The Goths are Invading!

An article written for newspaper, my explination of what it means to be "goth".

by Seraph Valentine

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You know that kid sitting in the back of your math class, listening to Marylin Manson, writing bad poetry and being all angst filled when they really have nothing to mope about. That's a Goth, right? They're always depressed and whiney and always wear all black with white face paint and all black makeup, right? Wrong. This is a very inaccurate description. Which, if anything, would depict a 'wanna-be' or, the more commonly used term, a 'poser'. As said by sophomore Gavin Fletcher, "Wanna-bes are stereotypical Goth that are always saying 'Oh woe is me, my life sucks," while the real Goths are semi-dark, but are fun to hang out with."

As a matter of fact, most Goths hate the stereotype that was caused by angst filled teenage wanna-bes. In any given high school you will, now that being depressed has become a fad of sorts, find at least one "Goth kid". They usually have never heard of Robert Smith (lead singer of The Cure) and in fact confused Marylin Manson's industrial sound for being Goth. Industrial music, for those who don't know, is a genre of music more akin to Techno than Gothic. Said sophomore Cory Bickford on the subject, "I think too many Goths become what they hate." Which is true. So many "Goth kids", when they grow up and get out of high school and grow out of teenage angst turn into that exact person they would constantly mock and hate when they were in high school.

Contrary to popular belief, wearing all black does not make a person a Goth. True, many Goth wardrobes will be mostly black, but it is just as common to see a Goth in any color at all. Red, blue, purple and white are the most common colors, though it is not unheard of to see a Goth in pink. The all black attire is usually worn by high school Goths because of the style. Few articles of clothing that are not black appeal to the gothic teenager, and any that do are generally much to expensive or unpractical for wearing to school.

Admittedly, there is a sort of darkness to the Goths. However, it is not caused by depression, but rather a different understanding of the world. Many Goths believe that with every light there is a shadow and it is important to explore that proverbial shadow. A sort of 'There can be no light if there is no darkness, for then you wouldn't know the difference' philosophy. They're thought to celebrate death, sex, depression, pain, etc., when in reality, they merely realize that such things should not be considered taboo because they are a natural part of human life.

Gothic music (a genre started in the 1980s as a fledgling of punk rock) reflects the shadowy philosophy. The music tends to be dark, ambient and mysterious, exploring darker subjects with a calm acceptance. The five most commonly known gothic bands (and some consider them the original gothic bands) are the Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Sisters of Mercy, Black Tape for a Blue Girl, and Mission UK. The lyrics may sound somewhat depressing to people who are used to listening to pop music, but they are, in an obscure way, relaxing. This music is what started the "gothic movement", though many Goths will laugh at that term.

The "true" Goths however would perhaps disagree with the term; after all, all of the "true" Goths are dead. "Historically, the Goths were a barbaric pre-Germanic tribe from the time of Rome" stated junior Ryan Pinzon. In fact, amusingly enough, the Ostrogoths (one of the two tribes) were considered by their enemies to not be barbaric at all, but were considered a highly moral people. Look at any history book; the Goth’s many battles against Rome are ancient history, and their lineage long since deceased. This may be why when someone says, "Goth", no one thinks of the barbarians who battled ancient Rome.

Long after the ancient tribe had died out, the word "Goth" became an insult, used to call people barbaric. In fact, the term "gothic" has been mistaken numerous times, including architecture. The buildings, originally called "Maniera Tedesca" in Italy, were called gothic by Vasari, implying that the structures were barbaric looking. Many people who did not know the word's meaning thought by calling it gothic, vasari meant that the style was darkly beautiful instead of barbaric. The term was later associated with dark art and literature. Which is why the term was attributed to the darkly beautiful branch of punk rockers that were alot less angry.

Goths are not as some would believe it to be, a "barbaric" group of teenagers, in fact, most Goths are adults, but they are a collection of all kinds of people with a common philosophy. These are common misconceptions, just as common to non-Goths as the 'wanna-be's and even some of the real Goths. Stated sophomore Emily Anderson, "People are people, not labels. By labeling a person you restrict their potent ional."