Mens Club

Watching True Blood for the first time (which was in class), I kind of saw the hype and popularity of the show. It had seemed to me it was a vivid analogy for many things that could be related to on some levels in pop culture today. Even being gay in America which I feel at the start of the show was a hot topic. Some of these vampires had “come out of the” coffin (closet), they were trying to pass the vampire rights amendment, and they couldn’t marry. I also soon realized that I’m not too fond of the character Sookie. She seemed like she had strong character at times on the show, but in the books she came off as one who was simple and cared for the simplicity of life. When reading the book, I was definitely a bigger fan of her. In the show he seems to feed on and love the attention of supernatural men and easily satisfied/impressed with small gestures. She seems to love Bill who isn’t very genuine (it seems like) and also loves Eric who seems pretty disrespectful.

I feel that True Blood is more entertaining however than the books, possibly due to the writers and edits. The female character portrayal is still misogynistic. I feel there are also not as many significant female roles in the show compared to the men’s. Looking closely at it, it’s difficult to view it the same way when paying close attention to what is illustrated on the show. Due to multiple reasons, the main for me being, True Blood coming off as a men’s club; in the storyline they call the shots and the women characters either find their personality through them or lack any form of personality.

What I also find interesting is usually putting a woman in the center of things (especially when it comes to men and love triangle etc.) they usually get to call the shots. The guys should fight over her and basically earn her respect/love or whatever it may be. In theory it feels progressive. The whole masculine ideas of possessing seem to dominate the scenario in True Blood. They usually don’t seem to take into consideration or downright care at all what the woman thinks. On top of that, it seems as if the woman is set up for failure because the only right choice she can make is not to have one.

 

Sharing Through the Past

Sookie opened the door, pulling it towards herself so Bill could enter the house. Gran watched him move across the threshold, her excitement outweighing any of the previous trepidation she might have felt. His face was relaxed, a calm and genuine smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. He strode up to where Gran was perched on the couch, his hand outstretched with an air of easy self assurance.

“Hello ma’am. Thank you for welcoming me into your home. My name is Bill Compton.” Gran stood and grasped his hand with a steady grip. Bill’s hand was warm and smooth, exuding a gentle pressure around Gran’s hand that reminded her of how alive this man seemed to be.

“Bill, I’m Adele Stackhouse, Sookie’s grandmother as you well know. I am so very pleased to have you here to speak with! Thank you for taking the time out of your evening to come over!” Gran smiled at him exuberantly, the warmth of her welcome twinkling brightly in her eyes.   

“Well Gran, you go ahead and ask your questions. I’ll head to the kitchen and make some tea,” announced Sookie as she strode out of the room, leaving Bill and Adele to their conversation.

The two settled into their respective seats, Adele on the large, worn out couch and Bill in a red cushioned arm chair across from her. She scanned him with curious eyes, not knowing where to start. She wasn’t sure if vampires abided by the same social rules as living humans and she certainly didn’t know if certain questions would be off limits or too invasive. The last thing Adele wanted to do was offend the vampire that so intrigued her. Bill could provide her with knowledge before her time, a more in depth understanding of humans and the world they live in than any being with blood pumping through their veins. She chose her words with careful consideration, smiling as she spoke them.

“I’m thrilled to be given the privilege of speaking with you. I have so many questions that I’m afraid I don’t know where to start! As Sookie may have told you, I belong to a group called the Descendants of the Glorious Dead. Our purpose is to memorialize those who were killed during the Civil War but also to uncover the history behind the Civil War itself. Many of us had relatives, a grandfather or great-grandfather, who died fighting for the South. Though we may never personally know those who fought, we believe the best way to honor them for their  sacrifices is to speak of them and keep their memory alive!” Gran paused at this, her face alight with excited anticipation. Bill waited patiently for her to continue.

“Sookie told me that you were alive during the War. As someone who experienced what we can only attempt to dream up, I would love to have you speak at one of our meetings. Of course, it would have to be a night so you could actually come speak, but we would be ever so delighted if you’d come and share with us!” Adele smiled eagerly, careful expectation bubbling in her demeanor.

“Ms. Stackhouse, it would be my pleasure. Anything I can do to assist your society and enlighten those about our previous struggles” Bill replied, a hint of amusement edging into his voice over the enthusiasm Gran expressed.

