#eldergoth ranting

[gothiccharmschool]

honeyed commented:

I’m super confused about this trend because I could have sworn 6 months ago most of the stuff people are calling Soft Grunge people were calling Nu-Goth. 

LOL I CANNOT KEEP UP WITH THE YOUTH AND THEIR WACKY FASHIONS.

Some other people have also informed me that Soft Grunge = Nu-Goth = Pastel Goth, and so on. Which makes me roll my eyes, gesture wearily with my tea cup (but not spill any tea), and comment "Back in MY day, they all would have been called "alternative"". 

Tho' I will also comment that I think that out of that collection, Soft Grunge wins for most ridiculous name. It also encapsulates a lot of the "look" that is featured by models for most of the Etsy stores in the vintage section that fill me with ElderGoth annoyance.

(Look, for the LAST TIME, Etsy sellers: the stylistic markers of 90s Goth did NOT cross over with the stylistic markers of grunge. Yes, there were those of us who listened to all the music, but anyone trying to mix the two fashions was met with pitying looks at the very least. Stop with the blanket keyword spam!) </cranky ElderGoth>

[gothiccharmschool]

Dear Etsy Sellers

If you can't spell "skull" correctly, you aren't allowed to use the "goth" tag. Also, tag-spamming with a list like "GOTH/PUNK/VICTORIAN/EDWARDIAN/GRUNGE/BOHO/STEAMPUNK/PREPPY" makes me long for the ability to set you on fire with my brain.

No love, 

The (non-existent) GothCabal

[gothiccharmschool]

re: ::facepalm::

Overalls. Seriously. Not shorts with wide suspenders or anything like that, but kind of baggy, bib-fronted overalls. As in manual, probably messy labor clothing, but made in black velvet. No, I'm sorry. I just can't think of them as goth.

(But dear aperfectdevil, your outfit is adorable!)

[gothiccharmschool]

::facepalm::

Dear Etsy sellers, 

I'm going to take a stand and say that overalls are not goth. No, not even black velvet ones with silver hardware. 

(Yes, I'm browsing the "90s goth" keyword on Etsy again. Hilarity!) 

[gothiccharmschool]

Goth tempests. Goth tea cups. Something like that.

Yes, I made a post to Goth Confessions about the whole Katy Perry thing, and then I deleted it. Because the more I think about it, the more snarled my thoughts become. On the one hand, there's the knee-jerk reaction of "Oh please, she's just trying to stir up attention". But on the other hand, I really do feel that there is no Real Goth checklist, and acting like there is one is a fast way to become a stuck-up elitist jerk.

Do I believe Katy Perry is sincerely interested in the Goth subculture? No. People who generally are attracted to Goth always show some small shadow of it, no matter how "normal" or pop-princess they present themselves. Does it really matter if she is or isn't? NO. 

The Goth subculture is made up of certain common interests and shared aesthetics, and no, not everything or everyone can be "made Goth". But people playing around with our darkly-hued and spooky style is, in the end, not something to rage over. Yes, it will be exasperating to see "Ooooh, Katy Perry is Goth!" commentary in the media, but that's all it is. I mean, yes, I'm still going to roll my eyes at the whole thing, but that's just my opinion. I'm not calling for the (non-existent) GothCabal to send out the enforcers over something this silly.