Before I start, I just want to say that I am not trying to put anyone down. These are just my thoughts.
In my opinion, being a goth or dressing like one does not make you unique in any way, shape, or form. When I talk to the people at school, they tell me that they are anti-conformists and that they are being unique. If you really look at these "rebels", you might notice that many of them look the same. Same type of clothes, same type of makeup and accessories. So why do they consider themselves to be unique and non-conforming? It's another style just like any other. If all the jocks said that they were being non-conformists and individuals, then people would laugh in their face. I would just like to make people realize that goths or emo people (i don't see the difference between the two...sorry..but if someone would like to explain it to me, it would be appreciated) aren't so different than everyone else. Of course they have their own thoughts and mind, but so does everyone else. I was just wondering if anyone else realized how silly this whole thing is. They are not anti-conformists or what ever they want to call themselves. They just choose to follow a different trend.
I noticed as well.
Thank you.
Goths are as silly as Satanists.
**Save English as a first language, yo.
Do you actually know what a Satanist believes? It has nothing to do with the Christian Devil, other than the fact that they don't believe in the devil. You might want to read up a bit on the Church of Satan website before you embarass yourself by writing of Satanism as silly, their argument makes a lot more sense than any of the major religions.
Oh? Isn't it ironic then that most teenagers became Satanists thinking Satanism IS about worshiping the Christian Devil? That's why they are silly, you goose.
**Save English as a first language, yo.
Yeah, that is the irony. It's a hilariously misguided attempt by pissed off teenagers to embrace evil, poor fuckers don't realise that the devil doesn't exist. If you check out churchofsatan.tv however, you will see what a cracking sense of humour actual Satanists have about the whole devil thing. If you're an easily offended Christian I'd skip it, but otherwise in the video section there lies an archive of shamefully amusing videos, including winnie the pooh doing 'his daily Satan worship'.
According to your argument, it is practically impossible to be an anti-conformist. I think that all it takes to be an anti-conformist is to merely be different from the majority of people. This definitely qualifies goths as anti-conformists.
*~Heidi~*
It is impossible to be anti-conformists. With the recent emphasis on individuality, teenagers around the world are trying to not conform to society standards (some do that by dressing as Goths). Ironically, by trying to not conform they instantly become conformists.
**Save English as a first language, yo.
They are anti-conformists in that they are refusing to conform to the dominant culture, you can spot a goth from a distance in a crowd. Yes they conform with the traits applicable to their sub-culture, but they collectively stand out as a minority which does not conform with the cultural traits of the majority. Arguing that this makes them conformists is just redundant, because then if two people exhibit traits and behaviour that no other group of people on the planet exhibit, they you can say that they are conformists, or at least one of them is, it's just pedantic and pointlessly so.
In addition to your post, I think the important thing is for people to be true to themselves. I'm sure when a person proudly says that he is "a something," many of us (including) will groan and yell out in our heads, "You're a fake!". But we don't really know for sure. The only one who knows is the person himself. It's okay to dress like other people, but it's not your attire that determines who you are. It's your actions, your thoughts, your feelings, etc. I agree that labels are pretty stupid because they can't truly describe anyone. A person's actions, thoughts, and feelings cannot be categorized under a silly label such as emo or goth.
Your attire is part of a semiotic system which is made of of symbols you choose to use to communicate various things about youself. Even those people who say that they don't care what they wear and just go for comfort, this communicates something about them. Those on the cutting edge of fashion communicate as much as those who refuse to follow it. Clothes don't determine who you are, but they often tell the world who you think you are, who you want to be, and a host of other things about the person wearing them. I know guys who say they couldn't care less what they wear, I ask them if they'd wear a dress into town, they say hell no. Why? because people care very much what they wear, and what it communicates to other people. A goth is merely putting out a flag to other people who might share some common interests associated with the Goth sub-culture.
This goes for everything. I don't agree with any of what you said, but I just wanted to throw in-don't single out goths in your assumptions, the same goes for punks, jocks, preps, everyone.
The point of non-conformity isn't to stand completely apart from people. Almost no person can stand completely apart from people without agreeing with and getting along with some people. Goths, especially high school goths, have their fair share of "conformists" who are just there to fit in with a group. There is no reason that a goth shouldn't be able to get along with your average "normal" person for at least a short time, but there is a difference in values and judgement that SHOULD be present.
Any "counter-cultural" movement sooner or later gets populated by imitators and poseurs, but people who exemplify the ideal really are apart from the mainstream 9-5 corporate culture associated with conformity. They have different ideals and values from the main. Also a lot of true goths don't claim goth, they just are. Don't judge based on high school wannabes.
Res ipsa loquitur.
Memento mori, mahalo.
Also the Goth trend mostly ended in the 80's, though the imagery kind of recycles.
Res ipsa loquitur.
Memento mori, mahalo.