I'm a big fan of The Vampire Diaries. So much so that I always say I'm not available to work Thursday nights because my show is on. I love the characters and I appreciate the actors who bring those characters to life, but I KNOW that it's not real; that these actors are playing characters and this doesn't reflect their real lives. But then I find the fans who mix those roles up and treat the actors like idols that they can play around with. Sometimes that idol-play turns into cyber bullying, which disgusts me and makes me ashamed to be a fan.
First, it was Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerholder. Fans were so excited about the couple, likening them to their on-screen personas: Elena and Damon. Sometimes fans like to combine names and "ship" that tv-couple; I myself am a big Delena fan. But then I see on Twitter that fans started calling Nina and Ian, Nian. What? That's when the reality gets confused with the fantasy. Once Nina and Ian broke up there was a huge uproar. Some fans didn't believe it while others were overly dramatic and said they would die. Then I heard that some people were sending Nina nasty Tweets, which pissed me off! Break ups are never easy, it was hard enough for both Ian and Nina, especially since Elena chose Damon on the show and they have to work together everyday. Nina didn't need all those crazy fangirls blowing up her Twitter feed with their bile. Of course more fans went to Nina's defense, of which I'm glad of. Some TVD fans want to believe that Nina and Ian will get back together. I believe in love as much as the next person, but be realistic people! Nina has a boyfriend now and Ian... well he's still figuring stuff out but he is very supportive of his co-star/ ex-girlfriend which is more than most can say about their exe's.
Second, the news of newly divorced Paul Wesley and former TVD star (now The Originals star) Phoebe Tonkin having a relationship caused an immediate outcry. TVD fans already hated Phoebe's character, Hayley, the werewolf girl in search of her family. Phoebe's character received HUGE abuse when she slept with Klaus (Joseph Morgan). I am also a Klaroline fan but I saw the scene for what it was: a one night stand. I was just happy to see Joseph Morgan shirtless and getting some action for his character. Then when it was discovered that Hayley was pregnant; alright... I admit... I was a tiny bit upset but I had nothing against Hayley at all. I was just thinking: "That's too Twilight!" And I did tweet regretfully that I never wanted a character to have an abortion or miscarry so quick before. But upon further reflection of about 3 minutes I calmed down and realized: "This is the next step on Klaus's journey on being redeemed. How else will he get Caroline unless he changes his ways and the best way to do that is to care for someone other than himself." Yet still Phoebe Tonkin received a huge back lash from Klaroline fans that bordered... no, that WAS bullying. Because of that I became a Hayley fan. She's bad ass and doesn't take crap from anybody especially from her baby daddy, Klaus.
On my Google+ account on The Vampire Diaries Community, someone posted a picture of Paul Wesley and Phoebe Tonkin kissing. I was the first comment and I wrote: "Awwww They're cute together." Immediately afterwards the hate just poured out from other fans. The caustic, cruel comments just burned me like acid. There were comments like: "I hate her!!!" and "She's so fake!" and some just plain denial: "This photo has to have been doctored!" I was so disgusted with these comments that I commented again trying to set these bitches straight (yeah I'm calling you bitches, because of the way you're acting so you deserve that insult). I posted that Phoebe doesn't deserve this and that people should leave Phoebe and Paul ALONE! They are not characters in your fantasy world. What if you met Paul Wesley in real life and you said those things to his girl? You think he'd just stand there and listen to your superficial bile? No! He'd tell you to shut up and defend Phoebe. You don't know Phoebe and you certainly don't know Paul and given to what he's been through I wasn't angry at all when the news came out that he and Phoebe were seeing each other. Phoebe says she's never been bullied before and it broke my heart that she was getting such abuse from those so-called "diehard" TVD fans.
The actors appreciate the love from fans. They love how you appreciate them for the work that they do. Joseph Morgan appreciates more because not many people knew who he was before he was cast as Klaus in the show. Now that appreciation brought on a spin-off! But fan or not, I doubt Joseph Morgan would take a fan or fanatic's rude opinion about his girlfriend, Persia White (who played Bonnie's mom, Abby) or against any of his co-stars and friends. I understand that fans have crushes on their favorite stars but that love is one-sided and juvenile.
I know not ALL fans are like this. On the contrary they're very supportive and those are the fans that make me proud to be a part of the TVD Family. Yet I will NOT TOLERATE any bad treatment against the TVD stars or any other stars of my other TV shows for that matter! They are not yours to move around and play with. You don't know how they feel or what they think, you don't know them period! So if you find yourself at a red carpet party with the other fans holding signs and screaming their heads off, just remember to stay on YOUR side of the velvet rope, keep your rude comments to yourself, respect the actors, and the body guards won't taze you or eject you from the party.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Catholics are Vampires
I'm a pretty decent vampire fan to the point that I recognize their place in our psyche and culture. Being that I'm also Eastern European (Slavic more precisely) and I was raised Roman Catholic, I see the immense similarities so vividly that I think if Vampires were real, they would be Catholic.
Think about it for a few seconds. Let's go back to Ancient Rome. Jesus Christ has been dead a few decades. A sect of people are meeting in secret places, mostly grave yards in under ground tombs (the catacombs), drinking the blood and eating the flesh of a man who rose from the dead after being crucified and so achieved immortality. He promises immortality after death if you drink his blood. Sounds like a vampire to me. People meeting at night to enjoy human blood? All it's missing is a pair of fangs!
