Eastern Illinois University The Keep Masters Theses Student Theses & Publications 2014 Red Star Studded Chaos: Sex Scandal Juan Salas Eastern Illinois University This research is a product of the graduate program in English at Eastern Illinois University. Find out more about the program. Recommended Citation Salas, Juan, "Red Star Studded Chaos: Sex Scandal" (2014). Masters Theses. 1281. https://thekeep.eiu.edu/theses/1281 This is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Theses & Publications at The Keep. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of The Keep. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 'hesis Reproduction Certificate http://www.eiu.edu/graduate/forms/thesisreproductioncert.html THESIS MA INTENANCE AND REPRODUC TION CERTIFICATE TO: Graduate Degree Candid<'ltC$ (Who have written formal theses) SUBJECT: Permission to ReprOduce The$eS An important part of Booth Library al Eastem Illinois University's ongoing rrission is lo preserve and provide access to works ot scholarship. In order to further this goal, Sooth Library makes all theses produced at f8$1ern llllnol$ UrWof'Sity available f« pe<$Onal stucty, research, and 04hct not.. for.prollt cducati0rtal purposes. Under 17 U.S.C. § 108, the tibt'ary may rep.-oduce ~nd distribute a copy without infringing on copyright; however. professional oourtesy dictates that permission be requested from the author before doing so. By signing this form : • Yoo oonf11m your authorship of the thesis. • You retain the copyright and intellectual property rights associated with tOO orlgnal research. crt-ativo actMty, ond intolSoctual or artistie content of the thesis. • You certify yod' oompliance with federal copyright law (Thie 17 of the U .S. Code) and your ntJht to authorize reproduction and dist ribution ol all copyrighted meterlal lncludOO In your tnosls. • You grant Booth library tho non ~xclusivc , perpetual right 10 moko c0pit$ of your thC$i$, freefy and publicly available .,..;lhout restriction, by means of any current or successive technology, including but not limited to photocopying, microfilm , digitization. or Internet • You acknowledge that by depositing youf thesis with Booth lltnry, your work is available for 'ii~ng by the pubic and may be borrowed through the library's dreulatk>n and interdbrary dtpartmoost or accessed electronically. • You waive the oonftdenliaity picwisions oflhe Fanlity Educational Righi$ and Privacy Aci ('FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) with respect to the contents of the thesis. including your name and sta1us as a s luclent at Eastern llllnois Uni\te1lty. Pttidon to Delay: I respectful y petition that Sooth Library de&<ty maintenance and r•production of my th<1$i$ until the da!e specified alMf lot the renons below. I und<11'$land ltwtl mt degree will 001 be conferred unti !he ltlesis is available for maintenance and reproduction. Date: Reas.ans; 5-16-Jo/t/ Date This form must be s.ubmJtted in dupllcal e. of 1 5116114 3: 37 PM Red Star Studded Chaos: Sex Scandal (TITLE) BY Juan Salas THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF Masters of Art IN THE GRADUATE SCHOOL, EASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY CHARLESTON, ILLINOIS 2014 YEAR I HEREBY RECOMMEND THAT THIS THESIS BE ACCEPTED AS FULFILLING THIS PART OF THE GRADUATE DEGREE CITED ABOVE THESIS COMMITTEE MEMBER DATE THESIS COMMITTEE MEMBER DATE Red Star Studded Chaos: Sex Scandal JP Salas Copyright 2014 by JP Salas All Rights Reserved 1 Red Star Studded Chaos: Sex Scandal JP Salas Abstract Leon de Cruz is a fame hungry journalist that published sex pictures of the greatest pop group in the world: Red Star Studded Chaos. The group was genetically engineered to be physically perfect and live a minimum of 10,000 years without aging. Leon's news article about the group catapults him into international superstardom, and RSSC's only rival, a recently founded Christian pop group called Properness, wants to manipulate Leon into using his new found fame to write a novel that condemns the very debauchery RSSC stands for. Looking to capitalize on the chaos sparked by the sex photographs, Properness's management sends their naive lead singer, Tate Jeoff, to try and negotiate a record deal with RSSC's Gin Ollie, a.k.a. the King of Party. Tate'sjourney brings him face to face with Tiffany Tye Dye-Ollie's lover and the most beautiful woman in the world. Tiffany finds herself having to decide whether or not she wants to crush Tate's heart, the only person that has ever truly loved her. The Roman Catholic Pope and Jommy Harrow, Studded Chaos's own lead singer, are the puppet masters behind the exposure of the most legendary sex pictures in history, but they are definitely not working toward the same goal. While the Pope wants to put an end to all debauchery, Harrow works to find the very meaning of existence, seeking to confront whatever gods may or may not exist. 