Next up - the Visigoths!

[andrewducker]

Nice Guardian article here on the rise of the goths.  Apparently there are now an awful lot of lawyers, doctors, dentists and academics out there who are (ex-)goths.  They're taking over the world!

Comments

[cybik.livejournal.com]

I wondered how long it would take before a journalist realised that.



Although "Nor do drugs seem to be much of a problem" is one of the most inaccurate statements in a national newspaper about the goth scene.

[andrewducker]

There's certainly drug usage going on, but how much of a problem is it?

[cybik.livejournal.com]

Pretty bad. Most people at clubs seem to be on drugs. I think Whitby's going that way (though I've not been, so that's word of mouth) and Infest is awful. Trying to find someone who dances lots and doesn't take drugs isn't easy. Certainly if someone's into VNV Nation etc (and yes, okay, they may not be counted as "goth" in some circles) then they're more likely than not to take large quantities of illegal substances...

It's horribly depressing in London. The clubs don't really have better music and the people are more up their own arses, out of their faces and clad expensively than in Edinburgh..

[pickwick.livejournal.com]

Yes, but *how much of a problem is it*? Drugs aren't a problem in themselves, only when they start mucking up people's lives.

[cybik.livejournal.com]

Fair point.

I have, however, seen people being thrown out of clubs, or having panic attacks, or being paranoid or angry, or sleeping with people they find unatractive or having very nasty comedowns after a weekend and so on. That's when it becomes a problem. Drugs often seem to exacerbate depression, at least from an outsider's point of view. But then people drink when they're depressed, of course.

I also don't think that not remembering a weekend is a sign of having a good time, but most people disagree.

I sort of don't mind when people take drugs; it doesn't really affect me, but the long term effects of a lot of drugs like ectasy aren't yet known - I have friends who say their memories are a /lot/ worse than they were (and these are people in their twenties) for example. I worry about my friends who take illegal drugs, because I don't know if they'll have problems in the future because of them. It's like a disaster is waiting in the wings..

I avoid people who -are- on drugs because I find them unbelievably boring, even the people to whom I would normally talk. Mind you, same goes for alcohol - drunk people are amusing for onoly about five minutes.

[pickwick.livejournal.com]

Heh - I do agree with you, generally. I'm an inveterate stoner (which I'm pretty sure has affected my memory, too) but I don't do anything else, and I will just avoid parties and things where everyone's going to be drugged up cos, like you say, it's kinda dull. I just have a bee in my bonnet about the media, mostly, mixing up drug use and drug abuse...

[thadrin.livejournal.com]

London?
Oh dear God...I went to Slimelite once when I lived in Guildford...utterly awful place, saved only by the fact that they did play the Sisters' "Floorshow" at one stage.

[cybik.livejournal.com]

I've been to Slimes a few times. It's sort of okay (made better by being able to buy coffee there!) but it's totally overrated.

(I live not far from Guildford :] )

[marrog.livejournal.com]

See you say that, but I didn't see anyone who looked actively out of it when I was at a club the other night. I'm sure some of them were, but off-hand I don't know any goths who do anything more than occasionally smoke pot.

[hfnuala.livejournal.com]

I hope the dentist asks before playing NIN when drilling...

[guyinahat.livejournal.com]

I was just thinking that. March of the Pigs isn't something to be listening to while doing delicate work...

[thadrin.livejournal.com]

But you could do it "with teeth".
*rimshot*
(can you imagine the patient who whadn't heard "Closer" before?)

[pickwick.livejournal.com]

Interesting article, let down by the stereotype-swallowing top ten bit at the bottom. That's very annoying...

[thadrin.livejournal.com]

Be honest though...number 8 is absolutely spot on.

[marrog.livejournal.com]

The sad thing about this article is that it's already kinda out of date. When your kid comes home a goth these days there's no guarantee they're interested enough in the culture that they're actually going to go read Poe and learn about their Dark Roots. Just as likely they had a choice between black hair dye and burberry cap, and went for the former. This article's pretty true of the (what are now called) 'Trad' Goths of the eighties (which is after all who it's about), but it's not really true of the subculture as a whole any more, as far as I can tell.

[andrewducker]

In my experience the goth types tend to be more educated - even looking at younger ones. But it may well be that's just because I experience smarter people in general, cos of the people I know.

[azalemeth.livejournal.com]

I think if everyone was tarred permanently by their teenagerstigma, the world would grind to a halt :).

I do think the one in The IT Crowd is one of the best ways of looking at it though, simply for sheer comedy...