It's possible that the vampire-like characteristics just bled into the story of Christ just as Christ's own story has been told centuries before by the pagans. Examples: Horus was born of fire without Isis having sex with Osiris; Krishna was conceived out of divine thought; and Mithras was born of a virgin, a carpenter, and promised eternal salvation to his followers and was referred to as "The Bringer of Light." The Christians often melded the pagan traditions with their own so that the transition would be easier for the locals.
If you're still skeptical then I'll get more into it. Becoming a vampire varies from culture to culture around the world but the one that makes more sense is consuming the vampire's blood then physically dying and by doing so, become reborn to live an eternal life. It's prominent in many mythologies that one must die in order to achieve immortality. One must shed his mortal shell to be reborn into a new life of greatness. You see it happen all the time in Greek Mythology where the hero ventures into the Underworld but then he emerges a new man who has gained new wisdom. Also Native Americans believed that consuming the flesh and blood of someone (mostly an enemy) then the consumer will absorb their powers. Consuming the blood of Christ is also an intoxicating idea where you feel the spirit of Jesus Christ fill your soul and so feel his powers. Some believe that Jesus Christ also has a bloodline, an actual bloodline that bled into the bizarre, yet intriguing bloodline called "The Merovingian Kings". The Merovingian Kings and Queens boasted many saints who could perform miracles. Having sacred blood running through your veins is an all powerful feeling. Our society worships blood: blue bloods are referred to people who come from a very rich or prominent family. Being a "pure blood" is someone whose family has never inter-bred with let's say another species. Calling someone a "mutt" is an insult saying that this person's bloodline has been diluted over the generations and so is impure and unworthy.
Red wine and blood have always been linked. In Louisiana, it was an old superstition that the spilling of wine foretold the spilling of blood. Wine has even been used in pagan rituals to replace blood. Wine, like to a vampire when drinking blood, gives an intoxicated feeling of euphoria and drinking too much allows our inhibitions to come down and enjoy life as vampires do. Think of wine as the key into letting out your personal beast. All that separates us from animals is our morals. Animals kill to eat, but humans kill for survival, self-defense, and sometimes horrifically for pleasure.
On further reflection, people may argue: but in vampire myths, vampires don't have souls! Well... given that the Catholic Church has committed blood thirsty acts (the Inquisition ring any bells?), it would be hard to believe that they had a conscience about it. In books and media, vampires have exhibited a proud behavior, believing that they are above the laws of common man and so are not bound to them. Vampires do what they believe is in their own best interest kind of like the clergy of the church at the time.
If that's not enough for you, then listen to this: vampires have a saint! St. Andrew is reputedly the patron saint of vampires and werewolves. On St. Andrew's feast day, vampires and werewolves walk around, prowling the night and having their own fun. If you read a book of saints you'll see that St. Andrew is the "unofficial" saint of vampires and werewolves, but he still watches over them.
When the Christians came out of the darkness of the catacombs and into the light of the churches to worship in full view of the world, they lost little of their vampiric aspects. The message of immortality after death is still preached, we still drink the blood of Christ (an immortal) in hopes of gaining his powers, and we still like to have a party every once in while on a saintly feast day drinking wine and becoming intoxicated by its bloody familiar taste.
Think about it for a few seconds. Let's go back to Ancient Rome. Jesus Christ has been dead a few decades. A sect of people are meeting in secret places, mostly grave yards in under ground tombs (the catacombs), drinking the blood and eating the flesh of a man who rose from the dead after being crucified and so achieved immortality. He promises immortality after death if you drink his blood. Sounds like a vampire to me. People meeting at night to enjoy human blood? All it's missing is a pair of fangs!
It's possible that the vampire-like characteristics just bled into the story of Christ just as Christ's own story has been told centuries before by the pagans. Examples: Horus was born of fire without Isis having sex with Osiris; Krishna was conceived out of divine thought; and Mithras was born of a virgin, a carpenter, and promised eternal salvation to his followers and was referred to as "The Bringer of Light." The Christians often melded the pagan traditions with their own so that the transition would be easier for the locals.
If you're still skeptical then I'll get more into it. Becoming a vampire varies from culture to culture around the world but the one that makes more sense is consuming the vampire's blood then physically dying and by doing so, become reborn to live an eternal life. It's prominent in many mythologies that one must die in order to achieve immortality. One must shed his mortal shell to be reborn into a new life of greatness. You see it happen all the time in Greek Mythology where the hero ventures into the Underworld but then he emerges a new man who has gained new wisdom. Also Native Americans believed that consuming the flesh and blood of someone (mostly an enemy) then the consumer will absorb their powers. Consuming the blood of Christ is also an intoxicating idea where you feel the spirit of Jesus Christ fill your soul and so feel his powers. Some believe that Jesus Christ also has a bloodline, an actual bloodline that bled into the bizarre, yet intriguing bloodline called "The Merovingian Kings". The Merovingian Kings and Queens boasted many saints who could perform miracles. Having sacred blood running through your veins is an all powerful feeling. Our society worships blood: blue bloods are referred to people who come from a very rich or prominent family. Being a "pure blood" is someone whose family has never inter-bred with let's say another species. Calling someone a "mutt" is an insult saying that this person's bloodline has been diluted over the generations and so is impure and unworthy.
