How it gets listened to and appropriated, what influences it has and proliferates, how it's sold, who makes it, and why.
>How about proto-Goth?
Try Bauhaus. Totally different vibe.
>Metallica
>is now like Madonna and Mickey Mouse: a top US export.
Absolutely, and I've quite disliked everything they've done since their self-titled album. That's immaterial, though. If you can't tell the difference between goth and heavy metal (or at this point, pop), won't it just be a *tad* difficult to develop a penetrating analysis of what goth is and how it works? Most importantly, won't it be impossible to develop an analysis of how goth did or didn't contribute to the Littleton murders?
Or does reading the lyrics of a song tell you everything you need to know to make your argument?
--J