How Elvira Busted Through Hollywood to Become the Queen of Halloween
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- čas přidán 30. 10. 2021
- I don’t have to tell you that Halloween is gay Christmas, and the Queen of Halloween is Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. For forty years, she’s made a name for herself with a plunging neckline, bawdy comedy, and a passion for scary films. With her seductive feminine figure and her flirtatious charm, Elvira seems scientifically engineered to attract heterosexual men. so why is she so beloved by gay men? And how did a shy farm girl from Kansas grow up to become the queen of Halloween?
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stealing this joke but the most surprising thing about elvira having a wife is that said wife managed to not tell anyone she was married to goddamn elvira
I’m pretty sure she told everyone she knew. There’s a difference between a regular person talking to acquaintances and a famous person revealing something to the media.
@@wellesradio Cassandra Peterson (Elvira) has maintained that Theresa wanted to remain private about it.
@@DarkWillUser Private in the sense that she didn’t want Cassandra to “come out” publicly. In private life anyone who knew the couple surely knew they were a couple and they surely knew Cassandra’s day job. Like I said, there’s a difference between telling people privately and blabbing to the magazines. So, yes, I’m sure she let people know who wanted to know.
@@wellesradio Okey dokey.
I want to like this comment but I also want to leave it at 666 xp
Elvira and Dolly Parton were my heros as a little girl. That kinda explains a lot lol
If that's accurate, my next question is are you single?😁
Love them both! When I was little I used to pray each night for boobs like dolly and Elvira. I also prayed for world peace.
Only one of those prayers were answered, and by the state of the world, I think you can tell which one! 🤣🤣
Throw in some buffy the vampire slayer and you had a well rounded childhood
@@littlehouseinthebigapple5716 That is too funny.
I GET IT.
You're fine.
And also, yes :)
Elvira is just a damn icon. She's an icon to LGBTQIA+ people, an icon to drag performers, she's an icon to goths, an icon to punks, and to horror lovers in general. Not to mention that signature look just slays. It's timeless.
Elvira is an icon to people with good taste.
Yeah, I kinda got confused for a sec. I was getting a hint that if you're gay you're a fan of Elvira. But if you're a fan, you're a fan. A fan doesn't have labels 😉
Timeless and Totally Fabulous! ❤❤❤
@@hocksue yup, special interest groups love to lay claim to any character. She doesn't belong to anyone. She belongs to everyone!
@@Tbone.357 No where in the original comment did it say that people outside of the listed groups couldn't enjoy her. They were just highlighting how important Elvira is to said people.
Lesbians and bi women are OBSESSED with her too, she was the gay awakening of so many of us and we collectively lost our minds when she came out.
When I look at her I don't really see her look as made to appeal to straight men, to be honest. Her sex appeal has always felt extremely sapphic femme to me, speaking as a fellow hyperfeminine wlw. Not that straight men don't find her attractive because of course they do, but it's a femininity tailor-made for gay womanhood which a lot of femme wlw express even before we realize we're not straight. I feel like people who're not wlw are really bad at being able to perceive when a woman's femininity is gay, but one look at Elvira and she has all the flare, dramatism and those elements that make the femininity seem off-putting (queer? lol) to regular cis straight people.
As you show here, she herself explains that the femininity of Elvira was inspired by drag queens, not cis straight women, and it shows. That's what made her attractive to me in the first place (and probably why I had a huge crush on Ursula the Sea Witch as a kid, still have it tbh), because as much as I'm exclusively into women and do like femmes, I'm not very interested in boring standard femininity. I like femininity with an element of deviancy, both for myself (hence the highly ornate goth look even to the supermarket) and in the women I'm attracted to. This is something I've talked about with other wlw and they've related to my feelings on this for both the women they like and their own gender presentation.
There's so many things that I look back on now and go "oh...it's because I'm bi..." Almost everything I've been really into in my life I find out is a gay icon years later. I swear, I'm getting tired of finding out years later that my entire personality is "bi."
@@wareforcoin5780 Why be tired of it when you can be proud as hell? Your bisexuality is beatiful, badass and amazing!
THANK you. I'm so tired of people who are perfectly able to recognize the hyper-masculinity of leather, bears, etc as defying cishetero norms of gender by exaggerating them to the point of parody or being potientally off-putting, but when women do the same thing with our gender presentation, we're accused of being gender conforming, or sexually objectifying ourselves for the male gaze. And then, when the hyperfeminity IS acknowledged as a queer aesthetic, the narrative becomes about how the woman is an icon for gay *men*. I'm proud of being a high femme lesbian, I'm proud of how Elvira showed you can parody objectification and is a slap in the face to the rhetoric that lesbians are only that way because no man would have them, and I'm exhausted of femmes like you, me, and Elvira being erased. Love and solidarity to you.