Red wine and blood have always been linked. In Louisiana, it was an old superstition that the spilling of wine foretold the spilling of blood. Wine has even been used in pagan rituals to replace blood. Wine, like to a vampire when drinking blood, gives an intoxicated feeling of euphoria and drinking too much allows our inhibitions to come down and enjoy life as vampires do. Think of wine as the key into letting out your personal beast. All that separates us from animals is our morals. Animals kill to eat, but humans kill for survival, self-defense, and sometimes horrifically for pleasure.
On further reflection, people may argue: but in vampire myths, vampires don't have souls! Well... given that the Catholic Church has committed blood thirsty acts (the Inquisition ring any bells?), it would be hard to believe that they had a conscience about it. In books and media, vampires have exhibited a proud behavior, believing that they are above the laws of common man and so are not bound to them. Vampires do what they believe is in their own best interest kind of like the clergy of the church at the time.
If that's not enough for you, then listen to this: vampires have a saint! St. Andrew is reputedly the patron saint of vampires and werewolves. On St. Andrew's feast day, vampires and werewolves walk around, prowling the night and having their own fun. If you read a book of saints you'll see that St. Andrew is the "unofficial" saint of vampires and werewolves, but he still watches over them.
When the Christians came out of the darkness of the catacombs and into the light of the churches to worship in full view of the world, they lost little of their vampiric aspects. The message of immortality after death is still preached, we still drink the blood of Christ (an immortal) in hopes of gaining his powers, and we still like to have a party every once in while on a saintly feast day drinking wine and becoming intoxicated by its bloody familiar taste.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
The Originals: More Vampires from The French Quarter
As I prepare for the series premiere of The Originals I have been looking up the history of New Orleans: its settling, its ghost stories, its superstitions, etc. Last blog I blogged about the story of the Ursuline Casket Girls who brought vampires over from Europe to New Orleans. I have found another vampire story that's much more bloody.
This story is about the vampire Jacques St. Germaine. They say he still haunts a place near Congo Square where people still go missing to this day. Survivors have described a feeling of dread, yet a strong compelling force telling them to stay put. People have described also seeing a figure of a man but he doesn't seem human. Few people could resist the psychic hold of Jacques St. Germain but those who do are lucky to have a strong will.
Jacques St. Germain came to New Orleans from France around 1902. There were reports of women gone missing; women that were seen with Jacques St. Germain one night then disappeared the next day. Jacques would be called into questioning but he was always released on lack of evidence. Legend had it that Jacques St. Germain was descendent of the Count St. Germaine who was rumored to have been immortal.
One night, neighbors heard screaming from Jacques' house. A woman then jumped out a window from the second floor. She managed to get away and Jacques was again taken in for questioning, calmly detailing the events of the night before saying that the woman had a fright. The police let him go. Yet Jacques disappeared the next day. The police searched his house finding no food or drink except some wine. They even found a glass of red liquid; turns out it was blood mixed with wine! No one ever saw Jacques St. Germaine again unless one dared to venture where he haunts a part of the Congo Square.
I'll see if I can find more vampire stories of New Orleans. This only makes the new series The Originals more exciting as the setting is a perfect place where vampires are said to really stalk their prey in The French Quarter.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
The Originals: The REAL Vampire Legends of the French Quarter
It's almost time for the epic series premiere of The Originals and I've been preparing myself like a true fan (although I know others can say they're the biggest fans) I have been reading up on not just the simple history of New Orleans but also it haunted history and no haunted history is complete without a few vampire stories.
For a city that takes such a casual view on Death, having a few vampires wandering the French Quarter to join in the fun with the living doesn't seem so out of place. When you take a haunted tour of the French Quarter, you'll make a stop by the Ursuline Convent. The convent was built in 1727 and a small group of nuns organized it into an orphanage, a school, and a hospital. The convent boasts a few miracles: 1 being that it managed to avert a devastating fire in 1812 that burnt down half of the French Quarter. A nun placed a Madonna statue in the window and the nuns began to pray to it. When the fire reached the convent, the fire averted and went out. The second miracle happened in 1815 when New Orleans was facing a siege from the British. The nuns gathered the women and children together at the convent and prayed for the safe deliverance for their male family members fighting before the Madonna statue. General Andrew Jackson fought and won the battle for New Orleans and America and went to the Ursuline convent to thank the nuns for their prayers. The Madonna was named Our Lady of Prompt Succor and patron saint of the city.
When you take that tour to the Ursuline convent, the tour guide won't tell you about the miracles; instead he'll tell you about the hauntings. During the mid-1800s, women from France, poor, orphaned girls were sent over to New Orleans in hopes of finding husbands and the state would provide them with a small casket filled with their dowries. These girls were known as fille à la cassette ("girl with a casket"), which was shortened to "casket girls". There was one group in particular that stood out however. This group of girls was carrying large caskets, full body caskets ornately decorated and very heavy. The girls claimed that these caskets contained their dowries and that they were NOT to be open until they married.
