This is something that I've been thinking about for a long time.

When I first went Goth, so to speak, my biggest fear was I'd go out with some friends, walk into a club, immediately be named a 'Poser' and then shunned from the community forever. Granted, that's a little dramatic, but I think you get what I'm trying to say.

The thing is, Most of the Goths I've met in real life are actually really cool. When I first started dressing in black clothing at my school, we started talking and found out how much we all had in common. Not once have I ever heard the word 'Poser' come out of anyone's mouth.

So my big question, is the term 'Poser' still relevant today? Have we reached a point where we're so much more open with people being Goth that the word is dying out?

I would say so. Then again, people do from time to time, imply it on others online. Some think they know more about goth than others and they assume it makes them goth and others poseurs. I think it has died out for the most part. When you speak with real people face to face things are a lot different. Goths you meet in person seem much more realistic.

To me, a "poser" is someone who thinks they are the gothiest of all goths, treats people like shit, looks down on someone who dresses less expensively than they do, and pretends to know everything about goth when in fact, they don't.

People who claim to be elite when they are, in fact, nothing.

People who use this arrogant facade to cover up the fact they have shitty personality traits.

People who claim to be better than others because of their knowledge and gothyness who then proceed to say some of the dumbest shit imaginable.

People who lie about who they are, live a fake life, and continuously pretend to be something they aren't.

That, my friend, is the profile of a poser......

Maybe I am just getting old, but I equate the term "poser" with immaturity. It's like calling someone a poopy head.

~spidey

I feel that the word "poser" is used towards a younger crowd of people that dress in a darker fashion in order to simply get attention. With little knowledge of the sub-culture, they abuse the idea and try to fulfill the negative stereotypes.

...At least in my timeline, that is what it was.

I haven't heard the word used in-person/IRL since I was in middle school, which was where it was thrown around by everyone as an everyday insult [not a "goth" thing per say] so I've always emotionally associated the word with immature little preteens.

In an era without the mallgoth phenomenon it seems pretty irrelevant.

Yup, relevant. Subculture is a VERY loose term and anyone trying to fit too hard into some stereotypical, non-existent rules or trying too hard to embrace "being dark like satan's backside" and bragging about it posing as something you're not for others to see and hear about it.

however, most people don't really use this term, as there is no point. If someone who is no longer a young-teen and acts like s/he was the darkest, most original, gothiest, saddest, most emotional being on earth most people will simply ignore this person. It is very much like with those "BRUTAAAAL" metalheads, who speak of nothing but which bands are "real metal" and which are not worth the name (even if even nightwish is technically metal...). Embrace only the most goresome genres and generally are ready to insult you if you can't name a single song from Dark Funeral and you admit to liking Manson and the very thought of being in subculture makes them blow up with pride for an unknown reason.

I find the word poseur too overrated and is silly, yet people tend to use it a lot incorrectly by looks or opinions based on stereotypes and not the true meaning of it.

Most of time 99.9% I wouldn't even bother saying it and the 1% is that I would take it seriously it if its neccessary.

In my opinion and my point of view......

Poseur is best described as a insult or epitaph to say at someone who thinks they know everything and not respecting the actual music which is connected to the history of it, believes the music is Goth by the media and acting boorish calling other poseurs for their own superiority and so called authenticity and criticising others for the trivial things, than being themselves and being ignorant over people's different choices such as dressing to the nines when they are actually respectful to the culture or if they don't like tons of Goth bands and like only some.

Let's just say....... I will call a spade a spade if said spade is being an asshole.

I don't care what music culture or subculture one belongs to, or how much/how little one knows about it, the rule stands......
Respect is given to those who deserve it, not demand it.
Be respectful to others, and you'll be treated in turn.

I agree with that point, centurion. I respect others who are kind regardless of what culture they are, but I dislike negative people who would be considered as a asshole.

In my reply to my opinion. I mean it in a way, that its used incorrectly by some teens or ignorant people. I see it as more of constructive criticism by other Goths which explains they can point out that wearing black doesn't make someone a Goth and other common mistakes such as makeup isn't important etc to fix them into what makes your own person and what you feel comfortable within the culture.

I think relating to Fawila's comment about the metal scene, I think the one guy who would fit that description would be Kanwulf of the German black metal band Nargaroth.

Search for any interviews with this guy and he goes on long rants and tirades about the "true spirit of black metal", has half a dozen stories about his crazy "antics" all over the place, but according to a lot of people who know him, he's a joke....

What kind of guy has to lie about the history of his own band in order to get people to take him seriously???

He got his face punched in once by Wolf of Absurd for running his mouth.....

I know someone like that. He downloaded music to show off with it, while he don't really know any of it (just ask about something he has shown you - after two days he'll be asking what it is...), he brags about getting into affair on some black-metal gig (wow...he got laid, lets talk about for the next 10 years until it'll happen again...), claims to have burned church and considers himself to be best drummer ever and dreams of career while no-one believed when he said he was playing for past 6 years (it was 4 years ago, nothing changed). Also, he can't decide if he wants everyone to like him or if he should be rude to his few friends, so he keep changing his track and cries when he's drunk. Here, image of an ultimate poseur.

I watched little bits of the (Ash aka Kanwulf) interview. He seems to claim that the internet is affecting the scene and dislikes it, even he has a webpage.

According to Fawila's reply, I'd say that would be a accurate and appropriate way of describing a poseur.

It's almost become old-timey, like kook or something...

gotta love people like this, they're always fun


Coming back to the first post - I doubt anyone in goth club would think about someone else as a poseur, unless this person criticised others and made a point of showing his gothic-ness. After all when going clubbing most people dress to impress, to feel good, have fun and go slightly over the top. Can't help but love it