I have been interested in Gothic subculture during my long stay in the West. In Hong Kong, we don’t get many Caucasians wandering around in dark funky designs, crucifixes and ankhs. To be honest, I could never see myself as a Goth. My Buddhist loyalties do not seem to fit with the aesthetics of Goths (most Goths tend to be tolerant and benign, it;s just that their sense of aesthetics pretty much defines what Gothness is).
I like Goths because I like a band called HIM, whose aesthetics are Victorian-esque and reminiscent of romanticism and neo-romanticism. Their lyrics are also dark, morbid, and at times eroticized. Similarly, this is the common impression of Goths to many people and does hold some truth. But from my little exposure to them (I have no idea where to meet more), they are not all BDSM freaks, nor are they in favour of child sacrifice or Satanism. No. Goths, for me, have an interesting culture and ideology. That’s all.
Many people do not realize that Goths choose to identify themselves so primarily because of aesthetics, as opposed to ethics or politics. Goths, admittedly, don’t really seem to know what they exactly stand for, since there’s no hard, universal definition of Goth, but that’s okay, the majority of young people haven’t figured that out anyway, Goth or no. It seems many do possess some mild cynicism because of their recognition, identification, and grief over societal and personal evils that the mainstream culture wishes to ignore or forget (from Wiki).
Furthermore, according to Wiki, the subculture is marked by its emphasis on individualism, tolerance for diversity, a strong emphasis on creativity, tendency toward intellectualism, and a dislike of social conservatism. From this description, and from their taste in clothes, art, literature and music, I find it interesting why this subculture is so misunderstood and at times discrimination and rejection.
In my next post I will explain, from my own experience and my own reading on the subject, why I think Goths are misunderstood and deserve better as an alternative subculture. I’m not, I assure you, talking out my ass. Aside from the usual Buddhist compassion for all sentient beings, there is another agenda I have here.
