True Blood might have had the greatest soundtrack in television history. Prince's songs are incredibly sensual and provocative, and would have fit in magnificently with the vampire theme. Instead of predictable country songs crooning in pie and sex montages, we could have had Prince's wonderful voice surrounding Sookie's grief, and later on his own sex scene. Can you imagine "Purple Rain" playing during the aftermath of Gran's funeral or "Kiss" playing when Bill Compton (Prince) walks in the bar for the first time? Maybe throw in some "When Doves Cry" or "International Lover" playing during the sex scenes instead of silence or misplaced country ballads? We probably could have gotten some great new music out of this deal too. We also could have had more montages and not cringe every time they happened. The argument could be made that country music just fits the Louisiana theme, but that, however, that brings me to my next point.
Prince would have brought a multiracial relationship to primetime, and added an extra level to the slightly not-so subtle racial tension surrounding the series. Plus, it would still make sense, considering the high population of African-Americans in Louisiana, and Prince's own supportive feelings towards the Black Lives Matter movement. We also wouldn't have to be forced to watch Tara and Sam have their own whiny, ghastly affair to display this tension which pulls away from Tara's own plot.
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| "I Would Die 4 U" from the Purple Rain album |
Another important feature Prince would also highlight in the seasons is his genderfluidity and own sensuality. Sure, Lafayette presents a little bit of this with his makeup and flamboyant style (sort of), but Prince would have taken the theme of gender inversion and ran with it. We don't have anything from Bill Compton, and it's honestly a shame. Prince would have taken the symbolism or stealth out of gender inversion, and slapped the audience in the face with it.
Prince would have also not been as awkward as Stephen Moyer, the original Bill Compton, during scenes that were suppose to be sexy or particularly glamorous. The scenes would have been definitely more genuine and more unconventional as vampiric sex scenes should be. If I wanted boring, heteronormative, non-vampiric sex, I'd go watch 50 Shades of Grey. While not many music videos are publicly available of Prince on the Web, the Cream music video certainly proves he can fit the part if you need convincing.
The only other problem with this casting decision would be Sookie Stackhouse's character having to be severely revised. Honestly, I don't think that many people would see that as a problem though. Overall, while True Blood does have it's high points, it could have been made a truly iconic masterpiece if Prince had been casted as Bill Compton.
(Note: The videos posted might be taken down or replaced with other music, as Prince wasn't a fan of having his music onYouTube or streaming platforms.)
I cannot help but feel this would have been far more enjoyable than seeing the current actor as Bill Compton in True Blood.
ReplyDeleteYou have nailed the argument completely here, and I cannot help but imagine the late Artist Formerly Known as Prince as the classy vampire. The angle that could have been taken . . .
This post is absolutely brilliant. I feel that casting Prince as Bill would have been the perfect solution for everything that is wrong with True Blood, like you mentioned. I especially appreciate your argument about Prince bringing a multicultural relationship to television. It seems as though anytime people of color intermingle with whites, a big deal has to be made about it in the show. It would be interesting to see how this kind of relationship would be handled if the main character was black. It would certainly put a whole different spin on the show. Also, the soundtrack would definitely improve.
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