Teen Wolf In The Media

[ElleryAnne]

People need to learn how to divorce their personal preferences from social justice*.

 

 

I agree with this statement.  However, I do think that, just like the flip side, it's important that it not be used as an excuse to shut down discussions or to shame people.  I've noticed it being used that way lately ( *cough* tumblr *cough*).  Pendulum swings.

 

 

by many fans/bloggers.

 

 

I'm leery of lumping fans and bloggers together.  Bloggers often say things like that to generate discussion, stir the pot, or just get more visits to their site.  They don't often really represent the fans.

 

 

To me it seems obvious. The cast and JD thought they could be slash friendly and have a joke with Sterek shippers. Then shippers took a jokey boat video as a serious suggestion that Sterek would happen in canon. Sterek shippers got intense and pushy. Jeff back-peddled and tried to avoid the issue. In brief - it got weird.

 

 

All due respect, but I very much disagree with this.  JD didn't think he could have a joke with them.  He used them to increase media attention.  The "ship" video (that's ship, btw - not boat - it's an intentional pun) was a plea for votes for a poll, and assorted comments made around that time and afterward were done in order to amp the visibility of the show across social media - in large part by hinting at possible future Sterek.  Was Jeff within his rights to do so?  Yes.  It wasn't especially nice, but it was certainly something he could do.  Short term, it was even smart.  But let's at least call it what it was.  It wasn't a cute little in-joke.  It was a public relations stunt - and it turned into a public relations fiasco because he played fast and loose and wasn't above a bit of queer-baiting.  And then something happened - I don't think it was that Jeff (or any of the cast) suddenly became afraid that Sterek fans were asking too much.  Fans keep getting blamed, but fans are not to blame in this case. 

Edited September 30, 2014 by ElleryAnne

[caseylane]

Yes, I remember Jess promising not to queer bait but he did exactly that.

 

I think it's what Sterek represented just as much as the hotness of the 2 actors. People want a main character to be gay, not a side character like Danny, that's why he didn't fulfill the need. They also want to see that main character get the lead up to romance like a Scott/Kira got, not just a quick hook up. Romance with yearning and hope and all that implies. Dylan O'B is probably the best actor on the show and cute as a button, while Tyler H. is masculine in an alpha male (non werewolf) way. Their chemistry together was great, when they actually got screen time together that is. Jeff D. even admitted that next to scenes with father and son Stilinski, Stiles and Derek were the best coupling. He was more than willing to exploit that but is now calling "psych" and hoping the fans will laugh with him.

 

Meanwhile, some fans are still waiting for that lead character romance to happen.

[Yitzhak]

 

The "ship" video (that's ship, btw - not boat - it's an intentional pun) was a plea for votes for a poll,

 

Yes, it was cheap ploy to win votes. Dylan and Tyler were very transparent about this and that's exactly why the vid was fun and friendly. They were being silly and blatant about pandering to shippers. I don't consider that mean at all. It didn't cost fans anything to vote and they were given some free spank-bank material in exchange for their support. Everybody wins. Or not as it turned out.    

 

 

I don't think it was that Jeff (or any of the cast) suddenly became afraid that Sterek fans were asking too much

 

For what it's worth, I think things like the Sterek Campaign have a lot of positive intentions and have done some great charity work, but the movement wouldn't be called the Sterek Campaign if it wasn't campaigning for that ship to happen. It could have just been a group of TW fans raising money for wolves. Fans were aiming to influence Jeff's story and I think that is overstepping.    

 

 

Dylan O'B is probably the best actor on the show and cute as a button, while Tyler H. is masculine in an alpha male (non werewolf) way.

 

Responding to this to the ship thread. 

Edited September 30, 2014 by Yitzhak

[ElleryAnne]

they were given some free spank-bank material in exchange for their support.

 

 

Sterek fans weren't after "spank-bank" material.  That's.... kinda gross and offensive actually.  I know you don't mean it that way, and I'm not saying you're being offensive - just that if that's what Jeff&co thought they were doing (which I don't think it was), then it was offensive.  But I don't think Jeff&co saw it that way, anyway.  I think they knew that they were giving some fans the idea that an actual relationship between the characters was a possibility - however slight - in exchange for their help generating media buzz.  

 

 

Fans were aiming to influence Jeff's story and I think that is overstepping.

