This is the first time I've edited this page in almost three years. I am going to reveal the point of this page, the reasons I began it, and some issues that have been raised over the last few years.
If this is the first time you have come upon this page, I recommend you go someplace else. What follows is addressed only to those who have visited this page in its previous incarnation.
If you have visited this page before, please read on. Please pass this information on to anyone else who may have been offended, confused or amused by what was posted here.
Myth Number One: I hate Goths. I have received several hundred e-mails over the last few years from as many goths, non-goths, anti-goths, et al, with a variety of accusations against my person. I've been called everything from Hitler, to a redneck, preppie, jock, to words not appropriate to reprint. The fact is, I don't hate anybody. I do not hate goths. What I do feel strongly about is the tendency for people to label themselves. I'm not going to hate you if you label yourself goth, it's your choice. But I do feel that anybody who limits themselves (whether it be punk, goth, raver, or anything else) are missing out on anything their sub-culture doesn't allow them to enjoy. This is no skin off my back and you're free to do what you want. It's merely a point I disagree on.
Myth Number Two: This page represents my opinions. The fact is, this page is 99% joke, and 1% hyperbole. The Anti-Gothic Army never existed. (Sorry to those of you who asked to join the ranks, I simply didn't reply to your messages.) I do not wish harm upon any human being. I tried hard to make this page obviously a joke. I made top ten lists (based off of David Letterman's Top Ten and those forwarded via e-mail), even going so far as to say that I was Goth! I made my background "American Gothic," I used flippant remarks, I linked to friends pages pretending to hate them, I used bright, obnoxious colors, etc., etc. Even when I linked to a Flat Earth Society joke web page (in other words, this page was a joke like mine) and claimed it was my true religion, people STILL believed that! The lesson here is that not everybody has a sense of irony, and PLEASE, do not believe everything you read! There are a lot of lunatics on the internet out here, and they can say whatever they want without any ramifications. You should take everything you read, including stuff posted in chat rooms and news groups, with a grain of salt. Unless you've already met the person in the flesh, there is no way to guarantee their true identity.
Myth Number Three: I don't know what I'm talking about. Actually, I know quite a bit about goth. I've been to goth clubs, I have an extensive collection of goth music. I've had friends who called themselves goths, and I've received hundreds of e-mails from people with very strong opinions on what goth is and isn't. But if you've read Myth Number Two, then you should know that this page isn't modeled after reality. I took all of the most stereotypical aspects of goth and used that as my definition of goth. I did this to be annoying, and to make a point. What I have printed on my page is what a lot of people who are not familiar with goth REALLY believe it is. I don't believe that, I know there's more variety, I know people are different even within the sub-culture. My point is that many of you were very angry about my narrow definition of goth, but that is how a lot of people who haven't been exposed thoroughly to goth culture really view it as. If having people think of you this way bothers you, you might want to consider either not calling yourself goth and just doing whatever it is that makes you happy, or if you insist on actually being called a goth by yourself and others, do more to educate people about why they have to call you goth and what it means when they do.
I began this page partly as a disclaimer against classifying the Sisters of Mercy as Goth, and by extension, against classifying individuals as Goth. Partly I was interested in the response (and I never would have imagined the 1,000+ e-mails I would receive during the five years after!) But mostly, I was just trying to be funny. I was poking fun at goths AND people who hate goth.
Oh yeah, some other allegations I want to dispell:
I did not waste all my time making this web site. It took me a few hours over a five year period. (This update is taking about 15 minutes.)
I do not identify with any group (ie, preppie, jock, punk, Christian, etc.)
I was not beaten up by a goth. Ever.
I was not dumped by a goth, nor was I dumped for a goth.
I am not a closet case goth, I am comfortable and happy with my degree of "gothness."
I am not a "Jesus Freak."
Finally, some things that I have learned that have bothered me:
Many people told me I had "no right" to make this web page. The fact is, I do have the right. Everybody (at least in the free world) has the right to say what they want. It doesn't matter if their opinions are distasteful, hateful, or backed with stupidity. Nobody should be told to shut up because somebody else doesn't like what they're saying. Every human should have the right to their own opinion! (Or in my case, I had the right to pretend to hold whatever opinion I wanted...)
Many people wrote me using "fag" as an insult. This disturbs me as well. It seems to be a rather immature and selfish stance to be angry when someone attacks your sub-culture, and then use a bigoted slur to try to insult them. Once again, you are free to hold your own opinions, but as long as you're unwilling to accept others' culture, I fail to see how you will be able to attain respect for your own culture.
Comparing me to Hitler is a bit self-important, in my opinion. I couldn't believe how many people called me Hitler, as if me creating a stupid, poorly designed web site even remotely approximates the pain Hitler caused during the Holocaust. Come on, people! If you don't like my web page, you can go look at something else on the internet. By comparing me to Hitler, you are comparing yourselves to the Jews, and are thereby belittling the pain they experienced. Get off yourself!
So that's that. I hope this clears everything up. Have a great life!
If you still feel offended by what is said on this site, please e-mail me:
Last modified: 5/6/2003
