Goth Culture
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Goth Culture
The darkness that represents Gothic Culture has always been confused with Satanism or Vampirism. This is mainly due to the social mannerisms of the Goths, as well as the stereotypical clothing and demeanor which are also common. gives them a death-like or vampiric aura. The vampire was equated with Satanism, a fact which the stereotypical "poser" used to rebel. The leather and chains, chokers and spikes which have been sported by the Goths were even more so proof to the outsider looking in. The following is an examination of the history of the Goth, and an in-depth analysis of what made them what they are.
History
Goth Culture is said to have originated in the year 1979, with the song “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” by Bauhaus; however many people place the date closer to 1975, with such bands as Ultravox and The Damned. Goth culture was directly influenced by music, the doom and gloom sound touched the young crowd, and they expressed it outwardly. As the punk movement was seemingly at its end, the Goth movement started, and lasted until about the mid eighties. These are considered by many to be the true Goths.
"Waves"
As far as the Goth sub-culture is concerned, there are three major historical periods, or generations which most Goths fall under. For the purposes of argument, these generations can be called waves.
First Wave
The first major wave of Goths consisted of those just coming out of the punk age, of approximately 1975-1985. This was the generation of Deep Purple, Motorhead, Judas Priest, Metallica, Iron Maiden, and Slayer; the foundations of a brutal lifestyle. Many of these bands' lyrics were influenced heavily by dark subjects, including death and mutilation. With that mentioned, it is not difficult to make a connection between Goth culture and music.
Second Wave
The second wave of Goth sub-culture consists of early nineties Goths. These Goths were the first to call themselves Gothic. There was some truly dark music arising during this time, and the Goths embraced the darkness, as well as the fundamental idea of mortality that Goth culture is known for.
Third Wave
The third wave of Goth sub-culture started in the late 1990's. By the older two generations of Goths, more so the first generation considers the late nineties generation to be kids trying to rebel, and thus named the third generation "spooky kids"[1]. The problem with this generation is that there are too many posers who carry on dramatically and wear outrageous clothing in order to get attention and seem rebellious.
Fashion
The fashion that Goths tend to enjoy includes anything black, silver jewelry, many enjoy extremely white pallor, and dyed hair usually red, black, purple or blonde. Most Goths endorse black and white makeup, bondage/fetish fashion, and many wear symbols of either ankh, the Egyptian symbol for long life, a pentacle, or crosses. Many times this is done out of what is called theatrical Satanism. The list goes on and on concerning Goth fashion, however it’s all relatively similar, leather, S&M gear in silver or chrome, piercings and tattoos[2].
Literature
The genres of books that many Goths enjoy include vampire, fantasy, horror, and sci-fi. Some easy examples of this are Anne Rice novels, like Interview with the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, Queen of the Damned, and The Tale of the Body Thief. Other authors who are generally enjoyed by Goths include H.P. Lovecraft and Ray Bradbury novels. Many Goths are quite familiar with classics, such as Dostroyevsky’s Notes from the Underground; Dante’s The Inferno; Orwell’s 1984; Stroker’s Dracula; Shelly’s Frankenstein; Edgar Allen Poe; etc[2].
Movies
The movies that are popular among Goths include cult hits such as The Hunger, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Hellraiser, Dracula, Heathers, The Crow, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Beetlejuice, The Boondock Saints, Batman Returns, The Craft, Gothic, The Lost Boys, and A Clockwork Orange. These are dark movies in general; those mentioned above are either horror or dealing with death, S&M-like topics, or the presence of Goth like events or individuals in an otherwise non-accepting area.