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Articles: The Fruits Of My Labors |
Posted by
Maranda on Monday, July 16, 2001 - 08:34 PM PST
It's done. Finally, it's done.
After a year of late nights, stimulating conversations, interesting people and a lot of black clothing, I have finished my essay on Goth. Ignoring the fact that I have to immediately turn around and edit down several much shorter versions of it to submit for publication, I am posting it for all those who volunteered their thoughts and opinions to peruse.
As you read it, bear in mind that I never originally intended to put this on the Web. The writing is more appropriate to a print article, and hopefully will become one soon. Because I was taking a Web design class as I was writing this, I used it as a final project for the class. Soon I'll take it down, edit it some more, and rework it as a print piece.
For now, here's the link. Send me comments, if you have any. Let me know what you think.
http://stu.wccnet.org/~klaflamm/GDT150/shadows/index.html
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Note: Everybody should read this, whether you're goth, not goth, or don't care. For everyone who's always asking what goth is or trying to explain it to other people, this is what you're looking for. Easily as educational as the Blood Dance Net stuff. -Devin- |
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Average Rating : 4.0
Total ratings : 1
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The Fruits Of My Labors | Login/Create an account | 13 Comments |
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Re: The Fruits Of My Labors
by Schizo on Jul 17, 2001 - 06:15 AM
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Good stuff, Maranda!!! I've been looking forward to this for a long time!
And look! I'm famous! My name's in print!
Wow. I am very impressed. Maranda gets official Goth status in my book, that's for sure!
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Re: The Fruits Of My Labors by Anonymous-Coward on Jul 17, 2001 - 12:17 PM | Wow, that was good!
Keep it hangen. |
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Re: The Fruits Of My Labors by Devin (devin-at-vibechild-dot-com) on Jul 18, 2001 - 10:46 PM (User info | Send a Message) http://devin.vibechild.com/ | Yea Maranda is gother than most of the punks dyed black wandering around. We need to give her the honorary gothbabe sticker - who's got it? |
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Re: The Fruits Of My Labors
by Devin (devin-at-vibechild-dot-com)
on Jul 17, 2001 - 01:44 PM
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http://devin.vibechild.com/
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The whole thing about holding onto the parts of humanity that society wants in a bag is what got to me. Especially when I translated it. In Devin-language that would translate to Goths are the Maintainers of the Shmeng. And here I am, maintaining a website by that name. Can't argue with the accuracy of that. Overall I'd say it kicked ass. The few things that I didn't agree with were well supported, and I can't even argue with them. Contrary to what Goth Test Snivellers think, matters of opinion ARE valid - as long as they are well thought out, and thought out by the person talking about them (not just repeating someone else's opinion - badly).
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Re: The Fruits Of My Labors by Maranda (saboneta@aol.com) on Jul 17, 2001 - 02:48 PM (User info | Send a Message) | What didn't you agree with? I'd like to know where your opinion differs from mine. Opinions have already started pouring into my email. I'd love to hear yours. |
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Re: The Fruits Of My Labors by Devin (devin-at-vibechild-dot-com) on Jul 17, 2001 - 05:18 PM (User info | Send a Message) http://devin.vibechild.com/ | Mostly just stuff about the vampire thing - I'm sure I'm probably in the minority about it though - so what you wrote is probably closer to what you got from most goths. If I tried to argue i'd be slaughtered |
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Re: The Fruits Of My Labors by callei (psanguis@yahoo.com) on Jul 19, 2001 - 01:07 AM (User info | Send a Message) http://www.plynlymon.com | Im with you on the vampire thing. I know a few goths that read slot of "trashy vampire novels" and watch all the movies, but they say that it is more about the darlk side od sexuality than about the archtype of shadow dweller.
that and the vampire contingent are the younger set; the post romantic pre-mansonite crowd seem to be more involved with the vampire image. this coinsides with the advent of AIDS and leads me to believe that the vamipe IS more about forbidden sex then death and shadows.
But that could jsut be me |
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Re: The Fruits Of My Labors by Maranda (saboneta@aol.com) on Jul 19, 2001 - 06:45 AM (User info | Send a Message) | Most people don't think in terms of "shadow" and "surface" because they don't know Jung's theories. They don't have the language to discuss their lives in those terms. That was why I spent so much time in the essay defining the shadow and reiterating that definition throughout the article.
One could just as easily discuss the vampire myth in Jung's language of archetypes. We live in a Zeus/Apollo world: vampires are Hades-like. Hades also connects to Dionysis, if you look deep enough into the mythology. But I figured that would be too much for readers to slog through.
The Hades archetype, and Hades characteristics, are among the most devalued parts of our culture. Men are supposed to be positive, decisive achievers, not morbidly introspective introverts. As Jean Shinoda Bolen points out in her excellent book Gods in Everyman, some of the worst father/son matches are between a Zeus-like father who wanted a "chip off the old block", and a Hades-like son who lives mostly in his imagination. This can lead to terrible family dynamics.
