SO FUCKING GOTH

A character study because I got fucking bored.

Raven Madison is goth. We already know this. She's over-the-top Goth. But what Goth means to one person might mean something else to another person.

Without going off on some tangent, I (the writer) don't look like a Goth and I don't listen to a lot of what you'd consider "classic Goth" music.

Raven's a challenge for me because even though I play her rather well and just kind of get her as a person, I am probably not someone, at first glance, you'd consider "Goth". I do have a lot of appreciation for what makes Goth so "iconic", though, and I'm a sucker for that whole aesthetic. There's so many different types of Goth and there's so many different ways to do it.

The main thing about Goth, is it's about self-expression. There's not really one right or wrong way to do it, unless you're telling people that they're not Goth because they don't wear enough black or their eyeliner isn't extravagant, enough. Then, you're just a gatekeeping asshole and that's not very "punk rock" of you, I daresay.

How I Envision Raven

Raven, in the series, kind of starts off as an extravagant Goth. She likes bold, daring looks. She'll 100% wear a corset to school if she can get it to fit within the confines of her school dress code. And you think I'm kidding, but I went to high school (in MONTANA, mind you) with a girl that literally wore corsets in her everyday outfits and she never got in trouble for it. I had mad respect. I think the use of corsets alone gives you the general idea of what we're working with.

Fishnets, corsets, colorful streaks in the hair, black lipstick, these were (and still are) staples in Raven's wardrobe.

Honestly, my playby for Raven (Lauren McKnight) kind of plays a part in how I play Raven in her adult years. I like Lauren's face the most out of all the people I've used for Raven's likeness - she just fits the mental image I have for Raven, the best.

Some of her outfits are very "Goth", some of them are not exactly what one person would call "Goth", but I personally can see an element of it so if it fits, I'll use the picture. Since Raven's aunt Libby is a hippie and has evidence of being a bit "witchy", I've incorporated elements of "witchy Goth" into my Raven's wardrobe, which kind of strays from the traditional "black on black" we so commonly associate with Goth.

How Raven's "Goth Level" Manifests

Being Goth does not mean you have to wear all black, all the time. There are people like the Cyber-Goths, who wear bright neon colors like lime green and hot pink. There's the Victorian goths who like all their lace and poet shirts. There's the traditional Goths that like the "80s rocker" look with the teased hair, white facepaint, and heavy eyeliner.

Like I said, there's no real right or wrong way to do Goth. It's all a matter of personal preference.

You have "Bubble/Pastel Goths" that like wearing baby pink colors - the artist Kerli from Estonia is arguably the queen of that subculture. She's famous for bringing a bright twist to an otherwise dark subculture.

Melanie Martinez is also a great example of "bubble goth", though her style has a bit of a lolita twist with the 'baby doll' elements. Large bows, big puffy sleeves, not much black... Melanie likes bright, soft colors but she has a certain element of darkness to her music. I mean, have you seen her video for "Tag, You're It"? The colors, however bright or dark, are all kind of muted or desaturated. It's eerie and downright creepy. But we kind of love it?

Personally, I think Raven kind of combines a lot of the styles for her own personalized look, which is really what the Goth aesthetic is about - freedom of expression.

Perhaps she'll mix pastel and romantic for a more refined, soft look. The next day she might wear things that are a bit more dramatic and "steampunk". Some days she looks like your average "punk kid", wearing funky layers and studded or spiked belts.

One day, she might be channeling some serious "Stevie Nicks" vibes, dressing in more bohemian garb. Free-flowing dresses, comfortable things, natural makeup with maybe a touch of black lipstick or black eyeliner (but not both at once because that'd probably be overkill).

Who Does Raven Idolize?

Raven pulls a lot of her personality and looks from a variety of famous "Goth" women, but her top five I think would be:

1. Anne Rice
2. Siouxsie Sioux
3. Elvira, Mistress of the Dark
4. Morticia Addams
5. Amy Lee from Evanescence

Raven worships Anne Rice. To her, Anne Rice is a paragon of Goth excellence, and aside from Raven's intense appreciation for the 1931 Dracula (with Bela Lugosi), Anne Rice had a huge part of shaping Raven's self-identity (and obsession with vampires but we're not here about that). I won't say specifically if Anne Rice was her "gateway drug" into Goth subculture, because Raven probably didn't get into Anne's work until she was almost a teenager.

As for Siouxsie Sioux, it's likely Siouxsie had a major hand in introducing Raven to the Goth subculture of music. Raven was born when CDs were taking over where cassettes left off and vinyls were becoming near-obsolete to anybody that wasn't "Boomer Age". Siouxsie would have lead her to The Cure, 69 Eyes, Switchblade Symphony, the Killers, maybe David Bowie if she wasn't already listening to him and Queen via her parents. As the 2000s came, Raven would have gotten into artists like Evanescence, My Chemical Romance, AFI, Hawthorne Heights, and other bands like blink-182 or Simple Plan.

Back to the subject, Elvira and Morticia would have been a massive part of Raven's childhood. The Addam's Family is pretty family-friendly as a television program (albeit morbid and weird) so I doubt Raven's parents would have had a problem with her watching it, but it certainly fed into the developing eccentricity. Morticia is not a conventional mom by any means but she loves her children regardless and encourages them to be themselves.

As for Elvira, if you've seen any of her movies or videos, you'd know Elvira tends to be a bit on the campier side but she's still bold and confident. Elvira doesn't really care what anybody thinks of her, and she's clever. She doesn't let men think she's easy or that they'll get something out of her just because she has obvious sex appeal. She's funny, but she's also fierce.

Raven definitely picked up some of these characteristics from Elvira. She dresses how she wants to dress, and if guys can't keep their mouths shut or their hands to themselves, they'll find out that the bird's got a beak and won't hesitate to peck your eyeballs out or bite the shit out of your hand.

When it comes to Amy Lee, she's an icon. I can't go over a post like this and not mention her. I think Raven definitely got some of her fashion points from Amy Lee.

Bottom line, Raven has spent almost her entire life cultivating her particular brand of "Goth" and she is not a fan of gatekeepers saying she has to wear such-and-such to be considered "a true Goth", because that totally defeats the true meaning of what Goth is.

It doesn't matter to her how extravagant or simple you are about the culture or the lifestyle. You like what you like, you dress how you dress. And yes, perhaps "being Goth" might be "just a phase" for some people. You don't have the same style as you grow older. Time changes everything, and now that Raven is grown, perhaps she's softened her approach to her aesthetic but there's always going to be that "je ne sais quoi" in her style because it's something near and dear to her.

Even when she chooses to dress like a "Jedi Knight", her heart still belongs to the "Sith Lords".