One for all the goths...

[Heed]

Yeah, I will ee that the goth movement is mostly about depression. I am not saying every goth is into cutting and stuff but uch the the goth movement is people thinking they are outcasts from society and then they band together and form a sub culture of their own. This makes them feel wanted to be around the people that are like them. Now, I see nothing wrong with dressing in black, as I said before I still do it every nce ina while, and according to some veiws, there are different "kinds" of goth but the main definition as well as the people I knew from my area is those who WANT attention because maybe they can't get it at home maybe. I am kind of going off I guess... I am not a professional psycologist, I have taking a Basic Christian Counseling course in college for ministry purposes, but I am not a doctor. I am just using discernment and speaking out of personal experience because I used to be a "social outcast". I am not bashing goths because I feel for them because that is where I used to be at in my life.

I guess why I started this thread was mainly to talka bout the clothes and style, but it has evolved into something more now. Anyway, that is another 2 cents from me which brings my tab on this thread up to four cents @_@;..

[Jaltus-bot]

Madeline, you are a really cool girl!

[GhostontheNet]

Perhaps this old Johhny Cash song best explains my reasons for being a Christian goth;

Man in Black
by Johnny Cash

Well, you wonder why I always dress in black,
Why you never see bright colors on my back,
And why does my appearance seem to have a somber tone.
Well, there's a reason for the things that I have on.

I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down,
Livin' in the hopeless, hungry side of town,
I wear it for the prisoner who has long paid for his crime,
But is there because he's a victim of the times.

I wear the black for those who never read,
Or listened to the words that Jesus said,
About the road to happiness through love and charity,
Why, you'd think He's talking straight to you and me.

Well, we're doin' mighty fine, I do suppose,
In our streak of lightnin' cars and fancy clothes,
But just so we're reminded of the ones who are held back,
Up front there ought 'a be a Man In Black.

I wear it for the sick and lonely old,
For the reckless ones whose bad trip left them cold,
I wear the black in mournin' for the lives that could have been,
Each week we lose a hundred fine young men.

And, I wear it for the thousands who have died,
Believen' that the Lord was on their side,
I wear it for another hundred thousand who have died,
Believen' that we all were on their side.

Well, there's things that never will be right I know,
And things need changin' everywhere you go,
But 'til we start to make a move to make a few things right,
You'll never see me wear a suit of white.

Ah, I'd love to wear a rainbow every day,
And tell the world that everything's OK,
But I'll try to carry off a little darkness on my back,
'Till things are brighter, I'm the Man In Black.

---End Song---

I will admit I have always had several habits consistent with Madeline, though they haven't quite been as big a deal (for example, though I do have that blank stare, my parents say that when I was a baby, I used to sometimes maintain that stare and never cut it off, in spite of their frantic attempts at making me break it, earning several trips to the hospital wherupon they repeatedly confirmed after testing that I wasn't really suffering from anything requiring urgent, nor indeed any action). I relate to a very small number of people in any organization, even churches with a vibrant community, but those who do befriend me turn out to be special individuals indeed - all others cut off larger conversations with me and I with them subsequentially (I suppose I don't see enough of value in the ordinary person to bother befriending them). The standard Goths have it right in that EVERYTHING ISN'T OK, and unlike so many of the foolish in the world, they refuse to ignore death but face it, perhaps exhibit its reality publicly. The problem they see no glint of hope, they do not have the hope of Christ's return in glory to destroy death and bring about final justice and true and fair peace and prosperity, where at last YHWH, His Wisdom, Word, and Power (Yeshua Christ), and His Spirit are all in all.

[Tommy]

^ Classic Song. i don`t like Country, but he was good. I honestly have never been a goth, nor will I ever. Sometimes, at the mall and such, they appeal to me as 'weird-looking' no offence. That`s just my opinion.

[Sonic_13]

I don't know why people would like to dress in black, and wear too much make up. I don't even know what "goth" means, im just assuming from the very common stereotypes. It isnt very attractive.... to me anyways! But then again my perspective on things are probably in total reverse than that of others.

