In order to talk about "Goth" I first have to talk about the gothic movement and gothness in general. 

The "Goth" or the gothic movement, as some call it, is different to every person I know that claims to be a goth. To some it represents the music, gothic/industrial. To some it is a way of thinking and to some it is a look. For most it is a combination.

To the casual observer the most obvious is the look. Traditionally goths wear black. The outfits in many ways mirror the dark lacy outfits of the gothic period in history (circa 17th -18th century) Many, male and female alike, also use makeup to imitate the pale look popular during the period.

Also in keeping with the gothic period dark morbid verse and poetry are popular with many goths. It's a way for many to express the internal turmoil that so many young people (and old), experience.

I'm sure the stereotype goth, as portrayed by Saturday Night Lives parody "Goth Talk" are out there. As are the whacked out adolescents playing out a role to rebel and the strange perhaps sick folks that play out perversions they associate with the goth world. Sadly these types are out there no matter what group you talk about. It is not these extreme factions that I am speaking of when I talk about goth.

There are few generalizations you can make about the people in the gothic movement. They tend to be young, 20 - 35 on average, from my experience. They tend to be intelligent and well educated. As with most young well educated people in any group they tend to be open minded and liberal by nature.

I find that there is a high rate of computer proficiency in the goth community. This is understandable because I have made most of my original connections with them through a web list.

I will tell you this, in my half century on this planet I have seldom met a finer group of young people than the friends I have made through Detgoth and other gothic activities. I am constantly amazed by their insight, intelligence and compassion.

I first became interested in the Goth movement several decades before it was called "goth". Back then we, yes I was one of them, were called "beatniks" For those of you old enough to remember the all black dressed coffeehouse poets of the late 50's and early 60's, we were the ones rebelling and dropping out of the world to live by our own drummer.

The goths of today have it all over us back then. Today they still want to march to their own drum but they are hardly dropping out. They are the ones that are designing our media, programming our business data links, internet and company in-house intranet's. They are the ones finishing college and making 40 K to start as computer programmers and graphic artists. I believe they are the ones that will be running the world in the next half century.

So many people hate and fear change, difference and anything or anyone that doesn't conform with the way they do things. Come on people, don't you remember your own youth. It's the job and duty of youth to rebel. It's part of the process of growing up. It is this rebellion that advances our culture. It doesn't matter if it is a young person protesting a senseless war, a young Chinese student standing in front of a tank protesting for freedom, or a young goth who dresses different to protest being labeled and pounded into societies mold.

Without this rebellion our culture and society would stagnate and die, we would live in a police state without basic freedoms. Art and creativity would not exist, and I for one would be bored stiff.

There was a lot of bad press about the "punks" that tragically shot up a school. The media labeled them "goth" because they wore black. By that criteria Johnny Cash, Zorro and your parish priest are all goths. In fact they were NOT goths they were neo-nazis and bigots and of course, fools.

When I moved from the Detroit area, one of the few things I regretted giving up was my association with the members of Detgoth. Detgoth was an internet goth group. We would talk on the web all week and on the weekend meet at the Labyrinth, a goth club in downtown Detroit. Alas, from what I can tell from the web, Detgoth is no more. Detgoth as a group may be gone but for those of us who were in it, we will always remember it fondly.

I have noticed in the past year that my perception of "Goth" is shared by some people. I see this expressed in the entertainment media. There is a kids cartoon called "Filmore" that has a young goth girl as a lead character.

Best of all is the show "Naval Criminal Investigative Service" or Navy NCIS, on CBS Tuesday's at 8 PM EST. One of the lead characters, Abby Sciuto, is a "goth" girl played by the talented actress Pauley Perrette. Abby is a super talented lab tech that helps solve crimes with brains and a delightful sense of humor. She is a good representation of how I see goth's today. Also, as an old Navy man I'm happy to see her associated with the Navy.

FYI, NCIS is a real organization. It is is a worldwide federal law enforcement organization whose mission is to protect and serve the Navy and Marine Corps and their families.

Am I a Goth? At the moment I don't look much like one. As far as I'm concerned I'm many things, a goth, a biker, a TV producer, a newman, videographer, writer, a web designer, an artist, husband, father and sometimes nice guy. Hang out with me and you make that decision for yourself. I'm not one for being pounded into a mold myself.

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He are some cool and fun links to check out:

:Corporate Goth
The stereotype of Goths being either unemployed or working in simple jobs, such as mailrooms and record stores,
may fit some, but for others, especially the older Goths, this simply is not an option. Despite the romantic appeal of
such a "non-mundane", life, many of us prefer the comforts that money can provide.

Hot Topic
Cool cloths, makeup and gothy stuff.

gOth.net
a few goths around the country.

The Silence of Midnight,
Angelique's Gothic Gathering.

Gothic Chicago
Chicago's online Gothic Resource

Gothic Babe of the Week
What else needs to be said. Gothic lovelies!

Gothic Start4All
More Gothic Links

Ms. Antoinette's Versatile Fashions Web site.
HOT! Over 150 exclusive fashions from our line of Corsets, Catsuits, Maid Uniforms and Eroticwear.

!IGOR - Internet GOthic Resource Organization
Impressive Gothic Guestbook site, still fairly new... it'd be nice to see this get really really huge, so why not add yourself to it?

The Gothic Intelligence Headquarters
It thrills me to no end to be able to provide this link, as it's not only
another with Anti-manson sentiment, but is another good Anti-Jenny Jones site as well!

the inimitable EDWARD GOREY
Any respectable (and ahem! aged) Goth knows that it all begins and ends with this fantastic author/illustrator,
and those who remain un-initiated will soon be captivated as well...

My Pet Spider

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