The Lolita Complex: - Scholarly Commons Home

Writes Henville (somewhat contradictorily), “while [the] Gothic Lolita
[image] certainly has sexual undertones it’s not about child porn”. 215 “To be
sure the little-girl look [may inhabit]… Japan’s sex industry… but this
particular trend” or, as Ginny Parker describes it, this “frumpy, frilly
fashion”, is not meant to be “sexy”. 216
There are stringent rules and regulations pertaining to the authentic
Lolita fashion subculture, supported by Japanese periodical manuals, such as
*
the Gothic & Lolita Bible,
the Gothic, Lolita & Punk Book, and Rococo, that
profess the true intentions of Gothloli to represent both modesty and
innocence and expound opposition to displaying much flesh.
Outside Japan it has also become clear, through my involvement with
virtual Gothloli communities such as social networking sites like MySpace,
blogs and personal communications with real-life Gothloli worldwide, that
the larger percentage of non-Japanese members of the Lolita subculture are
also keen to preserve the purist reputation and origins of the fashion style,
and frequently voice, quite vehemently, their opposition to those who would
suggest that the movement is anything other than respectable. In fact, an
“outsider” Gothloli, or non-Japanese participant, may often shout the
loudest in defence of the subculture in order to heighten their sense of
authenticity and belonging, and in an endeavour to prove that they are well-
* This Japanese publication has been recently introduced in the USA in an English-language
version.
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