Goth, Punk, emo. Kids these days… (1 OF A SERIES OF 3)

Goth, Punk, emo.What’s the difference? I don’t know but I’m willing to find out!

Goth!!!

When I think of Goth, I think of black lipstick and combat boots. Lots of piercings and mohawks. Sure, there is a lot of that. Goth got its origins from Gothic literature as well as the victorian era (think Sleepy Hollow and Dracula), all the way up to the 1970s and 80s (Punk). So its kind of an offshoot of early Punk. To be a Goth is to reject some of the values and norms of society. Not to paint them as deviants but just as free-thinkers. Those who think “outside the box.” Preston A. Elder, owner of    , put it all together nicely:

Modern goth (ignoring where the name itself originally comes from) started in the early 80′s as part of the punk subculture (which is itself was a rejection of most societal values, and anything considered part of the ‘norm’). The phrase was coined by the band manager of Joy Division, Anthony H. Wilson, who described the band as ‘Gothic compared with the pop mainstream’. The term stuck, and as punk eventually died, Goth survived and became its own subculture. The punk clothing and hairstyles mellowed, and the core ‘rejection of society’ attitude alone lived on in the gothic subculture.

The clothes and makup Goths wear, as well as the style of music they listen to differ from person to person, but to give a general idea…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/master_scorpion/1332616450/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pss/1864134548/ credit/paul stevenson

Check out the mainly black clothes, white face makeup, and scary eyes. Pretty stereotypical, right?

Here is a lovely picture of Kerli, a singer from Estonia, known by her fans as a “Goth Princess.” I think she is more pop/rock though!

http://www.myspace.com/kerlimusic

Great song for “New Moon”

Goth Girl--Photo Credit--Steffe

http://www.flickr.com/photos/steffe/3789676236/

The Cure–Goth Rock band since the late 70s.

There’s lots more to learn about the subculture, Goth. Check out these sites for more—http://www.goth.net/, http://www.sfgoth.com/primer/– and this fun goth blog–http://www.gothsinhotweather.com/