Just because someone likes the color black does it mean that they are goth?
348745
no. i like black and wear it but i'm not goth.
483999
it can also mean a style of dressing, usually referring to a female. If she dresses in black/dark colors that are open and flowing, has hems of her shirts and skirts in the "tattered" or "handkerchief" style and wears pale make-up with heavy eyeliner, bright red lipstick and "Gothic" jewelry she is said to look "vampy". It can also be super tight, balck or red "goth" gear. All of it is meant to be "sexy" or "alluring".
988955
To some ppl it is like putting up a flag to other "freakies" that they are one. I think it is a waste of time to put that much effort into your looks, esp. to look so weird. The look is music-based, so that has something to do with it. The whole mindset is industrial-music based anti-mainstream (which is no longer true) with drug overtones. It is not common to come across a goth that doesn't do drugs or at least drink. This is another reason to put up the "flag"- drug connects. They also are (for the most part) elitist...and kinda snobby. That is also an appeal for some people\n\nMost grow out of this Goth thing by their mid twenties at the latest. The ones that don't are the ones you should REALLY look out for.
181576
Would you judge someone for wearing a suit? I wouldn't "judge them", but people were clothes to make a point. if your going to the trouble of dressing like a goth, then you WANT people to know it, and you can't blame them for having an opinion about it.
1178007
I recently answered a similar question about what Goth "is". I think it addresses your question regarding subcultures. I've quoted it below.\n\n"There are a lot of different ways to answer this question because "Goth" means different things to different people.\n\nFor some, being "Goth" is simply an extension of a musical culture that had its roots in punk rock. It's a way of identifying yourself to others with similar interests. For example, when I was a teenager (80'-90's) if I saw someone wearing Doc Martins or black lipstick, the odds were good that that person liked the same music I did. At that time it was things like The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, New Order, Nine Inch Nails etc...\n\nThe look of "Goth” usually consists of a lot of black. There are, however, plenty of sub-cultures within the Gothic and each has their defining characteristics. Some of the variations are:\nMusical (dress like the bands you like)\n\nVampire (classic Goth sometimes with prosthetic fangs and a belief system drawn from Vampire lore)\n\nPagan (will often dress in a Goth manner, but will often display images from the Pagan belief system or worship of the Earth Mother. The Pentagram is one of those symbols)\n\nFetish (Gothic appearance, but with an S/M twist. These people often have a focus on relationships involving power exchanges. Fetish wear often consists of clothes made of leather, latex and vinyl. There are varying symbols that can be worn to indicate one's preferences. A collar if you're a bottom or a confident swagger for a top.)\n\nRebellion (some young people are simply looking for a way to stand out, or be identified with a group outside the so-called "mainstream"\n\nThese are all HUGE generalizations and not hard and fast rules by any means. As to the point of dressing Goth, it's no different than any other fashion choice. It identifies one with a particular group the same way a string of pearls and a cardigan sweater identifies someone to a different kind of group. And sometimes, someone may just think it looks cool and there's no ideology behind it at all.\n\nI was a "Goth" for many years and now I'm not. I don't disdain those who are, but I simply didn't need to distinguish myself in that fashion anymore. Some of us grow out of it, and some of us make a style for life. Either way, it comes down to the person you are inside and not what colors you wrap yourself in." \n\nAs for your specific question, I've always been fond of the dramatic look of Goth as well as some of the belief systems that accompany the various subgroups of Goth. \n\nWhat I'd dislike about Goths, is that they often have a very exclusionary attitude. I find this ironic since many people become gothic because they have been excluded from “so called” mainstream society because of their beliefs or aesthetic preferences. I also dislike the notion that they are somehow superior. Every new generation of Goth thinks they are the first in the world to discover it.  \n\nThere's also a certain knee jerk anti-establishment set of ideals that goes with the Goth persona. Many Goths simply adopt the views of their fellow Goths with out actually investigating the information for themselves and drawing their own conclusions. Again this is ironic since, outwardly Goths often preach open mindedness, but all too often fall into the sheep like mentality that they claim to be escaping in the first place. \n\nI only know these things from my personal experiences as a member of the "Goth" community in its many forms. It is only in retrospect that I have been able to come to these conclusions. Obviously I have no objection to the Goth look or lifestyle, but you specifically asked about dislikes as well as likes.
