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Tcahr Issue 01
TCAHR - Better Living Through Memetics
Issue 1
A Letter on Gothic Racism 07/10/00
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Asked to share some of his theories on Goth and racism by
the head of the SilverLining mailing list, our protagonist
wrote back:
Awwwh, nah! You done it now! *L*
Actually when it comes to the problems with Goth, I pretty
much divide it in two sections. "Symbology" and "Finance".
"Symbology" seems to breed racism, while "finances" do the
same for classism.
I don't think "finance" needs much explaining. It's an
argument that's been going on since the last days of Punk
and the infamous "Sex" clothing store in England. The
Punk look started as an expression of self, but the well-
known Punk became the easier it became to be punk. The
stores began to sell the "Punk" look. Even worse, these
look were stratified according to price. So all the poorer
punks had to make do with what they could afford--thrift
stores and the like (which strangely enough stayed true to
the spirit of the music), while any newbee from an affluent
background could buy a expensive "authentic" Punk look. Of
course, the look they were buying into were almost uniform.
These rich Punk somehow were considered real Punk while the
poorer ones were considered trash (Wild idea when you think
about it!). Of course, this was in Punk in the death
stages...it became Goth; the 80's fired up and the values
went up in smoke!
We never did get rid of the homogenization that crept into
Punk and into Goth. The homogenization became a set standard
of symbols based originally (and this is purely my opinion)
on bad b & w films based on the mangling of 17th and 18th
century European books.
Our society stresses Eurocentric learning with its source
being that of Eurocentric males. This source is already
poisonous. If we read the unaltered works of persons such as
Kent, Freud, Marx and Nitcheze; we find racism and sexism
within their writings. It is no wonder why understanding is
so difficult among different genders, races, and classes.
No matter how much Goths say that Goth is a refute of culture,
it is still a product of this culture and prone to its
failings. If we accept the idea that the only acceptable
color on clothing is black, then we become resistant to
wearing other colors. Likewise, if we base the idea of perfect
beauty on the pale white woman in some "Gothic" film or book,
we count out a lot of people who don't fit that image. We seem
to be basing Goth in old symbols which won't let other symbols
in. As you see, the problem is in thinking Eurocentrically.
The solution? Easy enough. Think out of the box and break
this symbolic trend. Goth *IS* Eurocentric, but that doesn't
mean it has to be. Personally, I like wearing my black
(and purple) Chinese and Indian outfits to the club. I write
my poetry to those with a "Gothic Bent", but I'm using symbols
from different races, ethnic groups, and religions. That
doesn't mean I ignore things from a Euro-American background.
I do, after all have the blood of Spain as well as Boriquen
and Africa in my veins; denying one part of myself leaves me
incomplete.
On a semi-sidenote, my Boriquen ancestors, the Tainos, used
to have stone breast plates carved with bats and owls. They
prayed to the Great Earth Mother, Ataby, and believed in two
powerful forces in the world, the light and the dark.
Couldn't this fit in somewhere in the big jumble of symbols
which are Goth? Do you even realize the many vampire and
witch stories which come from Africa? Yeah, you can wear
that silver ankh to the club, but you can also wear a voudon
pattern on your clothing!
To bring all this to a head, I guess what I'm trying to say
(or write) is, yes, if we add in all these elements from
other cultures into Goth, we're going to lose that
comforting, familiar world Goth is. However,we're going to
gain a lot more. After all, if Goth is as some people say,
a state of mind, we can only enrich it. I honestly believe
that.
And on that cheesy inspiring note...
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tcahr@hotmail.com Copyright 2000
