`Frightening` Frankie, `Dangerous` Drac, and (Yeah, Right!) `Weirdo

Department of English
Rocky Colavito
Butler
Brown
Bag
Series
Presentation
Wednesday,
September 24
Noon - 1 p.m.
AU326
‘Frightening’ Frankie, ‘Dangerous’ Drac, and (Yeah, Right!) ‘Weirdo’ Wolfie’:
Popular Appropriation, Monster Mash-ups, and
Why Frankenberry is Really Bad for You
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” . In this presentation, Rocky Colavito
examines Cohen’s assertions and 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.
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.
Students, staff and faculty are all welcome. No RSVP required.