 

 

But they wouldn't have done that without Jeff's overt encouragement.  Fans were content to leave Sterek in the realm of fanfiction until Jeff started playing games.

Edited September 30, 2014 by ElleryAnne

[Yitzhak]

 

I think they knew that they were giving some fans the idea that an actual relationship between the characters was a possibility - however slight - in exchange for their help generating media buzz.

 

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. To me, what Dylan and Tyler were doing felt more like a male version of the two girls dancing intimately in a club thing. The subtext wasn't "we want you to believe that our characters might really be queer". The subtext was "we are aware that our largely heterosexual female fanbase will find this really hot". And there's no evidence that Jeff was even involved in the ship video, let alone that he commissioned it.     

[justcris]

 

To me it seems obvious. The cast and JD thought they could be slash friendly and have a joke with Sterek shippers. Then shippers took a jokey boat video as a serious suggestion that Sterek would happen in canon. Sterek shippers got intense and pushy. Jeff back-peddled and tried to avoid the issue. In brief - it got weird. I think it's a shame both parties couldn't have maintained a sense of humor about Sterek.

 

A thousand times this.

 

 

To me, what Dylan and Tyler were doing felt more like a male version of the two girls dancing intimately in a club thing. The subtext wasn't "we want you to believe that our characters might really be queer". The subtext was "we are aware that our largely heterosexual female fanbase will find this really hot".

 

And this!

 

Yitzhak lives in my brain, apparently!

Edited September 30, 2014 by justcris

[ElleryAnne]

And there's no evidence that Jeff was even involved in the ship video, let alone that he commissioned it.

 

 

Which is why I tend to say Jeff&co or other things when referring to it.  It's easier than specifying Jeff Davis and his social media team, along with MTV, Viacom, and the other assorted groups that participate in the show's PR.  And yes, we'll have to agree to disagree on the rest.

[Gwen-Stacys]

Which is why I tend to say Jeff&co or other things when referring to it.  It's easier than specifying Jeff Davis and his social media team, along with MTV, Viacom, and the other assorted groups that participate in the show's PR.  And yes, we'll have to agree to disagree on the rest.

 

That was comic con thing done by one of the many entertainment companies there. (I believe there's even a logo non-MTV logo)

 

I think we're all going to have to agree to disagree/drop the queer baiting article. I saw what Yitzhak saw, two bros goofing around because they know people will be entertained by it, and -I feel like I've said this before- it has been highly hinted that both Hoechlin and Dylan O were drunk when they did the video, so they weren't thinking straight (no pun intended). Some others may have seen it as a "OMG they know about Sterek and they agree with us it's gonna happen, yay!!!" kind of thing. But actors on a lot of tv shows do this. Joke around about their characters getting together when there's a high interest in it...even if it's never gonna happen. Then there's backlash or the fans get rabid and they realize their mistake. I truly believe that's what happened. Both actors were amused by Sterek and then it quickly became too much

[ElleryAnne]

That was comic con thing done by one of the many entertainment companies there. (I believe there's even a logo non-MTV logo

 

 

I think it's TV Guide, not comic con.

[Gwen-Stacys]

I think it's TV Guide, not comic con.

 

It was done at comic con, I was trying to say. Done by an entertainment company (apparently TV Guide. Thanks for that =)

Edited October 1, 2014 by Gwen-Stacys

[Yitzhak]

Linking this Hyperble podcast on TW fanfiction with Eaddy Mays. They touch upon a lot of issues that we've recently been discussing on this thread and Eaddy acts as a great diplomat, since she can speak for both the show's cast/creators and she sticks up for the fandom and fanfic writers too. Some interesting opinions from Eaddy.

 

- Eaddy was seriously angry about ClevverTVs vid where they got the cast to read out TW fanfic. She felt that the intention was to embarrass both the fans and the actors. Eaddy does think the cast need to be better educated in fanfic/fandom culture (she is clearly self-educated) but thinks a lot of the negative perceptions come from the medias habit of maligning fan culture.

 

- Eaddy defended Jeff (personally) against fan accusations of queer baiting. She says that Jeff is very passionate on the queer representation on the show and she hints that certain things that fans are disappointed over are often "business decisions" that are somewhat out of Jeff's control. I don't know if she's referring to Danny or Stiles bisexuality or both. She suggests that lack of canon Sterek is more down to the age difference than it being a gay relationship.           