This woman wasn’t like the humans Bill had so often encountered before. Kindness and consideration poured from her, filling the room with a pleasant and comfortable atmosphere. Adele was old no doubt, but her chipper attitude was like that of a child playing his favorite game. The stress of life had not weighed her down, despite the loss of her daughter, Sookie’s mother. No parent should have to deal with the death of their child, a fact that Bill knew well. And yet, here was Adele who had done so much. She had raised two children during what were suppose to be her twilight years and had done her best to instill good moral values in both. If either Sookie or Jason ever grew to be as upstanding as Adele Stackhouse, it would be an ultimate win for Bon Temps.

As this thought passed through Bill’s mind, he was suddenly overcome with a desire to spend more time with this woman. She possessed an old soul, just as he did. She cherished the past but still looked towards the future; the future of Sookie, of the community, and of Bon Temps as a whole. Bill leaned forward in his seat, hands clasped upon his lap and his brilliant white teeth peeking between his lips in a small smile.

“I’m glad that there are still those who have a mind for examining the past. You just tell me when and where Ms. Stackhouse.”

“Please,” chimed Gran, “call me Adele.”

Is it Because They're Black?

The 2008-2014 HBO popular TV series True Blood has been revered as one of HBO’s most watched shows during that time period (although I can barely see why after watching the first season). Despite my personal opinions of the acting in the show, it does represent a lot of cultural views such as the vampire laws and their relation to the civil rights laws in the United States. Following most of the book accurately, the show has a clear tendency of trying to make it more racially diverse. However, these “good” intentions, however well they may have been, have come off the wrong way by fitting various different stereotypes into the three black characters of the show. Tara Thornton, Sookie’s best friend, is an African American female who basically encompasses the very idea of a sassy and mad black woman. She not only harbors strong feminist ideas, but also usually adds on to those ideas with the fact that she is a black female. In one instance of the show Tara makes a remark about her name to a customer who had been patiently waiting to be served.

[customer snaps for service]

Tara Thornton: Do NOT snap at me! I have a name, and that name is Tara. And innit that funny? A black girl being named after a plantation?

[customer laughs]

Tara Thornton: No, I don't think it's funny at all! In fact, it really pisses me off that my momma was either stupid or just plain mean. Which is why you better be nice if you plan on getting a drink tonight!

Not only is Tara portrayed as a feminist and loud/angry black woman but she also has no father, and a drunk and abusive mother. Moving on to Lafayette, the third black character in the series, he is known for not only being homosexual, but a drug dealer as well. Later in the series he is even seen as selling his body in order to get his drug supplies and other profits. Due to this, I have to come to the final question of is it because they’re black? Is it because they’re black that we never hear any mention of Tara and Lafayette’s fathers? Is it because they’re black that Lafayette is the most open homosexual main character in the show? Is it because they’re black that Lafayette is the drug dealer of the show and Tara is friend who always has something to say when it comes to not worrying about wearing a filer on her mouth? As it’s not bad enough that the only black characters in the cast are strong negative stereotypes in some people’s eyes, Tara later all of a sudden comes out of the closet and admits to be lesbian.

I don’t believe the show is purposefully attempting to depict these natural stereotypes about black people; I just find it more than odd that the only black characters in the show are not regular people but instead follow different labels. Both characters exist as comic relief and aren’t bad at how they play their roles either, but it would be pleasing to see them viewed as something else other than just the drug dealer or angry black lady.

          VDHD - (Vampire deficit hyperactivity disorder)

     Symptoms:  Irritability, Fatigue, Headaches, Anxiety, Lack of focus.


 New recent discoveries have lead scientists to believe that vampires do actually exist. It is now so common that every 1 in 30 people are scientifically proven to be a Vampire. A common stereotype resulting in this disorder is a need for blood that over the years has been portrayed that they are murderous due to their needs. However this is not true. This (VDHD) is referring to ones need for a larger blood flow to be circulated to their brain. These types of people have specialized Neurons inside their brain that cannot connect between both hemispheres as sufficiently as possible without a larger % of blood inside their system that their bodies cannot produce on its own. Their senses become profound, and they gain mind-controlling abilities after taking a dose of blood. They do not require a lot and we now can create synthetic blood in laboratories to provide for them medically. Vampires are not monsters, they are just people effected by a brain disorder that makes them inattentive and weary because their brain requires more blood flow. These people are not lazy, they just require more blood to become more efficient and hardworking. The retrovirus inside the brain causes a lack of blood flow and almost eats up at the blood that people need and produce inside themselves.







