"goth Couple" On The New Season Of The Amazing Race

[Fierce Critter]

So... Anyone else watch The Amazing Race? New season started Sunday.

They usually introduce each couple at the beginning of the show, and then carry on a simple 2-3 word "label" for the couple for the rest of the show. For instance, they introduced a couple of women who are lesbian partners who also happen to be preachers, and I think their label is something like "preacher partners" or something like that. Then there's always the "dating couple," etc.

Well, this year, we got DATING GOTHS FROM LOUISVILLE, KY!!! Their names are Vyxsin & Kynt.

Alrighty. So, in the first place, I would NO WAY consider them a prime example of that which is "goth." I know the term has no hardcore, set definition. And some of their look definitely fits the bill. But if you saw them, and hear them talk - well, Kynt sounds completely flaming. And flaming + their particular look = GLAM to me, not "Goth".

I only just found out about Jefree Star (sue me) and Kynt reminds me more of him than of, say, Peter Murphy, or Andrew Eldritch, or ScaryGuy or nearly anyone you'd see at City Club.

They have myspace pages. They both claim straight orientation. I dunno. The guy really comes off as not. Not that I have a problem with that or seriously doubt it. But I just know people. And to the mainstream, this is what they are going to think of when they hear the term. If you are a goth, you are either flamboyantly gay or brooding with a rifle under your trenchcoat.

I read an interview with them. And they do have good attitudes. I don't know how much of that is going to come across on the show, though.

So. Here we go. This is yet another skewed example of things "goth" for the mainstream.

I have a headache.

[Scary Guy]

than of, say, Peter Murphy, or Andrew Eldritch, or Scary Guy or nearly anyone you'd see at City Club.

LOL I get included in that group of the übergoths? Awesome!

But seriously I don't watch the show for certain reasons, mostly because I hate reality TV (which stems from my intolerance for stupid people).

As far as glam though, mary manson is glam technically. Everyone confuses him with gothic too. I guess by my definition though they are (anything on the darker side of life). However it doesn't mean that we can't shoot them to cleanse the population a bit.

[creatureofthenyte]

That show is retarded as all hell, like sooo many other tv shows these days, are you really that surprised by that "goth" couple. Frankly, I think they have just a tad way too fuckin much pink goin on to be gawth.

[Scales]

The media skews and conditions everything, it's one of the reasons I don't watch much television anymore. I have searched through major network websites for stories related to "goth" and it's like 90% or more negative. It's the same as the word terrorist, it's just a word, but the government has terrorized the United States with the help of the media for 6 years using a few words.

[Fierce Critter]

That show is retarded as all hell, like sooo many other tv shows these days, are you really that surprised by that "goth" couple. Frankly, I think they have just a tad way too fuckin much pink goin on to be gawth.

LOL.

Have you ever heard Sarah Vowell's account on NPR of getting involved with a group of goths? They work on her, getting her into the look, the scene. At one point, they ask her to pick her goth name. And she picks... Becky.

And instead of being horrified, they are amazed. They say she has reached a level of goth known as "pink" - as in someone who is so incredibly goth, they can wear pink and still be goth.

It's hilarious. And I often think about it when discussions of what does and does not constitute "goth" come up.

I mean, I'm feeling a bit overly judgmental here. Re-thinking my discomfort now that I've read some of their interviews and checked out their webpages. For Christ's sake, I may have dyed my hair black and red, but I don't walk around 24/7 in gothwear & makeup. So who am I to judge?

But it still discomforts me. I don't like it when people feel a need to constantly repeat a label in reference to themself. It smells to me of insecurity and a need to reinforce in themselves and others that they "fit in" a particular category. They are doing this CONSTANTLY on the show, and I'm sick to death of the term already. He even says, "Oh my GOTH" at one point, seemingly without even thinking about it. Shudder.

[Slept with ghost]

Ummmmm which one is the male?

And anybody who says oh my goth needs a swift slap upside the forehead.

[creatureofthenyte]

LOL.

Have you ever heard Sarah Vowell's account on NPR of getting involved with a group of goths? They work on her, getting her into the look, the scene. At one point, they ask her to pick her goth name. And she picks... Becky.

And instead of being horrified, they are amazed. They say she has reached a level of goth known as "pink" - as in someone who is so incredibly goth, they can wear pink and still be goth.

It's hilarious. And I often think about it when discussions of what does and does not constitute "goth" come up.

I mean, I'm feeling a bit overly judgmental here. Re-thinking my discomfort now that I've read some of their interviews and checked out their webpages. For Christ's sake, I may have dyed my hair black and red, but I don't walk around 24/7 in gothwear & makeup. So who am I to judge?

