It's a state of mind. And was invented by Lord Byron. On absinthe.

[reddragdiva]

(prompted by eyeliner297)

Goth is a subculture composed almost entirely of people who are not members.

So. How did you end up being not a goth?

Comments

[ladykathryn.livejournal.com]

Naturally pale skin, an inability to match colours and a lack of money leading to only having my sister's old Cure cassettes to listen to as a teenager.

Luckily, I now make enough to supply my own music.

[seph-hazard.livejournal.com]

I blame flickgc and her unfortunate habit of loosing her lighters in her cleavage.

[reddragdiva]

That "loosing" gets you this icon!

[mjg59.livejournal.com]

I've no idea what you're talking about. I've never been a goth.

[reddragdiva]

You'd make such a good one, though. You have the cheekbones for it.

LJ needs an "edit comment" button

[unagothae.livejournal.com]

I'm told I'm a freak for being so pale.
I can't help it that I burn easily, so avoid the sun.
I'm told I'm a freak for wearing black all the time.
I'm lazy. It makes doing laundry and throwing an outfit together a piece of cake.
I'm told I'm a freak for my taste in music.
It's more interesting and evocative than that pap they call pop.
Not my fault if others don't enjoy what it evokes.
I'm told I'm a freak for my awareness of my mortality and the things I find comfort in.
Some cemetaries are huge tourist locations and who doesn't love a giant cathedral?

I'm not a goth. I'm just a freak ;)

[happyblade.livejournal.com]

I *AM* a goth. An OLD goth.

[reddragdiva]

You're an old post-punk in black and stop pretending otherwise!

[fluffymormegil.livejournal.com]

damerell lent me some cassettes.

[damerell.livejournal.com]

Sorry about that.

I had a terrible futile crush on this girl who also lent me some cassettes. The crush is long gone but I still *heart* the Dreamies.

[hazyjayne.livejournal.com]

YOU!

[hazyjayne.livejournal.com]

But I had the right taste in music for years beforehand....

[hirez.livejournal.com]

Joy Division, Ballard and corsetry. Alt.gothic came before rec.arts.sf(.fandom) in the newsgroup list.

[cookwitch.livejournal.com]

I did it all by myself, I'm pleased to say. The music and the clothes were just what I enjoyed growing up, then I found charlie_mouse again after many years apart, and we both pointed at each other and went "GOTH!" It was she who introduced me to everyone else.

[loosechanj.livejournal.com]

I was so unpopular in school even the goths wouldn't hang out with me. Also, I was so amazingly and tragically unhip I'd never heard of Joy Division until someone mentioned them on usenet a couple years ago. I could probably blame my father being a southern bible thumper, but that would be too emo.

[jauncourt.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. A fondness for strange hair, having been a punk (and having grown beyond getting drunk for drunk's sake, music being loud for the sake of loud, and vandalism-as-art), and a nasty tendency to spill things on my clothes (i.e. a need for black in my wardrobe), oh, and having been through that pubertal-angsty period (I was such an aaaaaaaaaaaaaartist for a while but I grew up and now I actually make art, not aaaaaaaaaaart).

[bellinghman.livejournal.com]

But I'm not a goth.

The closest I get is dressing all in black. But those are sensible shoes, not boots. Honest.

[deathboy.livejournal.com]

perf got in touch because he liked my music, having found it on mp3.com and introduced me to #uk_goffs when I was new to London, so I started going to SLUTS meets and Slimes and suchlike.

he has a lot to answer for.

:)

[arkady.livejournal.com]

Hah. It was Jason who introduced me to SLUTS. He used to nag me to come out when I was on #uk_goffs!

[mirukux.livejournal.com]

the afore mentioned inability to match colours and a londer induced interest in "dark music" got me snagged via nin, although unfortunatly (or not) i'm obviously far to young to have caught any of the older punk/industrial/goff/ebm stuff first hand :/

[individuation.livejournal.com]

1. Lack of new music that I liked.
2. Sick of the clubs
3. Sick of the people who hung out in the clubs (save a few).
4. No dating potential because everyone who hung out at clubs (where I met people) was a loser without a job and no motivation.
5. New indie bands started coming out that I really liked.
6. To fill my days one summer I quit smoking and started exercising.
7. I rediscovered how much I like jeans -- oh and color.
8. Being goth and being a teacher at an upper class suburban high school is a tough combo.
9. Um yeah...I'm just not scene affiliated. I'll always have a warm spot in my heart for the goth scene - but at this point in my life, it's just not a place that I feel I fit in anymore. I still love all the folks I met on alt.gothic and am glad I get to keep in touch with them because regardless of goth status, they're good people. That's that.

[individuation.livejournal.com]

oh whoops I totally read the question wrong.
heh.
on the other side of the coin -- I got into the goth scene in college after many years of being a random freak in high school. Already liked the music and then a little goth girl, who I was insanely jealous of because she was so beautiful and ladylike and sexy... changed my world.

[siani-hedgehog.livejournal.com]

only having one colour of laundry is easier.

[seahorsemystic.livejournal.com]

Like Byron, I am a romantic. Percy and Mary Shelley were too. I think that since I drank absinthe many times that I might have tried to be goth. But, I don't wear black, nor do I wear makeup. However, that being said, I don't remember Byron ever in black dress with black makeup or black anything really, other than his cape and boots.

[ergotia.livejournal.com]

I am in it for the sex :)

[secretlondon.livejournal.com]

I'm in it for the dressing up!

[ewx.livejournal.com]

She's made you some kind of laughing stock
Because you dance to disco, and you don't like rock

[girfan.livejournal.com]

No idea.
Probably started by wishing I was Morticia Addams (Carolyn Jones) as a child and listening to Velvet Underground and The Doors. Tending to like Halloween the best as a holiday and wanting to visit old churches and graveyards. Discovering punk and thinking Dave Vanian was the sexiest man in the music scene (still think so). And loving bands like Bauhaus, SoM, etc back in the early 80s. Loving black velvet helps.

[kits-the-dm.livejournal.com]

punk was passe, and emo wasn't invented yet. ;p

[gths.livejournal.com]

Goth fashion gets too hot in summer.

[ladykathryn.livejournal.com]

No it doesn't. You just wear less of it.

[antiopa.livejournal.com]

It's nekochef's fault. He's the one who dragged me into a.g.f. (kicking and screaming, I tell you). Before that, I was just a girl who liked wearing black, reading horror novels, and going to Industrial Night because cover was $1 and nobody cared that I couldn't really dance.

Okay, maybe not his fault.

[rufus.livejournal.com]

Jennie and The Emperor Penguing kept talking about something called a "nngh" which upon further investigation was usenet. it was all down hill from there. heh.