@@victorias1227 Would she be femme tho? I thought femme was only used for lesbians and the actress is bisexual. Sorry if I am wrong
💯
I literally can't believe how amazing Elvira looks. She looks the same she looked in the 80s
Yessss! I noticed that about her, too. The other day when she made the announcement coming out about her relationship I saw her picture and literally did a double take. She looks EXACTLY the same. She's just amazing in every way. Brava!
She was just in an episode of The Goldbergs, which is set in the 80s, and it was funny because she really does look like she did back then. They can't do that with just anyone since we're all 30+ years older, but for Elvira they 100% could
@@footballfever70 Maybe she DID keep that spellbook after all...
It's called Cosmetic surgery guys, time and age simply doesn't work like that
@@kevindarkstar agreed , thankfully she’s been doing procedures that r more subtle , compared to other celebs her age
She’s an absolute QUEEN. She’s smart, sexy (both without apology and without playing to the vapid bimbo stereotype so often required of sexy ladies), funny, stylish, delightfully camp, and on top of that a great person.
Thank you for this loving tribute to a true Queen!
As a trans woman, when people compliment/criticize my big breast implants, I immediately tell them they’re also bulletproof ☠️😂😌💅🏾
You tell the. Queen
*them
💛💙
@@Yayisaday
You Go Girl! 😂
“I’m gone with the wind, fabulous” Kenya Moore
😂
@@trumpanzee
I can tell you she was also super popular with the lesbian crowd...and Cassandra's comment you showed about her being both very feminine and masculine (in the traditional concept of these words) is probably why. I've been obsessed with her since around '86 (probably saw her on her latenight TV horror). I of course saw the movie when it came out (I was a 20 year old baby gay). I was living in Orange County, CA and went to see her live show at Knott's Scary Farm in '89. A friend and I got one of her musicians to let us in the backstage and we found her dressing room. She was so sweet and even chatted with us for a couple of minutes. Then her annoying husband made her stop talking and told us if we didn't leave he'd call security. She apologized and blew us kisses and we left. She passed us a while later leaving the backlot and leaned out the window and waved to us. Seriously was a highlight of young me's life. I literally finished watching Elvira, Mistress of the Dark about 2 minutes before watching your video... Halloween tradition. And I just joined your Patreon... should have done it sooner. Unpleasant dreams!!!
hearing those women call out when she comes out on stage made me think of her female fans. and... her more discerning type of female fan. and that annoying husband is waaayy in the past : 3
It's so fascinating to learn that she has always been more "one of us" than anyone ever knew. I was 20 in 1988 as well. My now ex introduced me to her character via her movie, and I have it on VHS. As a young vegetarian, aspiring to be Vegan (as I am now), knowing she was Vegan since an interview in Vegetarian Times magazine back around 1990 was an extra inspiration.
Her appeal to such a varied audience is totally amazing.
So very true.
thinking about elvira performing a live show at knotts scary farm is so so funny to me as a 23 year old whose biggest impression of knotts was a seventh grade halloween field trip and the peanuts gallery💀💀💀💀💀
I went to the "Elvira, Mistress of the Dark" movie premiere party in Central Park. She came across the lake on a gondola. It was a stat studded affair. It was a wonderful evening! 🎃🎃
Omg Jealous!
I am unspeakably envious
That's amazing!
How fun, i have a John Denver story, kinda like that, before he died.
How awesome!
i just burst out crying at the Robert's passing away part... RIP. That entire section had me crying. i didn't know Elvira was this lovable and caring, behind the iconic look. She may be Mistress of Dark, but she is actually Angel of Light.
The darkness is represented by people calling themselves Christian’s! 🤢🤮🥴🤡🤯
Elvira and her gay following truly is the wlw/mlm solidarity the world is better of for having.
The insanity of Cassandra is how she basically looks identical from when she started.
Virgo women like Ms. Peterson (09/17) seem to have that power (consider Raquel Welch [09/05] as well), very possibly because the sign also tends to gravitate toward healthy living. I'm sure that her manifesting the hardcore Virgonian work ethic hasn't hurt her as well.
@@semperfi818 Speaking to your healthy choices mention, she's been Vegan for over 32 years, well before it was as easy as ut is today. She has always had the most compassionate heart, towards all.
