Encyclopedia Gothica (12 page)

GOTHIC BEAUTY
American magazine with an emphasis on fashion and beauty, featuring photo shoots and profiles of alternative models and designers, as well as product reviews and music interviews. Founded in 2000 by Steven Holiday and based in Portland, Oregon, it has become the pre-eminent Gothic publication in North America and now enjoys wide distribution through mainstream bookstore chains such as Barnes & Noble. While it’s no
Vogue
in the high-quality journalism and art photography departments, it’s a tireless supporter of independent Goth businesses and, with its eye-candy cover shots, the gateway into Gothdom for many a
Goth-curious
teen. Since the deminse of
PROPAGANDA
magazine, the most influential print publication out there.

GOTHIC BELLY DANCE
Style of dance fusing traditional Middle Eastern belly dancing with contemporary tribal belly dancing, cabaret dancing and gothic aesthetics and movement that gives a whole new meaning to “snake arms.” Goth Girls have always loved Cleopatra (or at least her
EYELINER
) and overly theatrical dancing, but
gbd
is a relatively recent phenomenon, presented often as a special attraction in fashion shows or other nightclub events. While it has attracted the wrath of some belly dancing purists, a growing network of resources, including dedicated classes and instructional DVDs, are available for those who prefer their hip skirt made out of
FISHNETS
. May also be referred to as Raks Gothique.

GOTHIC CHARM SCHOOL
Website run by self-professed Lady of the Manners, Jillian Venters, offering etiquette advice for the dark set, who she refers to lovingly as “Snarklings.” Of particular interest to
BABYBAT
s, a place where dilemmas like “Help! My parents won’t let me dye my hair black!” are taken seriously and responded to with earnest concern and common sense. An accompanying book,
An Essential Guide for Goths and Those Who Love Them
, was published in 2009.

GOTHIC CRUISE
1. Theme cruises marketed to Goths. Essentially a floating weekend festival, activities include live bands, masquerade ball, fashion shows and other non-cruise-like events.
SPF 1000
not included. 2. American documentary film (2008) following selected Goths on one such cruise, directed by Jeanie Finlay.

GOTHIC FICTION
A genre of English literature thought to have originated with the 1764 novel
The Castle of Otranto
by Horace Walpole. Its blend of psychological terror, romance and the supernatural in a sublimely atmospheric style of storytelling is most associated with long-dead writers from the
VICTORIAN
era (
POE
,
STOKER
) but remains popular with contemporary authors of modern horror and thrillers, from Shirley Jackson to
ANNE RICE
. Typical gothic fiction tropes include haunted houses, madness and grief-stricken women in frilly nightshirts. Not to be confused with adolescent journal scrawlings about
VAMPIRES
who sparkle.

GOTHIC LOLITA
Style of dress combining
VICTORIAN
gothic and Japanese Lolita streetwear, originating in Japan where Lolita is a widespread and multi-faceted subculture. In Japan it is known as “gosu rori,” the most widespread of the Lolita styles; in North America and Europe, “GothLoli” or “LoliGoth” remains a fringe/fetish subset of the Goth scene but is increasingly popular with youth raised on anime. Typical outfit for girls may be a black-and-white lace dress with petticoat, frilly knee socks and
PARASOL
— a romantic costume in the style of a living porcelain doll; for boys, elegant aristocrat coats rule. Not actually connected with the Western Goth movement: it has a completely different musical scene and lifestyle activities include fancy tea parties or shopping, not nightclubbing.
See also:
Mana

GOTHIC & LOLITA BIBLE
Japanese magazine devoted to Gothic and Lolita fashion launched in Tokyo in 1999. The world authority on the scene’s latest styles, featuring photo spreads from streets of Tokyo, tutorials and sewing patterns. English language version was launched in 2008.

GOTHIC MARTHA STEWART
Website spoof of domestic diva Martha Stewart, run by “Martha Gothic,” filled with tips on creating arts and crafts projects for the Goth abode. Covers the standard “good things” — drying roses, stamping candles,
VELVET
curtains and the like.

