Goth Curiousity

I recently stumbled across Live Life, Laugh and Live Longer‘s blog during my exams and to be honest was to busy studying and was terrible tired and lazy. But today I finished my exam, though I still have some creative work due and when finally catching up on the blogs I follow noticed Stripy Tights and Dark Delights had completed it. And well, it reminded me. Now I don’t like posting things that other’s have recently posted but I’ll make this exception because while reading through Amy’s and The House Cats (that was in comment form) I was inspired upon my own answers.

1. What does Goth culture and being a Goth means to you?
   

   Well, I haven’t mentioned this previously but I’m a bit of an elitist. I believe that Goth culture (for myself) is primarily about exploration of the music – Goth Rock but not just limited to it. It’s a bit about fashion and a bit about DIY but it’s also about making friends.

   I’m not saying people who don’t listen to Goth Rock can’t be Goth. I’m saying that for myself that’s how it is and that everyone has different exceptions and personalities. I know and love other Goths that would prefer cabaret and Celtic music to Goth Rock any day.

2. People mostly believed that the Goth culture is into dark and death, etc. If you have a chance to shout something in their faces about the POSITIVE things that Goth culture had brought to you, what it is and why?
   

   Firstly, I’d like to say that I’m a terribly morbid person with terribly taste in dark humour. Even those that have me on Facebook can see this. I like to (most of the time) try and see this as a positive itself. Let’s face it. We’re going to die so why live to others standards? Just do what makes you happy – preferably if it isn’t hurting others.

   Other positive things include!
   – The ability to not care what people I don’t like or know think of me.
   – Awesome as hell friends.
   – It opened up my love of music.
   – A sense of community.

3. What positive and good things does the Goth culture had brought to you that change you as a person?
   

   Pretty much as above.

4. Why did you choose to be a Goth?
   

   I’ve stated this here on my blog before but I’ll sum it up here. It was a collection of people that came in and out of my life that opened me up to alternative living, one of these people being the wonderful Kitty Lovett that I met in high school.

   Funnily enough a lot of those things that people tend to just fall into have been a choice for me. I choice who I wanted to be friends with (mostly in an attempt to get away from the drug addicts – that are genuinely nice people – that were causing my demise) and I choice to get into the Goth subculture. Of course, by the fashion route – the music came eventually though.

   I literally chose to became part of what I thought the subculture was at that time because I was sick to death of living up to societal expectations. I forced myself to be friends with people I didn’t like at all. I talked about and forced myself to learn current pop music and culture but people always thought I was weird. I even spent a year attempting to get a tan because my skin just will not and I’ll be treating the results of it for the rest of my life. But I just didn’t care any more and decided that I wanted to try something different. I’d seen Goths around, loved it and then got into it.

5. Does being a Goth is another way of self-expressionism?
   

   Yes, I think it is. Not only because of the artistic influences that this culture revolves around but because dressing in this fashion, listening to this music is a choice and is an expression. You’re expression your love for things you enjoy.

6. My parents said: “Goths are cool. But, please stop playing funeral songs.” Do you agree in the first sentence?
   

   Well, yes. I believe Goths cool, generally. I’ve met (and even dated) some Goths that were and continue to be complete dick’s (sorry for my language), complete racists and/or sexists. But generally, I think Goths are pretty cool.

7. My sister says: “Goths wears cross. But, they’re into dark things and such… Do they believe in God?” Do you?
   

   Actually yes, I do believe in god. I don’t want to get into it but my religious journey has been tough. But in a nutshell I was raised Catholic, went to church and continue to believe in God though not specifically Catholic values. There are times though when I don’t believe in god. Let’s, just, not get into that mess of a topic for me.

   And also, I think that being into dark things would make you think about (not necessarily in) god. Because in my opinion isn’t the afterlife one of life’s darkest things?

 Best wishes,
-Sary Walrus

P.S. You really have no idea how much I love questionnaires. They really get my brain thinking.