True Blood: I Will Expect My Apology In Writing
There was quite a bit of discussion last week over my argument that the True Blood vampire-homosexual metaphor was both outrageous and mildly offensive. Almost everyone uniformly agreed that I was ridiculous and stupid and the worst and that I should quit my job and go to jail because take it easy and sometimes a pipe is just a pipe and in this case maybe the vampires are just that, vampires. Well sure, except no. Youse guys don't know what youse talkin' about. I will grant you that metaphors only go so far, and that delving deep into metaphors is only so valuable, but that doesn't mean that they don't exist, and that they don't carry a certain meaning. If Alan Ball goes out of his way (and Alan Ball goes out of his way) to establish a clear relationship between the fictional vampires and real life homosexuals, then it's not inappropriate to say "hey, maybe that's kind of fucked up." And while you guys argued that it was just a couple of clever details thrown in to add verisimilitude to the True Blood universe, I would argue that quite to the contrary, new work is done each week to strengthen the metaphor. For example, on last night's episode, we were finally introduced to "a vampire bar." Sure. But please take a look at this and tell me that Alan Ball's vampires are just being vampires instead of being loose but weird and ill conceived metaphors for homosexuality?
Seriously, you guys, what? You're going to tell me that this is just vampire stuff? Just some classic vampire stuff? No, David Blaine.
Look, I'm not saying that I even understand what the point of this metaphor would be. I don't have the deeper meaning figured out. But I do think it's silly to just dismiss it, especially when the show's creator has worked so hard to make it IMPOSSIBLE to dismiss.
I'd also like to take issue with all of you guys for saying that Alan Ball can't create a homophobic show just because he's openly gay. For a counter example, I present you with Flavor Flav. Surely Flavor Flav's being black does not protect him from charges of perpetuating negative stereotypes about black people? In Flavor Flav's case I'd even argue that he's creating negative racial stereotypes where before there were none. Also see: Under One Roof, the Bravo network, and Joe Lieberman. I REST MY CASE.
Posted by Gabe at 1:45 PM in Everyone's A Critic, Hate-Watching
Tags: Alan Ball | Anna Paquin | Homophobia | Homosexuality | True Blood | Vampires
Just cause you've been to one vampire bar you think you're an authority and can judge the entire community? You and Wesley Snipes can go back to your vampire hating, close minded ways. [My entire knowledge of this show is solely based on clips that Gabe provides so I self prescribe myself a big ol' Nullus.]
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hey hey hey... there will be NO MORE of this pummeling True Blood with your snark.
I would no sooner stone a baby than spew hateful diatribes at this gem.
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What? Really? ... Really? Goddamnit.
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can someone explain this David Blaine thing? ok, he's a guy, he does non-trick tricks. but why address him all the time?
also, the vampire / gay metaphor is so over enunciated as to almost exclude it from the category of metaphor. its really bad.
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It's from this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGrTvNzGCZE
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Oh, Gabe, please please please stop over-intellectualizing this whole thing. True Blood is a show about fictional bloodsucking creatures for chrissakes, and I'm not really sure that such a program warrants such deep theoretical analysis. Just as I watch True Blood for its entertainment value, so too do I read your posts for enjoyment. While I understand that you're no dummy, there's no need to try to prove that you're an intellectual just because you write for a living. We get it: you're smart, you're observant, you're articulate. Just please stop watching True Blood and writing about it.
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Just because you don't allow yourself to look for deeper meaning in your life doesn't mean it's wrong. Lots of television shows have a specific message that they want to get across. If you only want to watch it as entertainment that's fine; just don't get upset when other people want to challenge themselves and analyze what is below the surface. I've never seen True Blood, but Gabe's point doesn't seem so out there, so relax, sometimes you got to realize that a show about vampires isn't always just a show about vampires.
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Dear Gabe,
What is True Blood?
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The "metaphor" is hardly even a metaphor anymore. These might as well be gay vampires. Like that one guy. That guy was hilarious (I laugh at bad acting), but this show looks so stupid.
