talk about "gothic"

Gothic is the same as goth, Gothdom, gothik etc. The only difference is noun or adjective use. Capitalization is often arbitrary. There is no general distinction between these terms. Any distinction made is often particular to a certain person or group who might use a different term to designate one of the different levels of involvement or divisions of gothics. For our purposes, we'll say these words are all intended to mean the same thing.

Gothic: Of or pertaining to a literary style of fiction prevalent in the late 18th and early 19th centuries which emphasized the grotesque, mysterious, and desolate: a gothic novel. [This is the relevant definition in the dictionary. Think of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and the works of Edgar Allen Poe.]

But what does gothic mean in regards to the group of people? Here's where it gets confusing. There are things that many Goths like that are not gothic (Industrial or Classical music). There are things that are gothic that many Goths dislike (vampires, interest in death). There are things that some people think are gothic that are not gothic (bands like Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails), and there are things that do not call themselves gothic even if they are considered gothic by most people (bands like Sisters of Mercy and Dead Can Dance). However, there's no Grand Gothic Judge to decree what is truly Goth and what is not, although there are plenty of people who claim to be it. It's an ambiguous label with many people using it that don't understand what it means. The people who do understand it often have many different definitions.

History and background:

• The words Goth and Gothic have had many, largely unrelated meanings in the past:
  • the name of the Germanic Visigoth tribes that overthrew the Roman Empire. From this source arose the concept of a Goth as an uncivilized person, a barbarian. ₄
  • a style of architecture in Western Europe which was popular from the 12^th to the 16^th century.
  • a style of horror/mystery literature that is dark, eerie and gloomy.
• Goth, as a modern movement, started as one component of the punk rock scene. As the latter faded, Goth survived by creating its own subculture.
• The first use of the term Goth in its present meaning is believed to have been on a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) TV program. Anthony H. Wilson, manager of Joy Division described the band as Gothic compared with the pop mainstream. The name stuck.
• Their use of black clothing was originally "something of a backlash to the colorful disco music of the seventies." ₅ It also stuck.
• The movement first became established in the Batcave, a nightclub in London, England, in the early 1980's. ₃
• Spreading to the U.S., it first became popular in California.
• Goth is featured in The Crow horror movies (1994, 1996). Other Gothic movies are the original Nosferatu, the color remake Nosferatu the Vampyre, and the Cabinet of Doctor Caligari.
• Popular music bands are the Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, the Sisters of Mercy, Dead Can Dance, and many others.

Stereotypes:

People have accused or described Goths as being:

• Depressed,
• Unusually bigoted,
• Violent,
• Suicidal,
• Involved in illegal drugs,
• Vampires or believe themselves to be vampires,
• Sado-masochists,
• Satanists,
• Musicians, painters, and other artists,
• Computer programmers (although there seem to be a lot of them)
• Wearers of black (some wear white and gunmetal),
• Dyers of their hair,
• Users of white makeup.

Some of the above probably apply to some Goths, but definitely not to all.

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