Regional Gothic is a Tumblr trend in the mid-2010s wherein users would write bullet-pointed lists of eerie moments related to the region in which they grew up in or other seemingly benign moments in life, such as college.
Contents
History
The creator, Tumblr user clive-gershwin-palmer, invented the trend in January 2015, in a post that has now been deleted.[1] The trend was relatively dormant until March 2015, when Tumblr user korvidian created a post entitled "south-east queensland gothic"[2] that created the template for all future Regional Gothic lists here on after.
Despite its origin from the Tumblr community, the aesthetic is a continuation of the Gothic literary genre, with multiple authors such as H.P. Lovecraft and William Faulkner combining horror with their local culture and history. The largest influence appears to have come from the podcast Welcome to Night Vale, where a radio host describes eerie events in their paranormal and unusual town with the same diction as the later Tumblr posts.
Visuals
Regional Gothic visuals include photography of towns or townspeople with eerie overlays/weather. Imagery of houses, neighborhoods, streets, apartments, and farms are common motifs of this aesthetic. Photos inside houses, schools, and similar buildings are also common. However, cities and more developed, populated areas are less common to see in this aesthetic, if not included at all. Regional gothic emphasizes architecture and people as a collective.
Fashion
Regional gothic fashion is typically conservative and traditional - consistent with one's hometown, so this can vary.
- Jeans of various styles
- Dark dresses (that typically go beyond the knee)
- Trench coats
- Sweater vests
- Mary jane shoes
- White ankle socks
- Light jewelry (necklaces, bracelets, etc.)
Subgenres
Despite its highly personal and wide-spread amount of topics, some regions appear to have branched off and become increasingly independent and large due to the high amount of people living within the region, its literary and folkloric precedents, and distinct imagery associated with the region.
Media
Movies
- The Quiet Place (2018)
- Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)
- 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)
TV Shows
- Legacies (2018-2022)
- Roswell (1999-2002)
- Riverdale (2017-present)
Books
- Welcome to Night Vale (2015)
Podcasts
- Welcome to Night Vale (2012-present)
Music
Music is not a major part of this aesthetic, but songs and playlists for Regional Gothic exist.
Artists
- Maria Mena
- Mother Mother
- Hozier
- Cavetown
Songs
- Devil Town by Cavetown
- Hayloft by Mother Mother
- Growing Pains by Maria Mena
- The Village by Wrabel
Playlists
- this is god's country by jessmcknighte
- There is No God in the Everglades by Kendra Ann Marie
Gallery
