Why be goth?
 

I am not goth at all. I don't listen to "goth" music (whatever that is) nor do I dress, hang out, or act as if I am goth. I never give anyone who is goth a hard time for doing/wearing what they do because I believe in freedom of expression. I do have a friend who thinks he is goth... but that has nothing to do with it. My questions are the following: Why is anyone goth? What are you trying to accomplish as a goth? Do goth people realize that being goth is not being "evil" (I am making the assumption that that is a goal)? And finally, what is the point of those pants with the chains weird colors?

It's just a fashion sense really. I've never seen it as anything else. Maybe it could borderline into having an enjoyment for darker aesthetics or cynical humor. Being able to tolerate some of the darker aspects of life. Other than that, you just simplify your wardrobe by wearing black, red and purple.

There are some people here who will tell you it has a lot to do with listening to goth rock and death rock.

Personally I like the music and the fashion. I know I'm not evil I don't really get why anyone would want to be, I am a kind, loving person who gets a great amount of joy from helping others.

That's not a goal.
But your questions are perfectly valid.
What's the point?
The best answer would probably be just "why not?"

We wear pants with chains so we conveniently have something to hang small children and puppies with. Duh. Hanged children are tres chic in the goth world.

Or so I'm told. I'm not really goth.

Yeah but you're more of a neo hippy fantasy fan than a goth. I remember them in highschool wearing too much ptchule, and drawing pictures of wolves.

Patchouli is a fucking CRIME. That stuff burns my eyes worse than CS gas.

I love the music, I like wearing black, I like reading obscure literature, I watch horror films. A better question would be why not be goth?

Where did you get that idea? I like some fantasy novels sure but that is about the limit of my fantasy fandom, and I'm not a neohippy...unless being nice makes me a neohippy. Also patchouli is icky, I much prefer the sent of cocoa butter.

You're even hugging a tree in your profile.

The music sucks, the clothes are ridiculous to the point of being next to Nazi uniforms and sumo underwear. I also don't like reading obscure literature. I can't really see that fitting most people so I think the real question remains: why be goth?

Thanks for the comments this helps cause my gf and I had our heads spinning around this topic for a while now.

A goth as a nazi sumo wrestler? What?

And what music are you talking about? I fear to think what your ideas of goth music is.

And actually gothic literature is anything but obscure.

Sounds like there is a conflict of interests then and good reason for you not to be goth.

Glad we could help.

Damn, he saw right through us all. I'd Sieg Heil, but I need both hands to keep up my diaper.

Can I ask you which music you think is goth? Maybe you do know, but I'm just making sure.
You do have a point in that, but there's a certain fun in dressing up quite extravagantly while not spending anymore than $20
Yeah, me neither.
Well, for a little clarification my "why not" is not so much a "goth so cool, why would you not want to be one?"
It's more of "a goth? yeah, why not"

Honestly, a "why not?" attitude doesn't seem nearly sufficient to account for why people put so much time and energy into their music, wardrobes, art, etc.
I find it hard to believe that someone taking the time to, say, put up a mohawk could only be thinking, "a mohawk? why not!". There's no shame in investing some emotion in your hobbies, be they football, or wearing a Nazi officer's shako and a sumo diaper.

I, personally, think that the guy who started this thread is looking to pick a fight. Either that, or he's being patronizing to the point of absurdity.

Music? Well, besides Metal, I listen to The Cure, Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and The Sisters of Mercy for example.

I didn't say Gothic literature was obscure, I said I read obscure literature :P.

Well if you check, you'll see that he only has 2 post's and they're both in this thread.

Why be goth when you can be an acid spewing, axe throwing Chimpanzee?

It was geared towards the OP's last post, methinks he probably thinks goth is Manson or Evanescence or something like that, not The Cure.

And even if you read obscure literature don't see what that has to do with goth ^_^

Anybody want to join me at a news forum and ask people "why republican?" or a sports forum and ask "Why baseball?"

Then we can be like "Balls are stupid. We have a democrat president. Give it up already".

I think republicans and baseball are easily defined whereas goth tends to have a lot of misconceptions about it, hence the constant need to clear things up.

This isn't the last time we've had such a post and it shan't be the last.

There's definitely no shame, but I comprehend why the OP asks that question. My answer of "why not" just indicates I'm in the same level of misunderstanding than he is.

Sorry, I thought you were calling me out

The stench of troll is thick with this one.