Gothic Subculture

Background

The purpose of this paper is to cover many elements of the Gothic Subculture and attempt to explain much of what is misunderstood. By focusing research on how members of the subculture view themselves and how outsiders see that culture, one is able to see it from a social perspective. The best way to do this is through testimonials and questionnaires. This way any information comes from first hand experience in the modern world. However a general background is still important to understand the context of any of this information.

Generally the modern Gothic subculture is thought to have started in 1979 with Bauhaus’, “Bela Lugosi’s Dead.” The song was originally intended as a spoof of sorts, yet many people disillusioned with the punk culture of the time took an interest in it. The lyrics are very much representative of the subculture:

White on white
translucent black capes
back on the rack.
Bela Lugosi's dead.
The bats have left the bell tower,
the victims have been bled,
red velvet lines the black box.
Bela Lugosi's dead.
Undead Undead Undead.
The virginal brides
file past his tomb,
strewn with time's dead flowers,
bereft in deathly bloom,
alone in a darkened room
the count.
Bela Lugosi's dead.
Undead Undead Undead.
Oh Bela, Bela's undead.

The Gothic subculture began to grow dramatically in the late seventies and early eighties when people began to break off from the current punk scene, following darker bands like Sisters of Mercy, The Shroud, Rosetta Stone, and London After Midnight. What drew many people to the Gothic subculture was its ability to find beauty in darkness and its acceptance of the inevitability of death and the fragility of life.

However as the culture began to see new generations a division occurred between the old and the new. An excellent example of this is how the subculture views the artist Marilyn Manson. Many of the younger generation like him for his “shock value.” These Manson fans are often called “Spooky Kids” by the older generation of Goths. This division is further illustrated by the quote:

“First and second generation Goths look suspiciously upon the new generation, doubting their authenticity and disliking the exposure they give to a subculture which would prefer to remain underground. The new generation is not presently well received by their elders, but time may prove otherwise. It would be difficult to predict what the future holds for the Gothic movement. After over 20 years, it continues to change, grow, mutate and adapt, making it one of the longest surviving youth subcultures in existence.” (Porter, Alicia)

There are many identifying traits commonly associated with the Gothic subculture, such as certain books, fashions, and movies. Each of these are areas in which most Goths share a common interest, but that does not necessarily mean that all Goths can be identified by these characteristics. The Goth subculture carries with it a broad spectrum of attitudes and characteristics that people can fall into in various ways.

A major staple in Goth reading is the works of Edgar Allen Poe, including The Raven and For Whom the Bell Tolls, particularly because of the inherent ‘darkness’ of his psychological horrors. Other literary interests would be almost anything by Anne Rice, particularly her vampire series, George Orwell’s 1984, Dante, and The Crow comic book series. Many Goths are well versed in classic literature but literary interests fall within a broad range. Movie interests also are dark in subject matter and include The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Bram Stoker’s Dracula (in written form as well), and other movie versions of classic literature.

Outsiders tend to identify Goth culture by their fashion. Often this is a way for Goths to identify each other as well. Most Goths however, see it as a way to express themselves, their feelings, or values. One example would be wearing black clothing since one attribute of the Gothic subculture is finding beauty in darkness. Another example would be the use of pale skin. Alicia Porter states that, “some Goths want a sort of undead look; or they want to embody the Victorian aesthetic that says pale skin is a sign of nobility; or because tanning causes skin cancer. In general, Goths view paleness as much more aesthetically pleasing than being tan, whether or not they have a reason why” (Porter, Alicia). Other fashions include dyed hair, corsets for women, fishnet sleeves for men, black and white makeup, velvet, chokers, and the pentangle symbol.

The pentangle symbol has more significance in how the Gothic subculture is seen by society. Though the pentangle was originally supposed to be a positive symbol, it has been turned into a negative one by much of modern society through its association with the occult.

Gothic subculture has been attributed to the occult and Satanism for several reasons. First, as mentioned in the previous paragraph, the pentangle is a symbol that has been embraced by both the occult and the Gothic culture, but for different reasons. However most of the uninformed public assumes the two as one in the same and most often assume the occult usage. In addition, society in general sees the gothic fixation on darkness and does not take into account the context of this fixation. In actuality this “fixation” is an acknowledgement of both the light and dark aspects of life, the fickle qualities of life, and the beauty in the “other,” the often-unacknowledged dark side of existence. In a survey, one person said, “Most people assume that Goths are deliberately trying to stick out and cause a ruckus. I think they are just trying to find a place where they fit. Satanists want to place themselves as higher than anything else. While that is true of some Goths, that is equally true of any other group. People place the two together so that they have one focus to be afraid of, instead of many.”

Questionaires

Upon finding testimonials, I created a simple survey (see appendix) that both members and non-members alike could answer, giving a better portrayal of how the Gothic subculture views itself as well as how it is seen by outsiders. This survey was posted in two Internet blog communities, interfaith_talk and subculture_rants, the latter of the two however ceased to exist shortly after this survey was posted. After receiving about twenty responses, I decided to focus on eight of them basically because their responses were similar to some of the others but had some unique but interesting information as well.

