The Gothic subculture began in the late 1970s with the song "Bela Lugosi's Dead" by Bauhaus. People disillusioned with punk culture were drawn to the darker themes of bands like Sisters of Mercy. What attracted many to Gothic culture was its acceptance of darkness and death. Over time, divisions emerged between older Goths who viewed bands like Marilyn Manson as only shock value and younger "Spooky Kids" fans. Common interests of Goths include dark literature like Edgar Allan Poe, pale fashion styles, and horror movies, but the subculture encompasses a broad range of attitudes. Outsiders often wrongly associate Gothic culture with Satanism due to symbols like the pent

1. Gothic Subculture

3. The Gothic subculture began to grow dramatically in the late seventies and early eighties when people began to break off from the current punk scene, following darker bands like Sisters of Mercy, The Shroud, Rosetta Stone, and London After Midnight. What drew many people to the Gothic subculture was its ability to find beauty in darkness and its acceptance of the inevitability of death and the fragility of life.

4. However as the culture began to see new generations a division occurred between the old and the new. An excellent example of this is how the subculture views the artist Marilyn Manson. Many of the younger generation like him for his “shock value.” These Manson fans are often called “Spooky Kids” by the older generation of Goths.

6. White on white translucent black capes back on the rack.

7. Bela Lugosi's dead.

8. The bats have left the bell tower, the victims have been bled, red velvet lines the black box.

9. Bela Lugosi's dead.

10. Undead Undead Undead.

11. The virginal brides file past his tomb, strewn with time's dead flowers, bereft in deathly bloom, alone in a darkened room the count.

12. Bela Lugosi's dead.

13. Undead Undead Undead.

14. Oh Bela, Bela's undead.

16. “ First and second generation Goths look suspiciously upon the new generation, doubting their authenticity and disliking the exposure they give to a subculture which would prefer to remain underground. The new generation is not presently well received by their elders, but time may prove otherwise. It would be difficult to predict what the future holds for the Gothic movement. After over 20 years, it continues to change, grow, mutate and adapt, making it one of the longest surviving youth subcultures in existence.” (Porter, Alicia)

17. There are many identifying traits commonly associated with the Gothic subculture, such as certain books, fashions, and movies. Each of these are areas in which most Goths share a common interest, but that does not necessarily mean that all Goths can be identified by these characteristics. The Gothic BDSM society carries with it a broad spectrum of attitudes and characteristics that people can fall into in various ways.

19. Outsiders tend to identify Goth culture by their fashion. Often this is a way for Goths to identify each other as well. Most Goths however, see it as a way to express themselves, their feelings, or values. One example would be wearing black clothing since one attribute of the Gothic subculture is finding beauty in darkness. Another example would be the use of pale skin. Alicia Porter states that, “some Goths want a sort of undead look; or they want to embody the Victorian aesthetic that says pale skin is a sign of nobility; or because tanning causes skin cancer. In general, Goths view paleness as much more aesthetically pleasing than being tan, whether or not they have a reason why” (Porter, Alicia). Other fashions include dyed hair, corsets for women, fishnet sleeves for men, black and white makeup, velvet, chokers, and the pentangle symbol.

21. Gothic subculture has been attributed to the occult and Satanism for several reasons. First, as mentioned in the previous paragraph, the pentangle is a symbol that has been embraced by both the occult and the Gothic culture, but for different reasons. However most of the uninformed public assumes the two as one in the same and most often assume the occult usage. In addition, society in general sees the gothic fixation on darkness and does not take into account the context of this fixation. In actuality this “fixation” is an acknowledgement of both the light and dark aspects of life, the fickle qualities of life, and the beauty in the “other,” the often-unacknowledged dark side of existence. In a survey, one person said, “Most people assume that Goths are deliberately trying to stick out and cause a ruckus. I think they are just trying to find a place where they fit. Satanists want to place themselves as higher than anything else. While that is true of some Goths, that is equally true of any other group. People place the two together so that they have one focus to be afraid of, instead of many.”