Symptoms after blood shot: Smarter, more efficient, gained senses, more observant, heal quicker


These studies date back all the way to Yale University in 1985 in its discoveries of the "Endogenous retroviruses". These people are still human, however a simple exchange of blood can boost these people to become even more normal. People can have this retrovirus passed down through birth from either parents. Even more discoveries can be made as we research this disease but we need to understand more about how this retrovirus really works. Their extra strength causes the sympathetic to take over the norepinephrine and pours into the blood which causes them to become pale and more strong. This disorder has been over analyzed for years and has created a monstrous view of these kinds of people. They have been labeled as satanic and lonely for years but really they were just misunderstood due to a brain disorder.


Here the website to where i got this idea from:
http://vampirewebsite.net/

- I don't actually believe this to be true, but i thought it was interesting.


                       

The main character of Charlaine Harris’s, Dead until Dark, has no best friend. She’s a freak around the small Louisiana town of Bon Temps because of her ability to read minds (but she’s “not psychic!!!”) and she lives with her grandma. What is poor lil Sookie Stackhouse to do in the HBO series adaptation True Blood? Enter Tara Mae. Tara is Sookie’s only best (black) friend. Tara has lived a hard life, as seen in multiple parts in season one of the show. Flashbacks are shown of her alcoholic, abusive mother as Tara runs to Sookie’s Gran’s house for safety and shelter. Her father is not in the picture. This is all perhaps supposed to explain her anger all the time. Tara yells at anyone for the slightest things and makes everyone around her at Merlotte’s uncomfortable with her attitude.

More so than the best friend role, Tara is the Angry Black Woman. The writers of the show couldn’t have just made Tara a normal woman who treats Sookie like the overdramatic child she is. They had to make Tara the one who takes the backseat to Sookie’s shenanigans, lusts after her loser brother, Jason, (WHY?) and not a smart, strong, hardworking woman like Tiana from Disney’s The Princess and the Frog (2009). In real life, Tara would be the one who owns the bar and is successful and has a loving, supportive relationship with whoever she wants.

Tara has moments where she really shines through. Truthfully, she’s the only one on the show with any amount of acting ability. Sookie and Bill are so hard to watch most of the time, but let’s not get me started on that. Any time Tara attempts to make the plotline even somewhat focus on her, Sookie steals the scene and starts making it about herself and inevitably turns the subject to a boy problem, forcing the show to fail the Bechdel test. We haaaaaaate Sookie. I really wish Tara was given more screen time in the first season. I also wish Sookie was given far less screen time, but it is what it is.

The Angry Black Woman stereotype is not a new thing, by any means. It happened to Nicki Minaj when she was reportedly in a feud with Taylor Swift over who knows what. In media outlets, Taylor and Nicki would be shown side to side with Taylor getting a nice calm, normal red carpet picture and Nicki getting an unattractive, mouth wide open, “angry” picture. It was clear what the purpose was. Several people called the various media outlets out on their biases, but I don’t remember if any of them responded or changed the pictures. It’s not fair. There doesn’t need to be an Angry Black Woman. We’re all friends here. 

Ted Cruz: Zodiac Killer or Vampire?

Unfortunately, it looks to me like Ted Cruz might be our next president. I am not basing this belief on how he is doing in the polls, or how he compares to his opponents. No, I am basing this solely on the fact that he is a vampire (though he would have you believe otherwise, the sneaky little shit).

Many of you may have heard the popular joke that’s going around about how Ted is the Zodiac Killer. “Now, that doesn’t make any sense,” you might be saying to yourself as you scroll through the Internet. “He was born right after the killer stopped.” To most people, it seems pretty obvious that he is not the killer. You may even be one of those people. But I want you to think about it. How convenient is it that he was “born” only months after the last known attacks by the killer. Was he really born? Or could he have faked a childhood and charmed some parents (figuring that vampires have that ability) into thinking they had had a grown son. Of course after that he had to fake a birth certificate (Canadian of course, those pesky American ones can be difficult, what with the Birthers and all that).

