CI 5150 Week 12 - This Post Sucks! Pun Completely Intended.

Throughout his article titled Cruising the Alternatives: Homoeroticism and the contemporary vampire, Andrew Schopp (1997) argues that age-old cultural representations of the vampire figure have undergone / are continuing to undergo a sort of "transformation" - while the age-old vampire was frequently represented as a predatorial object of intense fear, the contemporary vampire is frequently represented as an object of intense, often sexual, desire:

"Although it has long held a formidable place in the heart of western culture, until the nineteenth century, the vampire existed primarily as a creature to be feared, the revenant come back to torment the living... In the nineteenth century, however, the vampire transformed from a feared cultural phenomenon to a desired cultural product, from mythic explanation of the unknown to receptacle of cultural desires" (231).


Although produced WELL AFTER the turn of the 19th century in 1922, the silent film Nosferatu represents vampires consistent with dominant predatorial, fear-based portrayals prior to the "transformation" Schopp (1997) describes; in other words, the "lead" vampire is represented as a predatorial figure meant to be intensely feared. To illustrate the logic of this claim, at approximately 26 minutes into the film, the text "Is this your wife? What a lovely throat" is displayed to the viewer, immediately followed by a scene where the hideous, stone-faced, and otherwise expressionless vampire pictured at the opening of this blog entry appears to stalk a woman in her dreams. In response, the woman does NOT want to to be an object of the vampire's desire and / or desire the vampire herself. Instead, she appears to be absolutely terrified!



Although Schopp's (1997) article and respective argument may be thought of as rather outdated, the vampire figure's "transformation" from object of intense fear to object of intense desire has continued to accelerate and likewise intensify. Although there are MANY texts to explore this "transformation," the Twilight saga by Stephanie Meyers and True Blood franchise by Charlaine Harris are arguably the most "visible" popular culture manifestations of the "transformation" Schopp (1997) describes.

And perhaps "visible" is the understatement of the century. As box office and retail vender numbers might suggest (e.g., Twilight 2 New Moon SMASHING records by earning over 230 million dollars globally during its opening week!), audiences ranging across ages, classes, genders, sexual orientations, and so on appear to be absolutely ADDICTED to / CAPTIVATED by contemporary representations of the vampire figure as an object of an intense, often sexual, desire (Rotten Tomatoes). However, it's important to note that fear hasn't COMPLETELY been eliminated from the equation; in both the Twilight and True Blood universes, fear is an inherent tool utilized by the vampire to seduce / desire other, often human, subjects. Likewise, fear is an inherent cost incurred by humans once seduced / desired by a vampire, even if the human subject wishes it.

The remainder of this blog entry will be an inquiry-based exploration behind HOW and WHY this interplay between fear and desire as utilized in representing the contemporary vampire figure may be so powerful in captivating contemporary audiences regardless of gender and sexual orientation.

Twilight's Edward Cullen

"Star / Lead" vampire in the Twilight universe is Edward Cullen who was "made" vampire in 1918 when he was 17 years of age. As such, although Edward's "real" age is of 107 years, he maintains the physical appearance and build of a 17 year-old male as conventional aging is not part of vampire physiology.

The most striking contrast between the Nosferatu vampire (pictured at the immediate opening of this blog entry) and Edward (pictured immediately left) is clearly their visual representations. EVERYTHING visually about the Nosferatu vampire connotes senses of fear and alienation; his long, black cloak, sub / un human cranial and facial structures, intense eyebrows, absent stare, protruded fangs, and even the "choppy" sub / un human way he / it moves (see the above video to view for yourself what I'm talking about!). In response to this visual representation, the object of the Nosferatu vampire's desire, as well as potentially the general viewer of this 1922 film, experiences nothing but fear and an intense lack of identification with their alien-like predator (NOTE: which of course isn't necessarily a "bad" thing; "controlled" instances of fear void of actual negative recourse are of course extremely attractive to many viewers!).

