Customer Reviews

What is Goth? Music, Makeup, Attitude, Apparel, Dance, and General Skullduggery

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've been on "the scene" since I was fifteen years old. I'm 26 now, and to my mother's dismay, I am still "going through that black crap phase." (Although I also wear burgundy, purple, blue, green, and occasionally rose).

At a certain point in a goth's development (hopefully prior to club-going age) the decision must be made to stay or go. Those who stay will one night reach the ultimate conclusion of goth-hood.

Goths are silly.

And Voltaire wrote a book for us.

The best goths, the ones who have cosmetics permanantly buried in their pores, the ones who secretly wear granny panties for more booty coverage under their black clothes, the ones who understand that Hot Topic (while certainly no Black Rose or Drac-in-a-Box or Ipso Facto or ShadowFae) is a pretty good place in a pinch for some fishnets and some Tripp, are the ones who will enjoy this book the most. Wee baby bats are the ones who will find the book offensive, because it "labels" them and therefore destroys their "individuality." If a book can destroy your individuality or give you a label, then you need to get a life. Too much concern over what other people think is dreadful for your health. (But dying is sooooooo goth, so g'head and keep being concerned.)

"What is Goth?" addresses many of the finer aspects of the spooky life, such as goth club snipeing (very true), goth cosmetics, typical goth looks (vampire accountants NEED to visit Hot Topic more often), goth music, and the goth propensity for picking names that include a title. (Another mark of grown-up goths is that they go by their real name, even if it's Susie Happypants Shineyfluff.)

The best aspect of this book is the section on gothic dancing. (It is usually watching a packed floor at a dance club that makes one realize that goths are silly.) My friends and I read that section, screamed with laughter, and pointed some fingers. I am guilty of "Gathering the Cobwebs" whenever I listen to Wolfsheim. We then went to the club and watched other goths pull the evil taffy, kick the hobbit, and wonder who spilled Coke on the dance floor.

There is an absolutely wonderful section written for people who love a goth, explaining to them what the whole thing is about and assuring them that the person they love is still under all that make up and hairspray. Voltaire also addresses the "Manson Issue" and he truly shines here.

For baby goths who take themselves too seriously (or even toddler goths, teenie goths, and mopey goths), this book will piss you off. For people who want to understand the gothic subculture, this book will be mostly comprehensive and rather helpful. For those of us In It For the Long Haul, the book will promote that gleeful snicker that makes us kick up the heels of our pointy boots.

As much as I dislike just how mainstream the goth subculture is becoming, I am firmly of the opinion that the exposure is a good thing. No only does it make shopping a twee bit easier, but the prominance of the subculture will also decrease sensitivity to it. This means that as goth becomes commonplace, the media will lay off accusing goths of commiting school shootings and vampire crimes. It's not us: goths aren't killers, because we might smear our eyeliner or break a nail. Eventually, the media will tire of the goth thing, goth will no longer be trendy, and the scene will slip back under the surface. If you're old enough to remember, it's done that before. Voltaire seems to share this belief, although it's less implicitly stated in his work.

Finally, if one plans to use "What is Goth?" to assist in a gothic transformation of oneself (everyone has that initial spark of inspiration), remember that "What is Goth?" is funny, and if you go overboard with the things mentioned in the book, we will laugh at you because you will be funny too.

Highly recommended, much loved, and recommended to all.

which I deem:

1) "What is Goth?" by Voltaire
For spelling out the basics to looky-loos, kinderbats, or insiders who aren't afraid to laugh at themselves (for fear of exposing the adhesive-stripes along the gumline of their fake fangs)...

2) "Cottonmouth Kisses" by Clint Catalyst
For its sinister and gorgeous first-person account of life within the nightclub netherworlds. I've known many a Goth girl over the years who's had her share of Clint "pin-ups" and "shrines," and the fact that he's lived a life so far beyond the margins of Hot Topic and mainstream acceptability (and SURVIVED it) is more "Goth" (i.e., barbaric -- i.e., AUTHENTIC) than any paint-by-numbers impostors out there...

3) "21st Century Goth" by Mick Mercer
For its role as an informative compendium of the international scene in all its varied shades of shadow. There is no easy answer, no singular attempt in this book to pigeonhole Goths -- in fact, it does the opposite. Plus, I mean, it's MICK MERCER, who's been reporting on the scene longer than most batpackers these days have been alive. Pay your respects to the grandaddy of Goth!

And ALL HAIL THE TRIUMVIRATE!

This book is Hi-Larious! Okay...I know that labels are for soup cans, not people...but I think a part of the charm of this book is that it makes fun of the fact that this subculture does have to label itself, and how silly it really is. It shows that all "Goths" aren't just sad little Prozac poppers. It shows that they are also capable of incredible humor.

The book is wonderfully written. I was not a fan of this man until my boyfriend got me hooked. Voltaire is a rather clever fellow.

There are good articles and pictures. How to do make up. Hair, the different categories of Goth, and what their advantages and disadvantages are. How to travel as a Goth. How to have a Goth conversation (this one is rather funny.) How to dance Goth. the pictures are total eye candy too. I liked the fact that instead of a white page with black letters it is the other way around. This book has style.

This little hardcover (and its compnion, Paint is Black) is beautifully produced, as appropriate for its aesthetic-minded target audience. It includes black pages and black-and-white-and-red innards, elegantly designed and loaded with quality photography.

A brief history of the word "gothic" covers the evolution of the term through history, from the Germanic tribal Goths and Gothic architecture, to the "Romantic Movement of the 19th century [which began]abandoning reason and searching the dank crevices of all things mysterious, supernatural, and emotional in the name of exploring the darkness of the human soul." (Sounds like a good idea to me!) And on to early horror movies, the fracturing of the Punk Rock movement -- which spawned black-clad legions -- and early bands of the nascent Goth genre such as Joy Division, Bauhaus, and Siouxsie and the Banshees.

