I always thought it was about embracing how dismal and pointless life is.

It means different things to different people. Which kind of makes sense, if you think about how music and style spreads around the world and hits different people in different cultural contexts.

Some people just listen to the music and don't get all gussied up. Some people express themselves through professional-quality costumes. Some people use the style to create an identity on social media. Some people use the music and style to explore their cultural heritage. etc.