Don't Be Afraid of The Dark
Site caters to those who walk on the dark side
By BETTIE PUDGE
Do you tend to wear black lipstick, nail polish or eyeliner regardless of your gender? Do you listen to music where the lead singer primarily warbles about how depressing life and love is? Do you tend to express your best thoughts and feelings into poetry, lyrics, tattoos/piercings, artwork or via your appearance? Do you wear black on the outside because black is how you feel on the inside? Are you lonely and feel there isn't anyone out there who could possibly understand you? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, I have THE site for you: www.gothicpersonals.com.
I discovered this little gem of a site through my sinister-looking-yet-surprisingly-peppy friend Josh. He already was a member and had told me that he'd met some interesting and intriguing artistic-types here in Las Vegas via the site. I'm all for meeting people, men and women, who don't fit any sort of mold and walk to their own drumbeat. I perused the site and found it to be most different. I joined right away!
The first thing you might notice about Gothic Personals is the quality of the people. It's not very likely that you're going to find many of these folks on Match.com or eHarmony. The guys and gals on here have something in common: a love of most things dark and different -- things that aren't popular or mainstream. Tattoos, piercings, pale skin and dark clothing run rampant. Most members have an appreciation for the arts (poetry, music, photography, etc). Outward appearances aside, the people are some of the most friendly, warm and genuine you will ever meet.
Here's one of the reasons I love this site: It was started by a guy who wanted to give folks a free and viable alternative to what else is out there. Did you read me right? Yes, I said the site is FREE! A paid membership is actually optional here. For $3 a month you get unlimited searches, you see fewer banner ads and you get the ability to upload more pictures to your profile. The cost is so low because Gothic Personals is not trying to make a profit off of the site. They just want to make enough money to cover the cost of the hosting and servers. The other reasoning behind the low cost is that, while the site keeps growing, those who can afford to pay the $3 a month will end up making the site affordable for those who can't pay.
Once you've decided to join the ranks and fill out a profile, you're not asked the typical personals site type of questions. Gothic Personals covers topics of interest to its core members. You've got the basics with a twist: male, female or trans-gendered; appearance includes menus for race, hair, eyes and height with a special section to write in what your style of dress is like; your favorite bands; what type of goth/freak you are; tattoos and piercings (how many and where). It gets specific. In addition to that, you get a section to compose a little essay about yourself and what you're looking for as long as you keep things clean. Their policy is very simple: Don't be a jerk (and I'm quoting).
What has my experience been with Gothic Personals so far? I've noticed that there aren't many "gothic people" in Las Vegas. I haven't met any guys from it as of yet -- well, nothing beyond pen pals anyway. But I have met women, specifically, my friend Ammy (she does the most creative things with hair, is a really good dancer and can drink a beer faster than any woman I've seen). She contacted me via the site and thought my style was "cool." We started e-mailing back and forth, chatting about the difficulty in Las Vegas not only when it came to dating but more importantly when it came to making and keeping friends! A common bond was made and we've been buddies ever since.
Some people look at me weird when I say I've met female friends through a personals site. If you're able to make fabulous friends in this town, who cares how you met? For the friends issue alone, I give Gothic Personals two thumbs up.
Good luck and happy dating/friend-making!
Do you have any ideas on topics I should be covering about the singles' scene in Las Vegas? Please email me and tell me about them! bettiepudge@reviewjournal.com