"The Many Faces of Goth" chapter describes permutations such as Romantigoths, Death Rockers, Cyber-goths, Vampyres, and more, alongside photos. Voltaire's wit peppers this chapter and enlivens the whole volume.

In "Goth Looks for Boys and Girls (Gone Horribly Wrong)," Voltaire hilariously diagnoses fashion disasters such as "The Gay Pirate" and "The 'Maybe If I Get Enough Extensions and Stick a Bunch Of Crap On My Face No One Will Notice What a Big Dork I Am' Look."

Voltaire writes on choosing an appropriate name for one's "persona," with brief chapters devoted to a "Gothic Name Generator" (a "Gothic Poem Generator" is included later on), "Gothic Philosophy," and "Vampires (and those who act like they are)." Photo spreads show various appropriate dance moves, a Gothic Makeover, and the wardrobe items which comprise the various Goth looks.

"The Sad Truth About Goth" dismisses various mainstream misconceptions: "Most people think that Goths are volatile freaks obsessed with death and gore" and concludes: "The truth is that very few Goths actually kill themselves -- they'd much rather contemplate suicide and then just write a really bad poem about it."

Besides a delight for Goths and the "Gothically Inclined," "What is Goth?" would make a fine, reassuring present -- or book to leave lying around to be read -- for parents traumatized over their little Tiffany's morphing into an Elvira.

Voltaire does it again. A totally cool volume in his delightful gothic series. I sound so happy because Voltaire makes goths laugh by poking fun at not only goths, but everyone else. I got three great additions to my "goth library" lately. The others being "The goth bible" by Nancy Kilpatrick, and "The Grey Garden" by Brandon Neil Ragan. This one is by far the funniest. A must for any old-fart goth or spooky kid.

As a long time fan of Voltaire's work, I have come to expect a level of excellence from him, and this book surpasses all my expectations! Simply stated, Voltaire is a genius with words. His quick wit and his wonderful writing talent have combined to give us a most entertaining read.

This, combined with the wonderful photography and illustrations give the reader a look into the life of the Goth that can only be surpassed by living the experience yourself.

If you are Goth, or you have ever wondered about the life of a Goth, or if you just enjoy a bit of humor, you will love reading "What is Goth".

Aah, finally a light-hearted, yet realistic, look at Gothic culture. Voltare is highly respected in the Goth scene as an artist both musically and visually. This book is mainly for people who understand and have some involvement in the culture, and are willing to put up with categorization and self-mockery! However, the author does explain that Goth has no particular limitations; it is very mutable and not static.

This book is brilliant and is beautiful. In no way does it disrespect the scene, for if more "Goths" become infatuated with themselves, embracing egotism and arrogance, the scene continues to deteriorate. One must ride with Change, and understand it as a necessary constant. This book looks at what the culture is now and how it has evolved from its Punk roots.

I recommend this to anybody!.. Not to mention, it's published by Weiser Books, so it's GOT to be good. I'm pleased to have this in my library and use it often for reference. Buy it immediately, it'll be one of the greatest purchases you'll make.

~Colin Smith (OakRaven)~

This is a great book on the Gothic-Industrial subculture that manages to be humorous without insulting the culture. The author attempts to categorize the different types of goth and uses photographs of models to illustrate the typical style of dress worn by the various goth types. Most goths I know (including myself) fit into more than one category and some goths don't fit into any of them, but still I really like this reference and I think the author did a great job even if it's not the end-all-be-all goth encyclopaedia of the Universe. This really is a good book and I'd recommend it to people who aren't goths and want to know more about them but I'd especially recommend it to people who are part of the scene and would like to know more about different types of goth and have a really good book that I really think celebrates our beloved subculture.

What is Goth? can easily be described as a how-to-be-as-Goth-as-you-can-possibly-be manual that is both informative and funny.

Voltaire; musician, author, and designer, has successfully put together a text telling you how to dress, how NOT to dress, where the term "goth" originates from, how you in the blink of an eye can write your own gothic poem, how to get a more gothic-sounding name, what differs the multitude of different goths that have appeared over the last few years, how to behave on a gothic dancefloor, and much, much more.

And not only that, it's funny, too. Yeah, you read right, it's funny. Voltaire makes a very big deal about the "rule" that goths aren't able to, or even allowed, to smile, and throughout the little book (which, of course, is black), he writes various clever little sections (or shows pictures), that not only makes you smile, but at times even laugh out loud, no matter how goth you happen to be.

Perhaps it sounds contradictory to write humorously about a dark subculture, and I guess that in theory that's true. But, rules are made to be broken, and even though you happen to sit in your dark apartment at night, slowly drinking your red wine, listening to Cure's Pornography, while reading his words in the pale light of a black candle while the rain beats down on the windows and the autumn wind sings, you'll still be smiling while reading his little black book.

That's just how it is. I'm sorry all you hardcore-goths; but if you've lost the ability to smile, then don't bother reading this book.

But it's not only humorous, even though most of his writings tend to be that way. After all, some people do live according to the premises described by him, and thus, to anyone who still haven't dyed his or her hair black, put on white powder to make you look pale, and driven to the local Hot Topic, What is Goth? will definitely be very useful.

I laughed most of the time while reading it, and when I didn't laugh I learned a few things I didn't know before. So, the book was both informative and funny. Now should I be able to not like a book like that?

Very funny first book by Voltaire. If you are a Voltaire fan,this is the book for you. Or if you want to read about the gothic scene from a fun perspective, I highly reccommend this book.