But that’s not all.

Just look at him. Look at his face.

Does he seem like he’s having a good time? No. His face suggests that he is in a state of perpetual discomfort. He is struggling through life in the public’s eye, where he is unable to drink blood as freely as he desires. Just imagine being constantly surrounded by delicious milkshakes/whatever-yummy-drink, that you could not consume.

Also, do his values really seem to have kept up with those of the 21^st century? Many conservatives even feel that he has gone too far back in time. This would not be unlike other vampires, who tend to get stuck in whatever time period they turned in.

You may be asking yourself, “Why on earth would any of this mean that Ted Cruz is going to be the next president?” Let me tell you why. There is a theory that every US president, from Andrew Johnson onward has been a vampire (though, lets be honest, Andrew Jackson does look at least a little vampy). The story goes that there was once a Portuguese sailor on a whaling ship who decided to kill two men and drink their blood while at sea (cough cough, just like Dracula did). He was declared a vampire, and after his arrest, President Johnson decided to pardon him of his crimes. Now, why on earth would the President do such a thing? The sailor was clearly deranged and dangerous, so why should he be pardoned? It seems to me that the answer is pretty realistic and obvious: they were vamp bros! Prezy Johnson had to have his pal’s back. 

Ever since then, there has been a chain of vampire presidents. My theory is that secretly—as part of the inauguration ritual, of course—the past president turns the new one into a vamp (with a few exceptions, do you really think they’d let W become a vampire? LOL). 

Sookie? Who, Sookie?

     Sookie Stackhouse is the main character... we can't really change that. But, maybe the director of True Blood had to do something about it. Let's face it, that girl needs to read the book first because crying over leftovers of her dead Grandma's pecan pie doesn't win her any fans. However, we do have the director to thank for making the changes that he does for the first season of True Blood!
     Between Dead Until Dark and True Blood, we can see a numerous amount of differences. Since the book follows Sookie's life and everything is seen through her perspective, we don't really get the chance to peer into the lives of her brother or any of the other supporting characters. Of course, the show has some down sides like projecting the vampire blood as an illegal drug that forces the characters to go through lots of trouble to obtain, and making Jason seem like a really dumb southern boy, but even these parts are pretty entertaining! Sookie does need some (more like a lot) of work as a main character, but since she gets about half the screen time as she did in the book, this gives the audience a chance to enjoy the other stories going on. For example, the situation Tara is going through with her abusive, alcoholic mother is emotional and causes us to actually feel something. Another character's story we dive further into is Lafayette's. We get to see every side of this character, from throwing an infected burger in a customers' face to an intimate rendezvous with an old vampire for some more V (vampire blood). Both of these characters, which are black, are extremely funny and they add much entertainment to the show in its entirety. #blessforallthatsass
     Some other differences noticed in the show include the effects of V. Adding to the "illegal" connotation of it, we see Jason and his new girlfriend, Amy, practically addicted to how the V affects them. For some reason, this change we see in Jason and Amy is one that we don't see in Sookie, even though she is also drinking the blood from Bill, her vampire boyfriend. Maybe they are trying to show us that the blood from good, metro vampires has beneficial effects ( "true" vampire blood)  and the V obtained through illegal activity has bad effects. Or, since Jason is a possible suspect, he has to experience all the bad sides to drinking V whereas sweet, damsel in distress, Sookie, gets all the good effects... who knows.
     Another very interesting character we delve deeper into is Sam, the shapeshifter. The book does a really good job keeping his identity a secret until early one morning BAM! He wakes up naked next to Sookie. In True Blood, Bill makes a smart comment about Sam "marking his territory," he goes into dead Maudette's bedroom and sniffs to his hearts' content, and he even shows up as a dog in several scenes! #thirstytobebetterthanBill
     We could certainly get into how... interesting... the sex scenes in these couple episodes were... but I think it best to save that for another time. Our minds can only handle so much True Blood and Dead Until Dark.

     With all these plot twists the director places in the show, we are like totally captivated. Now wouldn't it be so much more exciting if the main character was a better Sookie Stackhouse? Yeah, my thoughts exactly...