When I wear clothes I normally try to pull out the brightest things possible. Sunshine yellow shirts, crimson red pants, sky blue get ups It seems to give a positive effect in the common crowd. but hey thats just me

[mitsuki lover]

Goth was after my time.I don't know if there were Goths when I was a teen
wheter or not I'd have done it.Probably not.Though I don't have anything
against those who are Goths.As long as you can have fun and aren't hurting
yourself or others then go ahead.

[Madeline]

Madeline, that's great you were brave enough to change your image and the way you related to people.

Madeline, you are a really cool girl!

Thank you both! *hugs* I'm so happy that God is working in me...even though those were some rough years, I learned some important lessons and gained experience that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Even though I mess up sometimes, I'm trying to change and keep my mind, words, and actions pure. It may take years to root out the anger and violent tendencies that were a part of me, but I'm willing to at least give it a try. I want to be a child of the light, a peacemaker instead of one who stirs up dissension. ^_^ Which comes down to lengthening my short fuse and avoiding getting involved in fights...difficult, but defintely worth it, as much for the well being of others as for my safety and my conscience.

[GhostontheNet]

^ Classic Song. i don`t like Country, but he was good. I honestly have never been a goth, nor will I ever. Sometimes, at the mall and such, they appeal to me as 'weird-looking' no offence. That`s just my opinion.

Heh, I don't like country either. I will say that I do not do any hair dying, black eyeliners, black nails, or pale white makeup (nor any makeup for that matter, I find the thought that many women waste so much money on it depressing).

[Madeline]

I find the thought that many women waste so much money on it depressing.

Why? Painting your face is fun. ^.^ I don't wear make-up any more, but I'm considering trying it out again. However, if I do I'm going to keep it very natural-looking. No crazy super-dramatic stuff...

When I was a goth, though, I kind of needed make-up to cover the scars on my face. ^^; People used to make fun of me because I had a really bad one that ran across my nose. It's healed now. So is the bite mark underneath my eye, which I am really grateful for. That could have caused some career issues for me...I mean, who wants to hire a girl with a huge bite out of her face? It just doesn't look very professional.

For a little while I decided to go on strike and wear no make-up at all. I had a "if you don't like my face, tough" policy and I've been sticking to that ever since.

I don't see anything wrong with wearing make-up. It's an art form, and a very fun one I might add.

[yukinon]

I've never really claimed any subculture as my own, I just tend to do what I like. I have been told by my two best friends, however, that

"You're like the anti-punk. You punk out the unpunkable stuff. Like denim."

"You're like the anti-goth goth."

I found both statements highly amusing. I do freak people out at my old school, but that's mostly because I used to be the conservative little straight A, dressed by her mother, quiet girl who reads in the corner. And my college is pretty conservative, so my friends and I are considered the weird ones. They're constantly asking us "Do you go to that music school...?" and we get weird looks from the less-cool faculty.

[chibiphonebooth]

i have almost all goth friends. so ya know, it rubs off on me. i dress goth occationally, although i really dont fit into any catagory cause i dress in whatever i wanna wear. but alot of the time its gothicness. XD

i think gothic is so cool. if i had darker hair...even like..a dirty blonde, i would so go out and dye it the black w/the blue tint. *o*

its soooo cool. but i cant. cause i have really blonde hair.

[mitsuki lover]

I think it's so easy to judge by just the other looks which is why Goths and
Punks are so easily misrepresented as being somehow Bad People.Actually
the majority are probably just nice average kids who want to be a bit different.

[yukinon]

Hey, I work in a music store. You know who the nicest, politest people are?

Metalheads. I love it, because you just know they're gonna go home and call their mom or something.

I miss my goth-ish friend.

[Shadowchild]

I have been called goth much before but I am not. i dont get why people judge people like u guys like that. it is jst rude. i am dark not goth i luv dark stuff even though i still do wear light colored stuff but ususally cuz it has stuff that i like on it. i have two great friends that are goth from Brazil that are really nice. i wish that i could try out one of those spikes necklaces but my mom would kill me. so i just wear a black t shirt every few days. i wish i could do more though. -_-

[Kireihana]

[quote="the_lizardqueen"]It also depends on your surroundings]

Lol, I would think a goth would be welcome with most of the artsy types.

