In Amber Heard's video she describes how to make the perfect business women by combining four aspects of femininity: Mother, Virgin, Sl*t, and B*tch. She states that by taking pieces of each of these traits, a woman can confuse a man and even earn their respect. Many times in literature or media, women are placed into one of these four categories. It is very rare that viewers find characters with all these combined aspects in pop culture. In the show "American Horror Story" is a wildly popular show and is now on it's fifth season, each season having a unique story-line. This season is centered around a haunted hotel. It's mixed up in murders, crime, sex, and more murder. Anyone who is a fan of the show can see these identities of women within each character. This show plays into the common character tropes setup for females as well.
Sally, the ghostly heroin addict who portrays the role of the Sl*t:
Romana Royale, the movie star and ex lover of the Countess portrays the role of the B*tch:
Dr. Alex Lowe, doctor and heart broken mother of her lost son portrays the role of the Mother:
Lastly, and most difficulty, because this show is largely centered around sex, Liz Taylor, the transgender desk clerk portrays the role of the Virgin:
(My reasoning for labeling her the Virgin was due to the scene in which she is reborn into her womanhood creating a symbolic youth and innocence)
All these characters have their place, but there is one that combines all of these aspects of femininity, which is one of the reasons she is the main character of the show. Elizabeth, "The Countess," is a 100 plus year old vampire and the owner of the hotel. She is portrayed by Lady Gaga in the series and is in charge of everything and everyone who resides in the hotel. If there's two things this generation loves, it's Lady Gaga and American Horror Story. If you don't agree with this, then boy are you missing out, because they are both pretty fantastic alone, but putting them together is something unreal. The series had to make up for the loss of everyone's favorite and the phenomenal Jessica Lange, no one can replace her, but Lady Gaga is a close second in the series. Before this turns into a tangent on how much I love Lady Gaga and not an article on how women are over-stereotyped, let's focus on her character. The Countess plays many roles within each of her storylines which connect her to each of these tropes women fall under. She is able to encapsulate all four aspects of femininity in her own unique way, which is what makes her such a fantastic character.
Mother: As twisted as the themes become within the show, she is still able to connect to others with a maternal attitude. From caring for her vampire children to helping Liz Taylor become the woman she was meant to be, the Countess serves as a guide to whoever she encounters. She has a very sweet and kind nature to her when it comes to the people within her inner circle.
Sl*t: American Horror Story is infamous for being overly sexualized, which is one of the factors that draw in viewers. Her character description states as follows, "She lives off a diet of sex and blood." The Countess is hyper-sexual for her own pleasure, but she also uses sex to get what she wants. She manipulates people with sex whether it's to marrying the new owner of the hotel for his money, or to attract a couple to feed off of. Either way, the Countess embodies sexuality and liberates herself through it.
B*tch: Being the owner of a hotel and leader of a herd of vampire children, the Countess needs to keep everything in check and be in charge. She plays the ultimate matriarchal figure within the series, a role that Jessica Lange portrayed in past seasons. Everything must go her way or there will be hell to pay. Everyone fears and respects her, and obeys her everything command. She runs her hotel with an iron fist and takes no mercy on those who betray her. Anyone who does will regret it immediately. The fear and respect she receives from her peers and staff is what makes her truly the HBIC (Head B*tch In Charge).
Virgin: Now this trope was the most tricky to place the Countess into due to her hyper sexuality, yet in a way she is still able to fit. Using the term virgin not as someone who has never had sex, but of someone having pure nature and a virtuous aspect to themselves. Since she is the creator and leader of the other vampires on the show, they look toward her as a goddess. Her motherly aspect also gives her a twisted parallel with Mary the mother of Jesus. She has a very righteous aspect to her character that makes her so admired by everyone in her presence.
Adding all of these factors together and by Amber Heard's standards, the Countess creates the ultimate business woman. She is caring like the Mother, she is honored like the Virgin, she is desired like the Sl*t, and she is in control like the B*tch. One of the best things about her character is her ability to have all of these sides in herself. Every move she makes is unexpected which makes her more captivating to watch. It makes her so much more relatable to the viewers because they are able to see all the aspects of a woman in one powerful female. Not only is she one of the most quotable characters, she is also already a favorite among fans. Being new to a show that is already in its fifth season and replacing a beloved actress is a tall order to fill, but Lady Gaga out did herself.