GOTHIC MATCH
Online dating service targeting Goths looking for black-hearted love. The company’s ubiquitous banner ads on pretty much every Goth website in the world ensure a steady supply of sinister-minded singles. If you’ve always dreamed of finding your “Lucretia666” or “DarkVamp,” this is the place.

GOTHIC METAL
Subgenre of heavy metal music as typified by bands such as
TYPE O NEGATIVE
, Paradise Lost and
LACUNA COIL
. Generally featuring slower tempos, more melancholic/melodramatic lyrics and a greater presence of female vocalists than typical heavy metal. Sub-sub-subgenres include symphonic gothic metal, gothic black metal and so on. Considered part of the metal scene, not necessarily the Goth scene. Gothic metal bands may dress like Goths and read the same books as Goths, but Goths generally do not listen to Gothic metal music. Neither of them listens to
EVANESCENCE
.

GOTHIC ROCK
The most popular and influential style of Goth music, and, let’s face it, the reason we’re all even here.
BAUHAUS
birthed it with “
BELA LUGOSI’S DEAD
” in 1979 but
THE SISTERS OF MERCY
adopted it, raised it, released it (mercifully) into the universe. An offshoot of U.K.
POST-PUNK
, it stripped that genre of its avant garde art school ambitions down to the core themes of sex and death and then, borrowing some of the macabre dressings of the
BATCAVERS
, presented its guitar-driven dirges with the most melodramatic of flourish. It landed in California, where
CHRISTIAN DEATH
took it even more seriously, and a whole new generation of American
DEATH ROCKER
s ran with the torch. (They haven’t put it down since.) When
THE CURE
and Bauhaus and The Sisters say they’re not Goth, they mean they are not just Gothic rock, but if it wasn’t for their efforts, we wouldn’t have it. While many gothy-looking kids enjoy
MARILYN MANSON
and Rammstein and
CRADLE OF FILTH
, and
INDUSTRIAL
is also an important part of the legacy of the subculture, essentially Goths can be defined as those who listen to Gothic rock.

GOTHIC SLUTS
Website featuring erotic and/or pornographic photography of authentic gothic and punk models, launched in 1999.
See also:
Blue Blood

GOTHIC TWO-STEP
The original Goth dance move: take two small steps forward, then two steps back, eyes cast downwards. Hands may rest behind the back or swirl around the head as if batting away cobwebs. Rumour has it, originated at a club in
LEEDS
called
THE PHONO
where the dance floor was so small you could only take two steps in any given direction.

GOTH JUICE
1. The most powerful hairspray known to man, made “from the tears of
ROBERT SMITH
.” So joked the British comedy TV show
The Mighty Boosh
. 2. Actual hair gel produced by Lush Cosmetics that smells like a forest. In regulation purple, natch.

GOTH KIDS
Fictional characters in the
South Park
animated TV series. The four Goth Kids are Goth Leader, Red Goth, Henrietta Goth and Kindergoth, all of whom have a stereotypical Goth appearance and the cliché habits of smoking, writing poetry in graveyards, raging against “conformists” and dancing while looking at their shoes. First introduced in the 2003 episode “Raisins,” in which main character Stan Marsh temporarily becomes a Goth, nicknamed Raven. They are steadfastly Goth and offended to be mistaken with
EMO
s or
VAMPIRES
.

GOTHLING
A Goth child or, more likely, a child of a Goth. Not widely used.

GOTH LOLI
See:
Gothic Lolita

GOTHMINISTER
Norwegian
INDUSTRIAL
metal project of Bjørn Alexander Brem (Lawyer by day! Prince of darkness by night!), founded in 1999. With a name like that, and a debut titled
Gothic Electronic Anthems
(2003), the missive was pretty clear. And even though the music is heavy guitar based and verging on straight metal, the dramatic make-up and skull microphone, à la Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, push live performance over to the Goth side.

GOTH.NET
Website resource for the Goth community. Registered in 1997 by “Raven” in Texas, it initially provided free email addresses and webspace, published gothic writing and art from its members and collected links to Goth communities worldwide. Today, mostly visited for its popular forums where more than 7,000 Goths share tips on where to buy the best black lipstick, how to deal with conservative parents or employers and, of course, What is Goth?
Compare:
Net.goth

GOTH OR NOT
Humour website to which users upload a photo of themselves for others to rate their level of “Gothness.” A spoof of the site Hot or Not created by Brit Jonathan Belial Jenkyn.