It was interesting to see the dichotomy in views on the subculture. When asked, “What do you think of when you think of Goth culture?” some of the responses (from non-Goths) were:

1. Vampires, white pasty make up, dark purple or black clothes, black tights, Meatloaf
2. 'gothic', is just a certain way to express how you see and feel everything. You find beauty in darker aspects, different from the 'norm'.
3. A pretty even mix of:
Persecution whores - those who think anyone that dislikes them does so because of their goth-i-ness, when in all probability they just don't like them as a person.
"Non-conformity" for the sake of "non-conformity" - those who bitch and moan about the popular crowd and their sheep-like attraction to certain music and clothing, without realizing that they are just a different sort of trend whore.
real people - those who do it because it's what they like and honestly couldn't care less what people think, not those who are desperate for others to think they don't care what they think. This would generally be people who don't spend $100 at Hot Topic to appear like they spent $25 at a yard sale and the craft store. Imagine, putting the rips and safety pins in yourself...brutal.

Number three further illustrates a division in generations within the subculture. Hot Topic is a chain clothing store that many of the “spooky kids” put their money into. In addition, one said, “The stereotypes of the goth culture are everywhere, and I don't subscribe to them. There are the silly kids just needing attention and pandering to a desire to be subversive, but that is fine too, just call it hormones and not a lifestyle.” This person attributes Gothic subculture to teenage angst, which is also a common view of outsiders; that “Goth” is a phase that people grow out of.

For those responses from people who consider themselves Goth, I focused mostly on the answers of one person, a guy who wishes to be called “Valerian.” His answers were essentially the same as the others but went into greater detail.

What does "goth" mean to you?
A predominantly artistic Bohemian subculture tainted with a dark, moody edge. Or, kids wearing bad makeup, black rock-band t-shirts and stripey tights, with big self-absorbed chips on their shoulders. Both have been considered accurate, sadly.

What is it about the goth subculture that appeals to you? ie. Why are you goth as opposed to something else?
Why? Darkness has beauty, sometimes simply because it's "taboo" or mysterious. And sometimes it just so happens that a group of people, whose views of the world (and themselves) go against a certain grain, gather together; it is like-minded individuals that attract me. Why not something else? Because nothing else can express my impeccable sense of style, baby.

Do you feel that your culture is misunderstood? Why or why not?
It is *totally* misunderstood. Read your [first question] again. How can you explain what it’s about to someone, when the certain members of the group contradict you (who have affiliated themselves with the group simply because it’s trendy to be ‘spooky’ this year)? And because people insist upon bringing religion into it – usually in the sense that because we look “evil” through their culture’s eyes, therefore we must be evil.

Valerian’s view is that Gothic subculture is viewed negatively by society because of the younger generation, or the “spooky kids.” This is yet another example of the division between generations. He also speaks of the superficial way in that society sees them as evil based on their appearance, and the religious take on the culture. Though the driving force behind the idea of “Goth” has little to do with religion, religious factors are very often used as a basis for outsiders to understand them.
Conclusion
Gothic Subculture is a culture that is widely misunderstood, whether attributed to angst and teenage hormones with heavy drug usage or inherently evil Satanists, there is much to be learned about the culture. For many, Goth is a phase associated with rebellion in the teenage years. “Most find it appealing initially as a form of rebellion and as a way to gain social belonging. A teenager will basically try on the gothic identity to see if it fits” (Porter, Alicia). Many of the people who responded to my survey were “in-betweens,” that is, they used to consider themselves part of the Goth community but do no longer for one reason or another. However some still remain because they like the ideals and values of the Goth culture.

There is a darker side to Gothic subculture. There are those who heavily use drugs, drink blood, or practice Satanism, but this is true of many other cultures. Though it is difficult to obtain specific numbers, the amount of Goths that actually do this are likey to be in the minority rather than the assumed majority. As one person said in their survey, people tend to lump all the things they fear or are ignorant of into one large category. This gives them one thing to fear instead of many. Thus, Gothic subculture and Satanism seem to be an easy combination to anyone who knows little about the culture. In learning more, one might realize that Goth has little to do with evil and almost everything to do with finding beauty in a frail world.

Appendix: Survey Questions

First, do you consider yourself goth? Why or why not?

For those who do not:
What is your religious affiliation?
What do you think of when you think of gothic subculture?
Where do you think you "picked up" these ideas?

For those who do:
What is your religious affiliation?
What does "goth" mean to you?
What is it about the goth subculture that appeals to you? ie. Why are you goth as opposed to something else?
Do you feel that your culture is misunderstood? Why or why not?

Works Cited

Home Page. 4 Apr. 2004. http://www.livejournal.com/users/interfaith_talk.
Home Page. 4 Apr. 2004. http://www.livejournal.com/users/subculture_rants.
Porter, Alicia. A Study of Goth Culture: An Inside Look for Outsiders. 28 Sept. 2003. 24 Mar. 2004
http://www.gothsubculture.org.