In contrast, Edward Cullen's cumulative visual representation renders him as a sort of more easy to identify with, "hyper" male who is inherently more opaque and thus desirable than the "average / typical" male; let me explain more clearly what I mean by this terminology and argument.

In contrast to the long, black cloak covering the Nosferatu vampire, Edward is visually represented wearing a fashionable, contemporary pea coat. In contrast to the Nosferatu vampire's sub / un human cranial and facial structures, Edward is visually represented as a strong, masculine looking, and otherwise attractive contemporary young male. Via these features alone, I would argue that the above visual representation of Edward neither carries especially intense meanings of fear or desire; instead, I argue that these features mainly work to "normalize" Edward and make him more visually identifiable with / to the typical contemporary audience.

However, I argue that the above visual representation of Edward begins to take on additional menacing, mysterious and otherwise seductive meanings when his similarities with the Nosferatu vampire are revealed; specifically, both have an intense and otherwise "a-typical" stare, further enhanced and intensified by their "a-typical" eyebrows and gaze. Via these features, the visual representation of Edward is greatly exoticized, rendering his facial structures hyper-masculine and his eyes-hyper piercing. As a cumulative result, Edward no longer appears as "average" or otherwise transparent as the typical contemporary male. Instead, he appears as a force "beyond" the average contemporary male, a force that I further argue audiences of either gender or sexual orientation are naturally inclined to try to "figure out" (NOTE: of the 230 million dollars earned globally, a large percentage of patrons are male). However, I argue even further that as audiences attempt to "figure out" exactly what is behind Edward's menacing, mysterious, seductive, opaque, and so on representation, viewers experience a similar amount of calculated, recourse-free risk / fear as they are unsure of what, specifically, they will find.

Turning toward textual represents of Edward in the Twilight parent text, Myers (2005) similarly represents Edward as an easy to identify with, yet "hyper" masculine object radiating desire. However, all throughout the parent text, the main object of Edward's desire (Bella Swan), as well as potentially the reader, experience textual undertones suggestive of a possibility for Edward to do Bella (or the reader themselves!) great, unpredictable harm:

I turned slowly, unwillingly. I didn't want to feel what I new I would feel when I looked at his too-perfect face. My expression was wary when I finally turned to him; his expression was unreadable. he didn't say anything.

"What? Are you speaking to me again?" I finally asked, an unintentional note of petulance in my voice.

His lips twitched, fighting a smile. "No, not really," he admitted.

I closed my eyes and inhaled slowly through my nose, aware that I was gritting my teeth. He waited.

"Then what do you want, Edward?" I asked, keeping my eyes closed; it was easier to talk to him coherently that way.

"I'm sorry." he sounded sincere. "I'm being very rude, I know. But it's better this way, really."

I opened my eyes. His face was very serious.

"I don't know what you mean," I said, my voice guarded.

"It's better if we're not friends," he explained. "Trust me." (74)

To begin to deconstruct this lengthy quotation, as well as explore how it squares with additional textual representations of Edward throughout the parent text, Edward absolutely radiates desire via a number of mechanisms inherent to vampire physiology. First, his physical appearance as described above is "hypnotic" as is evidenced by Bella when she acknowledges how she is "forced" to feel (seemingly unwillingly in this case) when processing his "perfect" physical form. Also, as is later explored throughout the remainder of the text (I will not quote the sections here at length as they tend to be extremely sappy!), Edward's body and breadth radiant a seductive smell that Bella and the reader find difficult to resist.

However, behind this intense desire that Edward appears to exude, strong undercurrents of fear, danger, risk, and so on are present. As Edward warns Bella and the reader that it is better if she / they don't get to know him, Bella and the reader likewise experience a certain amount of uneasiness. Each party is not sure how to process exactly WHAT Edward is saying, as well as the cold, detached, menacing and almost threatening WAY he is saying it.