GOTH POINTS
Imaginary game in which points are awarded for Goth-like behaviour, or subtracted for non-Goth behaviour. (Wearing flip-flops: –2 pts) Since nobody actually keeps score and there are no prizes for winning, more of a sarcastic in-joke.

GOTHS IN HOT WEATHER
Photo blog run by Brit Tom Lenham featuring pictures and videos of Goths frolicking under the sun, by the seaside, and in other non-Gothy locales; photos rated for Gothiness and Sweatiness.

GOTH TALK
Recurring sketch (1997–1999) on TV show
Saturday Night Live
featuring two Florida Goth teens hosting a cable access talk show that “explores the moody depths of the Goth lifestyle.” Featuring celebrity guests such as Rob Lowe and Steve Buscemi acting as Goth caricatures and
BAUHAUS
’s “
BELA LUGOSI’S DEAD
” as theme music. Although the sketch openly mocked suburban teen Goth stereotypes, it was generally accepted by real-life Goths as freaking hilarious.
See also:
Abyss, Azrael

GRAND GUIGNOL
Dramatization of sensationalist horror. Named for Paris’s infamous Théâtre du Grand-Guignol (1897–1962), which produced shocking plays featuring gory special effects and psychological terrors. A direct influence on
ANNE RICE
’s Theatres des Vampires,
TIM BURTON
’s
Sweeney Todd
and those Goth fashion show narratives nobody can follow.

GRANNY BOOTS
Style of women’s ankle boot that laces all the way up the front, often with a short heel and rounded toe. Mostly in fashion in the ’80s but still popular with
ROMANTIGOTH
s and
STEAMPUNKS
.

GRAVER
Literally goth + raver. A person with Goth sensibilities who listens to dark electronic dance music and attends rave or rave-like club events dressed in much more colourful clothing than a traditional Goth, typically including neon or glow-in-the-dark hair, make-up or accessories. An American term, more commonly referred to worldwide as
CYBERGOTH
. A fairly common sight in the early 2000s, now on the wane.

GRAVE RUBBINGS
An imprint of a headstone made by rubbing pencil or charcoal over a thin piece of paper affixed to the stone. Used legitimately by genealogists and practiced covertly by Goths when lurking in cemeteries. Pretty standard (and cheap) apartment décor.

GREEN FAIRY
See:
Absinthe

GREGORIAN CHANTS
Liturgical choir music that enjoyed a resurgence in popularity in the 1990s after the chart success of Enigma’s chant-sampling
s/m
-themed single “Sadeness.” Suddenly, the Benedictine Monks were on the playlist for every
ROMANTIGOTH
tea party.
The Omen
theme, “Ave Satani,” also remains a favourite.

GRIMOIRE
Book of magic spells used by pagans in the longstanding tradition of their Middle Age ancestors. A Gothed-up name for a private journal.
See also:
Book of Shadows

GRUFTI
A German
TRAD GOTH
. Literally an old man. Also, a “gruft.” Derogatory.

GUN CLUB, THE
American punk band founded in Los Angeles in 1980 by Jeffrey Lee Pierce. Steeped in blues, the band served a dirty and devilish sonic cocktail that foreshadowed such more famous
POST-PUNK
outfits as
THE CRAMPS
and
NICK CAVE
’s Bad Seeds — both of which later enlisted Gun Club guitarist Kid Congo Powers. Still, few Goths would know of them were it not for their bassist
PATRICIA MORRISON
, who went on to join
THE SISTERS OF MERCY
and
THE DAMNED
.

GUTHRIE, ROBIN
Scottish guitarist (b. January 4, 1962), co-founder of the
COCTEAU TWINS
. Known for his shimmering layers of effects bliss, the kind of swirling,
SHOEGAZER
sonic magic that gave legions of shy guitarists someone to look up to. After band split, founded indie label Bella Union Records with Twins’ bassist Simon Raymonde. Extensive collaborations post-Cocteaus, including producing and co-writing score for Gregg Araki’s film
Mysterious Skin
with Harold Budd and several solo instrumental releases.