In Goth We Trust?

Every subculture has them. People who will simply follow the crowd logic about the group to which they have so ill-fatedly cast themselves. Do an internet search on the gothic subculture, and what you are likely to find will focus closely on white face paint and black eyeliner. Clothing ranging from the Victorian era to someone's personal BDSM lounge, to a combination of disillusionment meets the technological age, stylized by neon clothing, hair extensions and cyber-gear. Whether one is interested in becoming familiar with the gothic scene, it would do a world of good to learn their history. Goth and Punk were both offshoots of an earlier scene, the Beat or Beatnik scene. The Beats were a group of poets who based their work off of rhythm, who were also fond of black. They too were fighting against the status quo conventionalities of their time. The punk scene of the early 80's was a message against the policies and practices of conventional society, in which the angry youth found a means for dealing with their frustrations aimed towards a society that could or would not understand them. The anger of the punk scene was a necessary alternative to the activism of the peace-niks from a decade and a half prior. Similarly the goth scene had their own message against conformity and the search for the individual inside.

On many forums today, however, the most frequent answers to a question about what makes the gothic scene address music and style. Much less do they focus on the state of being or the political activism that the goth scene addresses. Goth in the technological age has given rise to more trance-like, metallic, and synthesized forms of music like industrial, electro, ambient, darkwave, etc. In light of the barage of mass produced and useless products that society is constantly bombarded with, it seems that the roots of the gothic subculture have found a way to shine through yet another generation of adaptations. As long as there is a point of contention in society, there will always be room for groups to vocalize their angst. Its not easy to change the world, but technological advances such as the internet have made it easier for people to speak their mind and raise their voices about the issues that affect them.

Some critics claim that punk is dead and that goth is a mass of whine. On the contrary, new punk is developing in the spirit and energy of its predecessors. Goth is also continuing in the spirit of its origins. Instead of offering a blind devotion to something with a pretty label, we should be opening our ears to hear what all the discontent is about.

Learn more about this author, Dorean Malandra-Dara.
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