Category: Musings

“During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries…The term ‘atheist’ was an insult. Nobody would have dreamed of calling himself an atheist.” – Karen Armstrong

As to historical injustices performed in the name of Religion versus those performed in the name of Atheism, the fact that Atheism has only been widely ALLOWED to be an even POSSIBLE belief system explicitly disavowing the existence of anything at all “Divine” for less than 300 years makes the comparison irrelevant, although the Pol Pot’s and Stalin’s of the world have certainly done their best to make up for lost time.

– Puppy >.< Yip!

– This isn’t entirely accurate.  It was meant more of as a slam against the pretentious, angsty, “rebel-without-a-clue”, and/or truly nasty people that revel in the lifestyle without caring that it’s all just bullsh1t to them because they’re using it for fun and they don’t actually believe in sh1t.

7/9/12: It is in fact accurate.  However, it is not precise.  My point was to say F you to that portion of the “goth” community that is described below.  I’m not saying it NOW…now, I just ignore them.  I wouldn’t walk up to a cockroach and insult it, by the same logic.  There’s really no point, and it would be a waste of (even a single) moment.

First, a historical and unbiased cultural appraisal.  Second, my experience with those that choose to label themselves “goth”.

– If you want this, look up “Gothic Subculture” on Wikipedia.  It’s irrelevant for my purposes here.

7/9/12: Or, if you want to, talk to some of them.  A person’s true nature usually comes out after brief initial pretenses that some have.  This is an option to consider, not a suggestion.

So, if all this is taken as true, a real “goth” is someone that
recognizes that we all have a dark side, isn’t afraid of that side, and
is disturbed by those that pretend they are somehow “better”
because they follow different ideals, dress differently, etc.

– You don’t need to dress in black and listen to mopey music to despise hypocrisy.  Come to think of it, EVERY subculture hates hypocrisy (supposedly, as is the case here).  We all know (except for the fanatical Puritans amongst us, of which there are FAR fewer than you would be led to believe) that everyone has a dark side, we all know some people who embrace it, some who deny it, some who just control it, some who are somewhere in the middle…it’s got nothing to do with gothique, sorry.  Gothique is a fashion statement, a trend, like 80’s new-wave hair and acid-wash jeans, nothing more.

7/9/12: Perhaps I went a little too far near the end.  But I believe my point is made fairly well.

This is, of course, propaganda.

– Why did I even need to say this???  That’s like saying “1 plus 1 is, of course, 2.”

7/9/12: Repetition.  The key to analysis.  Repetition.

In my experience with self-proclaimed “goths”, I have found that at
least 90 percent of them are either stupid, ignorant, malicious, greedy,
selfish, manipulative, users, abusers, addicts, “victims”(that is,
those that revel in being hurt, the “victim mentality”), fakes, or a
combination of two or more of these elements.

– MONTHS later…ditto.

7/9/12: I didn’t actually make a mathematical study out of it, but this is also accurate, if not precise.

Most “low-ranking” goths I have encountered like to dress in black
because it hides their bellies and emphasizes their bosom.  I mean, if
you weigh 250 pounds, a corset is BOUND to produce some cleavage.

– Ok, this is just mean.  And I’m not insulting overweight people.  I’m insulting the 90+ percent of the female “goths” that are overweight, because they’re all the nasty things listed above…not BECAUSE they’re overweight.  They simply can’t stand being ugly on the outside because there’s very little on the inside.

7/9/12:  See above, and if you have a feeling of Deja Vu when reading the last sentence look up “Jim Jarmusch” on Wikipedia for the explanation.

The “high-ranking” ones are those that have discovered the joys of
reality, be it via a real relationship, a family, etc…and they are a
bit amused by their past, seeing it as more of a post-adolescent angst
period than any real stage of development.

– Yup.

7/9/12: Or, they’ve incorporated the non-abusive/manipulative aspects into their lives.  Just as good.

The true goth, of which there are some, adheres closely to the
definition given above…that is, they admire darkness as well as light,
for are we all not dark in some way? 

– Uh huh.

7/9/12: 20,000 Leagues Deep.

I believe I can summarize the “goth” population as follows-
10 percent like George A. Romero’s ‘Night of the Living Dead’
because it is a bitter, biting social commentary on man’s tendency
to fight amongst ourselves and within ourselves.
90 percent like George A. Romero’s ‘Night of the Living Dead’ because zombies eat human flesh and it looks really cool.

– HAHA…yeah.

7/9/12: Not really all that funny, but I wanted to type “HAHA”.  And ‘Land’ is better.

-Puppy

– Yip!

In the interests of not-being-a-rat-unless-someone-betrays-me, I won’t state any names, but…

The predictable response to this will be “Well, you’re just jealous”. 
In a way, I am.
I find “goth” women, by and large (no pun intended) to be absolutely beautiful.  Physically.
However, when I’ve actually ventured into their minds, I’ve found
twisted car wrecks that inevitably out-wreck even my own…quite a
feat, since I’ve been institutionalized.
So yes, I’m jealous that so many beautiful female bodies are inhabited by so many UGLY “spirits”.  Quite sad, really.

