Goth Fail? + A Little Rant On Elitism

Disclaimer: This was first posted on tumblr, so if it sounds strange it's because it was formatted for that and not this blog. 

So this chick on YouTube who thinks she knows everything about goth just because she was into it in the 80′s (although she’s one of those who basically thinks it’s dead now, which is BS) chewed me out about 2-3 years ago for not listing some specific older obscure bands in a video where I mentioned some basic goth staple bands when it came to music. I was watching one of her newer videos to see if she’s changed at all, and she didn’t even know where her damn coffin purse was from. It was vintage Alchemy and she thought it was from Hot Topic, haha. Pleaser made some knockoffs of them later, but you could clearly see the Alchemy logo on there. I’m laughing my ass off. 

If you're going to be an elitist about something, at least do your damn research, but if you can help it, don't be one at all. If you need to correct someone, do it in a nice way so you don't come off like an elitist, like this lady did. 

Also, don't underestimate younger people who are involved in the scene just because of their age. You never know the degree to which someone is involved in the subculture unless you ask them. We're not all baby bats just because we're younger. In fact, I know people who have been listening to Bauhaus since they were 12. A lot of goths still do judge each other based on age though, which is unfortunate. 

Random/Weird Goth Story #2 - Bela Lugosi's Dead - In My Film Class...

When I was just a little baby bat in my high school days, I was taking a very interesting English class as part of a gifted program that I was enrolled in. It was film taught as literature, which for such a visual person as I am was very beneficial for my particular learning style. Our class, at the time, was doing a unit on black and white film, and to start off the section of the unit on horror, our teacher decided to show us the 1922 vampire classic, Nosferatu. I, as a young goth with a strong affinity for vampires (especially Dracula), was very exited by this. After my teacher finished the screening for Nosferatu, I asked her if I could show her song that reminded me of the film, particularly because of some of the sounds used in the song that were very similar to those used in Nosferatu. I then mentioned that the song I had in mind was inspired by the movie Dracula, which has a direct connection with Nosferatu. The song I had in mind was no other than Bauhaus's Bela Lugosi's Dead, a goth classic that started an entire movement. To my surprise, my teacher not only let me play the song for her, but she also let me play it on the projector for the entire class to hear. I remember specifically wearing a sheer black cape (that I still have, luckily) to match some of the lyrics from the song. I then asked the class what kind of music the song sounded like. I think I remember most of them saying that it sounded punk, to which I informed them that this particular song essentially started the entire "gothic" umbrella term when it came to music. I was very proud of my little baby bat self that day.

A Milestone - For Myself As Person, And As A Goth

I just realized that the website Gothic.net is following me on Twitter. This may not be as exciting as it is to me to most other goths, but I have some special reasons (and a story) as to why this has made me so happy. When I was 14, I I had just started to call myself goth. I didn't really know what kinds of things calling yourself goth actually implied, though.

I don't remember exactly how, but around the same I discovered the forum section of Gothic.net and promptly made an account. I can't recall what my username was, or the types of posts I made while I was on the forum, but I specifically remember reading other people's posts and slowly starting to learn a bit of what the "essence" of goth actually was, and the kinds of things being a goth entails. Later that year, I was given a copy of the book Gothic Charm School, and then befriended a goth who would then introduce me to the music that most influenced the subculture. (Before that I was listening to industrial, and nothing else.)

So, as you all have probably gathered by now, Gothic.net was my first real introduction to what goth culture actually is. No matter what reputation the site has to other goths, it will also hold a special place in my mind, thanks to to this.

Random/Weird Goth Story #1 - I Dare You To Hug A Goth

I was out with a friend the other night. We decided to take a stroll along of the edge of Alki beach in West Seattle. It was rather late at night, probably around 11pm, and as we were walking back to our car we noticed a group of young people staring at us from their car. A few minutes later, one of them ran out of their car and started trying to get our attention. When she finally caught up with us she said something like "I was dared to hug one of you. Can I have a hug? Please?" -  She then hugged me and ran off.

Being dared to hug a goth is now an inside joke with my friend and I.

An Introduction

Hello everyone,

I've recently been inspired to make a new text blog, which is why this page now exists. I had one a few years ago but I didn't use it much, so now I'm hoping that I will be able to channel some of my recently found passion into this new blog.You may know me from my YouTube channel, my Tumblr, or my winklepicker page on Facebook. I'll mainly be posting about various topics related to the goth subculture, as that is where most of my interests lie.

I hope you all enjoy this new blog of mine, stay tuned for more things to come!