupose of "looking cool" as it makes those who have actual problems such as depression seem pathetic.

myth 3-all goths listen to slipknot

there are many goth/death metal bands slipknot being one of many. Personally i cant stand slipknot becuase of some of the far too extreme displays on stage.

please feel free to voice your opinions on goth culture i would appreciate only constructive questions/criticisms and please refrain from sterotyping.

[dot.hawkes]

I'm relieved to hear that as my niece is a goth and the lovliest girl u could meet, nice to know she isn't evil too

[Cobra2]

Nightwish are Goths and the are magic

[Nemesis9]

In the days when I was a practising 'Goth' this mostly meant wearing quite a lot of black, hanging out at the 'Exclusive' night club (anyone know it?), dancing to groups like 'Sisters of Mercy', The Cult' 'The Cure', etc, while gazing down at my feet shuffling forward and backward, fairly slowly, and flicking my arms out occasionally. Ahhh.. happy days.

Nemesis adopts surely pose and slinks off to listen to 'Spiritwalker'!

[Al_Ucard]

I love goths, but I couldn't eat a whole one!

[Pippa68]

My daughter is an emo/goth...she doesn't like being 'labelled' so that's the only way I can describe her. She is a pleasure to know & be around.

Unlike my 14 year old son who has lost his Sk8ter ideals and is now starting to show chav tendencies!

[Cobra2]

your daaughter is an emu ?

[lightoftruth]

pippa-if your son does start showing chav tendancies i would advise trying to encourage the skater side of him. Offer to buy him a new skateboard next time there is a viable oppurtunity like school report or birthday etc.

Might want to try and get your daughter to take her brother along to parties with her goth/emo mates etc.

[Pippa68]

Oh believe me I have tried, lightoftruth. My daughter too. He calls her a 'wrist slasher'. Of course she has never attempted, or wishes to, slash her wrists.

She does have an interest in vampires though ~ and gains a little pleasure from scaring the pants off him in the dead of night ;o)

I am leaving him to it..he never sticks at anything for long & loves Greenday too much to become 100% chav. Hopefully the fad will soon change! I blame the new crowd he hangs around with.

[Nemesis9]

Pippa, confess.....what were you into into your younger days?
Well obviously slightly younger than you are now, err.. backtracks hastily before getting a slap!

[mccfluff]

well all i can add, i know lots of goths go out with them and have a lot of fun, love the music enjoy their company and never have a problem fitting in even though i'm not a goth

[Pippa68]

I was a New Romantic..used to hang around with Goths too :o)

This was the very early 80's I'm talking about. Later on I went all funky and enjoyed Soul weekenders!

[kuhugaq]

Goth = a modern subculture that first became popular during the early 1980s within the gothic rock scene, a sub-genre of post punk. It is associated with gothic tastes in music and clothing. Styles of dress range from gothic horror, punk, Victorian, fetish, cybergoth, androgyny, and/or lots of black. Since the mid-1990s, styles of music that can be heard in goth venues range from gothic rock, industrial, punk, metal, techno, 1980s dance music, and several others. have fun...

[orangelady]

Hi Light of truth, I was often mistaken for a goth in the eighties, I was in fact a punk but had lots of goth friends and ent out with a goth I am now 34 so it was in my schooldays. Things may have changed but not much by the sounds of it. I used to actually play on the devil worship thing (smack my hand). In the city centre there was always the religious people that always insisted in sitting next to me at the clock tower and would try to put me on the right path EVERY BLOODY SATURDAY" I always told them with delight that I was in fact the devils daughter, (always got rid of them fast).I remember getting chased through Leicester Market by one person that insisted it was true. What bands do you like light of truth???

[kuhugaq]

anyone remember Finchy and Sab?the dynamic duo

[Scarlett]

As a music lecturer, I see a lot of "Goths" come and go. The students at 14 aren't comforable looking like teir childhood self, so they garvitate towards wearing black and heavier make up. They then dye their hair black. Some get piercings. Then they come to College where we teach them for a couple of years.

Guaranteed, after the first year, they either grow the dye out, cut their hairm short again, and many stop wearing the goth clothes. For many, it is a natural stage of teenage rebellion.

I have been wearing "Goth" clothes since I was 17 and I still do now- I'm 36, so I guess some of us never grow out of it!

[JustSia]

myth 4 - Slipknot is not a goth/death metal band, so is not representative of the goth culture or music.

[Cobra2]

Nightwish rules ok !

[lightoftruth]

orangelady-at the moment im listening to cradle of filth,lacuna coil and nightwish quite a bit. Have to say though that seeing cradle at download was what started my listening my listening to them. They were just put on a amazing show.