@@semperfi818 Wow I've never seen a zodiac person suggest that your sign literally affects your physical health. I'm a cancer, will the crab give me good grip strength?
@@eoincampbell1584 I'm a semi-professional astrologer, and my experience over the years is that the body parts classically associated with a given Sun sign do tend to be the ones most significant in the native's health profile. For example, the sign of Cancer is said to rule the breasts and stomach, with peptic ulcers and other such foregut-related illnesses being significantly more common in those with Sun (and/or Ascendant) in Cancer than would be expected by chance. (And yes, a sort of "grip strength" is seen in Moon Children as well, albeit of the metaphorical type dealing with loyalty and refusal to give up on relationships easily.)
@@semperfi818 I’m a Pisces any thoughts ?
ME: I don't think I can love Elvira more.
Matt Baume: Hold my beer
Hold my Elvira’s night brew**
Elvira and the Addams family were such a huge part of my childhood, along with The Labyrinth starring David Bowie. While I'm not a huge fan of Elvis due to family drama from when my grandma went to go see him at a concert once since she was dragged along by a friend, I'm glad he encouraged Cassandra to go further with her career. I can't really imagine my childhood without her movies tbh, I should see if I can find her earlier works.
Is the family drama that Elvis may have allegedly slept with your grandmother? Bc that's a surprisingly common story, my family included lol
What happened to your grandma, tho?
In college during the 80’s, my gay roommate was a huge fan of Elvira. I became a fan as well. I always thought of her as a gay icon and I think that let me see her as a strong woman rather than a sex bomb, like many of my other straight friends. I guess you could say that my gay companions made me a better feminist. I can only think of the positive influence having gay friends has had on my life. That’s why I’m an ally and that’s why I stand proudly with my queer brothers and sisters and non binarys. Have a fabulous Halloween everyone.🏳️🌈🧟👹👻
@Sam Gunn I know I don't know you from Adam ...... BUT..... Just my 3¢...
I wanted to say Thank you for both your comment.
And for being what I can only imagine a genuine and outstanding human being!! Showing compassion, love, support, and understanding for LGBTQ+ folks !! (Who are humans just like everyone else!!)
On this God-forsaken planet!!!
the world could use a few more Sam's.
Sam, I'm proud to have you as an ally; would that there were millions more with your maturity and your philosophies. Grow, but don't change, brother.
You remind me of my queer feminist son! I’m so proud of him! Ally since the 1970’s!
Thank you for your support, Sam! Glad to have you as my brother and ally!
Elvira doing bio-drag just...reassured me of my own wanting to do drag as a socially anxious demigirl. I'm shy and neutral, day-in-day-out, but the theater kid in me needs to *scream* sometimes in over-the-top femality, especially at night. Bless her! And happy Halloween for all of us who need an excuse to be who we want to be, even if it's one night a year when it's socially acceptable!
I know its a really late comment but, please do. Cassandra got shit from so many people for so long. She is still standing and is a legend in several communities. Happy Halloween a year later.
That Happy Halloween got me. Halloween day I decided to heck with it and wore an outfit I bought months ago but was worried to wear as "too loud for me." I literally told my grandmother "if not today then when."
It feels SO right that she was a woman doing drag so long ago. You should totally do it!!
*My father actually dated Elvira when they were in high school together* , so I've always had this fascination with her. Her family actually used to own the only fully dedicated costume shop in town at the time and from what he told me, that's how she began experimenting with her persona. While she doesn't own it anymore, the house-converted-costume-shop is still open in Colorado Springs.
I was raised by a bunch of those "moral crusaders" So when I was a teen, I tried to model my behavior after them. so I judged Elvira, looked down on her, but I think I did most of that judging because I knew I was attracted to her. I'm glad I've gotten away from the way I was raised.
I'm sad for your past, but glad for your future. Be well, sister.
@@PaulTheSkepticso, you dont believe in God anymore 🤔
An inspiring story of perseverance. Elvira is someone I have always been vaguely aware of but never really thought about in detail, thanks.
Watch her movie! I saw it sunday, it was hilarious!
Yes, see the movie, it's a classic everyone can love!
Elvira is a gay icon because she’s a genuine human being and treats her fans with love and respect. I meet her and she’s amazing
Cassandra Petersen is an epic human being and Elvira is a queer icon - a massive cultural phenomenon - love her to bits - thanks for this awesome coverage.
Classic American icon and hero, well done, Cassandra!
Agreed she is more than just an icon. She is an example of what humans can and should be.
