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You are NOT Goth Just Because You Wear [Black] You Are NOT Goth Just Because You Like Horror Movies You Are NOT Goth Just Because You Are Depressed You Are NOT Goth Just Because You Think It Looks Neat You Are NOT Goth Just Because You Listen To [Metal] (which isn't real goth [music] by the way) You Are NOT Goth Just Because You Like Blood You Are NOT Goth Because You "cut yourself" You Are NOT Goth Because You Wear Tripp Jeans You Are NOT Goth Because "love " [Hot Topic] A True Goth isn't defined by their look but by their [music]. I am going to try to put this into my own words as much as possible because I am tired of "trendy teens" Calling themselves goth and giving us a bad name. Lets start at the early goth first. The Gothic Romanticism. Gothic was a type of architecture as i;m sure most of you are well aware. The ruins of the Gothic architecture became to symbolize the inevitable decay and collapse of [human] creations. This is where Gothic Literature stemmed from. The writings were meant to produce the same feel of emotions as the Gothic architecture for lack of better word. Think of Edgar Allan Poe and how his writing mostly stood for the collapse of the [human] psyche. See where this ties together? This is where the Victorian Goth style also comes from. Now Fast forward a few hundred years to the most recent and well know revival of goth in the 70's. First Generation Goth- 1979-1985 this derived from post-punk with the most influential bands of this time being Siouxsie and the Banshees, Christian Death, Bauhaus, and sisters of mercy. These are just a few of the many bands where goth [music] has derived from. If the [music] doesn't have some kind of resemblance to this kind of [music] it is NOT goth. Metal is NOT goth. I love metal but please don't confuse it with goth. So all you COF fans out there..hate to tell you this but they aren't goth. They are Black Metal and Marilyn Manson? Nope. He is just EBM. Nothing more and nothing less. Now Second Generation goth- 1985-1995 By now the post-punk era was starting to give way to some newer [music] styles such as the blending of industrial with Gothic themes as seen in such bands like Skinny Puppy and Depeche Mode. Now Here We are. Third Generation 1995-present The Gothic aesthetic has become [popular] due to bands such as HIM, Marilyn Manson, Within Temptation, whose [music] is nowhere near being Gothic but because of their looks they have become associated with that genre much to the chagrin of true goths everywhere. [Hot topic] also helped to make this culture mainstream and breeding mall goths who probably have never even heard of Siouxsie Sioux. In order to be a "true goth" you have to love true Gothic [music]. And it should be a good majority of what you listen too. Liking one song by switchblade symphony and then listening to nothing but nightwish and within temptation won't make you a goth, no mater how much make-up or hair gel you are wearing. So please learn about a culture before you try to embrace it and end up embarrassing yourself and others. And try listening to some old school Goth/Punk Siouxise and the Banshees, and the Cure are always good start.

Person 1-What are your favorite goth [bands]? Person 2-I like Christian Death, Suspiria, Bauhaus, Siouxsie, and Lamb Of [God] Is [pretty] kick ass too. Person 1-Awesome.

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Commonly, it refers to one of three things: [music], lifestyle, and fashion, though it is not seen as proper to designate one's self as goth [based] purely on their manner of dress, and most goths do not publicly proclaim themselves as such anyway. The [gothic] subculture tends to have a poor reputation because so many of the people who choose to label themselves as such know nothing about the culture, and involve themselves in juvenille or melodramatic behavior that they feel "is goth". Musically, it refers to an alternate form of rock that first developed in the late 70's as a post-punk form of [music]. This early, guitar driven form of goth is commonly called "death rock". The guitars often serve as an ambient rather than melodic instrument, drumming tends to be dance oriented and the vocals are often somewhat haunting or distant. Lyrics deal heavily with introspection, nilhilism and the occult, though most assume it deals strictly with satanism. Many [gothic] bands mix industrial elements into their [music], leading some to believe that all industrial [music] is [gothic]. Common bands associatdd with the term include The Cure, Bahaus, 45 Grave, Sisters of Mercy, Joy Division, etc. Lifestyle-wise, there doesn't appear to be a lifestyle that all gothics follow, though some seem to share similar characteristics, which can include an interest in occultist themes, poetry, religion, introspection, gothic literature (which was written some time during the Victorian Era), folklore, etc. Most gothics are known for regularly attending dance clubs that play gothic and industrial [music], and some are also known for their interest in the S&M culture. Fashion-wise, there tends to be a lot of accessories, and the most common of which are victorian/medieval inspired (velvet and lace, pirate shirts, corsets, etc.), bondage inspired (slave bracelets, chokers, large boots, fishnet and mesh clothing, clothing made out of PVC, leather, rubber, latex or vinyl), or punk inspired (bondage [pants], leather jackets, spiked or studded jewelry). Gothics have a tenendency to wear mostly [black], though sometimes white or red, and have their hair dyed, usually purple or jet [black] (the hair is also stylized in a certain fashion, usually mushroomed out like Robert Smith of The Cutre, dreadlocked, or [black] with bangs like Emily (the mascot for a line of products of the same name), or other similar, outlandish designs. There is also a tendency for theatrical-style make-up (white foundation with [black] emphasis around the eyes and sometimes mouth). Goth fashion is sometimes mistaken for the on-stage presence of black [metal] groups.

Many think that bands such as [Marilyn Manson] and Nine Inch [Nails] are goth rock bands, but they're really just commercialized industrial [music].

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