A Beginner's Guide to the Goth Subculture

Links for more information:
Wikipedia about Goth: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goth_su...
Sophie Lancaster: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_...
TED-ed video: • A brief history of got...
Aurelio Voltaire: / voltairemusicpage
Gothic charm school book: / gothic-charm-school
Goodreads with Gothic novels: / 1230.best_gothic_books...
My social media:
Tumblr: / elisepolo
Instagram: / myrecklesslife
Twiter: / elisepolo
Goodreads: / elise-pool

[@robinmarks4771]

Other early goth bands for anyone who's interested: - Virgin Prunes - Specimen - The March Violets - Christian Death

[@jm7578]

I’ve been goth since 1980, music, art, clothing, lifestyle until today. Proud of it🖤 Thank you for making this video

[@diefakediobrando._4082]

I would kill to live the goth culture in the 80’s

[@Translucent73]

I remember reading somewhere that the Goths originated in southern Sweden and the Island of Gotland, and that the later gothic cathedrals got their inspiration from the longhouses the ancient Goths would build.These ancient structures would often times have lots of spiky decorative things made of wood and horn on them both inside and out.

[@faustianacademia]

I don't like Goth music, still, I am into the Gothic side of literature and Architecture. I love how comprehensive is your video. P.S. I wish if you make a bookshelf tour.

[@ElisePool]

It's always nice to read that people like the videos I make, so, thanks! I do have a bookshelf tour, if you scroll down a bit on my channel you will find a video called 2018 bookshelf tour, that's the most recent one I did.

[@faustianacademia]

@@ElisePool It is a very helpful video, as English Literature master's student, I found this very helpful to have the Gothic timeline pull off like that. Wonderful, I will look for the bookshelf tour.

[@catcherintherye6479]

There are I would say a milion bands. Anyone can find the first band they will fall in love. Plus Goths are known for having eclectic music taste so do not worry about listenning to other generes.

[@dalvargas805]

omg i always thought that the only way to be goth was through music... this has opened my eyes omg....

[@janicerigsbee4129]

@Pollution Somebody can dress punk and not listen to punk music just like someone can dress golf and not listen to Gothic music. People have a right to make their own rules.

[@sgr1888]

Omg no wayyyyy

[@aster7159]

@Pollution what about deaf people- do you think they can't be goth?

[@fairday2570]

@@janicerigsbee4129 well usually those people are called poseurs :/ especially with punks.

[@worry-bunny7328]

@@aster7159 exactly! And some religions actually say that music = obsession and obsession is against their religion. They try not to be addicts. So yeah. The thing is that even if it was based on music back in the day, things have changed. And not only that, it would make no sense that they just listened to music and somehow built a look based off of it. Goth fashion magazines existed. Aesthetic existed. I am against people wearing it just for aesthetic, but i also dont agree that people should listen to strictly The Cure 😅 Emos get to listen to whatever they want. So why not others? In my opinion, its a lifestyle. Books, beliefs, music, etc. Do what you want!dont listen to the gatekeepers. Some youtubers have actually been hella gate keepy while other elder goths even stated it was okay to atleast just have education on it. You dont see Ravers saying you only have to listen to EBM and Dubstep, they preach about Peace Love Unity and Respect! Having fun, etc!

[@priscilaselmo5695]

I love how you make it so easy to understand such a complex subject 🖤🖤

[@sarah-edge]

my entire dress aesthetic is so opposite of gothic fashion, but my hyperfixation on 80s trad gothic culture from 8th is bringing me back around to these. i’m finally able to wear black on black without my parents judging me, so maybe i’ll bring myself around to wearing the few pieces i’ve collected separately over time.

[@SouthernGothBelle]

My high school was built during the gothic revival. My hometown was the capital of Georgia during the colonial times. It literally looks like a castle but not that old.

[@lessandra602]

makes me wonder (with people saying in the comments that they’ve been discouraged to come out as goth) of people out there that just don’t have the creative confidence or know-how to show up in the world or express themselves the way they feel in their soul and even identify with a subculture.

[@v_bunny]

this is the kind of goth intro vid i’ve been looking for!! perfectly explained and i feel so much more informed!