I've always thought of Elvira as a sort of goth Mae West, reveling in her sexuality while spoofing it at the same time, with a bit of Valley Girl tossed in for good measure. It's not at all surprising that her shtick has roots in drag culture, but I had no idea how really inspiring and moving her story was.
She *is* a goth Mea West! 🤯
Great insight ! I can totally see it
You read my mind. I love this about her.
The goth version of Blanch from Golden Girls
I would like Elvira to know that I am nor ever was prejudiced against women with big boobs.
"In addition to Elvira's straight appeal, she had an unlikely following among gay men." Sounds like we bisexuals get the best of both worlds once again.
Seriously though, this was such a lovely story to learn. I knew some of this vaguely from the outside, but I truly had no idea how deep it went. Your videos are so informative and fun, they bring me such joy whenever I see them. I've definitely got some bingeing to do after now...
Matt brings out the best in everything and everyone, so awesome!
Agreed. As a young boy growing up in the 80s and 90s she was a huge part of my "understanding sexuality" As a grown ass man she helped me understand things even more. Took a long time to realize who I am.
After I watched this I rented Elvira: Mistress of the Dark. It’s great campy fun! Thanks Matt for telling her story for Queerstory
Thank you, Matt. I grew up with Elvira and only recently discovered she was gay. She was such a role model: funny, strong, independent in the face of a society who disapproved of everything she (and I) were. When the system is cruel and unloving, she and others like her could help people like us stand strong and laugh.
She isn't gay 🙄
@yourlocallesbian6448 no one tell her wife
I looked up that Tonight show episode and watched the whole thing. That's not actually Dr Ruth there. Is Phyllis Diller dressed as Dr Ruth for Halloween 😂 thanks for making me adore Elvira even more
The Elvira pinball machine is an all-time favorite of mine
This seems to be your longest video on a single subject and as a huge Elvira fan, I love it.
She's the best. And I love that she's fought so hard for YEARS to keep Elvira relevant, turning it into a real business that she runs herself. Another reason we gays respect her so dang much.
Always love Elvira. I hope the Renaissance she is experiencing brings her much love and joy.
There is something about being "from" Kansas, as in "“Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore” or as Sadie Thompson [Joan Crawford] said in "Rain" "I came from Kansas once myself." If you can transcend what Kansas has come to mean, you can transcend anything.
😂 It’s like ‘If you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere!’ but instead ‘If you can transcend Kansas, you can transcend anything!’. I love it lol
@@BybeeBunnie The Big Apple in contrast with the Dust Bowl.
@@BybeeBunnie And how appropriate, that Ms. Peterson's hometown was the sleepy college town of Manhattan, KS: from the rural Manhattan to the Big Apple, indeed.
Example: Superman
Hey, as a Kansan myself, Kansas can also mean throwing off oppression, usually by murder if our man John Brown is any indication.
That movie is a “Who’s Who“ of character actors. Glorious! 🎃
Having rewatched it recently, that was my thought the entire time, that the casting was so well suited to the characters.
"Chastity Pariah" was my absolute fave. "Is this face taken?" Eeewwww!!! Lol!
Me from 0:01 to 13:29 "Elvira's pretty cool."
Me after 13:30 "Elvira is the greatest hero to ever walk the Earth."
I first saw Elvira as a life size cutout in a Coors display at a liquor store in LA in the early 90s... I was with my grandpa and we saw something that reminded him of my dad (his son in law) so we were going to get it for him... then my grandpa turned around and looked the cutout up and down (her cleavage was showing in this one) and he said, “or maybe he’d like Elvira” and gestured towards her boobs. 8 year old me was slightly embarrassed but proud of my grandpa for his sense of humor! That moment told me sex can be funny and ok.
this comment should be on the no no no yes subreddit.
I got one of those cutouts from a drive through beer and soda store in Ohio in mid '87. I drove a Stepvan, so I put it behind the passenger seat and against the divider so it looked like she was standing there in my truck. I got a lot of strange looks from people, and it nearly caused some wrecks.
Elvira is one of my all-time favorite characters. I got the wonderful opportunity to work briefly with her long-time collaborator John Paragon, and he sang her praises many times. Meeting her the one time, I saw that everything John told us was right. Ms. Peterson, (I can't call her Cassandra, though she insisted) is the sweetest, most real people ever. I am so happy that she's finally getting to live her best life with her partner! Thanks for this video, Matt!
Cassandra is from my hometown, Manhattan Kansas, just a few years older. We watched her go to LA and we loved her bad horror show on KAKE it was a Saturday staple. I have always been proud she was a great and strong and more over, an iconic role model. I love to tell folks of her red curly hair!