– Oh well.  There ARE exceptions…but then again, not ALL human beings are born with a spleen.  Exceptions, you see.

7/9/12: More than that…but not all THAT much more.

The next response will be “Well, they don’t want you anyways”.
This is not true.
I spoke to several “high-ranking” goth women, who assured me they
viewed their “followers” as nothing more than amusing toys, and that
if I wanted to, I could rank quite highly among them.
I’m sure this would lead to lots of sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll…and, probably, happiness.
But only at the expense of morality and by using and abusing the weak, scared, hurt, and confused.
I don’t do that.

– Let me correct something…if someone is scared /weak/hurt/confused and is ALSO a scumbag…well…that’s a different story.  You can’t do fcked up sh1t and then go crying home to mommy…grow the hell up, ok?

7/9/12: This is concerning those that abuse/manipulate those that are “easy” to, but turn into utter cowards when confronted with a challenge.  “I don’t run away from bullies”.

I mean, I dated a “goth” that was a pure psychopath (unbeknownst to
me at the beginning) and justified this by saying “Well, I’ve been
horribly hurt, so I get to do it to others…”
This is tripe.  Michael Tripe.  HA!
I’ve been more hurt emotionally than the vast majority of these posers, but if I do something wrong, I take responsibility.
It’s called “growing up”.

– Not exactly accurate…and Michael Stipe isn’t as bad as I thought.  Musically.

7/9/12: Comparing pain isn’t really proper.  And I don’t know the man.

Many “goths” also tend to be Anarchists, Satanists, or LaVeyan Satanists.

– Not exactly accurate, and I forgot Atheists…but that’s neither here nor there.

7/9/12: Replace “Atheists” with “Crusading Disbelievers”.

Anarchists in the pure sense believe in complete and total individual freedom.
In practice, they believe in pretending to believe this to get what they want.
Much like Stalin used the idea of Communal Living “Communism” proposed by Karl Marx to enforce his Totalitarian will.
So most anarchists are exactly the opposite of what they claim.

– Again, there are exceptions…but real PURE “Anarchists” are about as common as “Pure” Psychopaths…that is, less than one percent.

7/9/12: I would say this is fairly accurate.

Satanists believe that everyone is their “Own God”.
That we don’t know what exists after death, so we must be true to ourselves and do what is right, here and now.
In practice, most Satanists believe that they are stronger than others
either physically or mentally, and so if religion is done away with
(e.g. ‘1984’ or ‘Brave New World’ or ‘Animal Farm’) then others, with nothing to hope for, will bow down before them and serve their goals,
which inevitably tend towards greed, manipulation, meaningless sex,
abuse, domination, cruelty, etc…

– This is not correct…it is in fact LaVeyan Satanists (see below) that believe this.  Real Satanists actually worship Lucifer, for reasons I understand but think are stoopid.  It’s not beyond me…I just think it’s stoopid.

7/9/12: “I’m glad you approve.” * “I do NOT “approve”…I understand.”

LaVeyan Satanists are those that are either REALLY stupid and
believe that you should BUY a MEMBERSHIP CARD to a religion
that advocates INDIVIDUALITY (Insert laugh track here)…
Or…
They are the ones collecting the money, thereby making them frauds, manipulators, and abusers of “weaker” minds.

– First comment dead-on funny…second one a bit over-reactionary, since it was meant as a joke and if someone WANTS to buy a joke, hey, there’s one born every minute…just ask LaVey.  And one positive point about LaVeyans: They believe that while you shouldn’t love everyone, you should be loyal and protective to/of those you CHOOSE to love, those that you deem worthy.  I agree.

7/9/12: The True believers, that is.  True believers are very difficult to find.

Basically most powerful “goths” prey upon people that have been
hurt or abused, telling them that they really care about them, and
inviting them to join a group…ANY group, because any group is better than nothing.

– Yup.

7/9/12: Repetition.  The key.

Sort of like Ed Norton’s character in American History X. 

– Bit of a stretch there…more like Cam.

7/9/12: Or, if they’re not very clever, the big fat guy.

Luckily, he woke up.

Oh…how many Hispanic, Black, Asian…ummm…Non-Caucasian “goths” are there?  Not many…
What does that say?  Oh, I dunno…
“Be tolerant of us!!!! You aren’t tolerant of us!!!!”
“Can I join???”
“No way man you’re black!”

– Uh huh.

7/9/12: There are a token few allowed “in” for plausible deniability purposes.

I mean, “goths” despising Society for the “Evils” perpetrated on them…
Well, should black people despise society for having been enslaved 150 years ago?
Should Jews hate society for Millenia of persecution?
I mean, grow the heck up, ok? 
Get over it.
Yeah, you’ve suffered.  A single tear rolls down my cheek.  GET OVER IT!