 

- Eaddy also hints that the original plan was for Victoria not to die but to become a werewolf. She again hints that it was a "business decision" that changed her status on the show and she doesn't seem bitter about it. If you read between the lines it's implied that the 'Argent turned Werewolf' story was maybe planned for Victoria then given to Kate instead. 

[ElleryAnne]

since she can speak for both the show's cast/creators and she sticks up for the fandom and fanfic writers too.

 

 

Yeah, Eaddy's great.  She had some good comments earlier this year, too, after a couple of situations that occurred at cons in which fans were made to feel embarrassed without cause.  I wish more actors took her (and Orlando Jones') approach.  I don't mean going so far as to write fic or intermingle with fans - just try to understand enough about it to realize that fandom isn't just a bunch of semi-literates looking for porn. A lot of fandom is interested in exploring alternate interpretations of relationships and events and themes from the show.  It'd be nice if they weren't treated like red-headed stepchildren when they're often the most loyal and passionate fans.

 

 

but thinks a lot of the negative perceptions come from the medias habit of maligning fan culture.

 

 

There's a lot of truth in that.  Many of the examples of embarrassing or disrespectful questions that I've seen come from media trying to score an audience.  But like everything else, it comes down to whether people will blindly accept stereotypes or whether they'll attempt to become educated about a group of people.  Media is often happy to perpetuate the stereotypes.

 

 

Eaddy defended Jeff (personally) against fan accusations of queer baiting. She says that Jeff is very passionate on the queer representation on the show and she hints that certain things that fans are disappointed over are often "business decisions" that are somewhat out of Jeff's control.

 

 

Yeah, she gives him a pass on that much more easily than I do.   I've heard the speculation for a while now about how it may be MTV/Viacom pushing for the new direction the show seems to be going regarding its target demo, and that Jeff has to abide by their requests, and that he and the actors would possibly still be acting more like they were a couple of years ago - for example, not treating Sterek as a dirty word - yadda yadda.  Not sure how much stock I put in that, actually. There are definitely some hints to a bit of truth in it, looking at things like the MTV awards.  But that doesn't explain things like Jeff ignoring Danny's existence in S4, or the lack of scenes between DO and TH for almost the entire season, or DO's comment that the bi-sexuality hints regarding Stiles were just a joke, when in previous interviews Jeff stated that he put those hints in there intentionally.  And frankly, if JD's hands were tied due to "business decisions", whether due to a change in target demo by upper management or anything to do with DO's career or anything other reason people want to suggest, I have to wonder why he wouldn't try to get word out to fans in some way. He's proven to be social-media savvy enough to play the fans in the past.  If nothing else, Holland R. could say something on his behalf.   Without it, it seems like he was baiting segments of the fandom all along.  

 

 

If you read between the lines it's implied that the 'Argent turned Werewolf' story was maybe planned for Victoria then given to Kate instead.

 

 

Interesting.  I was hoping Victoria would have turned out to be the Benefactor, just because I wanted Eaddy back on the show.  I can't quite picture Victoria running around with Berserkers, but then both of those story lines were so badly written, I guess it's just as well she was spared being a part of it.

[jelaine]

I remember reading an interview with Dylan early in the run of the show where he spoke about Stiles asking both Scott and Danny "do gay guys find me attractive?" and the other comments Stiles made about maybe not being 100% straight and playing it as serious even if it was said jokingly.  Does anyone else remember this interview or am I just making things up again?

[lion10]

 

I've heard the speculation for a while now about how it may be MTV/Viacom pushing for the new direction the show seems to be going regarding its target demo

 

So what new demo is MTV trying to capture?  Is it (straight) guys?  And if so, why?  Teen Wolf had really good ratings and has/had a passionate fan base of mostly straight girls and gay guys.  Why try to switch that up in Season 4?  Almost every show MTV has made to appeal to guys has flopped hard: Hard Times of RJ Berger, The Inbetweeners, I Just Want My Pants Back, Zach Stone is Gonna Be Famous, etc.  They should follow ABC Family's lead and focus on women.  Speaking of which, does anyone know of any current high school shows that have a male lead that isn't Teen Wolf?

[paulvdb]

Speaking of which, does anyone know of any current high school shows that have a male lead that isn't Teen Wolf

The CW seems to have dropped their high school shows. ABC Family has Pretty Little Liars, Switched at Birth and The Fosters which all have female leads and the last two are more family drama than high school show. MTV has Awkward and Faking It which also have female leads. There are probably some high school shows with male leads on kids channels like Nickelodeon, Disney and Disney XD.