City needs an elvira statue
@@ingibingi2000 shit, it's Manhattan. They'll put up a statue of Bill Snyder before Elvira. We'd have to self-fund.
@@jrasquared1 put out the word, and I'm sure you'll get donors from all over the country to contribute to that fund. So many people love her.
@@jrasquared1 Truth. I went to K-State and while it’s a decent enough town, it’s still semi-podunk, no matter how hard a portion of the locals try to make it otherwise.
I’m surprised I never saw a shrine to Elvira at Auntie Mae’s or the one or two of the other places for the weirdos to hang out in that town.
I was a "male" version of her yesterday, she's always been my diva
What a blast, bet that was a huge hit and ton of fun!?
@@donaldstanfield8862 it was 💜💙💜😍😘😍
Really?
I wonder if the set-up for Elvira's sitcom was ... um ... borrowed by "Sabrina the Teenage Witch."
Sure seems similar, doesn't it?
I think it's the other way around. Sabrina was on air from the late 90s to early 2000s
@Pinnacle Weirdo - With her two aunts and the talking cat?
@@pagano60 Yes. (Though the idea of witches having cat familiars of course date back centuries.)
@Pinnacle Weirdo But the 90s version sure seems more similar to Elvira's lost sitcom than the recent Netflix take on the franchise
Man I can't believe Cassandra is 70, she looks so so so much young, like 40 at oldest. Living your best life does wonders for her beauty, inside and out
Right? She looks like she just turned 40, not 70!
So that's where that "how's your head" joke that Ru uses all the time comes from
Watched Mistress of the Dark earlier today (Halloween). It’s aged pretty well for an ‘80s film, with the exception of Slice soft drink placed in nearly every scene. Goes great with monster casserole.
That whole casserole schtik was so hilarious, the monster, then how the substitution backfired, genius!
Everyone should have this kind of macabre, camp happiness in their lives.
Growing up in Europe I had no idea who she was. Then I saw her on drag race and I thought "I have to find out about her."
I'm glad people are finally starting to understand her amazing impact.
Starting when she's now 70 is a bit late. But better late than never. I've adored her since her movie debut, and interview in Vegetarian Times magazine circa 1990. She's almost everything I wish I was, minus the female anatomy and being attracted to women. Bleackk!
my favorite random Elvira cameo: the Cheech Marin music video for Born In East LA
Oh yes that one is great! Such a surprise to see her pop up in that.
I forgot that one! Thanks for the mention.
i can attest elvira's appeal transcends language and cultural barriers. i grew up in brazil and one of the main networks (globo, for those who know) would fill the afternoon and late night film slots with films that were older, more unknown, low budget and/or b-movies (probably because the licensing was cheaper). "elvira, mistress of the dark" was one of the movies in that rotation, and i *loved* it. her look was so striking and her exuberance, confidence and humor really comes across (even when dubbed). all of the cultural references in the movie went over my head (like all the conservatism stuff), but the essence of elvira still connected with me. she'll be a forever favorite.
and that final tassel scene was absolutely hypnotizing, lol.
I adore everything about both this video and Cassandra. Every damned thing.
I'm French and had never heard of Elvira, watching this video really made my day! I just watched Mistress of the Dark and it's one already become one of my favorite movie ever.
I had always known Cassandra as Elvira so my mind was blown when I found out she was the woman in the bikers bar in Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure.
"Let me have him first". Great scene!
The perfect video for a dreary Halloween afternoon! Going to see if I can't find her movie somewhere online for my Halloween night treat.
Here you go! amzn.to/3mupHKq
I always try to put links in the description to where you can watch the stuff I talk about.
@@MattBaume Why thank ya, kind sir!
@@MattBaume I have it on VHS, because I am an Ancient. I've made it 24 years with undetectable HIV, still going strong. See my stand one comment for the two things about her you didn't mention, you adorable, admirable blessing to our community.
I want to be the 4,000,000th person to say that "My heart's on fire for Elvira" is from an old Oak Ridge Boy's song. When I was a kid, I listened to country constantly, and I always thought that song was about this "Elvira" character I'd heard of and seen a few glimpses of. (I was a little kid.)
I don't know where I saw a clip on TV of Elvira making an entrance while "Elvira" played, but I swear it happened. Some talk show, maybe!
I totally thought the same thing so I was OBSESSED with that song.
Saw her live once in Phoenix when I was in high school… god she was something else! Had no idea her movie even existed, or about most of this history. Your videos are so informative, Matt!
