Goth of Color on tv alert!! : The Search for the next Elvira

[blackmagickbarbie]

I did not know such a show existed until I was browsing through the horror section of Hulu !
This show aired in 2007 and was four episodes long, the finale culminated on Halloween '07.
There were two female finalists of color; (Asian) Jenny Jenson , and (Black) Lady M from Baltimore.
The "Blelvira" ( Black Elvira as she referred to herself.) only lasted two episodes
before being canned due to poor acting skills.
Jenny the Asian Elvira was one of the final three.

Did you see the show? ( you can see it on Hulu if you did not!!)
What did you think about blevira?

The photograph is of the "unlucky 13" which Lady M. was a part of.
Lady M. is on the far right in the photo wearing a short black dress with silver daggers
Did she ever stand a chance?

Episode 1

[Mlle d. Sade]

Wow. I didn't even know! Thanks for posting!

[Ms. Dahl]

I saw advertisements for this show a few years back. I'm not much of an Elvira fan. So I didn't really check into it. I watched the episode you posted (and skipped to the finale on Hulu). I think Lady M didn't stand a chance. She didn't really go over and above like a lot of the other girls seemed to do.

They should do a search for the next Vampira. That would be so awesome.

It was great surprise seeing The Last Dance on the last episode. :)

[blackmagickbarbie]

I agree about her not standing a chance.
She did not give off an Elvira-ish vibe to me.
It seemed she was doing more of her own thing,
which is fine but not if you are trying to be
the next Elvira.

[Mlle d. Sade]

Nothing could ever replace Elvira, anyway.

[blackmagickbarbie]

How so completely true!
Yet It was fun to watch them try!

[Mlle d. Sade]

Yeah, I was surprised I never saw it or tried to record it. I love me some campy goodness. I used to watch her movies on comedy central and usa's up all night when I was a kid.

blackmagickbarbie said:

How so completely true!
Yet It was fun to watch them try!

[blackmagickbarbie]

I recall being a kid , Halloween time , her specials and movies coming on.
I thought she looked so neat and her dog too with his little multicolored 'hawk.
Does anyone recall when Vampira was trying to sue Elvira for stealing her image?
I saw similarities but aside from the Horror hostess in a
tight black dress,pale skin and onyx hair they were
entirely two different entities.Their delivery and demeanor were different.
Vampira was more steely and sensual while Elvira
is all burlesque and boobs.

[blackmagickbarbie]

Elvira
Vampira

[Mlle d. Sade]

I never liked Vampira. ...too serious, I guess. I just wasn't exposed to her enough, I guess but still I much prefer the "boobs and burlesque" approach, high camp and very obviously sexual bordering on trashiness. I understand the suing but still ...Elvira wasn't the only copy cat, just the most successful at doing the same thing. Infact, I think she was the only successful copy cat. Idunno, that's a pickle, I guess.

If you google Vampira, Elvira is the related search.

[Ms. Dahl]

I always liked Vampira more. But Elvira did spawn from Vampira's original idea. As the story goes, a television company was going to make a tv show solely about Vampira. Maila Nurmi didn't like the changes they were making to the character so she declined usage of her character in the show. So, the company created Elvira.

I think I was always attracted to Vampira's sophisticated sensuality. Elvira is way too "trashy-playboy-bunny-in-black"-esque for me. But, that's just me. I've got nothing against Elvira or Elvira fans. Anyways, from what I've read Maila Nurmi was a bit of a "dark soul" in real life as well. Check out these photos of her. Remember this is 20 years before punk and goth were even thought of.

Picture 1
Picture 2

[blackmagickbarbie]

Wow squared!
Thank you for posting those photographs Ms. Dahl !
What a wicked fashion sense.

[Mlle d. Sade]

Wow.

I think if I ever got into burlesque I'd just rip off Elvira. ...then she'd have to sue me.

Vampira was the genuine article a great example of goth before goth (like Kay Francis) and Elvira was a casting call poser (?). But she carried it well. I like the hybridization between sex kitten and goth. That's what originally made me hesitant to declare myself or my style goth because it seems so serious but I got over it. ...or something.