[galax-arena]

She says that Jeff is very passionate on the queer representation on the show and she hints that certain things that fans are disappointed over are often "business decisions" that are somewhat out of Jeff's control.

That would be weird because this is MTV we’re talking about, one of the most queer-friendly networks on television. If Teen Wolf were on the CW, I could swallow that more.

She suggests that lack of canon Sterek is more down to the age difference than it being a gay relationship.

How awkward this will be if Lydia and Parrish really do end up together, lmao. 

They should follow ABC Family's lead and focus on women.

For whatever reason Hollywood and advertisers seem to covet the male demo. It's dumb. 

[Bruinsfan]

- Eaddy also hints that the original plan was for Victoria not to die but to become a werewolf. She again hints that it was a "business decision" that changed her status on the show and she doesn't seem bitter about it. If you read between the lines it's implied that the 'Argent turned Werewolf' story was maybe planned for Victoria then given to Kate instead. 

That would have made more sense, as Victoria was already in the process of turning under the full moon when she stabbed herself; an injury that probably wouldn't overcome werewolf healing abilities. By contrast, Kate was clawed rather than bitten, bled out almost instantly, and was a dead body for a considerable length of time before the change took effect.

[Yitzhak]

That would be weird because this is MTV we’re talking about, one of the most queer-friendly networks on television. If Teen Wolf were on the CW, I could swallow that more.

 

"Business reasons" doesn't mean homophobic reasons. Or even Sterek-phobic reasons.

 

But that doesn't explain things like Jeff ignoring Danny's existence in S4, or the lack of scenes between DO and TH for almost the entire season, or DO's comment that the bi-sexuality hints regarding Stiles were just a joke, when in previous interviews Jeff stated that he put those hints in there intentionally.

 

1) Danny's absence may well be one such "business decision". S4 featured a lot of guest stars, those guest stars all had to be paid and maybe for budgeting constraints there was need to cut back on any guest actors (like Danny) who weren't considered essential to the S4 plot? Danny's always been a minor supporting character and his main links to the storyline were Jackson and Ethan who were both gone. And maybe the reason Jeff never explained Danny's absence is because he always wanted to bring him back in S5? Keahu is at NY comiccon this weekend so maybe he'll shed some light on the situation.   

 

2) We don't know if the writers are deliberately separating Derek and Stiles though. It may just be that the plot doesn't call for them to be together. In 3b Stiles went through a big ordeal and it made sense that he mostly interacted with the likes of Scott, Lydia and his father because those are the characters he is closest to. In S4 Derek barely interacts with ANY of the teen characters, other than Scott (and Scott/Derek has always been a more significant relationship than Stiles/Derek in canon). S4 suffered with a lack of many characters NOT sharing scenes together because storylines were often splintered and failed to bring the pack together.      

 

3) Dylan's answer was vaguer than you imply it to be. And Dylan doesn't write Stiles' character, Jeff does. Dylan can only interpret Stiles based on the scripts and so far there's been nothing in the scripts to seriously confirm Stiles being queer. The so-called hints are usually funny moments so for his own part, Dylan is not wrong. It's up to Jeff to make it explicit if he chooses to. But at this stage - what actual purpose would Stiles being bisexual serve? Would it tick a representation box? Yeah, sure, I guess. But that would just be tokenism in my opinion. Would fans really be satisfied with Stiles saying "Yup, I like boys too" and then not show him having a relationship with a guy? Is there really time to give Stiles a male love interest when Stalia is still underdeveloped and Stydia still may be endgame? 

 

 

 

So what new demo is MTV trying to capture?  Is it (straight) guys?  And if so, why?  Teen Wolf had really good ratings and has/had a passionate fan base of mostly straight girls and gay guys.  Why try to switch that up in Season 4?

 

Maze Runner fanboys maybe? *shrugs* I don't actually think TW has changed its demographic. I think in S4 it was more that they were trying to reboot the show after losing a lot of main characters, including their female lead and the original main ship. I think they were throwing a lot of new characters and new ships against the wall to see what stuck. They may have been wanting to keep the show accessible to new fans (hence barely mentioning Allison's death, other characters absences) and they may not have expected to lose old ones. 3b ratings were very good (despite a lack of Sterek scenes).  