The movie is so much fun, you will love it!
For me, the joy of Elvira is that Cassandra Peterson puts her heart and soul into the character, and that leads her to treasure her friends, to approach her work with love. Elvira, like Cassandra herself, is just a sweet wholesome lady from Kansas who remembers what it's like not to fit in. (I know you basically said all this, but still.) She creates an atmosphere of acceptance wherever she goes, and helps encourage people to be themselves.
I did want to point out yet another wonderful thing about the 1988 film "Elvira: Mistress of the Dark": The actress playing moral crusader Chastity Pariah is fellow Groundling and iconic character actor Edie McClurg. Of course, Edie is perfect for the role. Plus, honestly, if you can cast her, you should...and if you can't, write a role and cast her anyway.
Thank you so much for the added insight into Cassandra Peterson's life and career. Just when I thought it was impossible to appreciate her and her work any more...now it's possible.
I've never known much about Elvira, not really seeing more than pop culture references where she was definitely just reduced to boobs so this has been absolutely fascinating.
Cassandra has such an amazing story. It's one of those you just couldn't make up and now I will have to go check out that movie.
I can remember seeing Elvira for the first time as a kid in the early 90s and thinking I wanted to be like that. Fastforward 10 years, and I was an out gay man going through a pretty strong goth phase that still inspires a lot of who I am today. Elvira was a subtle but major influence on the person I became, and every time I go back and watch her I just see more and more reasons to love her.
Thank you Matt for this lovely video! Happy Halloween everyone!
You're welcome! ~~~Unpleasant dreams~~~
Heard of her but now need to see her movie
@@christinazeitman Teaser, character "Chastity Pariah," at the church social. That's all you get.
@@christinazeitman Please come back and tell us about your experience! 🥰
What a great documentary! I definitely need more Elvira in my life. Perhaps she could team up with Dolly Parton on the silver screen and they could save the world together...
Not only that "Uncle Vincent" is a nod towards Vincent Price, but also towards Larry Talbot, The Universal "Wolf Man". I love your work, greets from Germany.
I had the absolute pleasure of working with Cassandra on a film and she was such a class act. I enjoyed every minute I spent with her. I wish her nothing but the best!
Interesting that "The Brain that Wouldn't Die", A movie made in '59, delayed in release until '62, and included in Elvira's latest b
watch of midnight battle movie videos, includes a stripper very flatly and honestly saying, " I don't date men". This was 14 years before homosexuality was taken out of the DSM and was no longer classified as a mental disorder.
Thank you Matt for yet another one of your moving and yet informative videos. Using media as your form of activism inspires me every day to never lose hope. Even in this very polarized time in history.
Exactly. His pedagogy is the antidote to the hate of every decade.
Bravo, well said, Laura & Herne!
The whole breakdown of the movie really highlights how great it would be if you took a look at the movie Pride
Your videos have taught me so much about gay and just interesting history in general. I truly thank you for the hours of entertainment :)
When I watched Mistress of the Dark for the first time, I couldn't help but think of how much of Bayonetta's personality matches Elvira..all the more reason to love her🖤
a fucking icon, i’m grateful for this matt, i love her more now than ever before! i do think she is a factor in shaping and inspiring who i am today. i dressed up as her for halloween when i was 11! today i am unapologetically myself, confident and queer and inspiring others!
Awesome video as always. I was honored that you read my comment about the Elvira/Designing Women promo on the live stream today. I didn't mention that on that same promo, she plugged the Bob Newhart show -- not the one from the '70s, of course, that you've covered also on your channel before ... but still, kinda cool how all this stuff somehow circles back on itself.
If there's one person to unite gay men, lesbians and goths, it's Elvira.
🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾
You single handedly MADE my Halloween (had to spend gay christmas working) by informing me Elvira is a wlw so THANK YOU!
An amazing person. I hadn't heard all the details about her queer friends and collaborators and it's so beautiful
Please don’t let Lifetime do her Biopic
I had a full sized Elvira coors cardboard cut out after Halloween that it came out. I had in as soon as you walked in my house. When I moved I found out years later that my religious mother-in-law stole it during the move and had her church burn it.. I love her and I still miss her greeting me as I came home..
sure it wasn't a cover for her to make her own Helga Pataki-style closet shrine to the one true queen?
Oh, Merv... I'm hatin' that b*tch for you right now. Beside the sentimental value, that cutout would be worth hundreds of dollars today.
I had heard that she had to under go skin graphics and had burn scares over 1/3 rd of her body.