I personally feel no inclination towards the goth outlook or its clothing... I have nothing, of course, against anyone who is gothic (in fact I have several close friends whom I would say are "borderline"), I just tend to have a very optimistic outlook... which seems to bother a lot of them XD. I know all goths aren't like this, but a lot of them that I know do seem to enjoy the, uh, "emo" lifestyle as it's called (I tease my friend incessantly about this)

I also respect and admire their urge to be different, but I hate when people take it too far. I have a friend who will hate things just because "everyone else likes them," regardless of whether it deserves it's popularity or not...

But to those who simply enjoy the clothing style, or just have more introverted personalities and are comfortable that way, more power to you.

[mitsuki lover]

Raven on Teen Titans probably gets confused for a Goth because she perfers to
wear dark blue all the time and has a rather pessimisstic view,which I believe is
a rather distorted view of Goths and Punks.

Myself I also perfer darker colors,but it's because darker colors just look better
on me.

[Shadowchild]

Raven is my fav. I think starfire is a fruitcake she is soo wierd i mean... meat crown?! how stupid can u get? (not to offend anyone ^-^')

[Yojimbo]

I used to wear black all the time when I was younger. Like from age 5-8. Yeah my family thought I was going to be a goth with my black sweatpants and tshirts.

[faithfighter]

I used to be a goth..for a very short while

[yukinon]

Raven is my fav. I think starfire is a fruitcake she is soo wierd i mean... meat crown?! how stupid can u get? (not to offend anyone ^-^')

Starfire makes my day. She's so random.

My best friend is somewhat goth, and he's the most energetic, compassionate person I know, always full of life. He does have some odd interests, but I've never met someone with more depth, respect for others, and love of life.

Me, I just enjoy people who are genuine. Hard to find, but worth hanging on to once you finally do.

[Kawaiikneko]

I have a kind of pessimistic outlook on things sometimes.. but I'm really flexible too XD I kinda sarcastically say the dark truth sometimes... uh.. example at camp:
Me: *sitting on the edge of a high jutting rock that is out over some other rocks and the lake*
Counselor: Wow aren't you scared you might fall off and break your arm or something?
Me: No.. *looks over* I'd probably just crack my head on the rocks and either get paralyzed or die.

Yeah.. I really said that XD I like all the goth-ish things and I'm not all hyper-happy all the time... but I'm not depressed either. I guess I'm just neutral. I do have the blank stare going sometimes though XD only cause I'm thinking. I'm also very introverted~ Weee

I love the punk and goth styles, but my parents might freak out. I have been painting my fingernails black and they're getting used to that, so maybe gradually *grin*

[Starfire1]

I used to be goth-ish for a short time. Not completely though, just edging more and more to it. ALOT of black nail polish and eyeliner was used. The people I was around rubbed off on me and the things I was going through at that time pushed it more. Through a combination of God, my family, and my whacked out friends (and I mean that in the best way possible) I came out of it. *sigh* I'm a teenager and entitled to my phases. I am glad I'm out of it. It wasn't who I wanted to be. But still I'm drawn to some of the clothing style and at times I find myself staring blankly out at nothing in particular. Eh, w/e. I thought my cousin would turn out goth when she annouced her favorite color was black at 7 years old. I was so wrong, she's now a prep. All that to say I used to be borderline goth and am not anymore. I'm just me and I'm quite happy with that. And forgive me if this sounds dumb but would anyone care to explain "emo" to me? *embarassed*
...and I happen to like Starfire...

[Kireihana]

And forgive me if this sounds dumb but would anyone care to explain "emo" to me? *embarassed*
...and I happen to like Starfire...

Hmm... how to begin... I have so many friends that are emo... Well basically, they cling to a lot of the stereotypical "goth" ideas; the outcast, loner complex, etc. Except instead of being angry, they seem to be more on the depressed/self-pitying side. They can be pretty pessimistic. My friend says she likes the way "emo" guys dress... which I guess is tighter pants, etc. They like writing poetry or music that reflect their negativity. They like dressing artsy yet dark.

Keep in mind, I'm basing this solely on my friends' behavior. Not that my friends are totally depressing or anything; they have their moments (it's like a recent phase my whole age group seems to have fallen into >.> <.<)

EDIT: I did a google search to see if I could find a site that describes it better, and what do you know:
http://www.fourfa.com/
http://www.dobi.nu/emo/

[GhostontheNet]

And forgive me if this sounds dumb but would anyone care to explain "emo" to me? *embarassed*
...and I happen to like Starfire...

