I've known (and still know) a lot of people within the subculture that once were poseurs. This thread is intended for sharing your poseur stage; how it started, ended, and what you have taken from it.

Sometime in the middle of last year, my boyfriend James and I went together to the Madison Square mall in Huntsville. I had always been intrigued by Hot Topic, but had always been to introverted to venture forth. With James there, however, I felt secure enough to finally step across the line. Stepping into Hot Topic, I saw so many different poseurs walking about the store. I don't recall exactly what I purchased that day, but seeing all those strange, different, and 'badass' clothes certainly inspired me to dress as such.

I spent about fifty dollars on a pair of bondage pants, but every time I'd wear them, I'd simply feel out-of-place; as if something didn't seem right. My poseurism continued for a few months; listening to HIM and Korn, loitering inside Hot Topic, the complete package.

I believe it was my parents' divorce that inspired my freedom, my shedding of the chains -self-induced and otherwise. I won't go into details about the divorce, but I do believe it shock-started my soul and gave me the long-needed courage and inspiration to express myself. Free from my bastardous father, free to be an artist, I joined the gothic.net forums.

The gothic.net forums were an absolute heavensend for me. I came looking for acceptance, but I left looking for nothing. As the user arc_avalo, I began a new life there. I ended up trying to pinpoint time and time again the true nature of the gothic subculture, and my opinion changed so many times that I wasn't certain of hardly anything. After a minute situation, I posted a rant about how 'corrupt' the whole damned place was and abandoned it. After a matter of mere weeks, I came back under a different username, Draconysius. It was there I continued to search for meaning and definition, but this time, however, I was much wiser.

This time, I didn't seek to prove a point, or fit in. This time, I sook intelligent argument, expression, and friendship. I had learnt so many anew aspect in such a short period. I explored deathrock, post-punk, and darkwave music, explored gothic literature, Victortian fashion, art, and eventually just accepted that I am involved in the gothic subculture, but never again will I refer to anyone I respect (including myself) as "goth". Stereotyping leads only to self-destruction and frustration. I have mainly experience to thank, but I also thank the many courteous and open-minded patrons of gnet for their honest opinions and constructive criticism.

I can learn much from my poserusim. I'm quite thankful I experienced it, for it would've happened eventually. I can now travel enlightened, open-minded, and free. My self-construed chains of insecurity now lay at my feet.

I suppose I'll get a tattoo of a raven with chains lying at its feet, eventually. It would be a beautiful reminder of all the experience I've endured; some positive, some negative, but all productive.

I never really went through a poseur stage, a better description would be a gradual maturity in both muscial tastes and behavior. There was a short time, maybe a couple of months, where I tried a bit too hard, but that was mostly limited to wearing spiked bracelets ALL the time and referencing Throbbing Gristle or Bauhaus at any given opportunity.

yes, I went through something similar to Wintermute really, I never did anything extreme, though I disagree that by "labelling" yourself as a Goth leads to self-destruction and frustration (at least in my case it doesn't)

My poseur stage was basically a metalhead (not much nu, actually more 80s thrash and death) who liked Bauhaus along with Metallica and Judas Priest and wore the same thing EVERY day (Black jeans and shirt) with maybe a couple small items from Hot Topic. Then it went into more of an "emo" direction for an incredibly short time, then it ended. I matured prett quickly (thankfully) and luckily I didn't waste too much money at Hot Topic. However, even though I did enjoy the music at the time and various other things (like the people I was hanging out with), I just still felt out of place. Now that its all over, I've just about found that place and those people. My poseur phase was "confused denial" I guess you could say.

I never really went through a poseur stage, as much I fell desperately in love with Goth and wanted everyone to recognise me as such.

I was never super angsty or did the white make-up, black nail polish thing. I just dressed in all black and listened to a lot of Goth music and was just generally very interested with the darker side of things. The Gothic philosophy of not judging people on superficail grounds was also something that I supported strongly.

My situation was that I always loved the Gothic culture but my parents were super conservative and I never even dared to try to dress or act like a Goth, until one day I decided that I was going to do so.