The girls arrived to the convent where they were to receive their education and housing until their marriages and stored their caskets on the third floor. One girl was curious about these caskets the new girls brought over seas and went to look inside them. Yet when she opened the casket, they were empty! All of the caskets were empty! It was then reasoned that the new girls had brought vampires from Europe over to New Orleans. These human girls served the aristocratic vampire families for generations (it was reasoned). The nuns made a decision: they blessed nails and screws then sealed the windows and caskets inside the convent to keep the vampires away. They blessed a total of 8,000 screws. The strange girls became agitated and restless in their sleep. One night there was a great howling wind and the sealed windows and caskets flew open. The sisters tried again and again with the blessed screws to keep the vampires out but their efforts were useless.
These vampires were said to be all female. They would open the convent to speak with their human servants every night. These female vampires integrated with the high society of Creole and the rich much like the male vampires and their presence is still felt by the residents to this day.
Theories abound as to the identity of the Ursuline Convent Vampires. One suggests that they resemble the legend of St. Ursuline (saint and founder of the Ursuline order) who was a patron saint of virgins. Ursula was suppose to marry a pagan king but she begged her father to let her go on a pilgrimage for 3 years and keep her virginity and only then will she marry the pagan king. Strangely enough, her father and fiancé agreed. Ursula took over 100s of virgin hand maidens with her on her pilgrimage. Ursula had also heard a prophecy that she would die on this journey. Attila the Hun and his Mongol hoard were said to have massacred Ursula and her retinue in one of the famous Christian massacres. However, some have said this Catholic legend stems from the Norse legend of Freya.
Nevertheless, these female vampires created a lineage that still persists to this day as some believe.
For a city that takes such a casual view on Death, having a few vampires wandering the French Quarter to join in the fun with the living doesn't seem so out of place. When you take a haunted tour of the French Quarter, you'll make a stop by the Ursuline Convent. The convent was built in 1727 and a small group of nuns organized it into an orphanage, a school, and a hospital. The convent boasts a few miracles: 1 being that it managed to avert a devastating fire in 1812 that burnt down half of the French Quarter. A nun placed a Madonna statue in the window and the nuns began to pray to it. When the fire reached the convent, the fire averted and went out. The second miracle happened in 1815 when New Orleans was facing a siege from the British. The nuns gathered the women and children together at the convent and prayed for the safe deliverance for their male family members fighting before the Madonna statue. General Andrew Jackson fought and won the battle for New Orleans and America and went to the Ursuline convent to thank the nuns for their prayers. The Madonna was named Our Lady of Prompt Succor and patron saint of the city.
When you take that tour to the Ursuline convent, the tour guide won't tell you about the miracles; instead he'll tell you about the hauntings. During the mid-1800s, women from France, poor, orphaned girls were sent over to New Orleans in hopes of finding husbands and the state would provide them with a small casket filled with their dowries. These girls were known as fille à la cassette ("girl with a casket"), which was shortened to "casket girls". There was one group in particular that stood out however. This group of girls was carrying large caskets, full body caskets ornately decorated and very heavy. The girls claimed that these caskets contained their dowries and that they were NOT to be open until they married.
The girls arrived to the convent where they were to receive their education and housing until their marriages and stored their caskets on the third floor. One girl was curious about these caskets the new girls brought over seas and went to look inside them. Yet when she opened the casket, they were empty! All of the caskets were empty! It was then reasoned that the new girls had brought vampires from Europe over to New Orleans. These human girls served the aristocratic vampire families for generations (it was reasoned). The nuns made a decision: they blessed nails and screws then sealed the windows and caskets inside the convent to keep the vampires away. They blessed a total of 8,000 screws. The strange girls became agitated and restless in their sleep. One night there was a great howling wind and the sealed windows and caskets flew open. The sisters tried again and again with the blessed screws to keep the vampires out but their efforts were useless.
These vampires were said to be all female. They would open the convent to speak with their human servants every night. These female vampires integrated with the high society of Creole and the rich much like the male vampires and their presence is still felt by the residents to this day.
Theories abound as to the identity of the Ursuline Convent Vampires. One suggests that they resemble the legend of St. Ursuline (saint and founder of the Ursuline order) who was a patron saint of virgins. Ursula was suppose to marry a pagan king but she begged her father to let her go on a pilgrimage for 3 years and keep her virginity and only then will she marry the pagan king. Strangely enough, her father and fiancé agreed. Ursula took over 100s of virgin hand maidens with her on her pilgrimage. Ursula had also heard a prophecy that she would die on this journey. Attila the Hun and his Mongol hoard were said to have massacred Ursula and her retinue in one of the famous Christian massacres. However, some have said this Catholic legend stems from the Norse legend of Freya.
Nevertheless, these female vampires created a lineage that still persists to this day as some believe.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
"OUAT: In Wonderland": The REAL Story Behind The Series
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| OUATIW Promo |
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland:
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| Cover Art of 1st book |
First, in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Alice is sitting by the river with her sister and playing with her cat, Dinah. Alice is very bored by life until she spies a white rabbit wearing a fancy vest and checking the time. If you remember the Disney film Alice in Wonderland then you'll remember how the story goes with some differences. When Alice is swimming through a sea of her own tears she meets a Mouse swimming by. He doesn't talk to her so Alice figures he doesn't speak English so she speaks French but she asks, "Where's my cat?" This offends the Mouse of course and he tells her his long history. Alice meets other animals in her tears and they all wash up on shore. The Dodo bird suggests that they all dry off by racing but instead of racing in a single direction they all race in different, opposite directions. Alice gives each player a reward but has none for herself so the Dodo bird takes the thimble from Alice's pocket then rewards her with it. The White Rabbit mistakes Alice for a maid servant named Mary-Ann and orders her to get The Duchess's fan and gloves yet when Alice steps into the house, she grows into a giant. The animals through pebbles at her which turn into cakes. Alice ate the cakes then became her normal size again.
