October 17, 2024 • 10 mins
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, boys and ghouls! Welcome to another electrifying episode of our Monster Mash-terpiece Theatre. Tonight, we're going to piece together the life story of everyone's favorite reanimated ragdoll, the bolt-necked behemoth himself – Frankenstein's Monster! So strap yourself to the nearest operating table, keep your eye on that lightning rod, and for the love of all that's holy, don't pull that switch! ...Oh, you pulled the switch. Well, I guess the show must go on. IT'S ALIVE! IT'S ALIVE! Our tale begins not in a dark and stormy castle laboratory, but in the surprisingly sunny climes of Geneva, Switzerland, in the summer of 1816. A group of literary luminaries, including Lord Byron, Percy Shelley, and his soon-to-be wife Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin (later Mary Shelley), were vacationing near Lake Geneva. Thanks to the eruption of Mount Tambora the previous year, 1816 was known as the "Year Without a Summer," which sounds like a great name for an emo band but was actually a climate disaster that forced our literary heroes to stay indoors. Bored out of their minds (apparently, charades can only entertain for so long), Byron suggested they each write a ghost story. Mary, only 18 at the time, struggled with writer's block until she had a waking dream of a "hideous phantasm of a man stretched out, and then, on the working of some powerful engine, show signs of life, and stir with an uneasy, half vital motion." And thus, Frankenstein's Monster was born – metaphorically, at least. The actual birth would involve a lot more grave robbing and electricity. Mary expanded her idea into the novel "Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus," published anonymously in 1818. The book tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a scientist who decides playing God is a great career move, and creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment. Spoiler alert: it doesn't end well. It's like a cautionary tale about the dangers of science, or possibly about the importance of good parenting. Now, let's clear up a common misconception. "Frankenstein" is the name of the doctor, not the monster. The creature is never actually named in the book, which seems like a major oversight on Victor's part. You'd think after going through all the trouble of creating life, he'd at least grab a baby name book. Instead, the creature is referred to as "monster," "creature," "demon," "wretch," "abortion," "fiend," and "it." Talk about identity issues! In the novel, the monster is described as 8 feet tall, with yellowish skin that "barely disguised the workings of the arteries and muscles underneath," watery, glowing eyes, flowing black hair, and black lips. Essentially, he looked like a heavy metal rocker after a three-day bender. Despite his appearance, the monster was initially gentle and kind, with the mind of a newborn. It was only after being repeatedly rejected by humanity (and his deadbeat dad Victor) that he turned to violence. It's a tale as old as time – boy meets world, world rejects boy, boy swears vengeance on all of humanity. Tale as old as time, I tell you! The book was a hit, tapping into contemporary anxieties about scientific advancement and the Industrial Revolution. It's considered one of the earliest examples of science fiction, proving that even in the 1800s, people worried that technology would create monsters – although back then, the monster was made of corpse parts rather than ones and zeros. But it wasn't until the 20th century that our patchwork pal really shuffled into the spotlight. In 1931, Universal Pictures released "Frankenstein," directed by James Whale and starring Boris Karloff as the monster. This film gave us the iconic image of the monster we know today: tall, square-headed, with a flat-top hairdo, neck bolts, and a stylish dark suit. It was like Karloff raided Herman Munster's closet. Karloff's portrayal was a masterpiece of sympathetic monstrosity. Despite only grunting and groaning (the monster was mute in this version), Karloff managed to convey a range of emotions, from childlike innocence to rage and despair. It was like a really intense game of charades. The film was a massive success, spawning several sequels. In "Bride of Frankenstein" (1935), the monster even got a girlfriend, complete with a killer beehive hairdo that would make the B-52s jealous. Sadly, their relationship was short-lived. Apparently, "till death do us part" doesn't mean much when you're already made of dead parts. Over the years, Frankenstein's Monster has appeared in countless films, TV shows, comics, and even breakfast cereals (Franken Berry, anyone?). He's been portrayed as everything from a mindless killing machine to a misunderstood gentle giant to a suave ladies' man (I'm looking at you, Aaron Eckhart in "I, Frankenstein"). But no matter how he's portrayed, Frankenstein's Monster always maintains certain iconic traits. Let's break down the Franken-starter pack, shall we? The Flat Top: Becau
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, boys and ghouls. Welcome to
another electrifying episode of our monster mashter piece theater. Tonight,
we're going to piece together the life story of everyone's
favorite reanimated rag doll, the bolt necked behemoth himself Frankenstein's Monster.
