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Semi-Goth Confessions

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hobbits togetherFor reasons way too complex to explain here, I went to a very conservative university. In many ways, it was a Jesus college. I wore a lot of black, for a year I had a shaved head, I had way more piercings than my school approved of, and the only club I bothered joining was the extremely controversial campus feminist organization, but I still did a lot to placate the conservative powers at my school. I toned it down, pulled my punches, and I still sort of regret that.

The feminist club, by the way, were just as disturbed by my black nailpolish as everyone else in town. It was a real disappointment. The coolest, most liberal people I knew were still weirded out by my gothy tendencies. Which only encouraged me to give in and tone down more.

I never gave it up entirely, but I spent years at various points between mainstream and goth. I spent years in the shadowy realm of the semi-goth.

If I could have worked “semi-goth” into a good blog title, I would have. Or I could have gone with the more acceptable “Darkly Inclined Grotesquerie,” but there’s no alliteration there AT ALL!

Oh gods, I’m rambling. Perhaps I should write down some Ungoth/Semi-goth confessions to salvage this post.

Confession 1: I don’t make much distinction between Goth and “Not Goth Enough.” Maybe there should be a line, like owning 9 skulls isn’t goth enough, but buy that 10th skull and BOOM! You’re GOTH now. But I don’t know the exact number of skulls I need to own, so I just keep buying them and hoping they’re enough, you know?

Confession 2: I’m really obsessed with cooking and food history. Not just gruesome stuff like butchery or spooky cocktails, but all of it, from Australian wallaby steaks to the origins of Punjabi cuisine. I’m a great home cook, too, and when I’m not watching Stranger Things and Stan Against Evil I’m watching shows about cooking and food culture.  Whatever. I’m a food nerd.

Confession 3: I do love coffee and some red wines (I’m currently in love with Argentinian Malbec) but I have no idea why those things are supposed to be goth. None at all.

Confession 4: I love Christmas. I put up lights all over my house. I own the entire Lego Winter Village collection. I put up my tree on Thanksgiving weekend and cover it in Christmas ornaments from almost everywhere I’ve been.

Confession 5: I no longer wear corsets. I have irritable bowels that just don’t like to be squished. I love the way they look, but I don’t own even one anymore. Which leads to . . .

Oops, my kids are just about home and they’ll need my help with their math. I’ll have to do my next 5 confessions next time. 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9 responses to “Semi-Goth Confessions”

  1. Blackkitty Avatar
    Blackkitty

    These are all fine. If all the Goths and semi-Goths out there liked the same things, it would become a sort of mainstream culture of its own, which defeats the whole purpose. I call myself Goth because it’s easier to understand for most people, and certainly shorter than “person who likes dark stuff, doesn’t care about trends and can’t stand Goth music”.

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    1. Corvus Chao Avatar
      Corvus Chao

      I agree that people worry about it way too much. It’s fun to talk and compare sometimes, but some people take it way too seriously. The important thing is to be happy and be yourself without being too fussy about labels. 🙂

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  2. Septicemia Avatar
    Septicemia

    I wish I liked to cook! I’m not bad at it but I find it boring. Luckily enough, my boyfriend loves to cook and mix drinks so I usually keep him company in the kitchen, but I’m mainly responsible for the wine and music 😉

    I think the label goth has blown out of proportion on the internet and sometimes taken out of its context. It’s a culture and a culture consists of people. Even though those people share a few, or many, traits doesn’t mean they’re rules.

    The only time I wonder about someone’s “gothyness” is when they voluntary subscribe to the subculture but state that they dislike 95% of what constitutes goth. But they still want the cool (?) tag to wear, just like a fashion brand.

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    1. Corvus Chao Avatar
      Corvus Chao

      It took me a long time to figure out that I liked to cook. My mom never liked cooking much and my dad only knew how to cook a few things (though now that he’s retired he’s become quite good at cooking). A lot of people find cooking boring, but that’s kind of what I like about it. It’s become kind of a mindfulness exercise for me. 🙂

      I agree about the labels. “Goth” is just a word for people who share certain interests, and it’s a useful way to find others who like certain music and fashion and won’t think I’m silly or crazy for liking horror movies and books about death. “Goth” has always had a certain allure, though, that attracts certain people who really want a cool label without putting any work into it. I like that the label still means something and want to keep it that way, but I never want to take it too seriously or be a jerk about it.

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      1. Septicemia Avatar
        Septicemia

        Here, you’re pretty much considered immature if you don’t like cooking or have an interest for food. People are competing about having the most elaborate dinner plans and finding new recipes with ingredients no one ever heard of. Since I love to eat I wish I could find the preparation more joyful but I’m happily cleaning the apartment in exchange for a cooked meal 😉

        I agree, it’s wonderful that the culture still contains the same ideals, aesthetics and art as it did from the start decades ago. I don’t want that to change. But it’s (not) funny how something that used to be a statement against consumerism, pop culture and celebrities larger than life has turned into it’s own little commercial fashion industry.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Corvus Chao Avatar
        Corvus Chao

        Huh. Here it’s pretty common to not enjoy cooking. You’d fit right in here, where often one person does all the cooking and everyone else just helps with the dishes. Most people I know either consider cooking a chore, making simple quick things, or an expensive hobby that they only do once in a while for parties or holidays.

        Liked by 1 person

      3. Septicemia Avatar
        Septicemia

        I almost feel like moving ^^ The health trend has gone overboard here and people actually judge you by what you eat or what brand of food you buy and what kitchen appliances (!) you’re using. It’s awesome that people are getting more conscious and eat less junk but when everything turns into a competition it just gets annoying.

        Liked by 1 person

  3. R.A. Avatar
    R.A.

    Great post! What a relief to laugh at something on blogs which are often so dark all the time … I’m tempted to rush over to mine and write something upbeat, but I tend to use mine as a way to sink into some darker stuff, kind of like into a nice hot bath, because I need to be positive for others a lot of the time. I like the term “semi-goth”; I can relate to it myself. 🙂

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    1. Corvus Chao Avatar
      Corvus Chao

      Thanks for stopping by. 🙂 I’ll have to check out your writings as well. I do still enjoy the dark and the deep, even though I’ve become more of a perky goth as I’ve aged.

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