 

 

That would have made more sense, as Victoria was already in the process of turning under the full moon when she stabbed herself; an injury that probably wouldn't overcome werewolf healing abilities. By contrast, Kate was clawed rather than bitten, bled out almost instantly, and was a dead body for a considerable length of time before the change took effect.

 

Apparently in S1, Jill Wagner was one of the actors who wasn't based in Atlanta. So I imagine it cost a lot to fly her out and killing Kate off saved on that money. But when they moved filming back to LA in S3 that would no longer be an issue. Given Wagner's hosting gig with Wolf Watch, she seems to have some strong MTV connections, stronger than Eaddy's perhaps. *shrugs*   

 

 

A lot of fandom is interested in exploring alternate interpretations of relationships and events and themes from the show.  It'd be nice if they weren't treated like red-headed stepchildren when they're often the most loyal and passionate fans.

 

I agree with this, but then I also question the way that fans treat the cast/creators. As Eaddy herself says fans creating a blame culture and throwing around accusations when we don't know the full BTS story doesn't help the situation one bit.    

Edited October 8, 2014 by Yitzhak

[galax-arena]

"Business reasons" doesn't mean homophobic reasons.

If it is indeed a network decision that forced Jeff's hand, then that's the most likely explanation IMO. At least, it would be for most networks; that's what such language would usually be code for. Homophobia's still a big deal in terms of gay rep on TV. And that's why I'm trying to figure out what these alleged "business reasons" for MTV could be, because if there were any networks where homophobia shouldn't be an issue on a network level, MTV and ABC Family would be it. So no, homophobia here doesn't make much sense, but then I can't really think of any other purported "business reason" that DOES make sense. Unless she's not referring to the network, but once again, I can't really think of any suitable alternative interpretation. 

 

And honestly, if they’re willing to acknowledge that there are certain issues, even if it’s due to these “business reasons” and not Davis’ own incompetency, then at the very least they should stop patting themselves on the back over what a perfect gay world the Teen Wolf universe is. I’ve said this before, but the only reason Jeff Davis receives as much scrutiny as he does is because he’s boasted so much about what a queertopia Teen Wolf is. Stop blowing smoke up your ass, and people will stop putting a magnifying glass to your claims. 

Or even Sterek-phobic reasons.

I really don’t give a shit if TPTB are specifically Sterek-phobic. Hell, I’m Sterek-phobic. Fandom’s scarred me, and I’d like the show to stay far, far away from that mess.

Edited October 8, 2014 by galax-arena

[ElleryAnne]

And maybe the reason Jeff never explained Danny's absence is because he always wanted to bring him back in S5?

 

 

Holland basically said that Jeff had no more ideas for Danny. She could have been lying, I guess, but I don't know why she would.  It's quite likely that the only reason Danny is coming back for S5 is that Jeff didn't anticipate the fan questions at cons and ended up putting his foot in his mouth by saying we haven't seen the last of Danny.   So we'll probably get a couple of token appearances from him in S5.  Emphasis on the "token". Since there wasn't so much as a reference to Danny in S4, it's unlikely that Jeff always wanted to bring him back in S5.   It seems more like he considered Danny to be the old wallpaper, easily replaced with the new.

 

 

S4 featured a lot of guest stars, those guest stars all had to be paid and maybe for budgeting constraints there was need to cut back on any guest actors (like Danny) who weren't considered essential to the S4 plot?

 

 

Eh.  He could have written Danny into the storyline if he'd wanted to.  But he didn't want to.  He had his new token and didn't need the old one.  And obviously that's all he ever saw Danny as.  And half of those "guest stars" were random and didn't need to be there.  I doubt Danny's absence is related to budget.  

 

 

Dylan's answer was vaguer than you imply it to be.

 

 

Fair enough.  I took it to be a dismissal of the idea of Stiles as anything other than basic vanilla het.  If S5 proves me wrong, I'll officially apologize to Dylan for taking is words as a dismissal of Stiles' possible bi-sexuality.

 

 

 

But at this stage - what actual purpose would Stiles being bisexual serve? 

