True Blood and Makeup- Am I the only one confused?

I have to shut my mind off at night, and I usually read. However, I ran out of fiction (because business books keep me awake with ideas) and on a whim I started watching True Blood, which before I hadn't seen a single episode of. 

So my question for MUA's is this: Please tell me I'm not the only one confused by the makeup! Firstly, I can't figure out why Sookie is always wearing big fake lashes, even in her natural looks. She will look like she doesn't have a stitch of makeup on fresh out of the shower, but will look up at whatever vampire is there all doe-eyed with spiky lashes. Then I look at Hoyt's mom and cannot figure out her lash situation either. When Sookie goes to Dallas, she has a totally different look each time, like she just stepped out of a salon. Did she go to a salon before meeting with all the vamps? I have been on set before and usually the director, etc has the final say in how the cast looks. I just can't figure out why her looks are so stylized when she's supposed to be a Cajun girl, and why they want her to look super natural and un made up yet she's sporting very characterized lashes. I mean, I get that they want her to be attractive and glamours, but it's so out-of-character in some situations it's distracting. Am I the only one who sees this? So confused! 

I have never noticed any of these things... too busy drooling over Eric.
 

My sentiments, too... 

Originally Posted by oOliveColored /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I have never noticed any of these things... too busy drooling over Eric.

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Lol I'm an Alcide kinda gal! 

I read a few of the books and Sookie is supposed to be naturally beautiful with the girl next door look. Hence why all the guys are in love with her! As for her lashes, I believe that the bigger, the better! The more fuller = the more beautiful! On a side note, I think Anna Paquin gives Sookie a little sass!  

Originally Posted by ameliacandco /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I have to shut my mind off at night, and I usually read. However, I ran out of fiction (because business books keep me awake with ideas) and on a whim I started watching True Blood, which before I hadn't seen a single episode of. 

So my question for MUA's is this: Please tell me I'm not the only one confused by the makeup! Firstly, I can't figure out why Sookie is always wearing big fake lashes, even in her natural looks. She will look like she doesn't have a stitch of makeup on fresh out of the shower, but will look up at whatever vampire is there all doe-eyed with spiky lashes. Then I look at Hoyt's mom and cannot figure out her lash situation either. When Sookie goes to Dallas, she has a totally different look each time, like she just stepped out of a salon. Did she go to a salon before meeting with all the vamps? I have been on set before and usually the director, etc has the final say in how the cast looks. I just can't figure out why her looks are so stylized when she's supposed to be a Cajun girl, and why they want her to look super natural and un made up yet she's sporting very characterized lashes. I mean, I get that they want her to be attractive and glamours, but it's so out-of-character in some situations it's distracting. Am I the only one who sees this? So confused! 

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This is a Vampire show. All the characters are supposed to have a signature stylized look whether it's a piece of make-up, wardrobe, hair, set dec piece etc, that explains what their character is all about, even when it seems out-of-place.

For example Michelle Forbes character Maryann is a Maenad (a female follower of Baccus, the God of Wine), Hence she is often seen drinking a glass of wine.

Also Sookie is part Faerie, hence her big fales lashes she wears, which tells the audience what she represents.

We all know that Vampires, Superheros, Werewolves, and Zombies don't exsist, so it's the typical "suspension of dis-belief because of a specific reason" scenario.

I worked on a teenage superhero tv series a few years ago, and the production design team and the network was very adamant that the teen hero's hair did not move or that they never sweated, no matter how physical the action became. Also the network had a line of toy figures that came out and they wanted the audience to identify with the character's on TV to the super hero dolls that they buy at Toys 'R' Us, So the actor's looks couldn't digress too much from their character.

The same thing with Dean Cain's look when he did Lois and Clark. And we all know a bunch of other examples... etc, etc...

Creating a look for a character can take months to create, especially when the Make-up Designer has to anwer to the Key Production and Network Executives, and everyone has their say in the tweaking and approval process. So it's no accident that Sookie is wearing big false lashes all the time, even when it seems out-of-place for her to do so in some of her scenes.

Originally Posted by ameliacandco /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
I just can't figure out why her looks are so stylized when she's supposed to be a Cajun girl

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Sorry, this cracked me up because I'm a Cajun girl and I know you probably didn't mean it to be insulting, so it's just funny to me.  I wear stylized makeup too.  : p

Anyway, vogueboy did a great job of explaining the process and the purpose of stylizing each characters especially in a fantasy-driven show.  The fake lashes are part of a stylized fantasy look that relates to her faerie heritage, and you're only noticing them being out of place because you're really into makeup and looking for them.  I suspect the idea is that those are her lashes and not fake lashes that her character is putting on. 

I work in the film industry (although not as a makeup artist, but with sets), and trust me when I say that every detail is usually mulled over and debated between about 10 different people thrusting their influence around.  That's what that collaboration came up with.

On a similar note, Fringe is all about Set dec when it comes to plots and foreshadowing of events that will come up in the next episode. Breaking Bad is all about certain colours of wardrobe the cast wears that represents their personalities. And of course True Blood is all about make-up that stylizes the show. And all of these nuanced elements are all extensively discussed in all types of pre-pro and production meetings with the heads of each relevant department. Why? It makes shows more interesting to watch, especially for the fan bases, and the writers and creators like to add their signature to a show that they're working on.