But it still discomforts me. I don't like it when people feel a need to constantly repeat a label in reference to themself. It smells to me of insecurity and a need to reinforce in themselves and others that they "fit in" a particular category. They are doing this CONSTANTLY on the show, and I'm sick to death of the term already. He even says, "Oh my GOTH" at one point, seemingly without even thinking about it. Shudder.

Its just a pathetically desperate cry to fit in with the crowd is all. Some people are either too afraid to come up with their own ideas for their image, or just too lazy, so they just hop on their bandwagon of choice, in this case; gawth and you get what we have here in your thread.

[Head Wreck]

i keep getting my space add request from kynt.

gets annoying after a while

[GothicRavenGoddess (3)]

pink is okay, if its just a little, or neon, and still, only a little... i hate pink, but obsessed with the damn color.. maybe cuz its forbidden..... some ppl think that I look good in the color.. but... i have noticed that most ppl asociate the color with 'punk' or 'emo' who knows... im making this really rad shirt using a dark rose color material.. but its only a little, and its gonna look something like a short medeavil dress... sorry for all the misspellings... oh yes, on topic.. i dont watch tv that often, because of how the media portays 'goths' hell, i was 'goth' before i knew there was a word for the way i was dressing.. i was just called 'freak' hehehe.. oh well....

live, love, learn die

live, love, burn, die

[Shade Everdark]

Ummmmm which one is the male?

And anybody who says oh my goth needs a swift slap upside the forehead.

I'll go with that.

I prefer 'good heavens' or 'criminy', myself.

[Slept with ghost]

I'll go with that.

I prefer 'good heavens' or 'criminy', myself.

I stick to the ever classic bloody hell or I HAVE FURY!

[Fierce Critter]

I'll go with that.

I prefer 'good heavens' or 'criminy', myself.

Depending on the circumstances...

Holy shit!

Oh my fucking God (sorry, Steven)...

Son of a muther fucking bitch!

<--- daughter of a sailor who never cursed in front of me, so I can't blame him, nor say I "swear like a sailor."

Go figure. I used to try to curb my swearing, but I just don't give a rat's ass anymore.

/thread derailment

[Slept with ghost]

Depending on the circumstances...

Holy shit!

Oh my fucking God (sorry, Steven)...

Son of a muther fucking bitch!

<--- daughter of a sailor who never cursed in front of me, so I can't blame him, nor say I "swear like a sailor."

Go figure. I used to try to curb my swearing, but I just don't give a rat's ass anymore.

/thread derailment

Yeah seeing as how this thread went onto something else within a matter of post then something tells me those two are not going to hold people intrest enough to bring in the viewers. Wasnt there a midget on that show once? does that mean they are trying to upstage a midget with a couple of goth people?

[saechalyn]

I say good for them. I hope they win, with full makeup intact. hehe

[jadnifer]

Just seems funny to me that that is what "goth" is portrayed as now.

Like someone mentioned before wears the kind of clothes that these people are wearing on this show or people that tote rifles with trenchcoats.

Its sad really.

BTW: I agree with way TOO much pink!!! BLEECH!!!

[Destroit]

Yeeeeah...as someone who is more of the cybergoth/glam goth persuation versus what would be considered traditional goth (I used to run more along traditional...but for some reason something flamboyant happened in the past 3-4 years which created the sparkly day-glo Chernobyl you know now), I would have to definately say that they're glam, even too frilly for cybergoth really. To me, cybergoth is almost more in the middle of glam/trad plus vinyl. Personally I think they would look darling, sans pink of course. I they should have chosen purple or blue? I will say except the black, the outfits are hardly even goth, it's more of like 80's Party Monster Club Kid, surely it would make James St. James squeal in gay delight and wet himself on the spot.

I could see why people of more of the traditional goth persuation would be bothered by this. What we have here, DGNers, is a prime example of what Dave Chappelle would classify as "When Keepin' It Real Goes Wrong". The fact that they think they're goth-goth and are probably too ignorant to know any better pisses off a lot of people, the trad goths for the most part. What then takes place is the labeling of "poser" by the trad goths, yet the unassuming offenders still continue on with their pink clothing crusade, blissfully unaware of the damage they are causing to themselves. It gets worse. Since it's national television, the normies pick up on these two and begin to associate their style with goth, which in turn makes their particular brand of style, mainstream (since the mainstream audience has now associated it with the word/style of "goth"). It then becomes "goth" to traditional goths, instead of just goth, the quotation marks denoting that yes...there are now two more posers in your midst: poor little, fashionably inaccurate Vyxsin & Kynt. They are now destroyed in the scene, or should be, but their stupid little friends probably continue to think they're Oh My GOTH! either way. Creating, in turn, a goth tragedy - which indeed is an oxymoron to those of you who aren't so observant and didn't figure that out.