 

 

At this stage, I don't want any of the characters in romantic relationships with any of the others because JD can't write them well.  But the purpose could theoretically be more than tokenism, if handled well (and yeah, that's not likely), because bisexuality is real and it could be interesting to see a character explore coming to terms with that identity - whether or not there was an actual romance involved. I guess it depends on whether you think a character discovering something about himself can be interesting apart from whether there's an accompanying sex scene.  I think there is.  But I don't care anymore whether the show does anything with it, because my expectations for this show have fallen a lot this season and I have no faith that they can write anything well.  But at least I would like to think they weren't just stringing people along pretending they wanted to represent a certain diversity when they really just wanted it to be a joke.  I find it distasteful and dismissive of a portion of the audience.  It also adds to my general distrust of the showrunner.  But that's just me.  

 

 

Is there really time to give Stiles a male love interest when Stalia is still underdeveloped and Stydia still may be endgame?

 

 

LOL.  As if lack of time to develop it properly has ever stopped them before.  

 

 

 fans creating a blame culture and throwing around accusations when we don't know the full BTS story doesn't help the situation one bit.

 

 

Fans haven't been creating a blame culture.  But they have the right to call out and criticize what they see going on.  If a show's PTB choose to engage with fans through social media, cons, etc., in order to grow their audience, then they can't expect to be given a free pass if the fans criticize them for using them or lying to them.  

[Yitzhak]

It seems more like he considered Danny to be the old wallpaper, easily replaced with the new.

He could have written Danny into the storyline if he'd wanted to.   

 

I do agree with this. What I was saying was that I don't think the writers/MTV specifically got rid of Danny because he's a gay character and they wanted to make their show all hetero in S4. I think they dropped him because he was part of the earlier seasons cast and they were making room for the new generation. I still think dropping Danny was a really bad idea and one that could've been avoided if they'd just thought a little more about how to include him in the S4 story. But then Danny isn't the only character that was weirdly absent in S4. Characters like Miss Morrell and Mr Tate also could and should've played roles in the story yet they were nowhere to be seen either.      

 

I'll talk about Stiles sexuality stuff in the ship thread. 

Edited October 9, 2014 by Yitzhak

[Bruinsfan]

Given that a big part of Season 4 was trying to figure out a coded electronic message, I can certainly think of some ways that someone with computer hacking on his rap sheet could have been involved in the main plot without needing Jackson or Ethan present as a go-between. Hell, even a couple of lines about the character helping in that capacity off camera might have avoided some of the backlash TPTB got for jettisoning Danny, with no scheduling or payment issues re: Keahu to worry about.

[Yitzhak]

New interview with Jeff in Paris.

 

[resonance]

For whatever reason Hollywood and advertisers seem to covet the male demo. It's dumb.

Well, it's just half the human population. More importantly, if MTV already attracts lots of women, each male tuning in is more likely a new MTV viewer. This is a lot more valuable than catering to an old viewer who already has a lot of content. A sizable male audience tuned in to Jersey Shore and MTV definitely wants to recreate Jersey Shore viewing numbers. 

 

I do think at the heart of Teen Wolf that it is actually more of a guy's show than a girl's show... a gay guy's show written by a gay male. It's violent and gory and has sports scenes. The romance/relationships are some of the most bland and emotionless on television. The show is mostly about men. Unlike Twilight/Hunger Games/Divergent, the leads are male and fans are always complaining how all the females in Teen Wolf are super marginalized. So it kind of makes sense why MTV thinks it could attract a male audience.

  

The problem, however, is that the homosexual overtures really repels heterosexual males. Even those who don't mind gays still don't want to be associated with them. Coming out of the Twilight subgenre is also a huge obstacle to overcome. (On the flip side, the Twilight subgenre has attracted a lot of tween females.) 

 

Overall, I think Teen Wolf has just been too stigmatized to attract a male audience. If MTV had marketed the show differently from the beginning, though, I could easily see the gender demographic flip. 

Edited October 14, 2014 by resonance

[galax-arena]

Well, it's just half the human population.

My point is that they covet the male demo more so than the female one. Look at what happened to the Twilight movies. Female viewers are routinely stigmatized and dismissed. And people act amazed when female-oriented movies do well, but then even those are dismissed as being mere chick flicks. 

 

Teen Wolf needs to embrace its core viewers and stop thirsting after the (hetero) male demo, because it ain't gonna work regardless of the faux sexy girl-on-girl dances. 

Edited October 14, 2014 by galax-arena

[caseylane]

From what I understand, marketers like young men because they are more prone to impulse purchases, thus more likely to buy their products. They feel young women will spend $100 on hair and nails, which benefit the salon. Guys, they figure, will spend it on beer, sports events and taking women out to chain restaurants and movie theaters. In other words, their advertising customers.

