The Gothic Subculture: A Misunderstood Culture
The gothic subculture is one of the most misunderstood cultures in the world. Its members are regularly viewed as outcasts or as if they are involved in some nefarious activities that the general public do not agree of. In an attempt to understand more about people involved in this subculture, an interview was conducted with an individual who identifies himself as a gothic. The interview lasted 40 minutes and was conducted at the home of the interviewee Mr. John Greene Richard.
Misconceptions and Stereotypes About Goths
One of the most important parts of the interview revolved around why John felt that their culture is misunderstood. Many people associate being Goth with being violent, stupid, mentally challenged or as a criminal clique. John however makes it clear that the being Goth does has nothing to with any of the aforementioned activities or values. He says that on the contrary, gothic people are peace-loving people. Most of the assumptions according to our interviewee are due to the fact that most Goths are introverts who rarely mingle with the rest of the community. He continues that it also has to do with the somewhat negative the culture has received from the media especially through film and music. In the aftermath of the Columbine high school shooting, some journalists and media personalities also tried to take a simplistic and myopic approach on the shooting. They pointed out that the culprits were gothic, framing the situation as if being Goth was the cause of the shooting ("Columbine Students Debunk 'Goth' Ties To Shooters As Community Moves On", 1999). This kind of negative publicity is what John attributes to the growing misinformation about Goths.
Gothic Culture as a Collection of Likeminded People
Away from all the negative connotations, John sees himself, Goths, and the gothic culture not as a religion or a cult but as a collection of likeminded people in terms of art, literature, film, and music. He explains that it is no different than any other subculture that the public is involved in, whether it be hippies or any other group of people who share a common interest in either religion, music, film, fashion, or literature. It is about finding people that one can identify with. People who understand and can relate to each other's struggles and happiness. He accepts that maybe nowadays the culture has become eroded or appropriated and some Gothic groups are starting to look like cults or sects. True Goths, however, are not interested in sectarian or cult activities as most are involved in art such as writing music, writing literature, and ancient fashion. He explains that most Goths are well-read people and knowledgeable. Many of them hold office jobs and lead a regular life. I learnt that being Goth is not about coming from a broken place or being broken.
John's Journey into the Goth Culture
Asked about when he started being involved in the Goth culture, John takes a deep breath and pauses for a few seconds as if trying to recount some lost history of his life. Afterwards, he explains that he started getting involved in the Goth culture in his teenage years while he was in high school. His early childhood was largely uneventful, leading what many would consider a normal upbringing. Going to school, engaging in sports, and going to church on Sundays. A series of events starting with a divorce of his parents changed this lifestyle and became maybe the first catalyst of what led him to the gothic lifestyle. However, it was not until later in his teenage years when he was going through a rough patch emotionally due to some family trauma which he was not ready to disclose, that he started getting involved in the Goth lifestyle. This period left him depressed and lonely. As an escape, he started reading a lot and was subsequently introduced to gothic literature. For one reason or another, he identified and related more with this kind of literature and became a fan. From there on, he started getting involved in gothic music and art. It was not until later that he started adopting their fashion style. His fashion aspect though is very minimalistic compared to what many people are used to.
A Surprising Interview Experience
Coming into this interview, all my expectations of what I would find and how this interview would go were completely shattered. An articulate, six-foot, well-mannered, well-dressed male was not what I had in my mind as a Goth. It's hard to say what my mental image was, but it was definitely not this. Although he was not willing to expose much about his life, he is a man shrouded in mystery and a part of him likes it that way. This air of mystery is what maybe defines him as a Goth. Otherwise, he was more than ready to answer questions, he was calm and perhaps too calm as his nonverbal cues were nonexistent. He did not give a lot of clues other than what his mouth said. As the interview draws to an end, the interviewee shows me some paintings he has been working on and also recommends some books he promises I'll find intriguing. All in all, the interview became a real eye-opener on a number of issues that I and most people are wrong about.
Work cited
Columbine Students Debunk "Goth" Ties To Shooters As Community Moves On. (1999). Retrieved from http://www.mtv.com/news/1427258/columbine-students-debunk-goth-ties-to-shooters-as-community-moves-on/