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gabe,your friends sound stupid.i feel your pain. I am unable to just watch tv & movies without being like"you saw that ,right" & their all "uh wtf are you talking about" & I'm all "get the F*CK out of my house" & then there"s a fistfight
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i only saw the first episode of this show, and thought that the "vampires as minorities" (vampire rights amendment, town prejudice, etc.) was very over the top. the above clip only makes this more obvious.
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If you substitute "cock" for "blood" in the dialog, I think it's pretty obvious what's going on here. Also, it would make a good drinking game. Seriously, this is some pretty heavy-handed vampire=GAY stuff. It's OK to still like the show! There are still people that unironically enjoy Two and a Half Men. It could be a lot worse.
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you know how i know this show is gay? because it is. gay. really, really gay.
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As a gay man I can confidently assert that IRL gay men are worse than the vampires on "True Blood." Therefore the show is not offensive but flattering to me. Also, there are butts.
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We're here!
We're Vampyr!
Get over it!
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Whuuut? Stuff doesn't mean stuff!
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As a gay man, I can confidently assert that the vampires are complete faggots.
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Umm...it seems like you haven't read the Charlaine Harris books at all or you'd know that quite a bit of the show is directly from them. He's added the best friend Tara. That's about it. The bar, all the relationships--they're in the books.
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I think it is short sighted to view True Blood as merely an ill-conceived metaphor for homosexuality. Its clearly a metaphor for any social minority or race. Its just like mutants in the X-Men; they are social outcasts who are hated and feared by the "normal" people. I'm not sticking up for True Blood because I think its trash, but you should be bashing the show for misrepresenting all minority groups in an offensive way. During segregation, there were all black bars, and I know here in the South, there are still bars that are referred as black even though they aren't specifically "black". Homosexuality is obviously more pertinent today than racism, but the metaphor includes racial and social minorities as well. I don't think you're going far enough with your condemnation of the show, which has thrown subtlety and taste out the window.
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You realize X-men and X-men 2 were both had major subtextual references to homosexual persecution, right? And they were directed by Bryan Singer, noted Gay Director? I know you weren't specifically referencing the movies, but i don't think it helps your point.
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What about the very obvious case of racial (?) profiling that happened after they left the 90s gay vamp bar? Basically, it isn't that True Blood is creating a homophobic show (although the man who works as a cook in the bar and sells drugs on the side is an unforgivable stereotype), it's that he's creating an EASY show.
He's taking a lot of well-worn cliches about being "other" (many of which have been applied to the undead already--see the Omega Man with Charlton Heston) and applying them to vampires.
Whether this show will continue as a dull exercise in caricatures and soft-core porn or become an actual show remains to be seen.
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And everyone knows that X-Men is and has always been a metaphor for the Holocaust.
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Hey you know the saying that bad press is good press... the issue is not weather somoeone is being offended because people are offended ever second of everyday. its what you do with that offence, personnally i love trublood not for what is says but just because its different tv, i think that it gets alot of people talking about an important issue its done its job. Now weather you realize it or not it helps and just to let you know i'm a black and if everytime i was offened about something on tv i would always be upset, so instead of being offended i take it and turn it around and make others aware of the subject and discuss it... i'm just sayin!
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"Sookehhhhh."
This show is terrible and I'll undoubtedly continue to watch it.
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Have you ever seen a goth kid who wasn't a total homo? I rest Gabe's case.
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After watching the first 3 episodes of "True Blood", I just wonder: why? That show is definitely a "Moonlight-wannabe", BUT fails to be! Sookie is blonde, and so was Beth; Bill is dark hair, blue eyes, and so was Mick. The story though is plotless, boring, and doesn't have the sparks that Moonlight provided on a weekly basis.
It is not by adding sex to a show that it will make it better than another.
HBO should have taken Moonlight over from CBS if they had wanted to produce a quality and interesting Vampire show.
3 episodes of TB were more than enough for me to watch. I'd rather re-watch Moonlight on DVD...
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