h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I think this article is well written, but I just want to get a couple of things straight..

First, anyone who would label themself a goth is probably a poser.The term "goth" is a media label, a name given to Joy Divisions music during an interview.

2nd, Black clothes don't make you a "goth", but anyone really into the scene isn't going to wear fishnets and leather one day, and pastel pink the next.

3rd, drugs (especially Meth) are a big part of the scene.Mostly used to self medicate untreated depression, but also to keep you dancing 8 hours straight five nights a week at the clubs. This happens to be one of the worst drugs I know of,it can ruin someone's life quicker than anything.

I'd like the quote by the auther Poppy Z Brite when she was asked If she was goth, I bellieve she said, " Anyone who is Gothic for more than two years either commits suicide or is a poser" something like that.

It's not a scene for everyone, it can make you feel you are not alone in your misery or it can drown you in that same suffering.

Just thought I'd add that.

Hehe... Y'know I read your introduction at your Uspace and I thought "I wonder how long it'll take her to turn up at this entry"
So, Welcome! (I seem to remember another researcher who posted here being from Frisco as well )

Let's see ...

Goth: Hmmm... well, yeah. Any proper member of the scene will deny being a goth. But I had to call them *something* and all the mundane people will know what I mean. Besides, with all the terms I usually use, I wasn'r sure whether they were international enough to be used in the guide.

Black Gear: I thought I'd made it rather clear that it's a mindset and not a colour of dress. Any suggestions on how I could improve the entry (when I get around to the update I've been talking about for the last ten months or so )?

Drugs: Well that's the most controversial part of the entry (see the other threads here). After a good five or six years in the scene I can't report more than smoking pot from what I have seen. This seems to be a local/national difference. Will see to it during the update.


Tube

You know, I hate to admit it but I do use the term goth alot myself.It just sounds alot better than calling yourself a depressed,morbid, misfit ~laugh~ No, really I love what you have written actually, I've never seen the scene described so acurately before. Are you a bat caver yourself or are you just researching the subject?

I got into the scene when I was 13 and I bought my first Cure album. I was really into punk at the time because it was a great outlet for my angst, but when I heard Robert Smith I knew right away I found my place in the world. But I didn't know it had a name for it. (except the lame rich posers in high school who called themselves goths, God I had no idea I had anything in common with them) Then at age 16 a friend asked me to do coat check for her at The House of Usher that had just opened up in the Bay Area. Anyway, I fell in love with the whole thing right away, the music, the clothes , the atmosphere. The one thing I never got into was the snob trip. Who says who have to be stuck up to listen to Christian Death right?

Anyways, good research work you did there. -Kristina (bluegirl42)

Actually it was not joy division who first decribed their music as gothic it was Siouxsie And The Banshees. Also the term was used by Ian Ashbury ( Southern Death Cult) who used to decribe Andy Sex Gang as the gothic pixie because he lived in Visigoth towers.

Next most older goth the one that have been in the scene since the 70/80 will term themselves goths cause whats the point in not admitting what you are.

I personally would deny being a goth up until i turned 30 and finally just decided to admit it. I went down to london and met up with an old freind form Uni. Told him i was getting totally in the the goth Scene and he turn and told me but you were always a goth.

Goth Is a STATE OF MIND. Away of veiwing life in all its infinate beauty. It is the Mirror to which we all go to to try and understand.

Dave the HAT

PS see those that are going to WGW in the elsinor

I would like to make a point on the clothes front me personally not being considered a 100% goth incluing my personnel view. You can't really judge a "goth" on what they where because although i'm really into the goth sceme myself i can quite happily wear black velvet then go out and wear illuminous pink the next day which i do on a regular basis, because i don't feel the need to conform to one genere of goth which i think alot of people have failed to mention, the fact that there are several types of goths and they don't all go round floating around in black velvet adnyway thats my rant for the day. Fizz

oh another thing i forgot to mention before about where the goth thing comes from the goth phrase was actually around in the 18th century and it was ment as an insult to peole meaning the 'slut' so if you were called a goth it meant that somone was infact insulting you. And it was also the name of come barbaic tribe aswell but i'm not sure on the details about that one
Fizz

Hi FiZZ!