Overall, this unique combination of desire and fear have a powerful influence over Bella and the reader; each party is absolutely intrigued, questioning if it is "worth" turning the page to be further seduced by Edward despite the risks / dangers that are sensed. Again, judging by the aforementioned record-breaking box office and vender numbers, audiences MUST be perceiving the reward to be greater than the risk! However, I argue that Edward's influence on Bella and the reader would not be nearly the same had his character been visually and / or textually represented as COMPLETELY desirable and safe. As similar to the Nosferatu vampire, it IS the recourse-free fear / risk that further exoticizes Edward's desirable / seductive characteristics, further driving interest in the text.

However, when considering the popularity of contemporary vampire literature, it is difficult to pinpoint WHY, specifically, so many MALE viewers / readers are likewise enthralled with a stereotypically feminine concept. In addition to the previously explored argument of contemporary audiences' overall identifiability with the characters of these texts potentially driving viewership / readership, Schopp (1997) suggests another potential explanation; these sorts of texts may afford and open up "spaces" where dominant ideologies surrounding sexuality may be challenged:

"Given its late nineteenth-century origins, we should not find it surprising that the vampire product both affirms and resists culturally and historically determined discourses of sexuality. While the vampire product can, and often does, reinscribe heteronormative ideologies of sexuality, specific products resist such ideologies and articulate alternatives to dominant configurations of sexuality" (232).

In other words, although certain texts can indeed reinforce pervasive, discriminatory ideologies surrounding constructions of sexuality (e.g., males are "gay, homos, queer," and so on if they find Edward / the idea of Edward desirable / seductive in ANY way), the Twilight and True Blood universes might open up popular spaces where ALL readers are free and / or even encouraged to step outside of / experiment with dominant ideologies governing sexuality with little to no negative recourse. As a cumulative result, ALL readers regardless of gender and / or sexuality may perceive their experience with the Twilight and True Blood texts to afford a safe, comforting, and meaningful gateway to engage facets of themselves deemed "inappropriate / unacceptable" to engage elsewhere.

True Blood's Bill Compton

"Star / Lead" vampire in the True Blood franchise is William "Bill" Compton who was "made" vampire in 1868 when he was 28 years of age. As such, although Bill's "real" age is of 169 years, he maintains the physical appearance and build of a 28 year-old male as conventional aging is again not part of vampire physiology.

Before I jump into a similar exploration of Bill Compton, some general context regarding the Twilight vs. True Blood universes needs to be explored. Where Meyers' (2005) text is clearly tailored to her target audience of young adolescence in terms of violence, sexuality, and general "adult" themes, Harris (2001) writes for a much older, much more "adult" target audience. As such, the True Blood HBO series and parent texts are MUCH more explicit in terms of violence, sex, and overall "adult" themes than the Twilight movie series and parent texts. However, these differences in overall explicitness offer EXTREMELY rich fodder for further exploring HOW and WHY the interplay between fear and desire as utilized in representing the contemporary vampire figure may be so powerful in captivating contemporary audiences.

As similar to the visual representation of Twilight's Edward Cullen, True Blood's Bill Compton possesses similarly striking visual contrasts to the 1922 Nosferatu vampire. Like Edward, Bill is represented via a more "human" / "average" appearance which audiences find easier to identify with than the alien-like Nosferatu vampire. However, like Edward, Bill's visual representation contains resonances with the Nosferatu vampire that work to further exoticize and establish Bill as an opaque, hyper-masculine figure. As a cumulative result, the viewer is inherently "attracted" to Bill regardless of gender or sexual orientation, allowing themselves to be be further seduced by him to fulfill the visually generated need of "figuring" him out. Please view the following extremely short clip to get a better idea of the similarities I'm referring to:





Throughout the above clip, Bill is further visually represented via a fine trail of blood running out of his mouth, suggestive of the fact that he has just "fed" on someone who was potentially unwilling OR willing to be "fed" on. Furthermore, as similar to the Nosferatu vampire, Bill is frequently represented via protruded fangs throughout the True Blood experience as pictured right. While fulfilling their need to "unravel / "figure out" Bill Compton, audiences again are confronted with visual images that connote senses of risk, fear, and danger. As such, audiences likewise experience a sense of uneasiness toward what they may potentially learn, as well as what might potentially happen to them, while allowing themselves to be further seduced by Bill.