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| Drink Me! |
This all sounds like a bad acid trip! Continuing the story, Alice meets a rather rude Caterpillar sitting on a mushroom smoking a hookah who tells her to eat some of the mushroom and it will make her smaller. Then Alice meets The Duchess who's cook is addicted to pepper and throws utensils. When the Duchess hands Alice her baby the baby turns into a pig. Alice continues her journey to meet the Hatter (a.k.a. The Mad Hatter), the March Hare, and the sleepy Dormouse at their mad tea party where it's always 6 pm because Father Time took pity on the Hatter who was sentenced to execution by the Queen of Hearts for his long and boring song. She meets a Cheshire Cat who can disappear and reappear at will and sometimes he leaves only his smile.
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| Alice is attacked by playing cards |
But wait there's more! Alice meets the volatile Queen of Hearts and her consort the docile King of Hearts. When the Queen orders a beheading, the King pardons them when the queen isn't looking. The Queen's roses must all be red and the palace guards are actually playing cards and they play croquet with flamingos. The Knave of Hearts is put on trial for "stealing" the Queen of Heart's tart. Absurd! That's what Alice thought. She was called as a witness. The Queen doesn't like Alice's height (she grew larger at this point) and ordered Alice to leave but Alice refused. The playing cards tackled her then Alice wakes up by the river where her sister says it's time for tea. Wow! That was one bad trip!
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| Time for Tea |
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| Does it count as animal cruelty if you're in another world? |
Disney cut some things out but mostly the company kept true to the book. Tim Burton (who once worked for Disney Studios) took Alice's adventures a step further; basing the film Alice in Wonderland off of Lewis Carroll's second book Through the Looking-Glass and several poems called Jabberwocky. Burton changed one or two things, keeping out details that would have made the film more philosophical but that was for entertainment. Carroll's second Wonderland book was less a bad dream and more a introspective look into our concept of reality and the abursdity of politics on occasion. The story is based off the game of chess where a pawn may advance to levels and be crowned a queen. Alice goes through each challenge to become a queen.
The song "White Rabbit" by Jefferson's Airplanes, a band from the 60s, expressed a certain view on the beloved children's story. Listening to it, it's like Lewis Carroll was high on something while writing this book.
Through the Looking Glass:
Alice is home with her kittens (a brood from Dinah), Snowdrop (a white kitten) and Kitty (a black kitten). She wonders what kind of world lies beyond the mirror. She goes through a mirror on the fireplace mantel into another world. She sees a chess set with live pieces. There's also a book of poetry that can only be read with a mirror as the words are backward. The book is labeled Jabberwocky and talks about how one should beware the dreaded Jabberwocky, the Jubjub Bird, and the Bandersnatch. Sounds like a made up word, a candy, and some euphemism for a woman's uterus. It gets weirder. The whole land is made up like a chess board.
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| Alice plays with Kitty |
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| Alice takes a step through the Looking-Glass |
The White Kingdom:
Alice places the White King on the chess board but he doesn't see her at first so Alice has fun manipulating the White King's movements. Alice meets the White Queen who is an absent minded person but she can see the future. People in Wonderland are punished before they commit a crime or sometimes they don't even think about committing a crime in the first place but are punished anyway. Once Alice and the White Queen cross a river, the White Queen turns into a sheep, but she says some very profound, wise things. Alice meets a Lion and a Unicorn who battle for the White King's throne, but being that they're both on the White side, Alice finds this quarrel pointless so she leaves them to their fight. Alice is then rescued from the horrible Red Knight by the White Knight (an awkward yet noble old man who is tall and falls off his horse a lot). He is basically her only friend on her quest. The White Kingdom has been debated to be the moderate part of human nature.
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| Alice & the White Queen |
The Red Kingdom:
Alice then meets the Red Queen. People have wondered: Are the Queen of Hearts and the Red Queen the same person? The answer is NO. The Red Queen is much more cordial to Alice upon meeting her and this queen can move swiftly and effortlessly (which mimics the chess queen's ability to move in any direction on the board). Yet the Red Queen like the Queen of Hearts is still the antagonist. Her consort the Red King is asleep. His snores can be heard for miles. Alice wonders at the end of the story if she just had a dream or that she herself was just a dream of the Red King. Philosophers have often pointed out the same theory that life is just a dream and when we die we simply wake up. The Red Kingdom has been debated to be the extremes of human nature.
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| Alice and the Red Queen |
Moving on. Alice becomes a queen and both the White Queen and the Red Queen say Alice will throw a party to celebrate, which catches Alice off guard. The two queens bombard Alice with difficult, confusing questions which frustrate her. The party erupts into chaos. Alice blames the Red Queen for the mischief then takes hold of her and shakes her. The Red Queen morphs into Kitty, Alice's black kitten and Alice finds herself back home. By grabbing the Red Queen, Alice symbolically took the Red Queen and checkmated the Red King.
