First of all, goth is a subculture whereas emo is a fashion statement. I know of several self-proclaimed emos that would argue this with me, but it's the truth. Goths are generally older teens and adults, whereas emos are usually just teens. There are many types of goth, but emo is a fairly generic label for a type of fashion that has some variations off of a basic form, but not many. For example, this lovely lady is goth:
And so is this one:
And this guy:
And these kids are emo:
I like his Edgar Allan Poe necklace, by the way! (^_^)
Also, in case you want to know, if you Google "emo girls," the only things that come up are pictures of scene girls. Yes, there is a difference and most "emo" girls I've seen are actually scene, pardon my wordplay.
A lot of the "emos" I know are of the mind that emos can't wear any color than black. This is incorrect. Emos generally pair some color with their black, usually pink or red. Black and red is also a common color pairing for some goths. There is a popular belief that goths will only wear black, use black makeup with white foundation, and sit around whining and writing bad poetry all the time. This is an incorrect assumption. There is a faction of the goth subculture that does do that, and they are generally referred to as "mopey goths." There are many, many categories of goth, however, and it would be too difficult to cover all of them, so I'll just hit the three I'm most familiar with and you can look at this website for a quick rundown of the rest if you're still curious: http://www.blackwaterfall.com/viewall.php
1. Traditional Goth: Also referred to as trad goth, these are the goths from the 1980s movement and they are also the generation that coined the term "goth." These are the ones that you'll see wearing chains, leather, ripped fishnets, and big hair. They're commonly known for haunting goth clubs and smoking clove cigarettes. Their music includes bands such as Bauhaus, Siouxiee and the Banshees, The Birthday Party, The Sisters of Mercy, and pretty much any band that was played in the iconic Batcave Club.
2. Romantic Goth: This is for all of my fellow literature lovers! Trad goths are all about the '80s music scene, but the romantigoths take it really old school and go for the books and maybe even subsequent movies. Authors that would appeal to a romantigoth would be ones such as Edgar Allan Poe (didn't see that coming, did ya?!), Bram Stoker, and Nathaniel Hawthorne, so basically any author under the "gothic" category of literature which is, by the way, a subgenre of the romantic category. Many romantigoths tend to wear period dress and a lot of velvet and lace. Their musical tastes are fairly widespread, but they tend to center around more ethereal sounds, such as Love Spirals Downwards, All About Eve, and Faith and the Muse, but trad goth bands work too, as well as classical, such as Bach or Wagner. Romantigoths are the ones you'll find wandering around graveyards examining the tombstones and dead flowers, probably writing poetry or stories. They're more about contemplation of life than horror.
3. Vampire Goth: Okay, this group can get kind of weird for the average "normal" person, so just bear with me. These are the goths that are obsessed with all things vampire. They can range from your vampire enthusiast to people who actually believe they are vampires. They are generally pale or wear makeup that makes them appear to be so, several will wear fake fangs and/or contact lenses, and many will dress in period clothing and capes. Some will even wear dark-lensed sunglasses when they go out during the day and maybe even join "vampire societies." They also tend to have a penchant for red wine. Some vampire-friendly bands would include Nosferatu, Inkubus Sukkubus, and Theatres des Vampires, but most goth bands have made at least one vampire-themed song because of the overwhelming popularity of the beasts within the subculture.
Now, as for myself, I believe I would fall under the category of a romantic goth or a mild vampire goth. I do not dress "goth" but I do wear a lot of black and I love black lace. From a very young age I have found myself attracted to the darkness, which has concerned my family for years. I am just like any "normal" person. I talk to people, I laugh, I listen to music. The only real difference is how I view the world. For me, death is something to be celebrated. One, because death is the gateway to the afterlife, which is a good thing, but also death should become a celebration of the person's life. It's selfish to cry and mourn over someone who is in a better place. You shouldn't ruin someone's happiness to save your own. I also love the symbolism of cemeteries: life mingling with death. You can't get more poetic than that!
Not to mention, I love vampires. I've read Dracula at least three times now and it only gets better. I also try reading almost every vampire novel or manga I can get my hands on, although they usually end up being really bad, preteen romances that I have to put away before I finish. I'm fascinated by the concept of vampires, really. They're terrifying. For one, Dracula is a social commentary and the book is largely about sex. There, I said it! But think: Dracula is an old guy, but he preys on young women (Lucy and Mina). Lucy is young, but she preys on children. Also, vampires bite the neck: a very sexual act. They do it at night and generally in a bedroom as well. In Mina's case, we see that she is forced to drink Dracula's blood (from a cut on his chest, by the way) after he takes hers. Again, sexual. But I can't help but love that about vampires. Yes, they're scary and yes, they're creepy, but I think they're almost creepier because they look just like normal humans (albeit more attractive). And of course, there's the fact that sex is kind of a scary thing, which is something vampires very obviously prey on. I mean, why do you think there are so many romance novels about vampires? They're really darn sexy! Beyond that, there's this amazing symbolism with the drinking of blood and the transference of life. I think that's why so many goths like to pair black and red, myself included: red is symbolic of passion, heat, and life ,while black is symbolic of death, fear, and the unknown. It's just so beautiful to me.
Now, please don't take this as an attack on emos or anything like that. I can understand and relate to them as well and I know they get a bad reputation because of the few idiots out there, just like we goths do. And you all know I do love me some emo music because it's just so powerful and passionate! All I wanted to do was clear up something that I've noticed a lot of people are unsure about. Many kids at school refer to me as emo, whereas my family has told me I have "gothic tendencies" for years. I researched this to clarify for myself that I am actually goth and I found the differences interesting. I have by no means covered all of the differences, but I did hit some major ones, I think. The pictures alone should have helped. Of course, if you have any further questions, I'd be happy to answer them to the best of my abilities! Sayonara for now!
- Turtle-chan
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