what can you tell me about Goths?

[immoderate]

I see them but I haven't known any well enough to ask what it's all about. I had a student that was Goth, nice kid, but I never had the chance to talk about it with her.

--IMM

[HEyHEY]

1. They usually smell

[Paleocon]

2. They are usually very smart and creative...

:)

[maveric]

22. But anti-social, anarchistic, suicidal and self destructive.

My son went through a Goth stage where he only wore black, withdrew from all old friends and family, hung with a new group that often talked of suicide and they often "cut" themselves with razor blades and safety pins. A once happy and positive kid turned angry and apathetic. He has since ceased his Goth ways and things are getting back to normal.

[Paleocon]

25. Like they say... "Your results may vary"...

Sorry to hear that about your son.

Would you say that he is intelligent and creative?

[maveric]

27. Yes he is.

[RPM]

3. I aggree with #1 and #2 and would like to add:

they are among the most stimulating persons to talk with.

[HEyHEY]

5. Are you taking a piss?

I usually find them to be boring predictable lemmings of a certain arm of pop culture.
But that is just me... maybe I just haven't met any that are worht talking too.

[RPM]

6. no - my brother's goth friends came to a tailgate (free beer)

they were quite intelligent and stimulating; Of course, he met them in the honors college, so i dont know about all goths or if these guys were hard core goth. but that was my experience...

[HEyHEY]

8. See my experience with goths was all in High School

I found them repulsivley stupid, lazy, and bitter at everything.

So I guess the gothness doesn't mean much if your experience is different.

[JVS]

24. Yeah, but that guy was an unorthodox goth.

First of all he was willing to drink beer, something that would have gotten him laughed at by the "gother than thou". There are some cool people among the goths and some real tools. Pretty much like every group.

[RPM]

28. hey!!!! There you are

how are you? give me a ring tonight. wrapping up 'zams

[JVS]

29. I gotta drive to Wisconsin tonight. I'll talk to you on Tuesday

My exam yesterday went well.

[RPM]

31. good - safe trip

be well

[JVS]

33. thanks

[everythingsxen]

4. Oh My God Becky, would you look at her, she is like so Goth!

There is a Christian answer.
http://www.religioustolerance.org/goth.htm

Here is my answer. :P
http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/germany/

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

7. My dear daughter in law

wears black and black lipstick. She and my stepson hang out with pagans, and were shocked when we saw nothing wrong with this.

[HEyHEY]

9. So I bet she stopped hanging out with them then right?

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

10. No

She still hangs out with them. She was impressed when we talked with the local shaman about inipis and doing Pagan ceremonies. Helps when one does the Dances of Universal Peace, because one can relate to about any spiritual path.

[immoderate]

11. Thanks to you all.

I thought there was something deeper there. Sounds like those who imitated the "beatniks" of my youth. At that time going anti-establishment and being rebellious was a novel idea.

Judging from the postings here, it seems like some are cool and some are schmucks. The Goths, I mean.

--IMM

[antigone382]

12. They're just people who happen to wear black and listen to death metal

I graduated from high school about two years ago, and while I'm decidedly not goth, I had a lot of friends who were. Some were jerks, some were really cool, just like anybody else. The central components of "goth" are music, clothing, and frequently make-up; religiously, some are pagan, some are agnostic, some are atheist, and there are a few who are Christian. Some of the goth people I knew were really judgemental, and looked down on people who were A&F or Gap, but most were pretty friendly and accepting of everyone.

Of course, just like in any group, there are a few who just really want attention, and somehow they think writing horrible poetry and being depressed all the time will get them that. But they're like any other group, and I wish people weren't so quick to judge them.

[immoderate]

14. Great. You're like my embedded correspondent.

In a way I'm disappointed that there's no real mystery there. Every generation finds its way into a style that drives "adults" crazy.

Here's a corrollary: "A delicacy is a food that at least somebody thinks is disgusting."

Thanks.

--IMM

[antigone382]

16. LOL, my pleasure!

I'll be sure to give frequent updates, since I still have some "goth" friends in college. :)

[ashling]

13. Visigoths or Ostrogoths?

:eyes:

[immoderate]

15. Not the Goths you learn about in school.

The ones you go to school with.

--IMM

[ashling]

17. I was being facetious

[48pan]

18. They are just trying to...

piss off their parents. Some are smart. Some are dumb as rocks. Their parents were 1970s disco kings and queens. What does it take to irritate them? Answer: Smell bad, dress badly, have a negative attitude about everything.

[JVS]

19. Non-conformity in a uniform pattern

[HEyHEY]

21. Making it conformist - that's my view

I've been depressed and I didn't need black make-up to do it!

[frictionlessO]

20. I was a goth back in 83 till about 92

The Goth scene got started when two different bands meshed punk and new wave with a deeper darker sound. Bauhaus and Sisters of Mercy or usually give the cred. These bands have sprouted many other bands and influenced
heavily the goth genere till the early 90's when Trent Reznor merged pop industrial with goth...

