Channel 4 documentary about Wolfie Blackheart's pack

[frameacloud]

Trigger warnings for this post: publicity; animal death.

Correction: I made large changes to this post May 25, 2022, to correct misinformation about Blackheart that had previously appeared in this post. The post had originally repeated false rumors that Blackheart had ritually killed a dog. I recently found reliable sources that set the record straight. I added the most relevant source for that, the retrospective by Chasnoff. I apologize for the error.

According to Channel 4 press releases, a TV documentary will air on November 13, 2011. This documentary will be about the Crimson Blood Wolf Pack, which is a handful of teenagers in San Antonio, Texas, some of whom identify as werewolves, some as vampires.

The alpha of the pack is teen werewolf Wolfie Blackheart, who had attracted media attention in early 2010 because online vigilantes had accused her of killing a dog. Animal Care Services, a police investigation, and a necropsy on the animal remains proved that Blackheart had neither harmed nor killed the dog. The dog had already been dead when someone who claimed to be the dog's owner had asked Blackheart to preserve the dog with taxidermy. Blackheart was aspiring to a career in taxidermy, and occasionally accepted requests to preserve people's pets. A friend had photographed the remains without Blackheart's consent, and then the photos somehow ended up online. During the investigation, the news picked up the story and played up the shock value. Since then, numerous news articles and a short news story on TV last year have been about Blackheart and the pack, often with shocking and misleading headlines.

- O. Scribner

Sources

Brian Chasnoff. “A decade of searching for stories.” San Antonio Express-News. Posted 2015-06-05. https://www.expressnews.com/news/news_columnists/brian_chasnoff/article/A-decade-of-searching-for-stories-6310419.php Archived 2021-10-21: https://web.archive.org/web/20211021191330/https://www.expressnews.com/news/news_columnists/brian_chasnoff/article/A-decade-of-searching-for-stories-6310419.php

Merticus, “Teenage Vampires (& Wolves) - Documentary - Channel 4 - 11.01.11.” November 2, 2011. Werelist Forums Media Center. http://werelist.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30321

William Gallagher, “Vampire reality bites for channel 4.” Novemer 2, 2011. RadioTimes. http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2011-11-02/vampire-reality-bites-for-channel-4

“Teenage vampires.” November 1, 2011. Channel 4 Press. http://www.channel4.com/info/press/programme-information/teenage-vampires

Comments

[razkhel.livejournal.com]

Those people, or "teen wolves" should not be considered therianthropes. Everyone can become a teen wolf, as it is just a style, nothing more. All you need is a fake wolf tail, ears, and some heavy make up making yourself look quite ridiculous in my opinion. It's a scandal though, that the media have nothing better to spend their time and money on. It's really a shame, let's hope the word "therianthropy" isn't mentioned. Honestly, I don't take anyone calling themselves "teen wolves" or "teen vamps" seriously, and I have little to no respect for them.

Let's hope these children grow up soon.

[sarah nelson (from livejournal.com)]

i enjoy what ur trying to say :)

[citrakayah.livejournal.com]

It's one thing for a group of people to hang out together; and indeed if I thought the news story would be 'these people act like vampires, these people gather in what they call a pack and do wolf-like stuff, and that's pretty much it' I suppose I wouldn't have that much of a problem with it, assuming they didn't mention therianthropy or otherkin.

But that won't be what will happen. They will make to the group out to be freaks. And they will quite possibly end up associating us somehow with them.

[tysharina.livejournal.com]

I've got it set to record. Would-be vamps and wolves are not high on my interests list but I'm wondering if they will end up being associated with otherkin during the show.

[frameacloud]

See also a follow-up post on Otherkin News about this topic: "Channel 4 documentary, early reactions from vampire community."

[sarah nelson (from livejournal.com)]

honestly i like the fact that they try to be unique and all that but i should know for one cuz i have a pack of mi own :) its called kumori and its in wa lynden