So strap yourself to the nearest operating table, keep your
eye on that lightning rod, and for the love of
all that's holy, don't pull that switch. Oh you pulled
(00:23):
the switch. Well, I guess the show must go on.
It's alive. It's alive. Our tale begins not in a
dark and stormy castle laboratory, but in the surprisingly sunny
climes of Geneva, Switzerland, in the summer of eighteen sixteen,
a group of literary luminaries, including Lord Byron, Percy Shelley
and his soon to be wife, Mary Wolstoncraft Godwin later
Mary Shelley. We're vacationing near Lake Geneva. Thanks to the
(00:46):
eruption of Mount Tambora. The previous year eighteen sixteen was
known as the Year Without a Summer, which sounds like
a great name for an emo band, but was actually
a climate disaster that forced our literary heroes to stay
indoors bored out of their minds. Apparently charades can only
entertain for so long. Byron suggested they each write a
ghost story. Mary, only eighteen at the time, struggled with
(01:09):
writer's block until she had a waking dream of a
hideous phantasm of a man stretched out and then, on
the working of some powerful engine show signs of life
and stir with an uneasy, half vital motion. And thus
Frankenstein's monster was born metaphorically. At least, the actual birth
would involve a lot more grave robbing and electricity. Mary
(01:31):
expanded her idea into the novel Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus,
published anonymously in eighteen eighteen. The book tells the story
of Victor Frankenstein, a scientist who decides playing god is
a great career move and creates a sapient creature in
an unorthodox scientific experiment. Spoiler alert, it doesn't end well.
It's like a cautionary tale about the dangers of science,
(01:54):
or possibly about the importance of good parenting. Now let's
clear up a common misconception. Frankenstein is the name of
the doctor, not the monster. The creature is never actually
named in the book, which seems like a major oversight
on Victor's part. You'd think, after going through all the
trouble of creating life, he'd at least grab a baby
name book instead. The creature is referred to as monster, creature, demon, wretch, abortion, fiend,
(02:21):
and it talk about identity issues. In the novel, the
monster is described as eight feet tall, with yellowish skin
that barely disguised the workings of the arteries and muscles underneath,
watery glowing eyes, flowing black hair, and black lips. Essentially,
he looked like a heavy metal rocker after a three
day bender. Despite his appearance, the monster was initially gentle
(02:42):
and kind, with the mind of a newborn. It was
only after being repeatedly rejected by humanity and his deadbeat
dad Victor, that he turned to violence. It's a tale
as old as time. Boy meets world, World rejects boy,
Boy swears vengeance on all of humanity. Tale as old
as time. The book was a hit, tapping into contemporary
(03:03):
anxieties about scientific advancement and the Industrial Revolution. It's considered
one of the earliest examples of science fiction, proving that
even in the eighteen hundreds, people worried that technology would
create monsters, although back then the monster was made of
corpse parts rather than ones and zeros. But it wasn't
until the twentieth century that our patchwork pal really shuffled
(03:24):
into the spotlight. In nineteen thirty one, Universal Pictures released Frankenstein,
directed by James Whale and starring Boris Karloff as the Monster.
