I BEG TO DREAM AND DIFFER FROM THE HOLLOW LIES...SEX, BLOOD & ROCK-AND-ROLL AND AN AMERICAN IDIOT

I know what you're thinking: "Judging from its title (well, all of it except for the 'blood' part), what does this post have to do with True Blood, Rachel? Unless I'm mistaken, isn't that a lyric from a Green Day song? Have you decided to switch gears here at the PPT and dump TB in favor of sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll?

Not in the least...it's actually interesting how all things are connected...especially for us, the connoisseurs of pop culture in some way socially or politically conscious that we are...and besides, the title of this post does come from a song, just like the titles of True Blood episodes do - so in that way (and more) the PPT theme is intact :-)

This past Saturday night, Rebecca and I (accompanied by my husband Bobby) braved the punishing 60mph winds and trooped into NYC to take in Green Day's rock opera American Idiot.





 
In the interest of full disclosure, we started out at the Hard Rock Cafe, where I did, in fact, have a Pomegranate Martini!




Hark Rockin' it!




yes, we like to stage our drinks



Rebecca holding my drink; isn't her ring awesome?

 No, we didn't meet or get autographs signed by Billie Joe Armstrong - the lead singer of Green Day who, for a limited time only, is playing the pivotal role of





in the stage production...




...but something we did see in the dazzling, high-energy show took us a little off guard in terms of its connection back to True Blood.

The American Idiot set features many flat screen TVs of varying sizes inset into the backdrop, rising from stage level to ceiling on all walls. These screens, at times, flash video montages meant to convey the meaning and feel of the scenes as they play out; images bursting and shimmering in time with actors singing, dancing, and swinging from harnesses in aerial numbers.

During one scene in particular, the screens frenetically flashed war imagery juxtaposed with former President George W. Bush speechifying; these images and sound bites punctuated and underscored the movements of the actors - who were now in military fatigues - whirling and diving onstage to give the impression of the bombs and bullets of any given theater of war we're now engaged in exploding and flying around them.

And then - for several startling moments - this image flashed:

Look familiar? It should...this politically-loaded image which was created by comic book artist and illustrator Alex Ross and ran on the cover of The Village Voice in October 26, 2004 is hanging on the wall of Fangtasia!

A while back, we blogged about it as a fine detail that may or may not be strategically placed on the True Blood set to express a political opinion or catalyze discourse.

What do you think?

With the surge of interest around vampires in our culture, is this image becoming a potent touchstone for dissent?

Your opinion is valued, so please weigh in on this one...and oh, by the way...Happy President's Day ;-)

~ Rachel