Turning toward textual represents of Bill in the True Blood parent text, Harris (2001) similarly represents Bill as an easy to identify with, yet "hyper" masculine object radiating desire. However, all throughout the parent text, the main object of Bill's desire (Sookie Stackhouse), as well as potentially the reader, experience textual undertones suggestive of a potential for Bill to do Sookie (or again the reader themselves!) great, unpredictable harm:

"I stared at him. I'd never seen anything so beautiful or so scary in my life... He gasped, and jerked, and he began moving in earnest. At first I was dazed, but I began to catch on and keep up. He found my response very exciting, and I began to feel that something was just around the corner, so to speak -- something very big and good. I said, "Oh, please, Bill, please!" and dug my nails in his hips, almost there, almost there, and then a small shift in our alignment allowed him to press even more directly against me and almost before I could gather myself I was flying, flying, seeing white with gold streaks. I felt Bill's teeth against my neck, and I said, "Yes!" I felt his fangs penetrate, but it was a small pain, an exciting pain, and as he came inside me I felt him draw on the little wound" (144-145).

In addition to its general raunchiness / sexual explicitness appealing to many readers, the way in which Bill is represented throughout this passage absolutely radiates desire. In addition to his flawless physical appearance, Bill possesses a unique characteristic of vampire physiology that functions to further seduce and control potential mates AND victims; the ability to "glamor" people. Check out the following short clip of Bill teaching another vampire how to "glamor" someone, rendering the individual COMPLETELY under the vampire's power:



As Sookie and the reader themselves are seduced into the explicit and frankly pornographic sensuality of the above textual scene, further processing yields potentially unsettling questions including...

1.) If Bill has the ability to "glamor" anyone and place them COMPLETELY under his power, is he taking advantage of Sookie and the reader?

2.) Are Sookie and the reader "willingly" engaging in this sensual experience?

And...

3.) Could Bill potentially lose control of his "love bite" in the heat of the moment and kill / pose a serious threat to Sookie's life?

Again, this unique combination of desire, seduction, sensuality, and fear have a powerful influence over Sookie and the reader; each party is absolutely intrigued, questioning if it is "worth" turning the page to further be seduced by Bill despite the risk, danger, and potential perversion that are sensed. Again, judging by the fact that the True Blood HBO series is going into its 3rd season, as well as the fact that Harris is writing her NINTH book in the series, audiences MUST be perceiving the reward to be greater than the risk! However, I argue that Bill's influence on Sookie and the reader would not be nearly the same had his character been visually and / or textually represented as COMPLETELY desirable, safe, and good intentioned. As similar to the Nosferatu vampire, it IS the recourse-free fear / risk that further exoticizes Bill's desirable / seductive characteristics, further driving interest in the text.

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SO... WHERE ARE WE GOING FROM HERE?

As has been explored throughout this blog entry, visual and textual representations of vampires are EXTREMELY dominant forces in contemporary popular culture, exercising a large amount of influence over viewers / readers. Although I could not find any concrete "numbers" to support the following claim, I argue that audiences contributing so much money and interest to this popular culture phenomenon are skewed toward adolescents (in particular regarding the Twilight saga!). As such, it is important to consider the longer-term implications that these representations pose in either REINFORCING or CHALLENGING dominant ideological constructions, as well as what these representations stand to "teach" adolescent viewers.

