Comments on: True Blood – Wait, Who’s Doing Those Bad Things Again? http://www.professorbeej.com/2009/08/true-blood-wait-whos-doing-those-bad.html Reading Pop Culture Like an English Teacher Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:35:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Sydera http://www.professorbeej.com/2009/08/true-blood-wait-whos-doing-those-bad.html/comment-page-1#comment-254 Sydera Wed, 12 Aug 2009 19:14:03 +0000 http://professorbeej.com/2009/08/true-blood-%e2%80%93-wait-who%e2%80%99s-doing-those-bad-things-again.html#comment-254 Beej, I hate you :) <br /><br />Vampire literature is one of my favorite genres, and now your post has me wondering if the vampire fantasy is actually a rape fantasy, and what that means for the would-be feminist vampire writer. But from whose perspective is the fantasy told? Fangbangers aren't unique to Charlaine Harris' vampire world--they're always the other half of the vampire romance.<br /><br />It seems to me that most vampire literature is written by women, for women readers, and that male characters are the vampires in most of the stories. . . leaving the female protagonists of the series to negotiate the attraction/repulsion they feel for said vampires and eventually become (reluctant?) fangbangers themselves. Oh boy.<br /><br />Is it possible to write a feminist vampire novel? Or is the genre intrinsically, er, messy?<br /><br />It seems to me that the Trueblood drink is a great device that gets Charlaine Harris around the issue of consent. I think there's a great article to be written about how other series address this very issue. The vampire fantasy might be, at its core, a rape fantasy, but the many entries in the genre resist identifying their female protagonist as a victim. In fact, she usually outwits (out-vamps?) and dominates the vampires.<br /><br />Thanks for the moral troubles! Beej, I hate you :)

Vampire literature is one of my favorite genres, and now your post has me wondering if the vampire fantasy is actually a rape fantasy, and what that means for the would-be feminist vampire writer. But from whose perspective is the fantasy told? Fangbangers aren't unique to Charlaine Harris' vampire world–they're always the other half of the vampire romance.

It seems to me that most vampire literature is written by women, for women readers, and that male characters are the vampires in most of the stories. . . leaving the female protagonists of the series to negotiate the attraction/repulsion they feel for said vampires and eventually become (reluctant?) fangbangers themselves. Oh boy.

Is it possible to write a feminist vampire novel? Or is the genre intrinsically, er, messy?

It seems to me that the Trueblood drink is a great device that gets Charlaine Harris around the issue of consent. I think there's a great article to be written about how other series address this very issue. The vampire fantasy might be, at its core, a rape fantasy, but the many entries in the genre resist identifying their female protagonist as a victim. In fact, she usually outwits (out-vamps?) and dominates the vampires.

Thanks for the moral troubles!

]]> By: Beej http://www.professorbeej.com/2009/08/true-blood-wait-whos-doing-those-bad.html/comment-page-1#comment-253 Beej Wed, 12 Aug 2009 04:13:27 +0000 http://professorbeej.com/2009/08/true-blood-%e2%80%93-wait-who%e2%80%99s-doing-those-bad-things-again.html#comment-253 That is a very interesting catch with the Dollhouse comparison. For all my thought about the idea of mutuality and respect among participants, I actually never thought about BDSM and/or consentual non-consent. But now that you mention it, there's a lot to be said about how much right we have to act any way we want, not just someone else. Interesting. That is a very interesting catch with the Dollhouse comparison. For all my thought about the idea of mutuality and respect among participants, I actually never thought about BDSM and/or consentual non-consent. But now that you mention it, there's a lot to be said about how much right we have to act any way we want, not just someone else. Interesting.

]]> By: Jennifer http://www.professorbeej.com/2009/08/true-blood-wait-whos-doing-those-bad.html/comment-page-1#comment-252 Jennifer Tue, 11 Aug 2009 21:44:01 +0000 http://professorbeej.com/2009/08/true-blood-%e2%80%93-wait-who%e2%80%99s-doing-those-bad-things-again.html#comment-252 A whole post on a single word? I love you so much right now :)<br /><br />Ooh, nice catch on the Dollhouse comparison, Jane! I'll have to ponder that one a while. A whole post on a single word? I love you so much right now :)

Ooh, nice catch on the Dollhouse comparison, Jane! I'll have to ponder that one a while.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.professorbeej.com/2009/08/true-blood-wait-whos-doing-those-bad.html/comment-page-1#comment-251 Anonymous Tue, 11 Aug 2009 21:38:07 +0000 http://professorbeej.com/2009/08/true-blood-%e2%80%93-wait-who%e2%80%99s-doing-those-bad-things-again.html#comment-251 Another way to read a fangbanger is with a BDSM subtext. Some people want other people to tie them up and "do bad things *to* them. It's an issue of consensual non-consent. It could also be a metaphor for assisted suicide; consorting with vampires can certainly get you killed.<br /><br />Come to think of it, this kinda ties into the debates of the Dollhouse. Do we have a right to have our "selves" wiped and replaced with a custom-made amalgamation? There's your consensual non-consent and assisted suicide all rolled up into one. <br /><br />Makes a neat meta-commentary on television, too.<br /><br />-jane Another way to read a fangbanger is with a BDSM subtext. Some people want other people to tie them up and "do bad things *to* them. It's an issue of consensual non-consent. It could also be a metaphor for assisted suicide; consorting with vampires can certainly get you killed.

Come to think of it, this kinda ties into the debates of the Dollhouse. Do we have a right to have our "selves" wiped and replaced with a custom-made amalgamation? There's your consensual non-consent and assisted suicide all rolled up into one.

Makes a neat meta-commentary on television, too.

-jane

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