But this shadow bubbles up through the cracks as well. Look at the immense popularity of The Phantom of the Opera. It's the Hades/Persephone/Hermes drama played out in a different world.
This drama links sexuality with death. It's interesting that you brought up AIDS. I think there's a deeply rooted prejudice in our culture that people who consent to sex deserve to die. Perhaps the "vampirites" who came of age as AIDS fell upon the world absorbed this more than those before or since. |
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Re: The Fruits Of My Labors by callei (psanguis@yahoo.com) on Jul 19, 2001 - 09:45 AM (User info | Send a Message) http://www.plynlymon.com | I think that they had little choice! I remember the stickers, posters, t-shirts, buttons, billboards, etc that said " sex=death" . I was past the most impressionable point of teen years myself, but the impact was evident to me.
Also I have asked oodles of goths what the vamipe means to them: death, sex, or something else. Most say sex. maybe that is just the people that i have asked and I havent met the others that feel differently. maybe its the way that i ask the question.
whatever it is death and sex are always linked together, at least for women since we learn/know that sex=babies and to have a baby is dangerous and the "death" of who you were before the child. or something. |
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Re: The Fruits Of My Labors
by NightAngel_of_Darkness on Jul 18, 2001 - 04:58 PM
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http://members.spree.com/entertainment/NIGHTANGEL666/Shadows
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Wow,
I'll have to say your good...
Everything got to me... Definently the parts about, well everything...
A lot of it is true...
To bad theres not more of those patrons that you listed like that here where I live...
Once again... That was very delightfull
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Re: Vampires by Rae (darkness_embraced1@yahoo.com) on Jul 19, 2001 - 03:33 PM (User info | Send a Message) http://www.darknessembraced.homestead.com | Great article indeed, but I sort of cringe on the part dealing with the subject of vampires. Yes, I suppose according to some, Rae should check into "what was that?" Bellevue, and seems rather stupid or too far fetched for others to believe in this phenomena. Before I go to far, I should explain that I am not speaking of the Vampire Masquerade type with the fake fangs, capes, and old English accent who are a thousand years old. What I am speaking of is the occult vampire, or..psychic vampire, and yes..I certainly believe in these types, the astrals, the sleep walkers, the cyphoning of energy..they do exist.. now I know I am most likely looking at being raked over the coals for this commentary, but oh well..so be it. |
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Re: Vampires by Maranda (saboneta@aol.com) on Jul 19, 2001 - 04:55 PM (User info | Send a Message) | Actually, I completely agree that "psychic vampires" (for lack of a better term) exist and can do serious harm. I've even noticed a few such people in the Goth clubs. But when most Goths speak of vampires, they are speaking of the blood-drinking, cape-wearing, fang-sporting vampires of mythology. The Goths I spoke with had a real fascination for this type of vampire, whether or not they dressed or acted the part themselves. I also encountered many Goths who felt ashamed of the vampire fixation in Gothic culture, yet still felt connected to the myth themselves.
This was why I chose to delve into why this fascination exists. What is it about the stereotypical vampire which enthralls so many people? And, well, you read my interpretation.
You might be interested to know...maybe you do already...that before Bram Stoker wrote Dracula, vampires didn't exist in human form. The "vampire" of Eastern Europe was a spirit that snuck into the body of a dying person and animated the body after death. It was believed that during the day, the vampire spirit rested in the person's heart, so to kill it, the heart needed to be punctured. Hence the stake.
Stoker wrote Dracula while he was managing the career of Henry Irving, a well-known Victorian actor. As he traveled around the world with Irving's company, he investigated local legends. That gave him a lot of source material. His "Dracula" is a composite of a lot of local monsters. There's also speculation that he based the Count's personality on Irving.
Yep...lots of my research didn't get into the article. I could write a whole volume on psychic vampirism, but it didn't really fit with what I meant to discuss.
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Re: Vampires by Rae (darkness_embraced1@yahoo.com) on Jul 19, 2001 - 06:47 PM (User info | Send a Message) http://www.darknessembraced.homestead.com | I do apologize if I sounded coy with my response, but when I see the term "vampire", I ASSUME that it is being addressed on the broadened scaled with no set limitations. I see now that you were referring more so to the lifestyler who likes to portray the myth, or those who possess a blood fetish.
And yes, you are right about a entity entering and ressurecting the dead. It can be even further traced from European myth all the way back to 3100 B.C.E. with the practices of the Sumerians. But, lol, as you have stated, going into psychic vampirism with that article would have your fingers falling off.
Thank You for shedding some light on what you was saying, now I don't feel too quick to telephone my local nut house. By the way, when I made the Belleview statement above I meant it in a sort of joking manner. I suppose I should be more careful with words since no one can see the emotional status behind them.
Just out of curiosity, I wonder just how many goths even venture into the belief of occult vampirism? Hmmm..now there is something to ponder upon for awhile. |
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