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| Alice caught between the Red & White Queen |
This story seems more reflective than Carroll's previous Wonderland story. SyFy combined both stories in its mini-series Alice and brought to life a modern take on Carroll's whimsical, extraordinary world and added a message of the extremes and moderations of human nature. Once Upon A Time in Wonderland like film-makers before them have taken the world of Lewis Carroll and added their own spin on the story. The show looks promising!
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| Promos for OUATIW |
Why Girls Love the Bad Boys
We've seen it many times before; girls go wild and go weak in the knees when they see a hot guy wearing a leather jacket and riding a motorcycle without a helmet and he parks in a handicap spot. Guys would call him a dick of course, but the young women would get all flustered and smile flirtatiously. Why? For all those girls know that guy is a bully who stuffs kids in their own locker or he could be dealing drugs. Worse he could have killed someone. That all could also be NOT true, but nevertheless, the guy's a rebel and that's what girls crave: the rebel. Yet I wanna focus on the bad boys we see in television shows.
Bad boys have that charisma, that magnetism that draws women to them, especially the good girls. They get us good girls to do things that we wouldn't normally do. We test our limits and discover where we would draw the line if at all. They also excite women sexually. A man who takes control and takes what he wants without asking is what many women find attractive about a man. Even the successful, independent women like a man who gives them a challenge; who makes them really work for it, whether to have a sexual conquest or to keep him around. Most women will deny this fantasy or say, "That sounds like a control freak." No it doesn't. Bad Boys don't care if a woman wants them or not. If they don't get what they want then they move on to the next girl. Control Freaks are people who obsess over every little thing and seek complete dominance over their lovers.
The Bad Boy doesn't care about society's rules and sets his own path, but he's also damaged in some way. Women have that instinct to care and nurture (not all women but very many). The Bad Boy acts the way he does because no one understands him. He seeks solace and the women he's with desire to give it. Maybe if they can heal him, show him that they'll always be there then maybe the Bad Boy will change and choose her as his life long love. The Bad Boy has that Alpha aura but it's a front to hide his vulnerability that he's ashamed of; he doesn't want to appear weak. This side tells the woman that he's bad but he desires to be good and needs help. That instinct to nurture and settle down can also set a woman's heart to flutter.
Most of the Bad Boys we see on TV are wearing a black leather jacket; the trademark of the rebel. Leather gives off an animal vibe that activates that primal instinct that is very arousing. When a Bad Boy walks into the room, one hears some deep base guitar or a rock ballad. For me, rock 'n' roll also taps into a primal desire to go wild. Rock 'n' Roll crashed onto the music scene and brought young people together despite race or creed; the youth wanted to revolt against their parents' authority with all its restrictions and rules. That's why adults at the time called it the Devil's music; Lucifer was the Biblical Bad Boy. The Bad Boy also doesn't crap from anyone. That confidence, that total apathy of what others think inspires women to take the same approach to their own life. The Bad Boy has total confidence that he can beat anyone in a fight, verbal or physical and even when he gets a few cuts and bruises he smiles and jokes with his devil-may-care attitude that makes us laugh and forget that this is a serious situation. Bad Boys get us to live in the moment and take a beating once in while but always smile about it because it's not the end of the world and life goes on.
For guys the Bad Girl is the equivalent of the Bad Boy; the Bad Girl is more sexually open and takes control and to a man, a woman who knows what she wants and takes control is a sexual turn-on. For some men who consider themselves the Alpha Male, a woman who is an Alpha Female presents a challenge for them and all men are programmed instinctually to compete. Competing with a woman has different rules than for competing with another man.
Yet the thing about the Bad Boy and the Bad Girl is that they don't stick around; they ride off into the sunset leaving you behind. You're just another page in their long story of conquests and new experiences. The Bad Boy is a wandering spirit never happy with where they are. The Bad Boy is a restless rebel who lives life on the edge and hates to be tied down. That's the real life Bad Boy actually. The Bad Boy is just that, A Boy. He's a Boy because he never grew up; he's that guy from high school that you swooned over, but now at the High School Reunion, he's still got that old leather jacket, drifts from job to job, and owes child support. Bad Boys are a fantasy and will continue to excite, frustrate, and corrupt every girl they meet as they ride by on their black Harley-Davis bike, in that cool leather jacket with dark trucker sunglasses on and their ripped jeans.
Examples of Bad Boys in TV:
Bad boys have that charisma, that magnetism that draws women to them, especially the good girls. They get us good girls to do things that we wouldn't normally do. We test our limits and discover where we would draw the line if at all. They also excite women sexually. A man who takes control and takes what he wants without asking is what many women find attractive about a man. Even the successful, independent women like a man who gives them a challenge; who makes them really work for it, whether to have a sexual conquest or to keep him around. Most women will deny this fantasy or say, "That sounds like a control freak." No it doesn't. Bad Boys don't care if a woman wants them or not. If they don't get what they want then they move on to the next girl. Control Freaks are people who obsess over every little thing and seek complete dominance over their lovers.
