SUPERNATURAL girl! super-special “normal” gal
ADRIANA LARK on being irresistible, eating tofu, and dating a vampire
LOVE CONNECTION Dangerous guys and the girls that love them
SUPER FRIENDS
you and your magical BFF
PLUS 4 guy gift ideas 3 hot new trends 2 doppelgangers 1 vampire slayer
SUPERNATURALgirl! from the editor
Here at Supernatural GIRL! we’re all about fun, fearless females – especially the ones of the fantastical variety. You might feel pressure to conform to the norms of humans (or at least those humans who don’t have supernatural boyfriends), but with SupernaturalGIRL! we’re all about choice – even the stupid, irrational, endangering kind. In our pages, you’ll find tips and tricks about how to navigate the supernatural world in the right way. Don’t get me wrong, I care about the concerns of the real world as much as the next person, but the supernatural world can get a little all-consuming with all those witches, vampires, werewolves and pixies. Besides, you have to deal with far-reaching injustice all the time anyway. We’re just here to highlight the sexier parts of life.
features
special report
SUPERNATURALgirl! 2
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^^^magical best friends Every SupernaturalGIRL! needs friends, preferably ones with supernatural abilities tied to their ethnic history
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COVER STORY joy ride Adriana Lark’s star rises through no effort of her own. Plus: tofu and boys!
regulars
r e y a B y l i Em Editor-in-Chief
contents
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11
what’s hot we’ll just repeat this stuff next issue
confessions “I behaved rationally” and more
sexy vs. skanky the Petrova doppelgangers face off
is she for real? Caroline Forbes is a kickass girl living (sort of) in a post-feminist world
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5
quiz Are you a bitch or a Bella when it comes to your guy?
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guy meter Is he a lover or a bloodthirsty killer?
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blast from the past Don’t blame Buffy for her bangs – it was the ‘90s after all
LEfT: The CW, 20th Century Fox Television RIGHT – Top row: Bloomsbury, Flux, Atheneum. Middle: HarperTeen, St. Martin’s Griffin, Razorbill. Bottom: Little, Brown Books; Simon & Schuster; HarperTeen. Right column: both from Bloomsbury USA
Being a girl is hard enough and when you throw in that whole “special supernatural” business, it becomes downright difficult! Just ask our cover girl, Adriana Lark. She was just a normal gal – clumsy and her parents didn’t understand her and she’s totes awkward with boys – but then she found out she was born with the genetic predisposition to lure in dangerously good-looking and lustful monsters!
what’s hot trends+stuff who wore it better?
first impressions faces aren’t important moody objectification
even better when contrasted with your brooding, overbearing guy
white chicks they’re the only ones buying this stuff anyway, right?
<<<TIP: throw in a little mystical Cherokee blood for instant exoticism with none of the racism!
vaguely romantic/religious/allusory images piggy-backing and half-assed symbolism n it evreks wo uys! for g
50%
This girl sure can wear a corset, and her hair looks old-European princess here. Turning away from the viewer adds mystery: she’s different enough to be interesting but she sure won’t alienate anyone!
50% While there is still the evasive gaze thing going on, this young woman is obviously not white – and it turns out that’s integral to her story! That kind of sounds interesting, honestly. SUPERNATURALgirl! 3
SEXYvsSKANKY
these ladies of Mystic Falls may look exactly alike, but don’t let that fool you: one deserves to be loved and the other is just an evil slut
17-year-old high school student and former cheerleader
<<<Dating and sexing a 150-year-old vampire hunk with a heart of gold, flirting with his bad-boy bro. Maturity, brought on by tragic death of parents, makes up for huge age Stefan & Damon difference today
Katherine Pierce VS.
VS.
500+ years of unrestrained violence, sex and manipulation >>>Corrupting and sexing both brothers in the 1860s when they were just young human guys, pitting them against each other, turning them into vampires – basic disregard for the rules of Stefan & Damon courtship and common in 1864 decency
Henleys, jeans, Chuck Taylors, occasional formal dress
VS.
Stilettos, push-up bras, lots of black, occasionally disguised as Elena
Hanging out in graveyards, writing about teen angst in a diary
VS.
Putting people in graves, having no regrets about it
VS.
Exercising power by breaking necks, chopping off fingers, mind-controlling townspeople and being pretty crafty
Exercising power by telling her guy she needs time alone to develop a martyrdom complex Having strong convictions but being kind of physically useless SUPERNATURALgirl! 4
VS.