This film gave us the iconic image of the monster
we know today, tall, square headed, with a flat top hairdoe,
neck bolts, and a stylish dark suit. It was like
(03:45):
Karloff rated Hermann Munster's closet. Karlov's portrayal was a masterpiece
of sympathetic monstrosity. Despite only grunting and groaning, the monster
was mute. In this version, Karloff managed to convey a
range of emotions from childlike innocence to rage and despair.
It was like a really intense game of charades. The
(04:06):
film was a massive success, spawning several sequels and Bride
of Frankenstein nineteen thirty five. The monster even got a girlfriend,
complete with a killer beehive hairdew that would make the
Bee fifty two's jealous Sadly, their relationship was short lived.
Apparently till death do us Part doesn't mean much when
you're already made of dead parts. Over the years, Frankenstein's
(04:26):
Monster has appeared in countless films, TV shows, comics, and
even breakfast cereals frank and Berry anyone. He's been portrayed
as everything from a mindless killing machine to a misunderstood
gentle giant to a suave ladies man I'm looking at
you Aaron Eckhart and I Frankenstein. But no matter how
he's portrayed, Frankenstein's Monster always maintained certain iconic traits. Let's
(04:48):
break down the frankenstarter pack. Shall we The flat top
because nothing says piece together from corpses like a hairdow.
You could land a plane on the neck bolts for
that extra spark in his love life. They're also great
for hanging Christmas ornaments. The grunting Who needs witty dialogue
when you can express a full range of emotions through
(05:08):
various ergs and arcs. The stomping walk, because when you're
made of mismatched parts, every step is a miracle. The
green skin not in the original book, but it's become standard.
Apparently death does not become him the aversion to fire.
You'd think someone brought to life by electricity would be
less scared of a little flame. The ongoing identity crisis
(05:32):
is he Frankenstein, Frankenstein's Monster, frank Frankie the eternal question.
Now let's address some of our favorite monsters unique quirks.
First off, there's his fashion sense for someone cobbled together
from corpse parts, He's surprisingly dapper. That suit timeless, those
boots made for stomping. The only question is where does
(05:54):
he shop? Big and tall and previously deceased. Then there's
his interesting relationship with election tricity. You'd think after being
jolted to life, he'd have developed a phobia of anything
with a current, but nope. In many adaptations, he seems
to get a power boost from lightning. It's like a
macabre red bull. And let's not forget his tendency to
make friends with the most unlikely characters, blind hermits, little
(06:17):
girls with flowers, Scooby Doo. Our boy isn't picky when
it comes to companionship. It's heartwarming, really, Who says reanimated
corpse monsters can't be social butterflies? But perhaps the Monster's
most endearing quality is his childlike nature. Despite his fearsome appearance,
he often displays the innocence and wonder of a toddler.
(06:37):
A very large, very strong toddler who could crush you
like a grape, but a toddler. Nonetheless, it's a reminder
that it's what's on the inside that counts, even if
what's on the inside is a mish mash of organs
from different corpses. Over the decades, we've seen all sorts
of new interpretations of Frankenstein's Monster. There's the tragic anti
(06:57):
hero of Mary Shelley's original novel, the childlike brute of
the Universal films, and the wise cracking Adam of the
I Frankenstein film. Because nothing says timeless Gothic horror like
Parkour and gargoyles, We've had Frankenstein's Monster as a hero
Van Helsing, as a father the Munsters, and even as
(07:17):
a hotel manager Hotel Transylvania. He's been in love stories, comedies,
and action films. He's fought Dracula, wolfmen, and in one
memorable comic series, Batman. Talk about franchise mobility. In more
recent years, we've seen attempts to bring the story back
to its roots. Kenneth Bran as Mary Shelley's Frankenstein in
nineteen ninety four, tried to be more faithful to the book,
(07:40):
resulting in a shirtless, angst ridden Robert de Niro running
around and questioning his existence. It was like Taxi Driver,
but with more grave robbing. We've also seen the Frankenstein
story reimagined in modern settings. The TV series Penny Dreadful
gave us a monster with existential dread and a penchant
