UVA Fans are "The Goth Kids"

For the theme of September, I thought it would be fun to do a little riff off of my favorite show and put a DMV personality to characters in South Park. We’ll start with minor characters and build up to the main characters. I’ll give a description of each character, the personality (or personalities) and why they compare.

The Goth Kids in South Park have a distorted view of society, their own social status, and strive to be unique and different. However, in their efforts to be individuals, they in fact conform to a different stereotype, and end up looking awkward and lame. They carry an elitist attitude and don’t have very many friends. Sound familiar? It also describes a certain type of football fan: the Wahoo.

The Goth Kids frequently display double standards in their talks about conformity, and are often presented as ridiculous, though they are also occasionally portrayed in a sympathetic light. The Goth kids are easily provoked, and are very protective of their image. The Goth kids rarely attend classes and prefer to sit around all day listening to goth music, drinking coffee, and smoking.

Just like “The Goth Kids,” UVA fans buck the social norms of college fandom, rocking their bowties, blazers and sundresses. Things like cheering, drinking beer before games, and celebrating a touchdown with a fight song are too low-brow for the disciples of Thomas Jefferson. They have to look fancy, speak differently, and act in a “traditional southern manner” that are all better than the typical, heathen football fan. By trying to stand out as a unique fan base, they end up looking stupid and out of place. You might say they’re as out of place at a football game as a middle-class white kid that wears a black trench coat with eyeliner to match.

“The Good Old Song,” (which takes its melody from Auld Lang Syne), while traditional, does not pump one up, and certainly fits better with a New Years’ celebration than a touchdown celebration. Much like the angry, non-conformist music that “The Goth Kids” enjoy, it seems out of place. Finally, UVA fans like to draw their athletic elitism from interesting places. A typical UVA fan does not brag about football or basketball. Rather, they put up a wall of cockiness built upon their numerous lacrosse, soccer, and Chinese checkers national championships. Like UVA, The Goth Kids are particularly proud of odd things, like their clothing choices, musical preferences, and most of all, their strong dependence on coffee. Like UVA fans, they consider themselves to be unique and special, but in reality, no one wants to be anything like them.