Jeffrey Jerome Cohen’s first of seven monster theses is one of the most significant for the purposes of this presentation: “The monster’s body is cultural body.” Cohen goes on to assert that the monster’s body is “… an embodiment of a certain cultural moment … [of] pure culture” (4). I would like to extend Cohen’s assertions here and examine how monsters’ bodies and presences are affected by appropriation by the culture industry, one which very often domesticates them and co-opts them for antithetical purposes. Mary Shelley, for example, originally envisions Frankenstein’s creation as a reminder about why science should not overstep boundaries (and why fathers should not abandon their children)—today a domesticated version of the creature is used to sell breakfast cereal. Stoker’s Dracula, himself an echo of an evil historical figure who took pleasure in the slow torture of war prisoners, gets parodies by everyone from Mel Brooks to Adam Sandler. Cartoons, commercials, comedy records—all represent cultural appropriations of the monsters we know and love, and this presentation seeks to explore the ramifications of this cultural process, what it means for Cohen’s theses, and how this domestication affects the definition and development of monsters and the monstrous for future generations.
About the presenterJ. Rocky Colavito
Rocky Colavito is a Professor of English at Butler University.