As a punk, my disdain for goths was challenged upon moving to NYC, where I was forced to admit some of the looks were pretty cool (I blame Hot Topic-style mall gothery for my bad first impression). A year ago, I lost all claim to goth derision when I found myself searching Etsy for pretty cameo jewelry and nearly had an identity crisis wondering if I was a “late-in-life-goth.” (Have no fear, I simply had a dress that required some Victorian flair.) I think a large portion of goth-mockery is rooted in inane subculture competitiveness, but I think the perception of goths as humorless doesn’t exactly help.

Nothing could be further from the truth! Take this comic operetta and short film from New York performance artist Joseph Keckler; a working stiff longs for his days as a teen goth and suddenly finds himself descended into the blackness of his youth (and all the poorer for it—it’s not a look for the broke). The video is really funny of course, but you also have to admire Keckler’s composition and performance. He wrote and sang the entire number, and it’s really technically impressive, not to mention… kind of beautiful? That German dialect! That romantic bass! It’s enough to seduce anyone towards the darkside! Bela Lugosi lives!
 

 
Via VICE