I’ve been reading a lot more Goth blogs of late as I’ve
begun diving back into the subculture. One thing that seems to be repeated
often by my fellow Elder Goths is how “easy” modern babybats have it. I read
how the internet makes them lazy, that the internet propagates only one correct
way to be Goth.
I humbly disagree.
First, let’s address the One True Goth Way ™ statement. If
this were true, why would we have the likes of this awesome artist with her
tongue-in-cheek Goth stereotypes?
How would we have the hundreds of derivations of Goth
fashion? They don’t just pop up out of thin air. They are created by Goths, new
and old, to create their own personal vision of what Goth is. Look at Dark
Mori. Look at Gothic Lolita. These are very, very recent interpretations of Goth,
spread in part by the proliferation of manga and anime and graphic novels. Even
these art forms expanded and grew to give us some seriously great gothic
imagery and seriously creepy horror stories. Look at Cybergoth. Look at Health
Goth—None of these existed in the 80s or even the 90s. (Maybe Cybergoth, technically,
I suppose.)
Second, let’s talk about the internet. The internet is a
strange place. It’s full of trolls, keyboard warriors, anonymous assholes, pictures
of cats, pictures of food, awesome DIYers, awesome support networks, and young
people trying to find themselves. I discovered Goth was a thing back in junior
high when I admired the older black clad “early” Goths and their attire. I
began to buy a few pieces in 2000, the year I became a freshman in high school.
(I see you doing the math. I’m 29, graduating class of 2004.) Many of these
pieces came from Hot Topic. In my small, conservative town, it was the only
place to go. Even then, I had to drive to the next town over to get to Hot
Topic. I learned how to customize and refine these pieces so I’d be less cookie
cutter. Because heaven forbid I walk around in something that clearly came from
a store in the mall.
