Kyle Springman, a college freshman who attends Oklahoma City University, said, "Mass media has a negative portrayal of the Gothic sub-culture. It focuses more on the anger and aggression that is popular among anti-social angsty teens." Springman added, "I don't think that's all that the Gothic sub-culture has to offer at all. Most Goths that I know are pretty dang nice people."

Most have expressed plain annoyance or irritation over the fact that Goths are generally presented in a negative light by mass media, while others are simply accept it with some disappointment.

Quite a few of those adhering to the Goth label have even experienced antagonistic attitudes from others, as a result of the stereotypes attached to them. Those of the alternative subcultures are often the subjects of name-calling and bigotry.

"I get called 'Satanist,' 'Rebel,' 'Darkie,' and 'Vampire'," reveals Borton.

Lunde further explains that she has often "been ridiculed" for her clothing/musical tastes, and has even "been rejected by about two or three churches in my life because of what I like, what I wear, et cetera."

Some, like Matthew Carroll, 18-year-old resident of England, who is both an outspoken Goth and Christian, says that his joyful attitude often surprises others. Carroll said that "people look surprised when I smile at them. . . or when I say something jovial to a shop assistant. . . People are often surprised to find out I'm a Christian, generally quite a happy person, and a Goth at the same time!"

Many feel that the negative stigmas attatched by the media to the Goth culture could create more problems in the future. Said Borton, "This just creates sterotypes, which causes teasing, which causes more problems, which could lead to more shootings."

Some, like Springman, believe that incidents like the Red Lake massacre will cause people to target unconventional musical acts who are often mistaken for being Goth groups. "They may even try going after a popular controversial artist or group, such as Slipknot or Korn or Marilyn Manson," he said. "Something like that wouldn't surprise me."

Still others feel that the nation is experiencing cycles of conformity and non-conformity, and that soon, the thrill of the alternative community will fade.

Arthur Foxx holds this view, explaining that "we've probably got another 5-10 years left, in which time we'll continue to embrace individualism and being different. . . and then we'll settle back into being the same while still claiming to care about difference and individualism."

Foxx continued, "Then in another 5-10 years, people will start embracing the identity of the outcast again. There's kind of an ebb and flow to these things."

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