[@casualsuede]

My favorite goth album is still Phantasmagoria by the Damned. I was just too young to see a Joy Division concert, but New Order was my first concert, even though post 1983 is not goth. I loved bauhaus, siouxsie and the banshees, liked sisters of mercy and goth adjacent punk/industrial music like Dead Kennedys, Ministry and Dead Milkmen.

[@supertransistor8762]

RIP Sofie. All our fellow goths and demigoths support you. Goth culture always fascinated me, but the pressure of fitting in (and me not having enough patience for all the make-up) and the fact there isn't much fashion up here in the north (I also live in the Netherlands), made I never did too much with it, sadly. Also, it seems goths are often rude to people which aren't goth enough according to them, and that for a subculture that stands out from the crowd in the first place...

[@glassjar9048]

Most goths are actually quite friendly as long as you respect the subculture. You dont have to dress goth to be goth. I've been goth for a while now and I've strayed away from dressing it, like sure I'll wear black but Im not going full make up and boots lol. Follow what you like!

[@GothiccPixiee]

It’s Sophie, not trying to be mean just wanted to point it out :)

[@The25Sister]

@@GothiccPixiee S.O.P.H.I.E. there you gooooo here is your price :D.

[@jhno68]

same with me dude, had so many people argue goth is a culture and not a way to dress. but Oh Boy will you be attacked if you dont dress like em. lol. the double standards is strong in any subculture that leeds on their feelings.

[@donutsacrifice2588]

2:28 RIP Notre Dame.

[@riyagupta1360]

Your video literally helped me a lot through my assignments...Thanks!

[@aphroditus5925]

Thank you for making this. It was helpful and reaffirmed my suspicions that I've always been a Goth. I was particularly an in the closet Goth throughout my teen years. However, I've become more open about my gothic perspective thanks to certain literature I've read throughout my twenties. I wondering if someone could just as equally identify as Goth based on their appreciation for certain literature and philosophy.

[@SouthernGothBelle]

aphroditus I think it’s important to know about and appreciate the music but there are many aspects of goth so I say yes:)

[@zeroblacksun]

A lot of Goths make the distinction between "Goth" and "Gothic". Being Goth has everything to do with the music subculture while Gothic is an appreciation with Gothic architecture, literature, film and art. I try to avoid labeling in real life but this little tidbit might avoid some awkward situations in the future.

[@osmanerdem5838]

I wasnt know Sophie... R. I. P... 🖤

[@duxshertine3899]

thank you so much for this informational video! as a young goth i appreciate this so much

[@postnutdepression3283]

In my experience, gothic music is a sort of acquired taste. When I first listened to some bands, I liked it. It took a lil getting used to. And still is though lol. The same happened to me and Death metal, I really didn’t know what was going on, but I fricking love it now.

[@dragonking3652]

Yes because from my short experience goth music is very different from one band to another. You just have to find, what you like. 😁

[@etiennemt.fevrier]

I went down a bit of a rabbit hole about what it is to be “Goth”. It started with a video on TikTok from 2 Goth dudes, and went from there. I was never one but had quite a few friends who were. Anyway, yours was just one cool video that I found. I can’t believe I am 57 and only just learning what the lifestyle is all about. I started high school in 1980 so it was just coming up. Alas, I was ignorant of the whole thing. I did/do like a lot of the music. A certain segment of friends were into punk and new wave. I heard Bella Lugosi is Dead when I was a sophomore and loved it. I heard it somewhere recently and was immediately transported back to 16! Anyway, cool info, thank you!! Also, thanks for suggesting that we look into Sophie Lancaster. What a uselessly tragic story. Everyone is human just like everyone else. If someone else’s lifestyle is too far outside of your comfort zone, then just let them be in peace. ☮️ 🦇 🕷️ ❤️

[@AnklepantsSkateZine]

Great video. I've been into the goth subculture for a long time now. It's fun. Also, you remind me of a goth version of Daria and it's awesome.

[@no-cw3uk]

My internalized obscured habits thrive before the epiphany that I'm goth, a very helpful guide indeed.

[@aettic]

I'm also not *crazy* about Goth music, though I have been listening to some Bauhaus, and while it's not 100% my style, they're definitely incredibly talented.