How not to define emo (snippets from the youth group at the Vineyard);

Natalie the youth pastoress: "Now they've got this thing called 'emo', where you have guys dressing as girls."
Next week from another, and I believe younger youth pastor: "We've explained to Natalie that there are multiple degrees of emo."

As I understand it, "emo" is shortened from "emotional", and constitutes a conscious effort to not supress one's emotions in one's dress and behavior in front of others, no matter what those emotions are, which can include the darker and more often supressed emotions.

[Shadowchild]

that is nice. -_-'

[Kawaiikneko]

Vineyard... we have one of those where I live... you live in Columbus or is Vineyard like a national church group?

edit: if you're comfortable saying of course =_=;; that was rather rude of me, sorry....

[Hitokiri]

I just explained this in another gothm thread.

I recall create a thread a couple months back regarding if dressing gtohic hurts my ministry. I came to the conclusion it does and therefore dumped the eye liner as well as the nail polish to an extent. I have come to the terms that the gothic fashion is not what it used to be. What it used to be was what I would call "true gothic" which melded in the belief and fashion of both sides of the goth stereotype. Not exactly "good" but nevertheless...they were not exactly fakers or people I like to call "scenesters". However, in the past 4-5 years I have a increasing number of teenagers (ages 13-17 normally) who classify themselves as being "gothic" but th eonly thing gothic about them is the over-dramatized fashion of the older gothic fashions as well as taking mainstreamed logos, ideas, and images and turning them to thier idea of gothic. In my opinion, these new breed of goths are shallow scenester kids who believe
1) they call themselves anarchists (just to be rebellious)
2) that they are Satanists (yet have no clue what Satanism truly is). You can easily indenitfy these people when they say "I AM TEH CHILD OF SATAN!!!!111".
3) Usually have Myspace or Xangas or liveJournals with pictures of skull smade to look cute or other popular "in-goth" images or (for the guys) something that is popular amoung goths (such as a band). One example I found of this is a guy's Myspace account who called himself "Josh the Anti-Christ" who belives he's the anti-christ sent from Satan and given power to drive away the Christians. He affirms that he is goth and you should beware of him because he will cast pentagrams at you. Pahleeze ::rollseyes::.
4) Wear many of the newer goth fashions and
5) have no clue why they dress this way besides they like to shock people or it looks cool.

Sorry if this has a very negative tone or has in anyway made someone mad. However, the new goth scene has left be rather...bothered and troubled how far it has gone to being the in-thing.

[BlueGothKitten]

I have really given that a lot of thought to...for a while, there, it was like, well, nothing else can hurt my ministry more than it already is....^.^' I used to be a kind of mean person...that was before I even knew how cool armwarmers looked, though! XD I'm not friends with people because they're gothic...that's reeeeeealy not a good way to choose your friends, because, as said, the goth scene/stereotype has gotten so mixed up into other things that aren't goth at all. I'm just so happy to have great friends who love me no matter what I look like! Sure, they might tell me I look wierd, but they're still accepting of me!
A while back, I had some trouble with people thinking that I was wierd. No biggie, only they got violent, and I don't know why. It was scary! So, after all that was over, I sort of decided, heck with it, I'm going to be as wierd as I want to! Basically I wear what I want. Sometimes I wear bright red or other colours because I like them, and it really freaks people out! O.o. I think one of the dangers with the goth stereotype is getting pushed so firmly into the role that you can't get out, and you conform to what the world thinks of you or expects you to do.
No matter what your "type", that's never a good thing to do!
Most goths are thenicest peple I know. One or two are pretty mean, but they're the "new" goths, who go to hot topic and buy whatever's the latest, most shocking fashion. *growl* They make us all look bad!

[shooraijin]

Hey, I work in a music store. You know who the nicest, politest people are?

Metalheads. I love it, because you just know they're gonna go home and call their mom or something.

I'm laughing hysterically. The worst part is how true it is. Some of the nicest folks I know are metal freaks.

[Stephen]

Just a warning, if this thread goes the way the other one did...it will be locked without hesitation.