The Bad Boy doesn't care about society's rules and sets his own path, but he's also damaged in some way. Women have that instinct to care and nurture (not all women but very many). The Bad Boy acts the way he does because no one understands him. He seeks solace and the women he's with desire to give it. Maybe if they can heal him, show him that they'll always be there then maybe the Bad Boy will change and choose her as his life long love. The Bad Boy has that Alpha aura but it's a front to hide his vulnerability that he's ashamed of; he doesn't want to appear weak. This side tells the woman that he's bad but he desires to be good and needs help. That instinct to nurture and settle down can also set a woman's heart to flutter.
Most of the Bad Boys we see on TV are wearing a black leather jacket; the trademark of the rebel. Leather gives off an animal vibe that activates that primal instinct that is very arousing. When a Bad Boy walks into the room, one hears some deep base guitar or a rock ballad. For me, rock 'n' roll also taps into a primal desire to go wild. Rock 'n' Roll crashed onto the music scene and brought young people together despite race or creed; the youth wanted to revolt against their parents' authority with all its restrictions and rules. That's why adults at the time called it the Devil's music; Lucifer was the Biblical Bad Boy. The Bad Boy also doesn't crap from anyone. That confidence, that total apathy of what others think inspires women to take the same approach to their own life. The Bad Boy has total confidence that he can beat anyone in a fight, verbal or physical and even when he gets a few cuts and bruises he smiles and jokes with his devil-may-care attitude that makes us laugh and forget that this is a serious situation. Bad Boys get us to live in the moment and take a beating once in while but always smile about it because it's not the end of the world and life goes on.
For guys the Bad Girl is the equivalent of the Bad Boy; the Bad Girl is more sexually open and takes control and to a man, a woman who knows what she wants and takes control is a sexual turn-on. For some men who consider themselves the Alpha Male, a woman who is an Alpha Female presents a challenge for them and all men are programmed instinctually to compete. Competing with a woman has different rules than for competing with another man.
Yet the thing about the Bad Boy and the Bad Girl is that they don't stick around; they ride off into the sunset leaving you behind. You're just another page in their long story of conquests and new experiences. The Bad Boy is a wandering spirit never happy with where they are. The Bad Boy is a restless rebel who lives life on the edge and hates to be tied down. That's the real life Bad Boy actually. The Bad Boy is just that, A Boy. He's a Boy because he never grew up; he's that guy from high school that you swooned over, but now at the High School Reunion, he's still got that old leather jacket, drifts from job to job, and owes child support. Bad Boys are a fantasy and will continue to excite, frustrate, and corrupt every girl they meet as they ride by on their black Harley-Davis bike, in that cool leather jacket with dark trucker sunglasses on and their ripped jeans.
Examples of Bad Boys in TV:
- Damon - The Vampire Diaries
- Klaus - The Vampire Diaries & The Originals
- Dean - Supernatural
- Vincent - Beauty & the Beast
- Hook - Once Upon A Time
- Don Draper - Mad Men
- Dr. Mark "McSteamy" - Grey's Anatomy
- Capt. James T. Kirk - Star Trek
- Chuck Bass - Gossip Girl
- Fonzie - Happy Days
- Duke - Haven
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
The Originals: Why Klaus Had to be a Dad
Joseph Morgan and Phoebe Tonkin had no idea that when Hayley and Klaus hooked up that one drunken night that they were making a Mikaelson baby. Julie Plec kept that part under wraps as she was working on the spin-off for The Originals. Whatever you feel about the Mikaelson Baby or about the Original Family leaving Mystic Falls is irrelevant. As a writer I believe it had to happen. Joseph Morgan who plays the troubled Hybrid even said that Klaus staying in a small town like Mystic Falls was stupid and wouldn't make sense. Yes Klaroline fans are a little peeved but having Caroline break up with Tyler and then be with Klaus with all the bad he's done to her and her friends is unrealistic and wouldn't make sense at all and as a writer that's something I WILL NOT STAND FOR!!! This separation will be good for all the characters on their difficult paths to becoming the people they want to be.
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| Klaus (Joseph Morgan) & Hayley (Phoebe Tonkin) have a 1-night stand. |
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| Mikael (Sebastian Roche) & Esther (Alice Evans) |
And his mother? Klaus carried Esther's corpse around for 1,000 years with the rest of his siblings. Why? Why not? Klaus always hoped for a reconciliation with at least the woman who gave birth to him, but only after Mikael's death as it was clear that the Mikaelson Patriarch was an object of fear for the whole family. When Esther was resurrected and said she had forgiven Klaus, Klaus was more than ready to believe her. Of course, Klaus was thoroughly disappointed when he discovered that she was really trying not only to kill him but his brothers and sister as well. Even after all that Esther had done, Klaus still possesses Esther's body. It's probably mostly out of fear that burying her somewhere would give other witches courage to resurrect her again. Klaus was very adamant in his promise that his survival would punish his mother for all eternity.
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| Klaus confronts Mikael |
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| Mikael calls Klaus's bluff! |
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| Klaus's mother tries to kill her children. |
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| Klaus murders Tyler's mother. |
We have seen Klaus wade through a river of blood and think no flood will wash it away but we have also seen Klaus's vulnerable side. Klaus more than anything wants to have a family and a home. That's what he's been searching for for 1,000 years yet Klaus (like most troubled youths) when faced with a real option of happiness, runs in the opposite direction. Why? Probably because running from Mikael for centuries has made him wary of staying in one place too long or that some how this sudden bliss will be destroyed by Klaus's own doing.
