Monday, September 26, 2011

TBBS, or Timid Babybat Syndrome

Sorry for my absence over the last two days, yesterday I was ironing whilst watching Titanic on T.V and forgot about the time, and the day before I was reeeeeeeeeeeaaaalllllly tiered. 


This post is probably going to be written in short chunks, because my left arm hurts a LOT from getting my jabs to stop me getting illnesses when I go to India for Christmas (soooo exited! :) )


This is basically a sort-of response to this post by Cherish on her blog Babybat's Blog.       

Right. Many of you will be wondering what the hell TBBS (Timid Babybat Syndrome) is. Answer: I just made it up. Obviously. It pretty much covers all the timidness a babybat may encounter when joining the Gothic subculture. It can be split into two types: TBBS A and TBBS B. TBBS A covers timidness encountered when around other Goths, such as someone might feel when entering a Goth club for the first time, even if they aren't a babybat. TBBS B is when someone becomes afraid that they may be a Poseur. There is no known cure for either type.

Situations in Which One May Suffer from TBBS A



  • When going to a Goth club for the first time
  • When bumping into another Goth in the street 
  • When chatting to a Goth who is 'of a higher gothiness level' (by this I refer to the way we babybats are scared of goths who aren't babybats)

 Situations in Which One May Suffer from TBBS B

  • When experiencing the feeling (un)professionally known as the 'Victorian Walking the Dog', where you feel the need to dress in your best for even the most mundane of tasks, and worry you may be a poseur by refusing to dress ungoth.
  • When you find yourself liking bands others class as 'defiantly-not-goth'
  • When encountering a not-a-goth and thinking that you're only Goth if you proclaim your ungothiness
  • When discovering you don't like The Cure's music

Question: Do you/have you suffered from TBBS? If so, what type, and why? 




3 comments:

Cherish said...

Aisling, you got all my (and probably other babybats) problems all in one good post!

Commendations to you!

As I've said, I mainly suffer from TBBS A. Although there's a little of TBBS B on me too :(

Thanks for linking to my post :)

VictorianKitty (Sophistique Noir) said...

This post brought back memories for me. :) These feelings do pass in time, especially regarding the "Victorian Dog Walking" (I love that concept, btw!). In time, you gain confidence and learn when to care what others think of you and when not to care (contrary to how some Alt-type people think, I do believe there are times when you need to make *some* compromises in your look, but most of the time I say just do what you like!). You'll grow comfortable with how you express yourself, in time.

Anonymous said...

Oh yes, I suffer from TBBS type B. With perhaps a side of TBBS A. Mainly because I look awful in black and jewel tones and so avoid them in favor of ivory blouses (or screen printed tees) and black skirt, or gold dresses with a black chiffon overlay (it makes a lovely bronze color). And I prefer earthy greens and off-whites to gray, black and royal blue. Of course, I haven't really built up my wardrobe yet, but I'm hoping I'll become more confident over time.