Having strong self-preservation instincts and being able to kick ass
LEFT – all: The CW
Elena Gilbert
quiz
do you have a life without your paranormal paramour?
1
If your parents ask you to pick up your siblings from their soccer practice on a Thursday afternoon, you’d likely reply with: a. “OH MY GOD I HAVE PARENTS?” b. “I will, but on the way back we’ll stop for dinner with my BF. Is that cool? I mean, I’ll make sure the BF doesn’t eat my brother for dinner, at least.” c. “ Of course. Just let me call my supernatural BF and tell him he can’t run my life!”
2
3
4
When you first discovered that your crush has fangs and/or other supernatural qualities, you:
a. gave a sigh of relief. So that explains his moods swings. b. confronted him about it and he confessed. It was tough for a while, but you got through it! c. g ot pretty freaked out and started carrying around stakes, silver bullets and mace.
You’re a senior in high school. What are you gonna do next?:
a. Your inherent specialness means you’ve already been selected for a special supernatural school. b. Your boyfriend. You made some cursory protestations and explained that you can’t get pregnant since he’s dead, but he wants to wait until you get married. How noble. c. G o to college, get a job, that kind of thing. You’ll probably keep dating your guy if you two can handle long-distance.
What’s your favorite color?
a. Black. No colors matter, only love. b. Black. It’s appropriately emo yet still sultry. c. Black. Hides the bloodstains. God, the drama ...
a=0
b=1
c=2
0 to 3 points MALLEABLE MATE Your guy completely controls your life – to the point where you don’t know if anything besides him exists. You don’t go to school, you don’t see your family, you’ve also forgotten normal sentence structure. Better check to make sure he’s not just mindcontrolling you, because this is gross even by our standards. 4 to 6 points GIVE-AND-TAKE GIRL You just can’t commit to anything, can you? You say you want to make your own choices, and sometimes you do, but other times you throw him the reins because he obviously knows best. You need to just figure out what kind of girl you’re gonna be so you stop confusing your guy. There’s only so much he can figure out with his mind-reading powers. 7 to 8 points DEFIANT DATER Okay, being an independent woman is cool and all, yay feminism, but really, you should tone it down a little. If you’re the vampire/werewolf/pixie/ witch in this relationship and he’s not, there’s no reason for you to get all detached and bitchy. As for that whole “I have interests besides your drama” thing? COOL IT! Everyone knows playing hard to get doesn’t work. Meet him halfway on some decisions, so he feels like a man still. SUPERNATURALgirl! 5
guy meter
what’s he in to?
if your interests aren’t compatible, just pretend
After a day fending off rival vampires, resisting his urge to drink your blood and generally being dreamy, your man will want to relax with some fluffy yet critically-acclaimed entertainment. Serial television with an ensemble cast, dealing with complex interpersonal relationships, often outrageous sexual escapades and other hijinks of the rich and powerful ... No, this isn’t a soap opera. This is Entourage.
FOOTBALL, duh.
Being immortal means he has the time to develop cultured tastes. Let him show you his sensitive side through his consumption of criticallylauded films and music. You can go along for the ride, but don’t feel too bad falling back on the culturally-bereft The Notebook or Titanic later. After all, earnest, epic romances are made exclusively for womenfolk. Someone needs to watch them!
if he likes it when you...
wear heels
He likes your tendency to topple over in them because you are so adorably clumsy. Since it’s your one defining characteristic, run with it. (Not literally, of course. You might break something.) SUPERNATURALgirl! 6
wear Chucks
He thinks it’s cool how you play down your natural, stunning beauty by wearing such effortlessly chill footwear. He appreciates how you are so your own person, even if you sometimes are just drowning in your other personality trait: angst.
LEFT – Clockwise: Scholastic, HBO, Zappos.com (both shoes), IMDB.com, Google Images RIGHT – The CW, Summit Entertainment, Disney
Psst, don’t tell your Potterhead guy, but this book was written by a woman! It’s okay for your both to enjoy the seven-part saga, though – the main character is a male. Add in some easily identifiable allegories and symbols sprinkled throughout and you’ve got a classic work of literature, even though it is almost universally considered a children’s book.
ask a monster man
with Damon Salvatore immortal bad boy Dear Monster Man, The guy I like has a history of horrible behavior: mistreating women, starting fights, killing people when he gets pissy. But with me, he’s so special and really makes an effort to be a good man. Should I follow my instincts and try to find the nice guy I know is inside somewhere?
