The Brief: A "goth gf" is a fetishized ideal of a girlfriend with a gothic-style.

Bluesquiggle
DEEP DIVE

The term Goth GF was first used to describe an ideal girlfriend for a lonely, nerdy, and/or incel male. Now, it is a trope of an archetypical girlfriend who does things such as wearing black nail polish, posting on Tumblr, and listening to death metal. She may or may not be a part of a gothic subculture, as the term is usually more of a reference to her style and overall darkly sexy aura. Similar to the manic pixie dream girl stereotype, the concept of a goth gf can reduce women to objects of male desire.

The term is largely used ironically, but it is rooted in heterosexual male entitlement and fantasy. As a meme, the idea of a goth gf has proliferated, originating in male-dominated online spaces, and then spreading into mainstream social media circles. Some women have chosen to embrace the label for themselves, thus reclaiming agency over the term.

The term “big tiddy goth gf” (a reference to “titties” – breasts) is a version of goth gf that explicitly references the inherent fetishization within the concept. A NSFW subreddit called “Big Tiddy Goth GF” has over 100,00o subscribers. Part of the sexual appeal in a goth gf are the links between goth and BDSM subcultures and aesthetics.