154904
Why not?  Goths come in all colors.
1111110
The other day I looked in the mirror and saw a goth. She was wearing a suit because she's a grown-up now and does not go to clubs and shows and cemetaries as much as she used to. Goths come in all shapes and sizes- I just wear my fishnets on the inside these days. Maybe you passed by a polite looking business-woman on the street the other day, not knowing that she was listening to The Mission UK on a blacker-than-her-soul iPod.
1168959
I love and respect him, he tells it like it is, and he doesn't care what others think about him. People fear the unknown and people who are different, that's why most dislike him. And i dont understand why people don't like goths? They like the style and we shouldn't use the name "goths" do classify people who like black and chains and stuff. Maybe we should classify peeps who like the color orange and like donkeys!
602940
It seems like you're arguing semantics to be, but here's my best guess.  Goths have a mindset that accepts death, while dark guys actually like death.
651811
Goth is a style of life; in clothing and music and makeup etc. There are, however, a few things that people should know about goths...\n\nGoths:\n*Don't Always Wear Black\n*Don't Worship Satan\n*Are NOT Evil\n*Do Not Want To Kill People\n*Do Not Hate Everybody\n*Are Not Always Depressed\n*Can Be Happy Too\n*Are Usually Nice People\n*Are Normal, Just Like You
1124686
COME ON! Are you fishing for compliments? Everybody knows that dark skin tones are hot. Who you fooling?
764479
Well, the line between "emo" and "goth" can be very slim.  That's one of the things that is so awful about labels - they can have different meanings for different people.\n\nWhy would you use either label?  Why not talk with your Mom about the things you worry or care about, and leave the labels behind?\n\nGood luck!
329468
I think it's dumb, but at the same time I am a self-injuring goth. So I don't know. I was self-injuring before I became a goth, but I don't think my becoming one had anything to do with that at all. It just kind of happened. I didn't know any other goths and I hadn't seen many, I just liked black and it went from there. Goth is more than clothing, anyway. And self-injury is more than making a few little marks on your skin. They don't know anything about what they did the study on.
287811
There are two kinds of goths: people who dress goth and people who are goth.  What you mostly see are people are dressing and acting goth, which simply entails getting black clothes from Hot Topic, wearing heavy make-up, and having a bad attitude.\n\nThen there are the real goths.  For real goths, it's more of a point of view about the world than anything else.  The fashion and music that goths listen to is a reflection of that pov.  Their view is this: life is not not terribly great, there are a-holes out there, and someday you die.  But instead of ignoring that part of life, goths accept and celebrate it -- the good and the bad.  Otherwise, goths don't tend to have any set critiria, they don't always like the same music, they're different religions (no, Satanist is not one of them), they dress diffrently, etc.  Check out www.goth.net/goth.html for another explaination.
25757
They like music about feelings---which is what mainly sets them apart from goths. Ususlly if they are true Emos they will dye their hair black and make a patch of red. Thats usually the best way to distinguish them from normal people.
556138
Goths generally like certain kinds of music, but that doesn't mean they hate everything else. I like some kinds of R&B, hip=hop and rap. You've most likely only been exposed to the fakey stuff on the radio. That's not real rap or hip-hop. And it probably isn't the music you hate, it's the ideas; misogyny, violence, materialism, the glorification of poverty and ignorance. Take away these unflattering items and all you have left is a style of singing and musical beats that may or may not be to your liking. Hope that cleared things up! ;)
968748
No, goths won't hurt you.  Don't you watch the news, its the seemingly normal people who do the crazy things.  As for gothic culture, being goth has nothing to do with what clothes you wear or music you listen to, it is a way of thinking and seeing the world. The clothes that goths wear and the music that goths listen to is just a reflection of that mindset. Goths see that there is extreme pain and evil in the world, along with the good. Instead of condemning it or ignoring it, goths accept these things as a part of life and try and enjoy the good along with the bad, since they can't stop the bad from happening. They are not obsessed with death, they just accept it as an inevitability. They do not try and cause more pain in their (or anybody else's) lives, since there is plenty to start with.  Goths tend to be kind, intelligent, non-violent, emotional, and artistic.