[@dragonking3652]

Bauhaus is kinda overrated to be honest. I dont like their songs either.

[@janicerigsbee4129]

This is a very interesting video because I’m very interested in the gothic culture

[@Janika-xj2bv]

Wearing black is the only thing goth about my appearance and I don't particularly like goth music. I was a teen in the 1980s so I know what I'm talking about. But I have a goth *soul*. I love Gothic architecture and art and the literature. I'm a night owl and a Winter person and - call me weird, it's ok - cemeteries are my favourite spots to sit and read my book in peace and quiet. "Elise" is a beautiful, classy goth name btw. Be proud of it. Loved the video and your honesty. Thanks for sharing. From Florence 🇮🇹

[@mpsingh9496]

Goths had jet black hair as they were scythian(Iranic) - R1a marker.Modern day goths in east europe are mixed with celts/nordics(blonds).For example in east germany one can still find dark haired people with sharper noses because of R1a of goths who settled there.

[@lucasleonecandido]

It's more complex than that. Europeans usually have smaller noses because Europe was inhabited by Neanderthals. Europeans are basically a mix between Aryans and Neanderthals. All around the world, the people who have sharper noses have a stronger Aryan gene. Aryans came from Sumer, and it's them who are the blond and blue eyed people. Iranians are Aryans and have always been Aryan, but they strongly crossed with Arabs and Hebrews, that's why they're not blond and blue eyed anymore. Yes, Germany has a lot of people with sharp and straight noses, because Aryans mostly abode in Germania, Italia, and Graecia.

[@cemduzelt6261]

Nice video for beginners. Thank you for that !

[@rickonnye2001]

Great video thanks 🙏

[@rickonnye2001]

Brilliant video good information thanks 😀

[@gothicallyyoursprofessorm.7222]

Elise, at 10:34 you speak of Jillian Venter's book 'Gothic Charm School'. I did a 2 minute book review of her book on my channel. The book is excellent, the illustrations I love. Enjoyed your talks. Subscribed.

[@Soulsphere001]

It's terrible how some people can't accept differences in others. I guess we're all bigoted in our own ways, but we all need to realize that we're all different from one another and embrace those differences. No-one should have to fear for their lives because of who they are.

[@ayaat7094]

Thank you!

[@sandrahmarques1378]

Thank you.

[@BlackVelvetBeauty]

It’s crazy how I knew a lot more than I thought I did. Or maybe I just have different expectations for the video. Very informative though makes me feel less like a “poser” LOL. “ I’m a real goth mom!”

[@richardjones7984]

Nice talk thanks for that. I'm glad to hear that Goth is still undead. I think it is important to be inclusive to boost the subculture. The friendly inclusivity was the part of Goth culture that kept me in it for so long. I loved the Cybergoth look and music and like many Goths that like dance clubs I include some aggro-tech, EBM, Industrial and future-pop as Goth music. So ignore the self appointed Goth Police who don't do the subculture any favours.

[@yanadre9154]

Hi there! Thank you for your video! Are all books and especially Goethe's Faust behind you considered to be gothic? It'll be nice to know, because I have an exam in German literature soon.

[@ElisePool]

+Yana Dre only Faust can be considered German Gothic literature. The others are sometimes gothic and sometimes not. I don't know if you've watched my most recent bookshelf tour, but in that video I show my collection of Classics (mostly gothic) and the other books which have nothing to do with that such as fantasy. So not all the books behind me are gothic and Faust and Perfume by Patrick Suskind are the only German books that are also gothic that I have in my collection, so yeah, maybe that helps a little bit.

[@cyberghost4043]

Thank you🥹❤️🖤

[@nnnnnnnn9353]

Im just recently getting into the goth subculture and i live in germany i guess im lucky 🖤[but im not 18 yet so i cant go ): ]

[@toniivanova4706]

Lovely 🖤

[@RavenBlackfyre]

What do you think of Bat's day? Its a 3 day even the first 2 are a goth black market and the last day is spent at Disneyland.