for poetry. Victor frank Ekenstein has appeared as a character
(08:01):
in Once upon a Time because apparently fairytale characters needed
a mad scientist in their midst. And let's not forget
the animated Frank and Weeny, which proved that the Frankenstein
story works just as well with adorable undead dogs. So
why does Frankenstein's monster continue to captivate us after all
these years. Perhaps it's because he represents so many of
our own fears and insecurities. He's an outsider desperately seeking
(08:25):
acceptance in a world that fears him. He's a creation
abandoned by his creator, searching for meaning and purpose. He's
a being grappling with his own existence, trying to understand
his place in the world. Or maybe we just really
like the idea of mix and match body parts. Who
hasn't wanted to swap out an arm or a leg
now and then? In all seriousness, Frankenstein's Monster endures because
(08:47):
he's a complex character that can be interpreted in so
many ways. He's a villain and a victim, a monster
and a man. He represents the best and worst of humanity,
our capacity for creation and destruction, for compassion and cruel
He's also a walking, well stomping reminder of the potential
dangers of scientific advancement unchecked by ethics. In our modern
(09:08):
world of genetic engineering and artificial intelligence, the questions raised
by Mary Shelley over two hundred years ago are more
relevant than ever. Should we do something just because we can?
What responsibilities do we have to the things we create?
Heavy stuff for a guy often portrayed with the vocabulary
of a toaster. So the next time you see a
square headed, bolt necked figure shambling down the street, don't
(09:31):
run away in terror. Offer him a kind word or
maybe a sandwich. Just make sure it's not a club sandwich.
He might have some traumatic memories of angry villagers with clubs,
and remember, dear listeners, beauty is only skin deep, but
green skin and neck bolts are forever. Frankenstein's Monster teaches
us that it's okay to be different, that it's never
too late to learn and grow, and that a good
(09:51):
tailor can work wonders even with the most challenging body types.
This is your host signing off. May your bolts stay tight,
your lightning rods stay charged, and your angry mobs stay
far far away. Good night, and don't let the reanimated
bedbugs bite. This has been a quiet Please production head
over to quiet Please dot ai to hear what matters
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, boys and ghouls. Welcome to
another electrifying episode of our monster mashter piece theater. Tonight,
we're going to piece together the life story of everyone's
favorite reanimated rag doll, the bolt necked behemoth himself Frankenstein's Monster.
So strap yourself to the nearest operating table, keep your
eye on that lightning rod, and for the love of
all that's holy, don't pull that switch. Oh you pulled
(00:23):
the switch. Well, I guess the show must go on.
It's alive. It's alive. Our tale begins not in a
dark and stormy castle laboratory, but in the surprisingly sunny
climes of Geneva, Switzerland, in the summer of eighteen sixteen,
a group of literary luminaries, including Lord Byron, Percy Shelley
and his soon to be wife, Mary Wolstoncraft Godwin later
Mary Shelley. We're vacationing near Lake Geneva. Thanks to the
(00:46):
eruption of Mount Tambora. The previous year eighteen sixteen was
known as the Year Without a Summer, which sounds like
a great name for an emo band, but was actually
a climate disaster that forced our literary heroes to stay
indoors bored out of their minds. Apparently charades can only
entertain for so long. Byron suggested they each write a
ghost story. Mary, only eighteen at the time, struggled with
(01:09):
writer's block until she had a waking dream of a
hideous phantasm of a man stretched out and then, on
the working of some powerful engine show signs of life
and stir with an uneasy, half vital motion. And thus
Frankenstein's monster was born metaphorically. At least, the actual birth
would involve a lot more grave robbing and electricity. Mary
(01:31):
expanded her idea into the novel Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus,
published anonymously in eighteen eighteen. The book tells the story
of Victor Frankenstein, a scientist who decides playing god is
a great career move and creates a sapient creature in
an unorthodox scientific experiment. Spoiler alert, it doesn't end well.
