are you actually alt or are you just performing for the male gaze

part 1 of a few part series. idk there’s a lot to cover but basically i think so much of being alt or goth these days is so performative and disregards the actual subcultures these aesthetics arose from. like would you do it if you weren’t getting praised for being a goth baddie? that’s not very goth to me. doing thick winged eyeliner and posting it to a deftones song is the new norm i fear. arguably being alt or goth could be the new basic especially when its so surface level. also i think tying yourself to one specific aesthetic or identity is kind of redundant like you are more complex than just your ‘brand’ and wanting to dull yourself into one niche feels like a way to be more digestible which is a really common thing women have been taught to do to make themselves easier for men to like. there’s a difference between personal style based off lived experiences and dressing like every next pinterest board cos it’s trendy to listen to mazzy star and smoke straights again.