- angel
of mercy
Dear Angel, Most likely this guy had a traumatic past that explains – and usually excuses – his current behavior. Maybe it’s even in his genes. But don’t worry, the love of a good woman can redeem him. Just don’t bet on your love curing him of his super-strength or inherent deadliness. Tell your girlfriends to use caution. And you know that “good guy”? Well, you’re probably too sophisticated for him because he’s a dumb jock who is boring. Sometimes, this nice guy will take you to the brink of a relationship – but at some point he also will become a possessive, abusive jerk. He’ll shed his kindness and respect in order to compete with the Bad Boy. You just can’t escape these dangerous guys, ever. I mean, you could choose to walk away, but then what would you do? Pretend you didn’t really want to be in that old-fashioned romance? Please, girl. The bad-boy trope hasn’t stuck around this long without good reason. So, rather than resisting this guy’s attraction to you based on his history of rash behavior, you should just choose to look into his heart and realize that he’ll never hurt you – intentionally. If he does disfigure you, well, just take it to mean he’s marked you as his own. You can’t drop clawmarks down the drain like you can a wedding ring. (Heterosexual) love is all that matters, girl. Trust me – I spent 145 years pining for the chick who drank my blood, turned me into a vampire and cheated on me with my own brother.
stay safe,
Damon
decoding does this
Is he a creepy, sociopathic murderer ... or just really sensitive and tortured?
means this
Breaks into your room, using his vampire abilities to stay very quiet, and watches you sleep while he thinks about delicious your blood is
“I wrestled all night, while watching you sleep, with the chasm between what I knew was right, moral, ethical, and what I wanted.”
Is intoxicatingly flirty yet stand-offish, looks deep into your eyes, makes great declarations of love – but avoids all other human contact
“It’s not only your company I crave! Never forget that. Never forget I am more dangerous to you than I am to anyone else.”
Tells you his obsession with you is unhealthy
“You’re like my own personal brand of heroin.” SUPERNATURALgirl! 7
(normal)
(vampire)
(witch)
(also: black, but no big)
(also: tragic slut, but no big)
friends with benefits
getting the most out of your relationships markers of a Elena Gilbert, 17, is just a normal gal. She used to be surrounded by other normal gals: her best friend Bonnie Bennett is apparently magical best friend
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has magical powers – preferably ones tied to their race, sexuality, religion or other Otherness
never better than you – applicable traits that could contrast to you: slutty, ugly, stupid, prude, poor, rich but poor on the inside, unlucky in love, parents never loved him/her, general low self-esteem no historical/societal baggage - don’t worry about addressing the deep issues tied to that “never better than you” stuff – they won’t blame it on anything but themselves choiceless - joining the supernatural world wasn’t their idea and it has caused them considerable angst unfailingly loyal - even when you ask them to do dangerous stuff for your supernatural boyfriend, as long as you frame the request as ultimately about your safety and happiness
LEFT – Photo illustration by disparoo.org and David Downham, RIGHT – Summit Entertainment, photo illustration by David Downham
the only African-American girl at their Virginia high school, so she counted as aesthetic diversity but nothing else out of the ordinary. But truth is, Bonnie comes from a family of witches. Many people come pre-loaded with traits and abilities that you can assume on sight – so, in Mystic Falls, if you meet a person with the same skin tone as Bonnie, chances are you’ll also have a chance to make your own witchy friend. Just don’t call attention to the fact that black witches always seem to be in debt to white vampires – everyone will stare blankly at you. The only history that exists in this old Southern town concerns the supernatural and personal conflicts of a bunch of teenagers. While it’s not okay to talk about race or slavery, pretty much everyone in the town feels okay calling attention to the personal faults of Elena’s other super BFF, Caroline Forbes. Caroline used to be needy, slutty and really sad all the time. Elena put up with her because they’d been friends since birth, but unlike Bonnie, Caroline was kind of useless. Then that evil slut vampire Katherine turned Caroline over to the world of the undead. While Elena says it sucks that her second-best friend Caroline is now doomed to an eternity as a supernatural freak, it sure helps to have Caroline’s super strength and quick-thinking in a crisis, such as when Elena’s boyfriend falls down a well. Elena says that after Caroline saves the day, though, she’ll often forget the girl exists, since she just looks so normal. Zooey Redbird, a vampyre fledging in Oklahoma, doesn’t have to lean so heavily on her friends because she’s pretty magical all on her own. But although Zooey is really proud of her Cherokee blood, she’s never had to live on a reservation or wear Native American-styled jewelry, so she says she still likes to find funkily-different friends to spice up her life. Her very gay friend Damien is cool because he’s gay and won’t fall in love with her, and her other Shaunee self-identifies as a sassy black girl, so there’s no awkwardness there.