The pain from that level of burns and the treatment is long and a torture .
But she rose above it and has a beautiful personality, beautiful face and smile and an unbelievable amazing physical appearance. ❤️
True icon and role model for so many different types of people.
Truly amazing 💗
Thank you for making this video.
While watching this I went to Amazon to put her book on my wish list.
Finally finished the book. So worth the read. Got it from the library.
I can't express how perfect this video was to see this Halloween.
Same here!!!
I took the night off to see this, totally worth it
What a great video about a tremendously prolific, fascinating, fierce, FABULOUS inspirational woman! What a Queen. What an Icon. What a Legend.
Thanks for another absolute banger, Matt! Happy Halloween everyone! ;)
Thank you so much for this. I remember Elvira when I was in my teens at school in the UK - I went to a ‘posh’ boarding school. Being a ‘Goth’ was considered outlandish - all the straight boys loved her, obviously. I was no goth but adored her look, her attitude and she had ‘fun’ - this was before I knew what ‘gay’ and ‘camp’ was. She is amazing.
She doesn’t even favor Elvira out of character. I too love her.
I’m still so heartbroken that the Elvira show never got to Air for those who are curious the pilot episode Is on CZcams. It looked like such an amazing show
I’ll never forgive the world 🌎 for that choice I’m heartbroken too 😢
She just had a guest spot on "The Goldbergs"
OMG, I missed that, thank you!
"Ms. Chastity Pariah" I lol'd.
girl, Pariah ends up at an orgy at a picnic where she asks a man laying down if that face is taken
rest of the movie bumps up in down in quality and has the least effective himbo in cinematic history, but that joke from that actress is worth the price of admission
She is a living legend.
I'm in the UK and kinda knew about Elvira without ever actually seeing anything she'd done. In the 90s I was surprised how long she had been around.
Just to say, Matt-your foundation is flawless. 💯
(Or if by chance you’re not wearing foundation, then consider me even more envious!)
The Church of the Algorithm gives this video its blessing, and must it stay clear of the blasphemers from The First Algorithmic Temple (and the many people impersonating their members).
OMG I love this story. I always liked her. She was funny and campy, but was always warm and friendly. So happy for her success. 🎃❤️
I never knew much about Elvira, so there were a lot of surprises here. I never would've guessed that she knew Elvis.
And now it occurs to me that the name Elvira might be the closest feminine equivalent to Elvis. Was she named after him? (Yeah, I know it would be cooler if she were named for someone Gay, but Elvis did at least appear on stage in make-up, sequins, and a cape.)
Well, she did have a brief encounter with a smitten Elvis, so who knows? It might have been a matter of her starting by creating a rhyming name to suggest "Vampira," with her memories of one night with the King coming into play -- after all, Ms. Peterson is a woman of great verbal creativity.
"Her 30th birthday was only weeks away" ooooo honeyyy, this is already hittin' too close to home...
(btw I don't mean to say I think it's ever too late to pursue your dreams and do what you want in life, I'm just grappling with my own mortality rn that's all :))) xx)
Hang in there, friend -- hey, at 63 I've already had two reruns of my 21st birthday, and I'm just getting started. Age in adults is like shoe size, remember: a number useful in a very narrow context -- and utterly irrelevant otherwise. Hang in, and hang onto what you love in life.
@@semperfi818 Awww, thank you so much! :') I've had nothing if not an Eventful life thus far (read: traumatic/loss-stricken/packed with travel/sex/drugs/rock'n'roll haha) and I've been telling people I'm 30 since I turned 29 to kind of get used to it, so I really do think I'll be OK... TMI/TW: It's really the lifelong suicidal ideation that gets me. I didn't think I'd ever reach this age, y'know? Heck, I didn't think I'd make it to 21. I crammed so much into so few years. And now I find myself here and... it just feels so surreal. (End TW) But, thank you for your words, I truly appreciate the inspiration, it means so much! There must be a reason I'm still here, after an inordinate number of near-death incidents, and age truly is just a number. I'm gonna hang on (hey, "try" is all we can do, right?). Please do the same. Thanks again! :) xx
@@autumn_equinox I'm planning on making it to 100 now, if I can -- but I wasn't always; I've been chronically depressed since at least age 10, when I first wanted to kill myself, and there have been many times I've wanted myself gone ever since then, if I'm being honest. My life has been far more interior than many, and I'm a straight-edge to this day. (If I can't trust prescription antidepressants, how can I trust street drugs without quality control? And since my brains were my meal ticket, I wasn't going to risk them for a transient high; I might have wanted to die, but I didn't want to die stupid -- call it my one bit of constant pride.) I've been pulled back from the edge more than once by a kind word at the right moment -- which might explain why I'm always ready to offer one myself (paying it forward?); today I live with my best friend/partner, who keeps me sane mostly by caring for me and giving me someone worth caring for...and I am grateful for every kindness that has fallen my way in a world that too often doesn't give a rat's butt for any of us. Maybe love (not sex: I'm at most demisexual, closer to asexual most days) is my drug, and I'm glad I learned how to recognize it in all of its best forms...and compassion is one of those; it's saved me, and a number of folks claim that mine had saved them, so I'll ride with it. Be kind to yourself, as I'm learning to be toward me (yes, I know it's always easier to apply kindness to those outside one's skin, sad but true). Be at peace, even just for today, and know, if it gives you comfort, that you're not alone.
