What Did the Gothic Counterculture Have to Do With the Columbine High School Shootings?

The Effect of the Finger-Pointing

Combining those who consider themselves social outcasts, the gothic counterculture has made an impact on society since the early 1980s. In the days, weeks, and, now, years following the Columbine High School
 shootings, the identity of the gothic culture has been misrepresented and misconstrued in the media. As the two young killers were identified in the news as being part of the gothic culture, the culture immediately became the media's scapegoat. The blame in the media translated to a blame in society, leaving a lasting impact both on the minds of America's public and on the lives of those within the gothic culture. Through the finger-pointing and unverifiable connections produced by the media, America's general population turned its blame upon the gothic culture for the Columbine High School shootings, forever tarnishing the gothic persona by installing an ignorant framework of the gothic culture in the mind and in the eyes of Americans looking for the cause of such evil.

 
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Columbine really did spread paranoia throughout America. Because of the media many innocent kids were put through Hell following those tragic events. I am the same age as the Columbine killers, I remember everything like it was yesturday. After the shootings every kid that was a little "different" (including me) got pulled into the principle's office, we were put on some seceret "list". Our parents were called, the types of clothing we wore were banned (like marilyn manson t-shirts). We were forced to see the school psycholigist, our lockers were searched, and I even remember a few jocks ganging up on a goth boy and beating him up. All that over the media scapegoating rock music and "goth".

Posted on 04/21/2009 at 9:04:43 AM

This is an interesting thoughtful article about the press as the " Middle-Class High Priests of America". It is interesting how they can create hysteria, at will against non-conformists in our society. It is so easy to assume that the conspiracy theory does in fact exist (it doesn't), when you can see such a orchestrated media campaign being raged against the "goths". I followed punk music when I was younger, but I never got into the goth stuff. I was more a political punk than that. I followed the Columbine incident as much as I could. To me it was interesting that a white middle class school was as, or even more fractured then many black communities.

Posted on 10/30/2008 at 1:10:49 PM

Sorry, that was in reference to godhatesgoths.

Posted on 04/28/2008 at 1:04:24 PM

Realy? They have a pretty realistic front, and there are plenty of "Christians" who believe it.

Posted on 04/28/2008 at 1:04:39 PM

Wow. that is something very intresting... I myself dont like goths... but.... idk.. guess there is nothing wrong with being diffrent from the rest? good job. you really did do your homework on this.

Posted on 12/18/2007 at 8:12:27 AM

to j.smith, that god hates goths site is a joke, one of the pages on there explains it, they were making fun of people who don't understand the subculture.

Posted on 11/16/2007 at 9:11:00 PM

Simply beautiful, someone should send this to those overreactionists there at godhatesgoths.com, to let them know they were wrong about Columbine. The kind of sweeping stereotyping and hatespeech they spread makes me sick, moreso because i'm a Christian. It makes me mad when other people claiming to believe what i believe spread such hatred.

Posted on 09/22/2007 at 10:09:00 AM

I like the thesis of this article. Nice topic, nice angle, nice job.

Posted on 05/03/2006 at 9:05:00 PM

I like that you did your homework on this. It brings attention to the media's effect on society. The nation at large sided with the media without really taking a look at the facts.

Posted on 04/18/2006 at 3:04:00 PM

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