Goth Mug

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.