The moral of the story: Lighten up people, it's a tv show

[Scary Guy]

And anybody who says oh my goth needs a swift slap upside the forehead.

Does that include the band "Raized in Black"? Because I actually like them. Though that song was overplayed at one time now I hardly ever hear it so it's become obscure and good again (anyone who wants to argue that point is welcome to compare that song to the crap the scene puts out today, sans a *few* talented artists).

[DJ Nocker]

I dont understand why you guys are putting up such a fuss. They can easily be considered goth, just because they are wearing pink doesn't make it "glam" plus what about the rest of there clothes, who is being judgmental? Also half of the people on this site say they don't concider themselves to be goths anyways (which is retarded in the first place because your on detroitGOTHIC.net but ill leave that alone) so why do you care how the rest of society views the culture?

sorry just had to throw that out there, my post will prob be deleted anyways....

[saechalyn]

I dont understand why you guys are putting up such a fuss. They can easily be considered goth, just because they are wearing pink doesn't make it "glam" plus what about the rest of there clothes, who is being judgmental? Also half of the people on this site say they don't concider themselves to be goths anyways (which is retarded in the first place because your on detroitGOTHIC.net but ill leave that alone) so why do you care how the rest of society views the culture?

sorry just had to throw that out there, my post will prob be deleted anyways....

No don't be sorry, I was beginning to think it was just me. Some aquaintances of mine met Kynt and Vyxsin at convergence and said they are really sweet people; everyone I know or know of in the greater goth community seems excited for them. I don't understand why people here are getting all bent out of shape.

[DJ Nocker]

No don't be sorry, I was beginning to think it was just me. Some aquaintances of mine met Kynt and Vyxsin at convergence and said they are really sweet people; everyone I know or know of in the greater goth community seems excited for them. I don't understand why people here are getting all bent out of shape.

woot thanx!!!

[Fierce Critter]

I dont understand why you guys are putting up such a fuss. They can easily be considered goth, just because they are wearing pink doesn't make it "glam" plus what about the rest of there clothes, who is being judgmental? Also half of the people on this site say they don't concider themselves to be goths anyways (which is retarded in the first place because your on detroitGOTHIC.net but ill leave that alone) so why do you care how the rest of society views the culture?

sorry just had to throw that out there, my post will prob be deleted anyways....

A lot of people, including a LOT of people on this board, have a problem with lables, stereotypes, etc.

I personally don't have a problem with lables. I think it's a natural way of understanding who/what a person is and does.

I think a lot of people in the goth community don't like to lable themselves goth just because they don't like the negatives associated with the lable, negatives that, for the most part, are drummed up by society outside of the community itself.

I don't personally have a problem applying the goth lable to myself. Or the punk lable. Or even the depressed, suburban housewife lable for that matter. I'm all of that, all the time, in one aspect or another.

The problem I do have is when society at large gets ahold of one or a very few aspects of what "goth" is and run with it. And oftentimes, what they latch onto is the negative.

What I saw of Kynt and Vyxsin initially just from the first episode of TAR came off as very silly and very glam. And like I said, though I don't have a problem with lables myself, I do find it separatist and silly when someone constantly refers to any lable in reference to themselves.

To me, constantly referring to Kynt and Vyxsin as "Dating Goths" is as obnoxious as saying "Dating Jews" or "Dating African Americans." Goth may be a 24/7 way of life for this couple in particular. But not everybody out there in the goth community defines themselves solely by that term.

It's not the couple in particular I have the problem with. Like I said, I read an interview with both of them and, as self-proclaimed full-time goths go, they do give the term a good name. It's that this show will now enable the community at large to see "being goth" as an aberration or a trite, silly "phase" that we all "need to grow out of." Just as they also view "being goth" as wearing black trenchcoats, growing your hair so it covers your face, moping around, worshipping the devil, and going nuts and pulling guns from beneath your coat and blowing away students in your school.

Only one episode has aired thusfar. I'm hoping that, at some point, they settle down a bit and - despite the constant on-screen flashing of the term "Dating Goths," will start to just meld with the rest of the cast a bit and not make it seem like "being goth" is all about making a scene and being "different."