Gothic is also a dark romance genre in regards to novels and movies that have been around for a very long time.

Many goths used to relate directly to Anne Rices Vampire Chronicles after they started turning these into movies I think a lot of the old goths put away the make up.

Personally my fave goth bands were Fields of the Nephilim, Sisterof Mercy, The Mission, All about Eve (sorta hippie goth), Bauhaus and Red Lorry Yellow Lorry.

But like stated by others its like any other culture, good and bad exist within its confines.

[immoderate]

26. Answer to my question: It's a scene rather than an ideology.

--IMM

[frictionlessO]

32. well Id call it that yes... maybe subculture is better.

there was a time when no one knew what a goth was... most peeps just thought we were punks going to a ball.

amazing how much its changed in 20 years.

[cleofus1]

23. goths?

Lot's of piercings...sexual gratification from spanking...you know...wierd shit.

[name not needed]

30. There's this cute goth girl in my med lab class

But I really can't tell you much.

[warrens]

34. They're nice kids

A bit too obsessed with death and art, but this is not a bad thing in a teenager, as opposed to, say, beer and roofies.

The grown up ones are pretty cool too.

[frictionlessO]

35. also if youre really interested Id recomend a book

called Gothic Rock Black Book by Mick Mercer, gives a very definitive history and how so many of the bands were inter-related.

[jonnyblitz]

36. I would supplement your research with a google search of "goth"

I hung with goths and at goth clubs all through the 80's and early 90's while living all over (mostly in CA) in the navy. I preferred them to other subculture groups for various reasons. There is shitloads of info all over the web and you will get a better idea from that then from DUers who "met one once" and who, frankly, sound about as open minded and tolerant as a freeper.

[frictionlessO]

38. well fuckin' put Mr. Blitz!!

[immoderate]

40. Of course.

Can't recall how many times I've said google it to others.

I don't know if I want to get too deep into it. My main question was whether there is some core belief that draws these people. I get the impression there isn't. Like they say it's various. Thanks for the reminder though.

--IMM

[rockydem]

37. kind of lame

if you ask me...

conformists who say they are resisting conformity...

[ScreamingMeemie]

39. Bella will try and steal your husband when you're not looking, and the

house they live in is cool! What's that you say? OOps. I thought you were talking about the SIMS. ;) :hi:

[bloodyjack]

41. Um, they like the Cocteau Twins?

That's okay, I happen to like the Cocteau Twins too

[sendero]

49. I'm a mega-fan...

... of the 1981-1991 Cocteau Twins stuff, some of my favorite music of all time. In fact, I was listening to some tonight :)

I'm not sure I'd really call it goth. Maybe. Does have "dark" undercurrent - but was really nothing like the bands that are widely considered to be goth, like Bauhaus for instance.

I guess Garlands, their first LP, was somewhat goth, but IMHO, nothing they did subsequently was.

[Catshrink]

42. Hey IMM!

We have many goths at our school. As others have noted, most wear predominantly black. I see a lot of other colors along with it though. Most of them dye their hair black -- although some have purple or pink or another color. Most of the goth guys wear eye makeup as do the girls.

As students they are all the way from brilliant to braindead and all are pleasant and like to chat. I don't see an ideology or code -- just a desire to be different.

I agree with you, it's the same kind of thing we went through.

I :loveya: J

[immoderate]

44. Thank you darlin'

How goes the education business? Didja do right?:hi:

--IMM

[Catshrink]

46. It has its good days and its not so good days.

And then we get those delightful two week vacations at the holidays -- plus a week in the fall and one in the spring, not to mention the two months in the summer. It's time to recharge.

So far though, I'm loving it and so glad to get out of the hell hole we knew so well. No Lisa!

How's life with you?

[immoderate]

48. Pretty good!

Like you say, no Lisa. I'll e-mail you when I get a chance. If your e-mail has changed, send me a PM or e-mail me with the new one. Otherwise, keep your eyes open for my message, maybe we could even do a....phone call!

--IMM

[Deja Q]

43. Well, we're clean, creative, intelligent, like to wear black for any

number of reasons, are not anti-social, and are not schizoaffective freaks. :7

[immoderate]

45. Thanks, Hypno.

I've seen many of your posts and you have some creds with me.

As I said above, I had one student who was goth and didn't have a chance to find out about that particular aspect of her. She was a nice kid. Very talented singer. She wasn't great at math (my subject) but that didn't stop her from hanging out in my classroom lunchtime where I sometimes bashed my guitar for my students' amusement.

I hope I didn't give the impression that I was negative about goths, I just was curious if I had missed anything.

--IMM

[Wat_Tyler]

47. They represent a youth culture that is twenty years out of date.

Sadly, our culture has run out of new youth cultures and is reduced to recycling old ones.