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The "goth" movement has been around awhile, (sorry teenagers, but we've had this subculture for longer than you have been alive!) Typically, mainstream culture defines goth as wearing black, listening to music "on the edge" with dark overtones, and emotionally dark and silent. Many times they have piercings in places I would never dream of letting a needle touch and tattoos are also common. Although there are some bands which are also synonomous with goth, Marilyn Manson, The Cure are but two. If mention of one of these bands is made, an immediate goth stereotype is imagined. Bands can be ostracized from goth, such as Fall Out Boy; formerly considered punk they have now "sold-out." These kids are "creepy" and antisocial, wearing black t-shirts with images of a grimreaper or skeletons, black lipstick and nail polish, usually sporting lip and/or nose piercings, gauge earrings, black platform shoes and trench coats even in the middle of summer, (honestly, they have to be given SOME credit for that alone!), and their very image scares many adults. "They must be suicidal or homocidal," is often the thought, maybe even, (gasp!), satanic! Grab the flag and apple pie; these kids are againt all that is American!

Realistically, kids that feel they follow a goth look and mentality are just normal teenagers looking for a movement that is opposite their parents. Many times they are kind and caring individuals and I have found that most of the kids who are "goth" in the school I volunteer at have above average intelligence. They want to find a deeper meaning or purpose to life and much of the music considered goth has a purpose beyond fluffy love songs or happy go lucky pop. Sometimes they desire to be outside the mainstream and take up the code of black to set themselves apart. These reasons can be as simple as not fitting in with the various cliques in school, although many do not realize that they have become their own clique by doing so.

"Emo," as defined by my teenagers today, involves extreme emotion. You can find many humorous videos on YouTube satirizing the emo movement. They are goth with more feeling and emotion. I have been schooled that today that many times that involves "cutting," but does not confine itself to that behavior. Emos also push the sexual stereotypes to which males and females are confined.

In the end, listening to Marilyn Manson will not cause you to self-explode and wearing black, although a little too hot for my tastes in the summer, will not cause major fashion suicide. Many people my age remember The Sex Pistols and The Ramones and if we are to be perfectly honest, there are most likely incriminating photos of us lying somewhere in our attic. Goth and Emo are part of the American dream, not murderers of it, and their free expression should be greeted with cheers, not jeers!

Learn more about this author, Genine Hopkins.
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