2 Red Star Studded Chaos: Sex Scandal JP Salas Table of Contents Dedication ..............................................................................4 Acknowledgments .................................................................... 5 Critical Introduction ..................................................................6 Red Star Studded Chaos: Sex Scandal .................................................. .16 3 Red Star Studded Chaos: Sex Scandal JP Salas This novel is dedicated to Nova, the original Deshawn Ray, Shelly, the original Abigail, and Stephanie and Hayden. Though none of you made it into Red Star Studded Chaos: Sex Scandal-my first completed novel-rest assured that I never forgot any of you for even a moment. You all deserve so much more than a role as a secondary character. I promise to never stop fighting so that one day you may all shine with all of your debaucherous glory. Nova, I will never give up on you. 4 Red Star Studded Chaos: Sex Scandal JP Salas Acknowledgements First and foremost I'd like to thank God, because I'm a religious zealot. I'd like to searingly thank Dr. Olga Abella. She is a patient, kind-hearted woman; everything I learned at Eastern, I learned from her. My readers are very important to me. At first I ended up working with the wrong people, and I became depressed. But then I was able to work with Dr. Daiva Markelis and Dr. Roxane Gay, and that made me really happy. They are two overwhelmingly talented women. The biggest influence to my novel was Justin Bieber. He is a total class act, regardless of what the media says. It doesn't matter that he is short because he has a tall, enormous heart ... and bank account. Sure, he abuses sizzurp, spits on fans, closes off streets so he can race his expensive Lambo against gaudy Ferraris while high on Zanax, is short, and pees in buckets, but let's not forget what is important: Justin Bieber is the biggest megastar in history, wears awesome drop-crotch pants, can dance like an amazing motha effa, has a young trendy penis, and can party like no one else. I'd like to thank Gabrielle Knock for making a cameo appearance in Red Star Studded Chaos: Sex Scandal, the best novel of the last fourteen years. Finally, I'd like to thank the author of Supernova. If that novel never existed, then there would be no Gin Ollie, Jommy Harrow, Tiffany Tye-dye, Mason Riot, or Katie Kibbles. There would be no Leon de Cruz, Tate Jeoff, or Adam Courter. I honestly still probably would have written something just as great, though. 5 Red Star Studded Chaos: Sex Scandal JP Salas Critical Introduction My interest in satire originated in sixth grade and has only grown throughout the years. Much like Chuck Palahniuk, author of New York Times Bestsellers like Fight Club (1999) and Haunted (2005), I mostly experienced disappointment when reading because works didn't address themes I was interested in, and those that did were poorly written. To alleviate that disappointment, like Palahniuk, I wrote my own works of fiction, believing I could construct works specifically designed to entertain myself, and as a byproduct, readers like me. The key characteristics of satire are the same ones I find crucial in a successful recipe for entertainment: "Sharpness of observation and cleverness with language-this gives the work a cutting edge, which can amuse and entertain while it criticizes" (Ogborn 13). I quickly learned that wit, amusement, and entertainment didn't exist in a single manner, as Oscar Wilde's A Picture ofDorian Gray (1890) blurred the lines between funny and clever, and Bret Easton Ellis's Less than Zero (1985) is much more absurd than clever or laugh-out-loud funny. Both works are satires of a small, elite group of people of a specific society: rakes and affluent college men, respectively. It is my goal to have my novel, Red Star Studded Chaos: Sex Scandal, satirize a small group of people that exist today: mainstream pop icons. Red Star Studded Chaos: Sex Scandal addresses themes that are the focus of two contemporary novels: materialism, consumerism, superficiality, excess of wealth, and fame. Bret Easton Ellis's Glamorama (1998) and Nick McDonnell's Twelve (2002) both trivialize the superficial values wealthy, fashionable men and women hold in high regard. In contrast, but making a similar point, Sean Penn's major motion picture, Into the Wild (2007), depicts a character who chooses to abandon the seduction of money and fame. 6 Red Star Studded Chaos: Sex Scandal JP Salas While Penn's film, based on Jon Krakauer's nonfiction book, is not satire, it too makes readers consider their attraction to fame and fortune. In Glamorama, Bret Easton Ellis explores the above themes by showing the maliciousness of people who value looks, money, and brand name clothing.