– Ditto.

7/9/12: The key.

Anne Gwish is a goth woman that has her own strip in the later part of the series. Her name is a pun on the word “anguish.” Her storyline is completely unrelated to Johnny’s, though she lives in the same fictional universe. The strips featuring her are largely a satire on goth culture’s tendencies towards pretension.

In most of her strips, you can find puns and parodies on gothic subculture. Like “Johnny the Hamicidal Maniac” (with Johnny as a
pig), “Ditchspade Symphony” (a parody of the band, Switchblade Symphony), “The Shmoe” (a rather obvious parody of The Crow, who proclaims “I stole this look from KISS”) and “The Dirtman” (a Sandman joke).

Vasquez ends the Anne Gwish strip with an aside comment,
“With just a touch of self-mockery,” due to his personal goth
lifestyle as well as the cultural category his comic books are
placed in.

In the back of the JTHM: Director’s Cut, (naming her
AKA “bitch”) it was revealed that Jhonen Vasquez liked the idea of
Anne Gwish being the “most physically attractive” of his characters,
as it “only frames more distinctly how HORRIBLE a person she is inside.” 

 (That’s Jhonen Vasquez, “hero” of the “goth” community, saying what he really thinks of most “goths”)

If you’re reading this because you disagree with the title, I would suggest the following…

Any argument I can make can probably be out-argued by you, because you’re so much smarter than I am in that “useless beyond-genius no-real-value Rain Man” sort of a way.

So just think about the following two quotes, and continue to worship Stephen Hawking as your Deity.

“You don’t understand, and you never will.” – Diane Chambers (A fairly logical character)

“Computers make excellent and efficient servants, but I have no wish to serve under them.” – Spock (Also, fairly logical)

This argument is just as blatantly flawed and self-serving (as it is made, of course, by those that are NOT in committed “relationships”) as the argument that it’s “wrong” to be with more than one person even if noone is hurt, that you shouldn’t have sex outside of marriage, that homosexuality is wrong, that one must wait 7 dates before having sex…and so on.  These arguments, of course, are made by those that adhere (or at least pretend to adhere) to the “wrong”-ness of choice.

Every Human Being is different.  To suggest that it is IMPOSSIBLE to truly WANT to be with only one person, for the sole reason of that is truly what YOU want, is absurd.  Simply because one cannot “understand” that desire, because one does not feel it themself, does NOT by definition mean that it cannot exist and that anyone that says that’s what they want is just “pretending” or “kidding themselves”.

The most ridiculous part of the argument AGAINST voluntary fidelity is that the people making it are completely disdainful of the other-side-of-the-coin argument (that you MUST be in a heterosexual, monogamous, married, etc etc etc relationship).

The reason I (And many people) don’t have random sex with any other attractive adult possible is NOT, as some might suggest, because I’m “repressed” or “afraid”. 

I’m not afraid of “Sinning”, I’m not worried about my ability to obtain sex, I don’t feel that it’s “wrong”, I don’t care about public perception…and so on.

The reason I don’t have sex with every attractive adult I COULD have sex with is because, quite frankly, I don’t want to.

From a logical perspective, I think everyone except those bent on sexual “conquest” to prove their virility would agree that the POINT of sex, apart from procreation, is PLEASURE. 

Therefore, the aspect to be considered is…what do I derive the most pleasure from?

Having had meaningless sex in the past, I’ve found that the empty, awkward, rather dull feeling that comes (no pun intended) immediately after the act is completed is FAR worse than the act itself is more pleasurable than just THINKING about it.  It just doesn’t make sense to spend SO much time trying to obtain something that, once obtained, becomes meaningless and leads you to think “Ok, who’s next?” if the feeling arising from the “success” of the attempt is, in fact, BAD.

Not to suggest that meaningless sex doesn’t feel GOOD…sure it does.  But the period and amount of pleasure achieved, for me, is just simply not worth the post-meaningless-act depression over the sheer meaningless-ness of it, the resources (Time, money for *insert foreplay meetingplace here*, etc) wasted, and so forth.

Sex with someone that I actually CARE about, at least somewhat, lacks these negative results and is therefore something to be strived for as a vastly superior option.

From a purely logical standpoint, for me, meaningless sex is just plain stupid.

It also displays an appalling lack of self-control, which, if you’re doing something you know will just make you feel worse afterwards, is akin to doing hardcore drugs (I assume, never had the urge to try) only this is a VOLUNTARY addiction, and hence lacks ANY sort of reasonable justification outside of the inability to control one’s most base animal instincts. 

I mean, if a wolf can be platonic, can’t a “superior” human?  It’s not a sign of weakness or herd mentality, it’s a sign of Self-Control, Logic, and Love.

Of course, if you actually feel GOOD after having sex with someone you care nothing about, and you both want to…go for it!  I won’t make the same pretentious, inane assumption that critics of Fidelity make by criticizing other people’s emotional  choices, as if I have any idea what it’s like to be inside their head.