It's like a cautionary tale about the dangers of science,
(01:54):
or possibly about the importance of good parenting. Now let's
clear up a common misconception. Frankenstein is the name of
the doctor, not the monster. The creature is never actually
named in the book, which seems like a major oversight
on Victor's part. You'd think, after going through all the
trouble of creating life, he'd at least grab a baby
name book instead. The creature is referred to as monster, creature, demon, wretch, abortion, fiend,
(02:21):
and it talk about identity issues. In the novel, the
monster is described as eight feet tall, with yellowish skin
that barely disguised the workings of the arteries and muscles underneath,
watery glowing eyes, flowing black hair, and black lips. Essentially,
he looked like a heavy metal rocker after a three
day bender. Despite his appearance, the monster was initially gentle
(02:42):
and kind, with the mind of a newborn. It was
only after being repeatedly rejected by humanity and his deadbeat
dad Victor, that he turned to violence. It's a tale
as old as time. Boy meets world, World rejects boy,
Boy swears vengeance on all of humanity. Tale as old
as time. The book was a hit, tapping into contemporary
(03:03):
anxieties about scientific advancement and the Industrial Revolution. It's considered
one of the earliest examples of science fiction, proving that
even in the eighteen hundreds, people worried that technology would
create monsters, although back then the monster was made of
corpse parts rather than ones and zeros. But it wasn't
until the twentieth century that our patchwork pal really shuffled
(03:24):
into the spotlight. In nineteen thirty one, Universal Pictures released Frankenstein,
directed by James Whale and starring Boris Karloff as the Monster.
This film gave us the iconic image of the monster
we know today, tall, square headed, with a flat top hairdoe,
neck bolts, and a stylish dark suit. It was like
(03:45):
Karloff rated Hermann Munster's closet. Karlov's portrayal was a masterpiece
of sympathetic monstrosity. Despite only grunting and groaning, the monster
was mute. In this version, Karloff managed to convey a
range of emotions from childlike innocence to rage and despair.
It was like a really intense game of charades. The
(04:06):
film was a massive success, spawning several sequels and Bride
of Frankenstein nineteen thirty five. The monster even got a girlfriend,
complete with a killer beehive hairdew that would make the
Bee fifty two's jealous Sadly, their relationship was short lived.
Apparently till death do us Part doesn't mean much when
you're already made of dead parts. Over the years, Frankenstein's
(04:26):
Monster has appeared in countless films, TV shows, comics, and
even breakfast cereals frank and Berry anyone. He's been portrayed
as everything from a mindless killing machine to a misunderstood
gentle giant to a suave ladies man I'm looking at
you Aaron Eckhart and I Frankenstein. But no matter how
he's portrayed, Frankenstein's Monster always maintained certain iconic traits. Let's
(04:48):
break down the frankenstarter pack. Shall we The flat top
because nothing says piece together from corpses like a hairdow.
You could land a plane on the neck bolts for
that extra spark in his love life. They're also great
for hanging Christmas ornaments. The grunting Who needs witty dialogue
when you can express a full range of emotions through
(05:08):
various ergs and arcs. The stomping walk, because when you're
made of mismatched parts, every step is a miracle. The
green skin not in the original book, but it's become standard.
Apparently death does not become him the aversion to fire.
You'd think someone brought to life by electricity would be
less scared of a little flame. The ongoing identity crisis
(05:32):
is he Frankenstein, Frankenstein's Monster, frank Frankie the eternal question.
Now let's address some of our favorite monsters unique quirks.