[@giraffewhiskers2045]

Personally for me I like some goth songs and bands but others I cannot listen to, so I’ve always originally thought i couldn’t dress goth because I’m a libertarian and I like more heavier things like emo and metal music

[@janicerigsbee4129]

I want to take a road trip but I would love to take photographs of different Gothic churches in the United States. There is a cathedral here in my city that is Gothic style that I want to take pictures of. Because I love Gothic architecture

[@TheDarkSlayeress]

Thank you for this, love! I've been a Goth for many years. However, now that I've expressed it publicly, I have a lot of the old-school "MUSIC IS THE ONLY WAY TO BE GOTH" type Goths on my back. Like you, I believe that you don't have to listen to Goth music in order to be Goth, since... those who write that music obviously do so because they already have a "Gothic" soul from which the lyrics were formed. ♥ That said, I do personally love very dark music (Nox Arcana, Devil May Cry 1 OST, Adrian von Ziegler, ANYTHING on an old church organ ♥ ) but I'm not going to judge anyone else because of the music they listen to. If you have a Gothic soul, if you feel that you're a Goth, then you are a Goth.

[@Phamtto]

Have you ever heard the Silent Hill OST by Akira Yamaoka? If you don't maybe you should check it out, it's pretty cool

[@aettic]

Thank you for the informative video! (And especially for the reading recommendations), I've read some Poe, and for Halloween this year I worked on memorizing The Raven so I can recite it from memory - which I'm still keeping up with.

[@aveuch]

Have you read (or watched) Austen's "Northanger Abbey"? It would be fun to hear your opinion on that playful commentary on Gothic literature; it's prevalence and popularity.

[@NadiAtta1]

Thanks for share ✅🌹

[@LuLu-Sil]

Honestly I've been in and out for the last 6 years... I'm just lazy

[@amberlynn6923]

This empowered me when you said, "I don't like Goth music," and "You can still be Goth and not like the music." I'm glad I'm not the only one who has the opinion. What inspires me to be Goth for the most part is the fashion and literature. Stay safe (:

[@DJSTOEK]

🖤

[@sarahnadeofpoetry]

I love this video, it's very informative. But I have to wonder, why choose the name Goth? When Romantic literature became Gothic literature, did the writers at the time look to the barbarians of old and the architecture that followed and find a kindred spirit in them? When the music movement of the '80s took off, did they do the same? Or was it somehow completely random, possibly a coincidence? Is there even a loose thread that binds all the different gothic movements throughout history? Even if it wasn't intentional at first, I have to wonder if a desire to be different, mysterious, powerful in a sense of otherness is what it means to be goth at one's core.

[@jameshouse7862]

I mean the cure’s not that bad even for background noise!👌😂

[@rickonnye2001]

Great video. How are you? Are you still goth?

[@angelicosmic]

Hi Elise, you have a poltergeist/ghost there I keep seeing things move on your bookshelf...lol...It's okay I am joking.it the edits...Very good explanation About Where Goth came from...You covered basically everything which I was going to write in another comment on another Video..I can if you wish add to this subject?..Peace

[@m.a.d.pandagaming6895]

*Visigoths and Ostrogoths. Visigoths were the western tribes and Ostrogoths were the eastern tribes

[@danieluchoa8230]

Can I translate this video in portuguese and post on my channel to share knowledge? (I will give you the credits)

[@ElisePool]

I'm sorry to say that I don't approve of that idea. You could make your own video explaining it in your own way, but re-uploading mine with subtitles is something I simply don't support

[@frumentarii9571]

I was searching a Gothic the video game guide but... whatever lets see...

[@marnices729]

I like how smart are you 🙂 ppl don’t think gothic ppl are smart and I hate that stereotype it really makes me upset 😡 actually and I Reed the raven the monk good books I like your skull picture in the back that’s really cool 😎

[@no-cw3uk]

How strange...I've often heard that people perceived as goth are associated with great intelectual capacity, at least in my experience

[@bizyizziaz4831]

i find it so bizarre that people are still styled like how we grew up

[@sonofatwitch82]

How can I address these people, can I say 'This person is a Goth' or 'This person is Goth'?

[@J9V3A6]

Well to dress like a #goth, have art like a #goth but don't listen to #gothic music 😎, how does this fit together? In fact, I've heard that on youtube before.😉

[@JamesBond-lj6ms]

So the original goths were basically German Vikings?

[@rajbabas]

are you a goth