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| Klaus & Elijah (Daniel Gillies) discuss their options. |
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| Hayley tells Klaus he's gonna be a daddy! |
The Originals: Legend of the Loup-Garous
Going through some of the many folktales of Louisiana in preparation for The Originals, I came across the legend of the Loup-Garou. First mentioned in the Pilot episode by Jane-Anne Devereux, the legend of the Loup-Garou has been a part of Louisiana culture for a while. They are wolf creatures but they have more traits that make them out to be more bad spirits than physical beings. The word loup-garou is French for werewolf.
The Loup-Garou is described as a wolf humanoid creature that appears only at night (full moons are the best nights for them), they come in through the chimney and they suck the blood of humans and if they suck the human dry then the human will become a Loup-Garou (sounds vampire-ish). They can only be seen by those they haunt and if they want to be seen. They are associated with witches. Like the witches of Medieval times, the Loup-Garou like to have parties in the dark woods on full moon nights. The tales I've heard say that Loup-Garou hang along the Mississippi River.
There are ways to catch or repel a Loup-Garou. One way is to leave a sift box hanging outside your front door. For some reason the Loup-Garou can't resist counting each hole. Once it's distracted then throw salt at it; the Loup-Garou will vanish. Sounds crazy. Why would a Loup-Garou count holes in a sift box? Also if you can make a Loup-Garou bleed then it will die or just disappear.
There is a story of a man who was shadowed by a Loup-Garou. Actually 2 stories but they are very similar. The story goes like this: Some fishermen were gathering clams along the river bed. Each night they'd go to sleep and then the next morning find that the clams have been sorted with only half of the eaten. This went on for a few nights until one of the fishermen said he would stay up and see who's been sorting and eating the clams. The fisherman saw the Loup-Garou sorting and eating the clams. The creature, however, noticed him and disappeared in a howling shriek. The fisherman went home that night, terrorized out of his mind, but found no peace as he saw the terrible Loup-Garou sitting at the foot of his bed. The creature couldn't be seen by anybody else except the fisherman. Everyone thought the fisherman was mad; his friends abandoned him, his family and even his fiancé broke off the engagement. The fisherman tried to get rid of the creature but to no avail. Decades later, the fisherman was an old man with a cane, the Loup-Garou following him as he walked along the shoreline of the river. Suddenly the old man tripped and the sharp end of his cane pierced the Loup-Garou, making him bleed then the creature vanished! The old man was pretty broken up about it given that the Loup-Garou was his only friend.
That story sounds like a case of schizophrenia mixed with Stockholm Syndrome, but in Louisiana you'll find all sorts of urban legends and ghost stories and people who swear they a knew a guy who knows his brother's girlfriend's uncle went through something similar.
In the storyline of The Originals the Loup-Garou most likely will be a special kind of werewolf but not have the traits of a spirit as I have just described. Still it will be interesting to see.
The Loup-Garou is described as a wolf humanoid creature that appears only at night (full moons are the best nights for them), they come in through the chimney and they suck the blood of humans and if they suck the human dry then the human will become a Loup-Garou (sounds vampire-ish). They can only be seen by those they haunt and if they want to be seen. They are associated with witches. Like the witches of Medieval times, the Loup-Garou like to have parties in the dark woods on full moon nights. The tales I've heard say that Loup-Garou hang along the Mississippi River.
There are ways to catch or repel a Loup-Garou. One way is to leave a sift box hanging outside your front door. For some reason the Loup-Garou can't resist counting each hole. Once it's distracted then throw salt at it; the Loup-Garou will vanish. Sounds crazy. Why would a Loup-Garou count holes in a sift box? Also if you can make a Loup-Garou bleed then it will die or just disappear.
There is a story of a man who was shadowed by a Loup-Garou. Actually 2 stories but they are very similar. The story goes like this: Some fishermen were gathering clams along the river bed. Each night they'd go to sleep and then the next morning find that the clams have been sorted with only half of the eaten. This went on for a few nights until one of the fishermen said he would stay up and see who's been sorting and eating the clams. The fisherman saw the Loup-Garou sorting and eating the clams. The creature, however, noticed him and disappeared in a howling shriek. The fisherman went home that night, terrorized out of his mind, but found no peace as he saw the terrible Loup-Garou sitting at the foot of his bed. The creature couldn't be seen by anybody else except the fisherman. Everyone thought the fisherman was mad; his friends abandoned him, his family and even his fiancé broke off the engagement. The fisherman tried to get rid of the creature but to no avail. Decades later, the fisherman was an old man with a cane, the Loup-Garou following him as he walked along the shoreline of the river. Suddenly the old man tripped and the sharp end of his cane pierced the Loup-Garou, making him bleed then the creature vanished! The old man was pretty broken up about it given that the Loup-Garou was his only friend.
That story sounds like a case of schizophrenia mixed with Stockholm Syndrome, but in Louisiana you'll find all sorts of urban legends and ghost stories and people who swear they a knew a guy who knows his brother's girlfriend's uncle went through something similar.
In the storyline of The Originals the Loup-Garou most likely will be a special kind of werewolf but not have the traits of a spirit as I have just described. Still it will be interesting to see.
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