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We asked Betty Curse for her cheat sheet to goth. What look should we be sporting this season to bag a date with the Grim Reaper? Bring your own sunglasses and ketchup...

TOTP: Describe the worst goth that you've ever seen.
Betty: Probably one of the girls. It's usually a girl aged anything between 16 to 22 and they're usually wearing some kind of cheap velvety corset and then the whole baggy pants and stuff. They actually declare themselves to be goth but then you ask them questions and they'll say they're favourite band is Incubus. And they think that's goth, but it's not.

TOTP: Obviously drinking blood is an essential part of the goth aesthetic. What if you're a bit squeamish?
Betty: Blood's not that big a deal in the scene that I'm involved in. There's a lot of theatrical blood that looks pretty realistic. I'm sure they can squirt a bit of tomato ketchup around...
Hot sauce

TOTP: What if you've got ruddy skin that won't take make-up?
Betty: Won't take make-up? Then, I suggest you only emerge at night. Then you'll be suitably pale.

TOTP: What if you've got shaky hands and can't get your eyeliner on?
Betty: [Laughs] Wear sunglasses.

TOTP: What if black isn't your colour?
Betty: Oh well, you just can't be a goth, can you?

TOTP: How about some dark wines or greens?
Betty: Dark wine colour? I don't know. I don't think it's a very good colour. It's like the colour of your granny's curtains. How about... I wear a lot of pink. If you have pink teamed up with a little bit of black, you'll get away with it.

TOTP: What if your older sister or parents are already goths. What do you have to do to rebel?
Betty: The thing is, if your parents are goths you're very, very fortunate. So, yeah, it would be pretty difficult to rebel against that...

TOTP: What do your parents think of your look?
Betty: My mum used to be concerned when I was younger, like 13, and I was skulking around. She was more concerned about other people because I got quite a lot of abuse for it. She wasn't actually thinking that I looked crap. I mean, now she loves it. She loves me coming home when I've been away for a while and she sees what creations I've come up with this time. She does get embarrassed when I'm walking down the street with my little top hat on and a little veil and stuff. It's like "Please, Megan, we're going shopping..." And she always tries to make me play down my make-up. She hates it when I go out and I've got all my purple eyeshadow all over me and she's like "It's the daytime! Can't you just leave that for the night?"

TOTP: What about a goth wedding. What would be your ideal proposal?
Betty: It would probably be in a run-down cathedral. A really pretty, half-derelict cathedral and it would basically be outdoors, like a shell. It would be at night time with candles. That would be perfect.
Betty Curse wedding

TOTP: Where would you have the wedding?
Betty: Probably in hell.

TOTP: Would you lay on a mini-bus for that? Because most cab drivers won't go that far.
Betty: I'd have a few hearses lined up.

TOTP: What would you wear?
Betty: I'd go for neon green. No, I'd probably go for a nice deep purple.

TOTP: What would you toast with?
Betty: I'd toast with absinth.

TOTP: What kind of cake would you have?
Betty: What kind of cake... a Victoria sponge!

TOTP: Who would be your ideal husband?
Betty: My ideal husband would be the Grim Reaper.
The Grim Reaper aka Dreamboat

TOTP: Where do you think you meet a guy like the Grim Reaper?
Betty: I think the Grim Reaper would come to collect my soul, but then when he set eyes on me he'd fall madly in love with it. And then he'd whisk me away to the deepest, darkest depths of hell where we would live together for all eternity.

TOTP: So what kind of girl do you think the Grim Reaper's into? Is he looking for a GSOH or is he all about the looks?
Betty: Well you know, he's going to need someone who doesn't take themselves too seriously. I mean, the business he's in... I think he needs a bit of relief.

TOTP: In his line of work he's going to be out quite a lot. Would you not get a bit lonely sat at home waiting for him to come back?
Betty: Well, if I was dating a rock star, I'd have to put up with all of those nights alone while he was off on tour so, I guess it would be the same. I mean, the Grim Reaper is the ultimate rockstar.

TOTP: What do you think of the Grim Reaper's look? Grey smock, scythe - once you get with him are you going to want to change him?
Betty: Well, you see, how would you know until you meet him?

TOTP: I suppose he could be wearing something quite fancy underneath and just be using the cape to keep his real clothes clean.
Betty: Yeah. You see, I think he'd look like a perfect Victorian gentleman. I think it's all tail coats and top hats and stuff...


Visit Betty's burial site, er, we mean, website

(The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites)

Interview by: Nickie L
22/08/2006

 
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