First off, there's his fashion sense for someone cobbled together
from corpse parts, He's surprisingly dapper. That suit timeless, those
boots made for stomping. The only question is where does
(05:54):
he shop? Big and tall and previously deceased. Then there's
his interesting relationship with election tricity. You'd think after being
jolted to life, he'd have developed a phobia of anything
with a current, but nope. In many adaptations, he seems
to get a power boost from lightning. It's like a
macabre red bull. And let's not forget his tendency to
make friends with the most unlikely characters, blind hermits, little
(06:17):
girls with flowers, Scooby Doo. Our boy isn't picky when
it comes to companionship. It's heartwarming, really, Who says reanimated
corpse monsters can't be social butterflies? But perhaps the Monster's
most endearing quality is his childlike nature. Despite his fearsome appearance,
he often displays the innocence and wonder of a toddler.
(06:37):
A very large, very strong toddler who could crush you
like a grape, but a toddler. Nonetheless, it's a reminder
that it's what's on the inside that counts, even if
what's on the inside is a mish mash of organs
from different corpses. Over the decades, we've seen all sorts
of new interpretations of Frankenstein's Monster. There's the tragic anti
(06:57):
hero of Mary Shelley's original novel, the childlike brute of
the Universal films, and the wise cracking Adam of the
I Frankenstein film. Because nothing says timeless Gothic horror like
Parkour and gargoyles, We've had Frankenstein's Monster as a hero
Van Helsing, as a father the Munsters, and even as
(07:17):
a hotel manager Hotel Transylvania. He's been in love stories, comedies,
and action films. He's fought Dracula, wolfmen, and in one
memorable comic series, Batman. Talk about franchise mobility. In more
recent years, we've seen attempts to bring the story back
to its roots. Kenneth Bran as Mary Shelley's Frankenstein in
nineteen ninety four, tried to be more faithful to the book,
(07:40):
resulting in a shirtless, angst ridden Robert de Niro running
around and questioning his existence. It was like Taxi Driver,
but with more grave robbing. We've also seen the Frankenstein
story reimagined in modern settings. The TV series Penny Dreadful
gave us a monster with existential dread and a penchant
for poetry. Victor frank Ekenstein has appeared as a character
(08:01):
in Once upon a Time because apparently fairytale characters needed
a mad scientist in their midst. And let's not forget
the animated Frank and Weeny, which proved that the Frankenstein
story works just as well with adorable undead dogs. So
why does Frankenstein's monster continue to captivate us after all
these years. Perhaps it's because he represents so many of
our own fears and insecurities. He's an outsider desperately seeking
(08:25):
acceptance in a world that fears him. He's a creation
abandoned by his creator, searching for meaning and purpose. He's
a being grappling with his own existence, trying to understand
his place in the world. Or maybe we just really
like the idea of mix and match body parts. Who
hasn't wanted to swap out an arm or a leg
now and then? In all seriousness, Frankenstein's Monster endures because
(08:47):
he's a complex character that can be interpreted in so
many ways. He's a villain and a victim, a monster
and a man. He represents the best and worst of humanity,
our capacity for creation and destruction, for compassion and cruel
He's also a walking, well stomping reminder of the potential
dangers of scientific advancement unchecked by ethics. In our modern
(09:08):
world of genetic engineering and artificial intelligence, the questions raised
by Mary Shelley over two hundred years ago are more
relevant than ever. Should we do something just because we can?
What responsibilities do we have to the things we create?
Heavy stuff for a guy often portrayed with the vocabulary
of a toaster. So the next time you see a
square headed, bolt necked figure shambling down the street, don't
(09:31):
run away in terror. Offer him a kind word or
maybe a sandwich. Just make sure it's not a club sandwich.
He might have some traumatic memories of angry villagers with clubs,
and remember, dear listeners, beauty is only skin deep, but
green skin and neck bolts are forever. Frankenstein's Monster teaches
us that it's okay to be different, that it's never
too late to learn and grow, and that a good
(09:51):
tailor can work wonders even with the most challenging body types.
This is your host signing off. May your bolts stay tight,
your lightning rods stay charged, and your angry mobs stay
far far away. Good night, and don't let the reanimated
bedbugs bite. This has been a quiet Please production head
over to quiet Please dot ai to hear what matters
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