A Brief Dive into Goth Culture
- Connor Coltrane
- 12 minutes ago
- 4 min read
What does the word “goth,” bring to mind? Black clothes? Heavy makeup? A dour, self-pitying, nihilistic outlook on life, played up to histrionic extremes? These elements and more are all what the popular consciousness seems to associate with the goth movement, if or when the public consciousness remembers it exists at all. While most of the more negative stereotypes are largely forgotten, they can still stubbornly cling to the image of the subculture; relics of the days and regions where dressing in black and dabbling in the arts are seen as synonymous with devil-worship.
Forgive me if my writings seem a bit snide here; I have a certain bias as a dabbling goth myself. But it is important to emphasize: like specters and shadows which cling to the corners of civilization in search of warm blood, the goth subculture is not truly dead, and, indeed, comes in shapes and sizes that most wouldn’t expect. Goths are not monochrome, they don’t always wear all black. They do not worship the devil (or if they do, it’s not because they’re goth). They are complex and multifaceted people in a diverse and eclectic community. It contains all manner of sub-movements and styles from “trad-goth” (traditional goth like the original 80s movement) “whimsigoth” (a newer movement emphasizing beauty, fantasy, and magic) and many more. Now, while it's all well and good to say what goth isn’t, it begs the question of what goth is. This can be, admittedly, rather difficult to pin down. Luckily, to help us with this issue, I was able to speak to one of Berry College’s very own resident goths, one Junior Grace Sorrells. As she explains, the goth movement is “mostly a music subculture.”
It first grew out of the punk movement in Britain, particularly in one little London nightclub known today as “The Batcave.” The artists that would go on to define goth music later, including The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bauhaus, and many more, combine some of the hard edge and countercultural flair of punk rock with moodier ghostly melodies, macabre lyrics and imagery, and a bit of the performative flair of glam-rock into something truly unmistakable. Sorrells has not had much chance to visit the “dance subculture” of the goth scene, since Rome is rather lacking in appropriate venues. However, especially in larger cities like Atlanta (home of The Masquerade), the almost Bacchanal immersion in the music and dance is a vital part of the culture and an indispensable chance for goths to meet.
Of course, while familiarity with the scene’s musical origins and culture is essential, that’s not all that being goth is about. Goth culture also, importantly, emphasizes open-mindedness, creativity, and individuality. Much of this comes from the subculture’s inspirations from gothic literature, in dark romanticism and finding beauty in even the most morbid of places. However, this also harkens heavily back goth’s roots in punk rock. As Sorrells explains, much the same way “a-right-leaning punk shouldn’t be punk,” a goth who doesn’t value or condone alternative lifestyles or diverse perspectives can hardly be considered a goth at all. To drive this point home, Sorrells speaks one of the often-unnoticed and unspoken truths of goth movement:
“These people are queer.” Like many other countercultures which defy social norms or emphasize underground art scenes, goth culture is a veritable magnet for many in the LGBTQIA+ community, providing a haven in which gender or sexual nonconformism is not only accepted, but celebrated. Sorrells even points out the striking similarities between the makeup styles of many “trad-goth” artists and many well-known drag queens. In her own words, “real goths watch Trixie and Katya.”
But I think there’s one other piece of the puzzle, one that isn’t as widely discussed as the music scene or the political roots or even the queer community. While Hot Topic and other major brands have arisen to capitalize on the goth market and let even those who’ve never listened to the music to put on the goth mask, this wasn’t always the case. When the goth scene was still young in the 80s, there were no brands that catered to it; goths were not buying their outfits ready-made, they were making it for themselves. This carries on even in some of the merchandise one might find, cropped shirts, safety pins, torn leggings. When the goth scene was new, these were hallmarks of self-expression; the owners of their outfits were taking needles and scissors and pins to the clothes they could scrounge up and turning them into something new. This was also inherited from the roots of punk; as part of their stand against mainstream consumerism, the punk movement emphasized DIY sensibilities in their fashion, their art, and their writing, a form of self-sufficiency rather than relying on consumer culture.
And that, I think, is the key to the goth movement. If you visit the scene, you’ll find an astounding number of members who staunchly disavow being goth. One of the telltale marks of “elder goths,” are their willingness to dabble in other looks and styles and music. Even some of the original artists like the Cure or Siouxsie Sioux showed a remarkable resistance to being labeled as “goth rock.” This may seem perplexing, but in truth, it’s the final culmination of growing into one’s own in a subculture which values the individual. Goth is not something you buy in a Hot Topic. It is not a prescribed set list of songs to listen to or bars to visit or books to have read. Goth is messy, goth is eclectic, goth is DIY. The mark of a “real goth,” in truth, is that they make goth for themselves.
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