Friday 6 July 2012

On Negative Comments About "Mallgoths" and "Babybats"

I am aware that "mallgoth" is commonly used as a derogatory term to describe somebody who is into goth fashion but is badly dressed, but some people online have started saying that this is the style they are aiming for. Then again, "punk" was a negative word once too.

Mallgoth style usually involves wearing lots of black, spike or skull acessories, possibly white face makeup and band shirts from bands such as Evanescence or Nightwish. Most of those who dress in mallgoth style are young teenagers still living with their parents, so very often they will have no piercings or tattoos and a fairly mainstream-looking hairstyle, although they often would want to complain  about it. This is a style usually of begnners who are new to the goth or alternative subculture, and many of us have had a "mallgoth or "babybat" phase when we first saw goth.

This is not only normal, it is great. The trouble is that most people don't see it that way. Why, you ask? Well, for one thing because a style, or even the beginnings of  style, are much better then nothing at all. In my eyes, caring and not knowing what to do is ten thousand times better then not caring, and I hope you can agree. Mallgoth is not a bad end, it is a beginning. Anyone even trying to dress in a diffrent style is a person who is very creative and has courage, who with some woerk can become something great. The negative comments mallgoths abd babybats recieve for their style do nothing to help them, and by treating somebody unfairly for their style may bring a future good friend or even role model away from you, or even destroy them completely.

If you have once ever dressed like this, you should know. It is really an unfortunate that people comment on other's style in nasty ways even though they likely dressed like that themselves once. Every time I go on website I see people make fun of them, and I try to do what I can. I mark the pictures with the nasty captions as offensive, respond to comments and try to contact the people who put  the pictures to tell them to remove it. But I can't do everything alone, you must help me too. If you see a picture with an offensive caption, try to contact the people posting it. Leave a (encouraging) comment b the picture and say we are all still learning, because we are. Instead of saying the dress was pulled from the trash, say it would have looked better with less frills and a diffrent one may have suited them better. And you, M.G., S., C.F., and anybody else, help spread this message! If we want to be treated well, WE must make others terat us well!




2 comments:

  1. Personally, I hold to the opinion that you're a babybat until you have a certain level of experience in the Gothic subculture. Of course, the level of experience and time could vary with different people so I find it hard to draw a line as to when you aren't a babybat. It's a very open term and means something different to everyone. I don't consider it negative one really. Of course, Mallgoth is thrown about negatively...which is rather rude.

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    1. True, but only to a certain point.
      I have known people who said they could not buy the clothes that they wanted because they were "babybats", which ws used as an insult against them by people who simply did not like their style.
      I used to worry all the time that I needed to do things to be more goth, and what is goth and what is not. Then I figured a person who listens to Gogol Bordello, owns four pairs of leopard-printed pants in bright colors and whose hair grows into mullet-form every two months could not be goth by definition. Now all I have to find out how my hair manages to do that and I'll be fine.

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