Genre Talk: Goths and Horror

This is a debate I have with my friends quite frequently, because to level with you folks, I'm a Gothic Horror Geek. I'm more often than not watching horror movies instead of going to goth clubs, collecting comics over make up and I game. A hell of a lot. I'm just not into the club scene anymore and I prefer the warm glow of my computer over the sounds of catty goths bitching about people's clothing choices. It's just how I roll.

The thing is, a lot of Goths are Horror fans. That doesn't necessarily mean Horror fans are Goths though. You can find Goths just about anywhere just like Horror fans. They just don't hid as well. For instance, you may not know Billy Bob who works in the cubicle beside you is a lover of horror movies. But I bet you can tell Raven on the other side is a Goth. You know Raven isn't even her real name, she just likes to be called that. And she may be wearing toned down corporate attire, but it's all black and she has tiny skull earrings in her ears. Yeah, she's probably a Goth.

Now there is nothing wrong with being either group. I'm both myself, among other things. I love the doom and gloom of metal and gothic music, and I love a gorefest on FearNet. You can live a happy existence as both. They go rather nice together, and in my humble opinion, seem made for each other.

But just because you like to see someone's head removed from their shoulders with a chainsaw doesn't mean you're a goth now. I know the line seems very blurry, almost non-existent, but it's there. I've seen goths get offended when I tried to talk horror with them. Seriously. They acted as if they were somehow superior to horror-freak-goths because they were "classy". Of course, I walked away from their pretentious, gothier-than-thou selves and found more goths to my speed. Part of why I don't do the club scene is that kind of BS. While goths can be some of the more accepting freaks out there, it's not a myth that some are the snottiest as well.

If I was to show you the sub categories of Goth I fit into I'd point you at this, this, this, this and this. I pretty much meld them all into my cauldron of bad-assry and thus I exist! Sometimes I add a dash of the other factions too for flavour.  I'm a Honey Badger, I don't give a shit! You can find the rest of the cute little Goth descriptors here. Megan Balanck did an excellent job with them, and the little cartoon dolls are so cute.

You see, the reason horror fits with the gothic sensibilities should be quite simple: Horror is about fear, dread and darkness. Not all goths are about fear or dread, but a lot are. And all of them, from the hippies to the emo goths, are about darkness. It's why we wear the black make up and hang skulls from everything. Some do it as a hardcore lifestyle choice. I do. I'm both fun-loving about it and highly spiritual about it. People have criticized me for it in the past, saying I'm too "gloomy" and I'm "obsessed with death." But ask my husband and people close to me, I'm a fun-loving silly bitch! I like laughing and playing around. I like fart jokes and I'll totally pull your finger! I wear dark clothing as an expression of myself, but also kinda like a priest wears black robes. I am a dark pagan, and as such my priestly robes are of the blacker color to symbolize my spiritual path. So yes, sometimes I wear a black shirt with "Children of the Corn" on it. (I love that movie!) Doesn't mean I can't have fun. In fact, I probably have more fun than most people. Because I can laugh at pretty much anything. I do what I do to balance both the light and the dark within. Wearing black reminds me to live life to the fullest. I dont dwell in death and darkness, but I don't ignore or deny it either.

Basically my point is Horror Fan or Goth Lover, we are all awesome in Kweeny's Magic Gory Kingdom. As long as we can play together without judgement, you're all welcome to pull my finger.

Go on, pull it, I dare ya. 

ALSO: If you wanna know wtf I am going on about with that Honey Badger comment, watch this:

See, I'm a Geek Goth all the way. Only a Geek Goth would show you something that awesome from the interwebs. ;)