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Add to FavoritesShould Goths be allowed to wear what they want without being judged?
I'll paraphrase Zig Ziglar to answer that. I would literally go to war, fight and die, for his right to dress like that... But I wouldn't give him a job.
The fact of the matter is that we judge people based on their appearance in the first second or two of observation. If we never get the chance to interact with that person, then that is the only basis for judgment we ever have about them.
Should Goths be discriminated against? No.
Should Goths be refused service at a restaurant without a dress code? No.
Should Goths be refused medical treatment? No.
Should Goths be summarily beaten in the streets? Obviously, no.
Should Goths be judged based on their appearance? In a perfect world where nobody ever made subjective judgments of others: No. But that's not reality.
Every Goth is judged based on his/her appearance; Just like every businessman, pastor, professional surfer, hair stylist, and politician in the world. Since the status quo for society is that all people are judged based on what they wear and how they look, the real question becomes: "Should Goths somehow be immune to judgment because of what they wear?" or "Should Goths be entitled to special consideration of their personality and character because of what they wear?"
Goth chic is a personal choice and I would presume part of that choice is the desire to stand out from the crowd. If they really and truly did not want to be identified and judged based on their appearance, then frankly, I am baffled as to why they would continue to do it.
If you expect people to respect you, then dress in a manner that deserves respect. If you want people to avoid you, dress like a homeless person and stop showering. If you want people to laugh at you and not take you seriously, dress like a clown. If you want people to treat you with disdain so that you can lament the fact that people judge you for choosing to dress against societal norms and express to your peers how above that you are, dress like a Goth.
In high school we had some Goths and I found them to usually be the most literate and well-read people on campus (I have no idea if that's the statistical norm or just an aberration of my high school). I personally have never had any problems or run-ins with Goths. But then again, I wouldn't hire a Goth receptionist. Because my business will be judged based on his/her appearance.
Learn more about this author, Matt Lau.
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Yes
Do not judge, lest ye be judged. Isn't that somewhere in the bible? Let us not forget the horrible happenings in old Salem, Massachusetts. People were hanged because the whole town believed they were doing something un-Christian. I don't believe the people who carried out that task are resting too peacefully. The founding religion of this country preaches tolerance, forgiveness, and love thy neighbor, but the truth is none of that really happens. Everyone has the right to free speech. So, in turn, everyone will voice their opinions. With the overall mentality of today's American people, those opinions get forced onto the rest of society whether they know and like it or not. I live in the Bible Belt. I am part of the Goth subculture. I can honestly say this happened and is still happening to me.
Growing up I was always into the darker things in life. Of course it was kept secret. I would not be hanged for it in today's world, but I would be judged unfairly. I had to hide myself from the world. Does anyone want to live as something they are not? I like to be able to show the world who I am. I wear black, not because I am depressed (I am actually quite happy), but because it is part of my personality. It is my morbid mentality. It looks good on me. It is me. So what if my favorite holiday is Halloween and not Christmas.
I could not begin to be me until I was 18. Even then I could only dress that way on weekends or my days off of work. No one gives promotions to people like me. Nothing was based on performance or how well your work was done. I had to conform to a limit. I had to keep hiding. At age 24, I found my outlet. I moved to New Jersey, then Pennsylvania. I found like minded people. I visited New York and Philadelphia were the scene was even bigger. For the first time in my life I could really be me. I was not judged. I could walk into a store and not get very many dirty looks. Instead I got compliments on my boots and jacket from "normal" people. I learned a sense of empowerment. Now I am back home and people may judge me, but if they do they soon regret it. I defend myself. Then they only hate or like me for me and not because of what I wear or how I wear it.
When a person judges someone else based on something superficial as fashion it shows their fear. This fear dates back to ancient times. Psychologically speaking, lighter, brighter colors are associated with daylight. Daylight is associated with strength, power, and knowledge. Black and darker colors are associated with nighttime. Nighttime is associated with the unknown and fear of the unknown. People fear what they don't know about or cannot understand. Here is an interesting little tidbit, in the Middle Ages, white was worn for funerals and black for weddings. I don't remember the reasoning behind it. I'll have to look it up, but you can make your own assumptions about it.
Just because a person dresses differently than the norm does not mean they are not likable people. It does not mean they cannot do a job effectively and efficiently. Just because they like Halloween does not mean they have evil intent. If you wear your pants down to your knees, I may not like it but I will not assume you are a horrible person because I can see your boxer shorts. Doesn't that really sound silly? I can also say that Christianity's tolerant God would accept me into heaven. Aren't we to aspire to be like Him. I would not be judged by Him on what I wear but by the content of my decisions and how I treat others. Most religions will teach the same things.
So I say to all, who are we, as a people, to judge others based on fashion?
Learn more about this author, Danielle Lawson.
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