Dark Subject Matter in Mainstream Culture: Thoughts by Codera

Codera discusses why people seem to be accepting of dark subject matter in visual media but can't seem to accept it in music.

I'm lazy, so I'll cut and paste my reply!

I'm trying to picture One Direction performing a Cannibal Corpse song, and it made me pee myself laughing!

I'm old enough to be your mother--possibly pushing old enough to be your grandmother. I remember the old Satanic Panic of the 1980s. Heavy metal music was going to send us all to hell! People were burning records. It was ridiculous.

I have a theory that perhaps the imagery in movies and such makes it easier for people to say "this isn't real," whereas the lyrics to a song trigger different parts of the brain. I've studied just enough psychology to make me dangerous! ;-)

Maybe when a person hears a song with disturbing subject matter it makes them think. It might trigger something inside them, and they can't reconcile it by looking at a picture and saying "I know that's not real." So perhaps they'd prefer to listen to light, poppy stuff because it doesn't make them think so much. It's just an idea that came to mind.

Cannibal Corpse isn't really my cup of tea, and I'm not too much for gore in movies either. I prefer my doom and gloom to be a bit more cerebral. I like Satyricon and Immortal, and I prefer a movie like "Let the Right One In" over "Saw."

On the lighter side (at my age, I'm not ashamed to admit that I have one) I like the Vampire Diaries. Musically, my lighter side prefers the Bee Gees to Lady GaGa. I told you I was old!

I enjoyed your thought-provoking discussion. It's always inspiring to find people of any age who know how to use their gray matter!

Peace.

 

I'd like to suggest that you all take a minute to check out Codera's video and subscribe to his channel. He's a smart young man who actually uses his mind. That may be a dangerous thing! ;-)

 

~DJ Dolly~

Ron Pope: A Drop In the Ocean

Hello friends, DJ Helena suggested this beautiful and sad song for inspiring my NaNo writing here in the wee hours. I chose the version with the scene from the good ole Vampire Diaries, which is a favorite among our Undead in the Netherworld/KHEL 666 Krew!

In one of my previous posts I mentioned that I was contemplating creating a romantic relationship or proto-romance between two of my characters. As I wrote, I decided to challenge myself by creating a romance between two of the female characters who seemed to be drawing close.

It's easy for me as a straight person to write a straight romance, and I also find it relatively easy to write an authentic romance between two male characters. I wanted to write a romance between two female characters which seemed true and respectful and did not become some sort of lurid lezsploitation scene for the straight male gaze as such scenarios unfortunately so often seem to.

Given the challenges that homosexuals, both male and female, still face even in modern times, I thought it seemed realistic that at some point one or both of the characters would face difficulty acknowledging her true feelings. This song expresses that. Will they be able to resolve their problems? I'll admit that I'm a soft touch, but sometimes it seems more in keeping with the personalities of the characters for heartache to be the end result. We shall see!

XOXO,

DJ Tempest

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Brief Review: The Vampire Diaries

I have been watching The Vampire Diaries on Netflix. Tsathoggua and I give it two thumbs up. While the target audience is teenage girls, the show is far more Buffy the Vampire Slayer than Twilight.

My son adds the caveat that Buffy the Vampire Slayer contained far more vampire fighting than vampire fucking. Angel did not come along till later in the Buffy series. While there is some vampire slaying in The Vampire Diaries, the focus of the show is the romance between Elena and Stefan and the rivalry between Stefan and Damon.

Although the question does arise of how the holy hell a 162 year old being could abide being around high school kids, even if Elena is quite emotionally mature, the romance between Elena and Stefan comes off as far less creepy and psychologially abusive than the romance between Bella and Edward. Elena is also a better role model for teenage girls than is Bella. While she experiences depression following her breakup with Stefan, she does not become non-functional.

Overall, the series is well constructed without too many cringe-worthy lines. However, I find the need to beg the question of why the "good guy" vampires in modern times don't satiate their need for human blood from blood banks rather than relying on animal blood. As well, since it isn't necessary to kill a victim to feed...ah well, I'm not going to dwell on it.

If vampire fiction is your thing, give this show a go. It is a lot of fun.