Hello baby bats!

Welcome to my site, all! Baby bats, if you did not already know, is a term to describe those who are new to the goth community, and here I aim to write about the misconceptions and the truths that comes with being goth, and how to navigate alternative subcultures. Firstly, I will start by describing what a subculture is.

A subculture, in it’s simplest form, is a cultural group within a larger culture, often having beliefs or interests at variance with those of the larger culture. Although not limited to the goth subculture, the core to most alternative subcultures is to have some variant of progressive/left leaning ideals. The Goth subculture is marked by its emphasis on individualism, advocacy for diversity, a strong emphasis on creativity, tendency toward intellectualism, and sometimes even a mild tendency towards cynicism. But I will also say this: don’t overthink it and just do it. The goth subculture, as well as any other culture and community, is meant to be experienced, not dissected. I cannot give you a rulebook for how to or not to be goth, my article only aims to help guide you in the right way by explaining some basics.

Core beliefs of subcultures cannot and should not be avoided or glossed over; otherwise it simply would have no tie to the culture anymore. It is still, after all, a culture, and a culture is the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively, and you cannot logically be associated with a culture if you share none of the common interest of it.

It is also important to note that the goth subculture sprouted from it’s more political relative, punk. Goth in its early years was just essentially a spin on the punk subculture; giving a gloomier and slower sound with more of a spookier than political message. Again, I would not say that this means it has no ties to politics (if it did not, it would not be alternative. All alternative subcultures are joined by their political message, almost always progressive and stemming from a counter movement in society at the time), but rather it may be harder to navigate also with the long way that it has come and changed from the beginning of its formation in the 70s. I hope to give information and guide in the correct way, not dictate what is and isn’t “goth enough” for people just wanting to enjoy good music and good people.