While Schopp (1997) argues that contemporary visual and textual representations of vampires potentially stand to create "spaces" where consumers are free and / or even encouraged to step outside of and experiment with dominant ideologies governing sexuality with little to no negative recourse, Glenn Sparks (2009), a professor of communications at Purdue, suggests an outcome with less optimistic implications. In a 2009 USA Today article, Sparks (2009) comments on how the current trend in vampire literature may convince adolescents, whether explicitly or implicitly, of the existence of actual vampires:

"The hit movie 'Twilight' not only may entertain viewers, it has the potential to encourage viewers to believe in vampires... When a fictional story is presented in a realistic way, it can move people to believe -- or at least move them away from disbelief and toward more uncertainty about the supernatural... This reminds me of what happened with the 1973 film 'The Exorcist.' Many people said they had never considered demon possessions before, but some of those who say the movie began thinking it was a possible phenomenon" (9).

Although a potentially "silly" claim, I argue that the effect Sparks (2009) describes is potentially dangerous; in other words, if adolescents aren't encouraged to "see past" the ridiculous albeit entertaining premises of these texts and critically read WHAT / HOW the texts themselves are contributing to the construction of ideological paradigms, assumptions, values, world views, and so on, producers of visual and textual texts stand to exercise TREMENDOUS power over consumers. In other words, it might be one of our jobs as teachers to move students beyond getting "hung up" on who the "hottest" vampire is, if Edward is good in bed, and if there are real vampires out there, toward more meaningful critical analysis of WHAT / HOW representations of these figures contribute to the ideologies, assumptions, values, world views, and so on students internalize while consuming said representations.

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SO... HOW DO WE MOVE STUDENTS BEYOND ENTERTAINMENT TO CRITICAL ANALYSIS?

NOTE: Because I sort of went nuts with this week's blog posting, the following assignment section is going to be relatively short!

CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF GENDER STEREOTYPES IN TWILIGHT AND TRUE BLOOD

In their article titled Graphic Novels: American Chick Lit, Martha Cornog and Steve Raiteri (2009) explore the centrality of "pretty girls" in adolescent literature:

"Good ole American pretty girls in comics predate shojo manga heroines by decades. The charming Gibson Girls won hearts in the 1890s, and then Neil Brinkley's gorgeous flappers into serial stories..." (53).

Cornog and Raiteri (2009) continue to underscore the skewed representations of females portrayed as helpless / powerless victims in need of saving vs. powerful agents capable of effecting change in their textual contexts. Taking off from Cornog and Raiteri's (2009) discussion, teachers and students could partake in critical analysis of the main female characters and / or gender power dynamics in the Twilight and True Blood universes.

In brief, teachers and students could explore essential questions such as:

-How much POWER do Bella Swan and Sookie Stackhouse hold in their respective texts?

-How do they exercise said power?

-How do visual and textual representations of Bella and Sookie either REINFORCE and / or CHALLENGE pervasive ideologies, assumptions, values, world views, and so on surrounding ideas of power, gender, sexuality, and so on.

Teachers and students could then view the visual and textual texts in question to engage these questions, creating traditional and / or multi-modal inquiry projects.

In short, I believe that such an activity would encourage and teach students the value of not only viewing vampire texts for entertainment purposes, but using said texts to further read, evaluate, and question their realities!

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WORKS CITED

Ball. A. (Executive Producer). (2008). True Blood [Television series]. United States: HBO.

Cornog, M. & Raiteri, S. (2009). Graphic Novels. Library Journal, 134(9), 53.

Harris, C. (2001). Dead Until Dark. New York: Ace Books.

Meyers, S. (2005). Twilight. New York: Little, Brown and Company.

Murnau, F. W. (Director). (1922). Nosferatu [Motion picture]. Germany: Prana Film.

Rotten Tomatoes. IGN. Web. 4 Dec. 2009. <http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/twilight_saga_new_moon/>

Schopp, A. (1997). Cruising the Alternatives: Homoeroticism and the contemporary vampire. Journal of Popular Culture, 30(4), 231-243.

Sparks, G. (2009, Jan). Does "Twilight" Prove Vampires Are Real? USA Today, 137(2764), 9.

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IMAGES USED

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