@@semperfi818 I wish I could give this a longer response but my spoons are dwindling (I'm a spoonie/chronically ill) and I'm getting a bit emotional tbh, so suffice it so say that there is much here that resonates with me, and it turns out we actually have quite a bit in common. I want to reiterate how deeply I appreciate your response to my initial post. I definitely wasn't expecting anything and it was a most welcome surprise. Unfortunately, in my experience, I have found that the common adage of "those who have suffered the most tend to be the kindest, most compassionate people" to be true. I'm truly sorry that you could commiserate so acutely, whilst I'm simultaneously grateful for said commiseration. It's paradoxical, I suppose...
I'm so glad you've found a life sustaining and purpose giving love in your life! (Maybe one day I will as well)
Bless you, empathetic internet stranger, and keep letting love be your drug :)
@@autumn_equinox Save your spoons (I have precious few in a day myself, but I daresay that writing to you was a good use of a spoon or two for me) for being good to yourself now; you've honored me with your candor and empathy, and I won't impose further on you. I hope we meet in RL someday; dinner'll be on me, friend. Go ahead in peace and strength; I'll conclude as _Desiderata_ did: "Be careful. Strive to be happy." All love & light to you.
Really brilliant video! Elvira, Mistress of the Dark is my favorite live-action movie, and Elvira/Cassandra is one of my biggest idols. Just loved how you built the narrative. My readings of the movie ressonates a lot with yours. I specially love the fact that you pointed how she uses all the elements of her "sexy femininity" to save herself. Something that I always loved about this scene, and that is similiar, for me, to mulan using her fan to destroy Shan You. Iconic. Congratulations for your awesome research work! As a long time fan myself, I loved every single moment of it!
What a glorious essay!!! I vaguely remember watching the movie as a kid and just being aware in general that Elvira was out there (I'm not American) but I was missing a lot of the details and it's very cool seeing how much having control of the character impacted her success. That's why it should be the norm, not the exception!
It’s kinda cool she’s just really herself. She doesn’t even label her sexuality. After the book she told TODAY basically “I like men, I like women, I don’t know if I’m bi, maybe pan, I’m just me.” Like, in a weird way, isn’t that what we all want? To just… like what we like and be left alone about it?
Labels and especially identifying too strongly with them is a recipe for a bowl of hurt.
She's coming back too, after working with Scooby Doo they're working on an Elvira animated show 🤞
It's about time...
Omg did this ever come out ?
Great video! It's important to note that Vampira didn't drop from the project just because she thought the actress "was all wrong." Vampira was specifically pushing very hard to have her successor be played by a black woman, and the network wasn't willing to do that.
I love Elvira. I've been a fan since childhood. I grew up with her. She was one of my first crushes. She's a big reason why I love campy films and popculture. Protect her at all.costs.
Love this so much! I had to stop halfway through to go watch Mistress of the Dark. :)
❤
So weird! I happened to watch some of her Movie Macabre last week on the tv at an airbnb. MY gf and I had always known of her but never watched. We thought she was great so last sunday we watched Mistress of the Dark and it blew us away! I kept comparing it to waynes world. So goofy and quick and funny. Shes incredible.
Please look up when Paul Ruebens was with the Groundings, a comic troupe from LA way back. They did a skit featuring Elvira and the future Pee Wee on the dating game, extremely offensive but fall down funny as hell bit.
I was pleasantly surprised that Elvira's movie turned out to legitimately funny. I thought it would be the usual super cheap quickie that TV stars usually appear in, but it was totally enjoyable!
Love that Matt chose to wear black with a plunging neckline for this episode!
Love love love this!! Excellent video. Happy Halloween, everyone!