how to deal with the normal peeps
You might have forgotten about normal life in the midst of your supernatural shenanigans, but sometimes the normal drama that results from high school life is a welcome respite from near-death experiences. You might even get a fresh perspective on “real world” problems like unwanted teen pregnancy, drugs, racial prejudice and absentee parents. Don’t rely on them too heavily, though – soon enough you’ll just need an escape from the “real world” and all its mundane drama.
Sure, they’re your last tie to humanity but who’s counting?
But what if your magical bestie is a guy? and a sexy one?
He was approachably exotic and respectful of my agency, but ultimately he wasn’t worthy boyfriend material. I mean, he’s reasonable and poor and not 117 years old. Just not dreamy enough. Plus, there’s that whole werewolf thing. - Stella, Washington
(werewolf)
(also: native american, but no big)
Navigating the guy-friend waters is difficult enough when you’re both human. Try it when one or both of you have to worry about being monsters, too. However, you have to remember that despite this theory that guys and girls can be platonic friends, the truth is that every interaction you have with the opposite sex will carry nearly unbearable sexual tension. While your real boyfriend is forbidden because of his dangerous supernatural nature, your magical friend-who-is-a-boy has the added intrigue of being forbidden based on basic rules of gender relations. It also sure doesn’t help if your guy friend is from the Quileute tribe. Your pure, white, vampire boyfriend, who is so in control, will just point out that those Indians – sorry, werewolves – are just too wild and uncivilized and you smell bad after hanging out with them. Besides, even if you guys do share a love connection, his heritage – magical, of course – will force him into an arranged marriage, known in Quileute as “imprinting.” You should just embrace your feminine wiles and shamelessly lead him on.
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joy ride
Adriana Lark is completely unremarkable on the surface.
Except for those special markings of specialness on her forehead.
“I’m absolutely ordinary — well, except for all the neardeath experiences and being so clumsy that I’m almost disabled,” says Adriana Lark, the latest entrant into the world of teenage supernatural romance. Adriana, despite her selfprofessed adorably boring personality, seems downright charming on the day of her SupernaturalGIRL! interview, which is conducted over a breakfast of bran flakes, deer’s blood and tofu at the local expensive hotel restaurant in her tiny and insulated hometown somewhere in the heart of America. “Growing up in this small town with nothing cool
happening ever, I didn’t think that I’d ever be meeting this supernatural guy, discover my own specialness and give up on the rest of human life. Now,” she says, “I’ve realized I can do whatever I want.” Adriana says she’s an independent, modern gal. She made the decision to pursue a relationship with her vampire boyfriend Theodore, she says, but it was an easy option considering every other boy was just so shallow and boring. “I didn’t know if there ever was a choice, really,” Adriana says. “I was already in too deep. Now that I knew — if I knew — I could do nothing about my frightening secret. Because when I thought of him, of his voice, his hypnotic eyes, the magnetic force of his personality, I wanted nothing more than to be with him right then.” So the two of them ditched school, blew off her parents (they were alternately abusive or absent-minded, so it wasn’t a bit loss) and went to hang out with a bunch at th s w of other supernatural ck sho “My vintage tru ’s it l al d an d orl I’m above the w erism.” m shallow consu
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“ I’m absolutely ordinary
”
creatures. That’s where people besides her beloved Theodore started to remark on her inherent specialness – guys flocked to her for reasons she couldn’t understand, girls hated her, and all these mystical adults wanted to use her latent power for their own schemes. “It got pretty intense for a while,” she explains. “But I was so in love. I’m usually pretty oblivious to danger, structural oppression and my own two feet in the first place, so making out with Theodore all the time really cut me off from any sensory input.” It wasn’t until she consummated her
marriage, got instantly and miraculously pregnant, endured a torturous pregnancy and then gave birth to a demon baby that she was finally able to access her true power: protecting people with a really cool forcefield thingie (ie, maternal instincts to the billionth power). Adriana says one of the weird things about today’s feminism is that some of those feminists have it all backward by trying to dictate women’s choices. “It’s as if you can’t choose a family on your own terms and still be considered a strong woman. How is that empowering? Are there rules about if, when, and how we love or marry and if, when, and how we have kids? Are there jobs we can and can’t have in order to be a ‘real’ feminist? To me, those limitations seem antifeminist in basic principle.” She doesn’t let the completely valid questions about her
“ I didn’t know if there ever was a choice, really
”
sanity get to her, though. “There’s always going to be anti in this industry,” she says brightly. “But the thing is, I have dealt with anti before our relationship, and I will always have to deal with it. There will always be people who love me or hate me. That’s why I try to focus on the positive.” Now a student at Vampyre Hogwarts in Oklahoma, Adriana is doing a great job of balancing a baby, her boyfriend, looking gorgeous and rubbing elbows with the supernatural world’s elite. She even has time to make judgments about other girls’ sexual activities. “Not that the path was smooth and pothole free,” she says, “But still, it was my path, and like me, it was bound to be unique.”
