Feminist Borer Story

American Horror Story has out-done any and every show I’ve ever obsessed over. The first two seasons were riveting, jaw-dropping, boundary pushing, and completely addictive. Season one tackled issues including homophobia, rape, mental retardation and ablism, school shootings, adultery. Nothing was too risque for Ryan Murphy. The second season went even further (which viewers likely had no idea was possible). We saw more graphic and vulgar scenes of homophobia, rape (of both males and females... very progressive inclusion, Murphy), mental illness, and also threw in racism, a mad Nazi scientist, and two heathen nuns (one’s just an alcoholic, the other one is sex-crazed and demonic). Also, there was a kickass musical scene where electro-shocked Jessica Lange sang The Name Game and I fell even more deeply in love with her than I already was.

You can only imagine my excitement for Coven. Especially when I found out it was to be set in New Orleans and centered around witches. WITCHES ROCK. They’re the coolest. They’re sexy and badass and magical and badass and vengeful and they sport all black all the time and they’re so badass. Now, try to imagine my disappointment when I watched the pilot episode and Jessica Lange had a line referencing Facebook and Twitter. There was also dubstep and a frat party. I could try to blame it on the fact that the show is set primarily in present-day, however the first season was as well and did not contain any of these disappointments. The elements of the Asylum plot that were set in present day were equally as fucked up and terrifying as the segments in the 60s.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for bitchcraft. If you ask me, witches were the real first-wave feminists. But I’m having a difficult time buying into this plot. It isn’t nearly as eerie, disturbing, or offensive as the first two. Actually, I take that last part back. It isn’t as politically incorrect, but it is certainly more offensive. For one, I feel like the writers have lost all progressive perspective.  There is a hint of race and class warfare, but it is shadowed by teenage sappiness and cultural jokes that appeal to the most socially unconscious audiences.

I hoped that the second episode would restore my faith in the show, but 10 minutes in it became clear that this would not be promising. Honestly, how many fat jokes is Gabourey Sidibe going to make? The first one wasn’t funny, so why haven’t you stopped while you were already behind, Murphy? Also, was Emma Robert’s bra and panty cameo necessary? (Hint: no). And what is this, Disney? True Love’s kiss resurrects Evan Peters? Yawwwwwn. The only part of “Boy Parts” that I even remotely enjoyed was the sexual tension between Lily Rabe and Taissa Farmiga while they discussed the lyrical genius that is Queen Stevie Nicks.  

Will I stop watching? Absolutely not. This is my show and I will stick by it, even when I don’t like/agree with it. I still have hope that I will get the AHS I know and love back, but this disappointment is going to be hard to shake. Save the pop culture references and light humor for Glee. We want gore, insanity, darkness, terror. And bring back the social critiques. You were on the right track with killing off the rapists, but Build-A-Boyfriend? Not so cool. So far the most gruesome scene of the series has been the opening of the pilot, when we enter Madame LaLaurie’s torture chamber (that Minotaur was TWISTED!). Very useful in drawing audiences in, but you’ve got to keep us terrified to keep us watching. I want my heart to pound with anticipation and my blood to boil with social injustice. That’s the AHS I signed up for and devoted myself to.