The point is that I never did it for attention but for the love of Goth itself. And the only reason I wanted to be recongised as a Goth is because it aggrivated me to hear people calling all of these pseudo-intellectual wanna-be-dark-philosphers Goth when there was nothing strictly Goth about them.

I don't think I'm being very clear in what I mean, but maybe someone can relate.

Wintermute? The same Wintermute as is on Warseer.net?

Poseurism...never really did. I've always been fairly understated,

I gradually grew into goth, so I didn't really have a poseur stage. I've been wearing dark colors, reading gothic literature, and watching horror movies since I was a kid. However, Tuscaloosa isn't well known for it's worldliness or it's record stores, so I didn't find out about the music or the subculture until I was in high school (which is around the time that internet access became a common thing). Then everything just kind of clicked and I had new bands to try out, and, well, I was goth.

I never had a poser stage in the goth subculture, but in my old age I am now a rockabilly poseur.

Yes, it's true. I have jumped on the bandwagon just so I can hang out with my roommate more. I like the culture and the music, but never would I have sought it out all on my lonesome.

Rest assured, however, that all of my supposed "gothiness" is safely bubbling just under the surface of my "Lucky 13" exterior.

~spidey

I remember two weeks when I definitely was trying too hard. But it was mainly because I am a person who tends to exaggerate a little before moving onto a more "healthy" scale... a little bit of learning, I guess. I stopped when I realised that wearing torn fishnets, high boots, a skirt that ended just above the knee and a corset top with a lot of make- up just would give me unwanted attention. Now I dress like the way I feel when I wake up in the morning. Sometimes it's all black, other times I might do something entirely different. Why not? I feel great and I'm getting compliments for my unique, but elegant style. I'm genuinely myself and love it.

Nope, sorry.

Not sure if I was a poseur because I never called myself a Goth. All though, I was a stupid boy who was sad so I went to buy black clothes and listen to Evanescence and thought I was hardcore. I listened to Goth bands like Bauhaus and SOM but that's it. I thought Metal was Goth... I ditched Bauhaus and SOM for KORN, Slipknot and whatever else that was metal because I hung out with Metal heads and now I know the truth. I don't dress in black to fit in with them, I also don't lie about my tastes in music. Yeah, that's right. I love Indie, Trance, and Goth. :p


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I never went through a poseur stage. I never changed or anything. I've always been into darker things since childhood and even as a child I loved 70s punk, new wave, New Romantic and the more well known goth bands (though I didn't know it was goth at the time). When I got older and found out about the goth subculture I didn't change, I just started going to the clubs and expending my tastes in music and later on getting more and more into industrial and EBM (which I hated at first).

This topic reminds me of the Things you did when you were a more naive 'Goth' thread.

I'm just a Dorky Goth. One day I'll be all into the image, next day I'll just throw on whatever, have my hair/makeup however. Actually, my nails are bright green with sparkly glow-in-the-dark nailpolish over top, UBER GOTH! But as far as poseur stages, well there was the whole Slipknot-loving thing, but then again, I had liked Slipknot for YEARS before I ever tried to be goth. People still think I'm a Satanist, but I never was. I still hear "666!" When I walk down the hall, but doesn't bother me, because those people started trying to be goth after it had become a fad.

I'm not a "goth" at the moment. Actually, I'm fairly preppy, with my bright polo shirts and tan cargos. The philosophy, acceptance, and music got me curious, however, so I'm probably going to become a poser within the next month or so!

I never went through a poseur stage. I went pretty much from listening to U2, Scissor Sisters, The Rasmus and Black Eyed Peas to a full-blown Sisters of Mercy and Inkubus Sukkubus-loving goth :p

However, while discovering all the classic goth bands, I also got into some 'pseudo-goth' acts like HIM and Nightwish, and older metal bands like Iron Maiden, all of which I still love and listen to now. So, although I never really went through a transitional poseur stage, some of the bands I'm into are often associated with that wannabe-goth scene.