Just a quick note on yr reference to goths- the barbaric tribe, they were from eastern europe and helped over run the Roman Empire! The name they seem to be referred to are Visigoths almost as famous for there barbarism as the Vandals! for their time anyway!
On another note! welcome to h2g2! Take a seat and enjoy this wonderful site! A couple of unofficial quick hints! hit the preferences button link and u can post yr name rather than the anonymous researcher number, makes things a bit more personal! And also try edit on yr space so u can write a little intro aboutyrself (or something else if u prefer!) Then these nice people called ACE's (assitant community editors) can drop in and say hi and give u a hand finding yr way around, and answer any questions u might have!

Anyway have fun!
Z. (ex- goth, but still listens to some of the old goth tunes, but can't stand most modern goth music!)

Wow. I never heard that before. Cool. I wonder how they started using the term like that. Funny thing, my old email addy was GothSlut4U.

On the Subject of Drugs, like any group of People there are some the do and a lot that dont, Most people I know in the goth scene are more drinkers than Druggies, Drugs was a strong association in the 80s especally with bands like the Mission, but these days its more about the music to most serious goths, the Club goth freternity, especally the Cyber goth lot may well be into the drugs thing more, but I tend not to be into that.

Matthew

www.alllivingfear.co.uk
www.corrosionuk.com

I'm not entirely convinced that the word "goth" was considered equivalent to "slut." Basically goth (as we know it) developed in the nineteenth century as part of the Romantic movement. There was an admiration for gothic art (aka medieval) and architecture as well as a renewed interest in nature and spirituality. Although the first gothic novel (Castle of Otranto) was written in 1764, the Romantic writers provided many of the themes which inspire gothic music and dress today. Sorry if this sounds like a history lesson, but I actually have been doing research...it's pretty great when you think about it though: of all the subcultures that exist goth has been around the longest (some 200 years, even more if you count the actual Gothic Era).

Well i just have to say GO GOTHS!
200 yrs?
thats a lot.

neway, about the entry.
Firsty, i was very pleased to see the picture, but then disappointed that you haven't mentioned the colour purple once!
Its my favourite colour, and also the fav colour of some of my friends, who r into wicca, gothic stuff.......and whats more.........BUFFY!
EVERY goth(loose term) that i know loves buffy and angel. They r gr8 gothic shows. Funny, supernatural, deamons, vampyres, witchcraft, magik. lots of dark black nights.....a bed of red roses(dead body of beautiful teacher included......;( .....omg!....i promised myself i would not cry!)

oh dear...i need to go!

bye

firsty

Oooh, the Elsinore...

The mark of a true goth! See you in a couple of days Dave

oldgoth (definitely calls himself a goth!)
InsanitoriuM

"Most people I know in the goth scene are more drinkers than Druggies"

Well said Matt.

oldgoth
www.insanitorium.co.uk

Just a fes things: Many of us don't touch drugs (why be stupid and end up like Kevin DuBrow,, Jim Morrison and all the other junkies who killed themselves???) and as for the caskets, I own two and I refurbished them into couches as well as using them for photoshoots at events in the fall. I've slept in them partly because they are comfortable and because it's just plain amusing. They are boxes, nothing more. "morbid" is in the brain of the thinker.

As for graveyards, I love them. They have architecture and statues that were hand carved often centuries ago and much of the time the people in them were historical and interesting figures. They are alot more than some dark hole of dry bones. Researchers hang out in graveyards too. I like haunted attractions too, but a graveyard at night is a nice creepy atmosphere.

Blood, I don't drink, I dont even realy care to see it. Self mutilation, nah, I cut myself enough on my car. Satan? No use for him, he is the icon of evil, real or not. Vampires, oh hell yeah, nothing is nicer than old styled clothing, long black overcoats and watching "normal" people get all creeped out.

Music? I'm personally fond of Nightwish, Quiet Riot, and Midnight Syndicate. Movies? I'm not much on gore these days, I just got done watching Alice in Wonderland (I love the blue kitty).

Am I a goth? Well let's see, I was certainly a reject in school and put out of my first church (that's okay, I'm a Christian researcher) and my first books and movies included ghost books, Addams Family, Dark Shadows, and others. My first school project I made a skull out of clay and painted haunted mansions. I wrote mystery stories for years and I own two hearses (I love my 1981). I go to the goth clubs and dance, headbang and have drinks, leave fully sober.

I dress in modern/premodern vampire clothes, eye liner, chokers, boots, coats, you name it. I consider myself a born goth.

Love me, hate me, it's all good.

Gene