5. Goth Cruise
Jeanie Finlay's Goth Cruise (2008) is an intriguing look at the U.S. and U.K. goth subcultures. The film follows goths on a Caribbean cruise and offers numerous insights about their musical tastes, style and fashion tendencies, body image, and values. The film is the best on this list in terms of how it parallels the worlds of the goths and other mainstream people (who are referred to as "norms" by the goths). What's quite remarkable about this comparative aspect of the film is the fact that the goths, even in the face of negative reactions of the "norms," are quite content with their own self-image and sense of self. One of the key points that we learn about subcultures is that many are composed of some of the most ethical and non-judgmental people. This point is often missed as many of us are inclined to react negatively about what we note in people on the surface instead of trying to get to know them and see what lies deeper, inside their character.
Scott A. Lukas
Contributor
Scott A. Lukas has taught anthropology and sociology Lake Tahoe Community College for sixteen years and in 2013 was Visiting Professor of American Studies at the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany. He has been recognized with the McGraw-Hill Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching of Anthropology by the American Anthropological Association (2005), the California Hayward Award for Excellence in Education (2003), and a Sierra Arts Foundation Artist Grant Program Award in Literary–Professional (2009). In 2006, he was a nominee to the California Community College Board of Governors. He is the author/editor of The Immersive Worlds Handbook (2012), Theme Park (2008), The Themed Space: Locating Culture, Nature, and Self (2007), Fear, Cultural Anxiety, and Transformation: Horror, Science Fiction, and Fantasy Films Remade, (co-edited with John Marmysz, 2009), Recent Developments in Criminological Theory (co-edited with Stuart Henry, 2009), and Strategies in Teaching Anthropology (2010). His book Theme Park was recently translated into Arabic. He appeared in the documentary The Nature of Existence and has provided interviews for To the Best of Our Knowledge, The Huffington Post UK, The Daily Beast, The Washington Post, and Caravan (India).
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