 

I don't pay that much attention, TW is usually a week old before I get around to watching it, who are the main advertisers for this show?

[ElleryAnne]

I don't pay that much attention, TW is usually a week old before I get around to watching it, who are the main advertisers for this show?

 

 

Heh.  Offhand, the only commercial I recall seeing frequently during the show is for condoms.  And then there's the product placement for cars and phones, etc., that ends up in the show.

[galax-arena]

From what I understand, marketers like young men because they are more prone to impulse purchases,

Clearly, they've never met me. LOL. 

 

Actually, wait, I make a lot of impulse purchases but never based on what I see in television commercials, so maybe they're on to something... 

[Bruinsfan]

I would laugh my ass off if Teen Wolf's commercial breaks started filling up with ads for sparkly pink phones and Maybelline.
 

The problem, however, is that the homosexual overtures really repels heterosexual males. Even those who don't mind gays still don't want to be associated with them.

I don't know that that's really true for the generation that MTV is aimed at, by and large the straight guys seem pretty accepting. More likely it's a case of just not finding things that interest them rather than being actively repulsed by the token slivers of gay content that have been in the most recent seasons.

[Yitzhak]

I don't know that that's really true for the generation that MTV is aimed at, by and large the straight guys seem pretty accepting. More likely it's a case of just not finding things that interest them rather than being actively repulsed by the token slivers of gay content that have been in the most recent seasons.

 

Yeah, as a person who works with teenagers I'd also like to say that I don't find the current young generation of straight boys homophobic at all. I think if boys don't watch TW it's most likely because it was initially marketed to a Twilight/Vampire Diaries type of audience (that being largely young girls) with a big push on the Scott/Allison romance. It's more likely the mushy het love story that put the boys off than any gay content.     

[lion10]

My point is that they covet the male demo more so than the female one. Look at what happened to the Twilight movies.

To be fair, the Twilight movies were shit. From a story line or characterization perspective. And it promoted unhealthy relationships to a fairly impressionable audience. And it removed any downsides of being a vampire, which takes away the whole conflict of vampirism and what it's supposed to represent: gaining the world but losing your soul. It's not like bad action movies don't get dragged through the mud.

[galax-arena]

To be fair, the Twilight movies were shit.

That wasn't the point of my comment - I wasn’t talking about the critical acclaim (or lack thereof, in Twilight’s case). I was talking about how the later movies tried to pander to boys. Of course, there was only so much they could do with Twilight, of all things. But not due to a lack of effort; they ramped up the action and brought in male directors in an attempt to make it more guy-friendly. I can’t be too mad because it did give us that ridiculous fight scene in Breaking Dawn, but Summit’s thirst was embarrassing to watch. Twilight was a bona fide hit on its own, but Summit desperately wanted that male demo to, I don't know, make Twilight something more than it was. 

 

And people were so amazed when a movie like Bridesmaids did well because it was so obviously geared towards women. 

[Yitzhak]

There's an article here speculating on Jeff's french interview and the general non-trustworthy nature of Jeff's teasing. 

 

http://teenwolf.wikia.com/wiki/User_blog:Paul.rea/Teen_Wolf_News_101414

 

I'd guess that the "one or two" actors who MIGHT be coming back will consist of Danny and possibly Issac if there's room in Daniel's schedule. It doesn't sound like there's any official confirmation yet. But then we've also heard nothing official regarding Holland's hints that a major actor won't be coming back for S5. 

[beee]

Well, if Jeff brings back Danny for just five minutes in one of the episodes in Season 5, he could claim to have been truthful about three statements in one go: 1) we haven't seen the last of Danny, 2) a former cast member may return and 3) Teen Wolf has excellent representation. You've gotta admire his style.

[lion10]

Tyler Posey and Seana Gorlick have called off their engagement.  I feel really bad for him.

[justcris]

So sad to hear this! They seemed really happy together.

[ahisma]

Just heard the sad news that Tyler Posey's mother has passed away.

http://www.justjaredjr.com/2014/12/29/tyler-poseys-mom-cyndi-died-earlier-this-month/

He was obviously devoted to her and to the fight against breast cancer in her name. RIP Mama Posey.

