Big Bert And The Morbids
I see that you have something to say so ill reply to your post.
Yes labeling makes things alot easier but no one can properly describe something with out giving it more than one label. For Ex. if they labeled (the entire band) Depeche Mode either Christian or Goth when they first started making music back in the 80's would anyone that fitted one of the labels actually research the band if it were labeled the other?
Remember this is back when the whole Satanist, baby-eater thing was started by stereotyping, self-righteous, holier than thou Catholics, Christians and who would have kicked alot of the people in this guild out of their church for attempting to overturn the church and its beliefs. And they are not much different now.
I agree to an extent.
wink 1) Labeling helps process information. Sometimes one must dive into specifics, and therefore create more labels. Example, deathrock, horror punk, and psychobilly are three different specific labels that describe similar but different items.
2) However, whether this is bad or good depends on the way someone utilizes the label. It is no surprise many associate bad things with Goth, but so has bad things been associated with Punk, and these days most people dump on Emo. The gist: labeling is neutral. The subjective quality of it comes from the user.
3) This points out the error of lack of understanding of a label, and also an error of association. Mainly just lack of understanding. If we don't clarify properly, labels can get messy. Also, if we use them too strictly, labels can chafe.
Guess the main point is that labeling itself is not a crime. It's lack of understanding, and the subjective qualities we lend to it that make it bad or good (aka. me making fun of kids, describing them as "emo" is a bad thing). The question is, then, what does goth mean to people. It all depends on which definition of goth individuals percieve that affect whether they want to take it as a descriptor of themselves or others. If it carries with it burden from bad mistaken association, then they'll more than likely drop it. (Unless they like it that way. Some live to shock.) An example: a lot of skinheads have kept their title in spite of the mistake of associating skinheads with racists and nazi skins.
Anywho, that's how I see it. I dunno if I addressed your issue you were trying to push. If not just let me know.
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