Some people enjoy labelling themselves — they enjoy being recognised as
not part of the status quo, as part of something opposed to it — they
purposely make a “political” statement by stereotyping themselves. Yeah,
maybe in its extremes its puerile, but it’s natural. I went through it.
Most intellegent, independent people I know went through some kind of it
as well. And, to this day, many of us are concerned with image and gothic clothing fashion
and how we dress — not overly so, but it’s part our lives, because how
you appear and carry yourself is an important expression of your
personality. And, when you concern yourself with the clothes you wear, when you
actually choose clothes because of the image they seem to fit, then aren’t
you playing to stereotypes? Aren’t you willfully identifying yourself with
some sort of image or segment of society, even if it is mainstream,
convservative, whatever?
It’s all part of life, although certainly not all of it — just a
smallpart, in fact — and people like you who rail against all labelling
are rather denying reality. But, I often have found that people who take
your line are the ones who wear jeans with their butt cracks showing and
bad V:tM t-shirts, and who think dressing as a Klingon is cool. Either
that, or people who have been on the “alternative” scene a while, are a
little tired of all the posturing, and are reacting to it — this,
however, being a reaction, is still a sign that you have some to learn,
that you’re not quite free of the whole “freak” label. — Basically, let
people enjoy and play out their “freak” phase; it’s all part of the
process of individuation, at least ideally. And, what, would you rather
they dressed in Levi’s and baseball caps, drove pickup trucks and beat up
than call themselves “freaks” or gothic ?