[Yitzhak]

There's some alarming photos emerging of Sprayberry's new look. This level of body building doesn't seem healthy for a 16 year old kid. I don't think it suits him either. I wonder why they want Liam so bulked up for S5?

 

http://notanotherteenwolfpodcast.com/post/107445867125/roninmma-this-warewolf-coming-back-with-a

 

I know that Hoechlin gained a lot of muscle in S2 when Derek was the alpha, but I thought they'd want to keep Liam little and boyish. Especially when Posey, the current alpha werewolf, is pretty skinny these days.  

Edited January 9, 2015 by Yitzhak

[lion10]

Holy shit, that's a difference.  I hope he didn't use any steroids to get that way.  Maybe it's supposed to show how being a werewolf has changed Liam's physiology?  I didn't know he was actually 16,

[Yitzhak]

Yup, the one real 16 year old they had on the show. Only now he looks like he's in his mid to late 20s. 

[lion10]

Yup, the one real 16 year old they had on the show. Only now he looks like he's in his mid to late 20s. 

 

It's weird how young real teenagers look when you see them next to 20 somethings playing teenagers.  Compare Violet to Kira or Lydia for example.  In a way, it'd be really cool if Tyler Posey, Dylan, Arden, and Holland were actually teenagers, like Degrassi does with its cast.  They'd probably seem more vulnerable.

[Yitzhak]

Posey and Dylan were real teenagers when they started on the show, but they were 18 playing characters who were 16. Still much younger than Crystal who was in her late 20s. I think Sprayberry is the first kid who's exactly the same age as his character, but ironically looks older, especially with the new bulk.

[blueray]

That's to bad because I liked how Liam looked younger than stiles and Scott because he was supposed to be.

[Bruinsfan]

I just watched Man of Steel on DVD the other day, and I think Sprayberry's appearance has changed more over two years than anyone I've ever seen past the age of puberty, even Hoechlin's college age transformation. I literally wouldn't recognize him as the same person without being told.

[methodwriter85]

I really hope it's not steroids. And if it is, I really hope someone will intervene considering that he's just 16 and steroid abuse can have long-term complications. It's not cool if people on the show know about it and are letting him do it because they want him to stay bulky and "hot".

 

The thing about teenagers is that some of them can look really, really old and mature. Remember Mischa Barton on the O.C. and the jokes about how old she looked even though she was 17? There's a reason they have to card anyone who looks under the age of 30, because a 17-year old is entirely capable of looking 25.

 

Man, I feel bad for Tyler Posey. His personal life sucks, and his career is okay, but he's clearly not taking off the way Dyan O'Brien has been. I mean, there's a reason, but still. There was this moment on the Teen Wolfe Talk Show where Linden tried to assure Tyler that he's a good actor, in a moment that felt like they were hinting that Tyler realizes all the comments people have made about his lack of acting chops. I couldn't hep but feel bad for him.

 

It doesn't seem like there's any animosity on his part, though, the way it was when James Van der Beek realized that Joshua Jackson had a much bigger fanbase on Dawson's Creek.

Edited January 18, 2015 by methodwriter85

[snakenax]

 

Holy shit, that's a difference.  I hope he didn't use any steroids to get that way.  Maybe it's supposed to show how being a werewolf has changed Liam's physiology?  I didn't know he was actually 16,

I doubt he needed steroids, at that age physical changes come really fast and it's very easy to bulk up or slim down. Especially with what we know about diets now, a teenager on a low carb high protein diet can have scary fast changes to how they look.

[Bruinsfan]

It doesn't seem like there's any animosity on his part, though, the way it was when James Van der Beek realized that Joshua Jackson had a much bigger fanbase on Dawson's Creek.

I imagine the way the show had costars rooming together for two years when they were shooting in Atlanta helped immensely with that - Tyler and Dylan seem like best buds in real life. Hopefully that bond precludes any professional jealousy - their scenes together really are the best part of the show.

[methodwriter85]

Yeah. I mean really though, Dylan O'Brien has a franchise taking off now. Not something as huge as the Hunger Games, but still- he starred in a movie that made back its money in spades, one of the few Y.A. adaptions in recent years to do so. If Tyler wasn't at least a little bit jealous of that, he wouldn't be human. I'm sure their bond keeps him from doing that.

[lion10]

Tyler Posey's a producer on Teen Wolf this season.

[justcris]

Interesting news. I didn't see that coming.