Introducing twoth

A few months ago, Leslie "Lollyhag" DS dropped the following comment:

""Oh, don't be so twoth"

The word stuck, and we decided to make 2008 the year of twoth.


First, some etymology.

Twoth is a portmanteau based on "twee" and "goth". Therefore, it is pronounced \'twoth\. It has nothing to do with a bad neologism for "second" (two-th).


Then, some brief (and thus not especially accurate) background.

The goth subculture emerged from post-punk in the early 1980es, with bands such as Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Sisters of Mercy and many, many, (far too) many more. Besides the music, the scene was usually characterized (with a teensy bit of caricature) by victorian-inspired black clothes, heavy make-up, morbid imagery, and a overwhelming sense of self-importance that left little place to humor. Try to (pretend to) think about death on a 24/7 basis, we'll see whether you'll want to smile.

The twee (understood here as a synonym to indie-pop) subculture is also an heir of postpunk, albeit slightly younger by a few years. As no special equipment is needed (anoraks and dufflecoats were not even really mandatory in the late 1980es), the scene tends to be more diverse. Or is it just an illusion ?


In any case, the concept of twoth comes as the conjuction of those two subcultures. It's too cutesy or not angsty enough to be goth, it's too dark to be twee, it's basically whatever you want. Yeah, that pomo.

Some examples:

• Lolligags : twoth. The designs are indubitably twee, the concept is goth.

• The Buddy System's Clap paws: twoth, for exactly the same reasons. I mean, a depressed/asocial monster which loathes flowers and fishes ? So goth. Check the videoclip, you'll understand.

• Miyazaki's kodama : twoth. It could be goth, but it's far too cute. A Hello Kitty dressed in black achieves the same effect.
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• The guy in the picture: twoth. The "665.5 Twee As Satan" HHBTM's shirt, the Abigail tatoo, no problem, this guy listened a lot of Bauhaus during his younger years. Er, yes, that's me.

• Georgette, the goth waitress from the latest Tullycraft album Every Scene Needs A Center: twoth. She tries to be goth, got the complete outfit, but completely misses the point.
  

• Till we are on Tullycraft: they are a twee band, and their latest album has a lot of references to goth/pseudo-goth: that's twoth.
  

Anyho.

Now that the concept has been set, we will play around that all year long. Stay tuned !