[Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture 19] • True Blood and Philosophy by Irwin, William -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series Title Page Copyright Page Acknowledgments Introduction PART ONE - “I USED TO HATE VAMPIRES, UNTIL I GOT TO KNOW ONE”: VAMPIRE-HUMAN ETHICS

One - TO TURN OR NOT TO TURN

Bill and Sookie, Sitting in a Coffin, K-i-s-s-i-n-g Show Some Respect Read. My. Lips. Look Before You Leap Don’t Force It Exceptions to the Rule? NOTES

Two - DRESSING UP AND PLAYING HUMAN

Play to Learn, Play to Live Thresholds and Invitations Rules: What It Means to Be “Mine” The Goals of Play Play Changes the Player NOTES

Three - PETS, CATTLE, AND HIGHER LIFE FORMS ON TRUE BLOOD

And Justice for All—Human Beings? How Much Is a Vampire Worth? Vampires as Higher Life Forms Human Pets and Cattle Our Civic Duty NOTES

PART TWO - “LIFE-CHALLENGED INDIVIDUALS”: THE POLITICS OF BEING DEAD

Four - SIGNED IN BLOOD

We’re Here. We’re Dead. Get Over It. This American “Un-Life” A Vampire’s Right to Life? The Great Fanged Menace Vampires Were People, Too On Coffins and Contracts NOTES

Five - “HONEY, IF WE CAN’T KILL PEOPLE, WHAT’S THE POINT OF BEING A VAMPIRE?”

Vamp and Camp: Does Out of the Coffin = Out of the Closet? It’s Utterly Feudal: Reconciling Vampire Politics and Liberalism What Is It Like to Be a Vampire? Don’t Sign Me Up for the Fellowship of the Sun—Just Yet! NOTES

Six - UN-TRUE BLOOD

Past and Present A New Twist on an Old Narrative Coming Out of the Coffin The Blood Is the Life Vampires as Ideal Consumers The Politics of Artificiality NOTES

PART THREE - “THEIR VERY BLOOD IS SEDUCTIVE”: EROS, SEXUALITY, AND GENDER

Seven - COMING OUT OF THE COFFIN AND COMING OUT OF THE CLOSET

“Vampires Are an Unnatural Abomination” We’re Here, We’re Vampire ... Get Used to It! Sex and Feeding, Penis and Fangs Don’t Eat Your Date, Jessica! Deserving of Equal Rights under the Law NOTES

Eight - “I AM SOOKIE, HEAR ME ROAR!”

Incendiary Identities Supernatural Sex Vocational Values More Questions than Answers NOTES

Nine - SOOKIE, SIGMUND, AND THE EDIBLE COMPLEX

The Edible Complex Bon Temps and Its Discontents Nothing New under the Moon Sookie’s and Sigmund’s Gift Love at First Bite NOTES

PART FOUR - “I AM ACTUALLY OLDER THAN YOUR JESUS”: NATURAL, SUPERNATURAL, AND DIVINE

Ten - LET THE BON TEMPS ROLL

Of Scapegoats, Sausages, and “Eggs” The Dionysian Pack Mentality Scapegoats We Can Sink Our Teeth Into The God Who Comes Forgives NOTES

Eleven - ARE VAMPIRES UNNATURAL?

Viruses, Predation, and Evolution “A Purpose for Everything That God Creates” Like Lions Who Want to Caress Antelopes The Problem with Purpose Supes Aren’t Natural-They’ re Super-Natural! Unnatural Is Not Automatically Wrong NOTES

Twelve - DOES GOD HATE FANGS?

Doing Bad Things with Good Gifts “Through the Virtue of Demons” “We Vampires Aren’t Minions of the Devil” NOTES

PART FIVE - “OUR EXISTENCE IS INSANITY”: THE METAPHYSICS OF SUPERNATURAL BEINGS

Disenchanted Vampires Animating the Dead The Heart of the Matter Blood Ties and Freedom NOTES

Fourteen - KEEPING SECRETS FROM SOOKIE

What’s It Like to Hear a Dog-Whistle? Hunting the Elusive Quale A Slow Day at Merlotte’s The Final Nail in the Coffin NOTES

Fifteen - VAMPIRES, WEREWOLVES, AND SHAPESHIFTERS

Sixteen - HIDING THE LIGHT

Deadly Differences and Being Differently Dead Valuing Difference—Dead or Alive A Treasure to Be Protected NOTES

Seventeen - ARLENE’S DILEMMA

“We Had Sex. Didn’t We?” “You Know I Like Kids, Arlene. Donuts, Too.” “The Only Way to Be Sure That Rene Will Never Pass His Sickness On” “Two Sovereign Masters” Consequences and Crystal Balls Stay Tuned NOTES

Eighteen - CONFUCIUS COMES TO BON TEMPS

Your Parents’ Fuckin’ Problems Are Your Fuckin’ Problems Teach Your Children Well! Doing Wrong in Order to Do Right More Than Blood Walking the Line between Tommy and Sam NOTES

CONTRIBUTORS INDEX