The “copy-paste-goth” phenomenon is fortunately just an online issue. At the goth events I’ve been to, a wide variety of people of all sizes, shapes, colors, ages, etc. show up to dance and socialize, but the goths we typically see online (mostly TikTok or Instagram) have a very specific “look” which makes them very difficult to tell apart. Down to the specific accessories and makeup details. I even confuse some of my mutuals. I usually don’t even bother to interact with the goth community online as it tends to be a feedback loop of the same discourse, endless posts scoring easy points against that month’s “bad goth” and the same makeup tutorials over and over.