Images: Summit Entetainment, kstewartfan.org
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confessions and making all these pained faces. I was just trying to do my biology quiz, you know? And this guy would not stop looking at me! It was actually kind of disturbing. After class, I went up to my teacher and told her this freaky new guy with the funny-colored eyes and jaundice was making me feel uncomfortable. The teacher checked with the office and guess what? He’s not even a student at my school! Turns out the guy was a centuryold vampire who has been hanging around different high schools for decades because he likes underage girls. He wanted nothing more than to drink my blood, all because I smelled really delicious! Ewww, right?”
taking good advice “I have a female friend who doesn’t have any convenient magical powers. We don’t fight over boys. I took her concerns about my new, dangerous crush seriously and I decided this guy wasn’t worth it after he accidentally killed an innocent townsperson.”
- Celena, 17, Virginia
doing it “My boyfriend and I had sex. It was completely consensual, and we had the good sense to use protection so I wouldn’t end up with a baby/ plot device. Neither
of us died or suffered catastrophic changes to our personality. It was actually very enjoyable.”
- Annie, 17, Maine
the outside world “I care about politics and social problems. After graduation I plan to go to college, get a great job and live in the real world without my high school boyfriend. This supernatural stuff is exciting, but I also care about things beyond my stereotypically insular small town. I do have an internet connection, after all.”
- Kathy, 18, Oregon
– Stella, 17, Washington
“I found this really disturbing.”
– Jessica, 17, Washington
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LEFT – http://robnipulations.wordpress.com/ RIGHT – candiceaccola.com.br, Twentieth Century Fox Television
“One time, in the middle of class, this new guy just kept staring at me
is she for real?
celebrating girls who break the mold
carolineforbes
17 (forever) — Mystic Falls, Virginia
Caroline used to be a “neurotic, bitchy, little twit,” according to her classmates. She was student council vice president, chairperson of the prom committee and she single-handedly organzied Mystic Falls’ cleanup campaign – so she liked things to be exactly as she planned. But nothing ever did. She hated her mother, the town sheriff, because she didn’t act like a normal mom. When boys wouldn’t come to her, she’d go after them – but because she had such low selfesteem, she was kind of slutty. Then she became a vampire – and all her good qualities: compassion, leadership and integrity – got amplified. Besides using her new physical strength to save her friends from certain death, she also used her new supernatural perspective to connect with a werewolf guy in a deep friendship based on trust – not sex! She’s not girly little Caroline anymore!
Nominate a “real” girl at supernaturalgirl.com/rebellion
blast from the past:
buffysummers
This petite blonde from Sunnydale, California, faced her fair share of monsters – both real and metaphorical – during her time as vampire slayer. She responded to all of it with witty quips like, “If the apocalypse comes, beep me.” It was a different era, where a supernatural girl could hold her own in a fight, had to worry about grades and bills and used a beeper, whatever that is.
‘90s + ‘00s
SUPERNATURALgirl! 13
SUPERNATURAL girl! Jordan Gamble
American Chicks final project University of Notre Dame American Studies Senior Seminar May 2011