"Shes a fashion model who has everything; a boyfriend, a career, a loyal bestfriend. But when a sudden freeway "accident" leaves her disfigured and incapable of speech, she goes from being the beautiful center of attention to being an invisible monster, so hideous that no one will acknowledge she exists. Enter Brandy Alexander, Queen Supreme, one operation away from becoming a real woman, who will teach her that reinventing yourself means erasing your past and making up something better. And that salvation hides in the last places you'll ever want to look." Invisible Monsters, Chuck Palahniuk

I chose this novel because it offers a glimpse into the wonderful weird world of fashion, trans-gendered pill popping beauty queens and the legnths some will go to feel differently about themselves. If you havent read the book I have included a link to a breif description of the novel.

The events in this novel do not happen in chronological order, the author jumps back and forth through time with no rhyme or reason.
"Dont expect this to be the kind of story that goes; and then, and then, and then. What happens here will have more of that fashion magazine feel, a Vogue or a Glamour magazine chaos with page numbers on every second or fifth or third page. Perfume cards falling out, and full-page naked women coming out of nowhere to sell you make-up."
Palahniuk uses no real order to his novel; therefore I will no use no order in the sequencing of my playlist. I will however try to better explain the reason that I chose each song and the relevance it has to the story.

1. Supermodel, by Jill Sobule

I chose the song Supermodel because the main character, whose real name (Shannon McFarland) is not revealed until the end of the novel and her best friend, Evie Cottrell are both fashion models. Throughout the novel there are injections with photographers directions.


"Most of my adult life so far has been me standing on seamless paper for a raft of bucks per hour, wearing clothes and shoes, my hair done and some famous fashion photographer telling me how to feel.

Him yelling, Give me lust baby.

Flash.

Give me malice.

Flash.

Give me detached existentialist ennui.

Flash.

Give me rampant intellectualism as a coping mechanism."






Lyrics

2. Brandy Alexander, by Feist

Brandy Alexander, it is the name of one of the main characters. Brandy is the "Queen Supreme" and ring leader of the characters throughout the story.
"If you have to start with one detail, it has to be Brandy's hands. Beaded with rings to make them look even bigger, Brandy's hands are enormous. Beaded with rings, as if they could be more obvious, hands are the one part about Brandy Alexander the surgeons couldn't change. So Brandy doesn't even try and hide her hands."









Lyrics

3. Medication, by OURS

Brandy, Shannon and Manus Kelly visit multiple open houses of mansions for sale for the sole purpose of raiding the medicine cabinets and stealing all of the occupants pills. Shannon also feeds Manus estrogen pills (unknown to him), and Brandy takes a daily plethora of pills in her quest to become a real woman.








Lyrics


"We've taken medication, so we can run away from another day."

Each character in the story is running from something, Evie a boring existence, Shannon from the undeserved attention and accomplishments that were given to her beauty not herself, Shane or Brandy Alexander, from her past as a man.

4. For Today I am a Boy, by Antony and the Johnsons





A prevelant theme explored in this band's music is aspects of transgender life. This is expressed in "For Today I Am A Boy", in which a young boy dreams of growing up to be a woman. This is relevant to the story because both Brandy Alexander and Evie Cottrell began life as males, Evie had a complete sex change and Brandy only has one more operation before she is a real woman.





Lyrics


"One day I'll grow up and I'll be a beautiful woman. One day I'll grow up and I'll be a beautiful girl. But for today I am a child, for today i am a boy."


At the end of the novel Shannon gives her brother, Brandy Alexander, who started life as Shane McFarland her old life.


"Shane, I'm giving you my life, my driver's license, my old report cards, because you look more like me than I can ever remember looking. You make Sofonda get you a top contract, no local charity benefit runway shit. You're Shannon fucking McFarland now. You go right to the top."

5. You Are My Sister, by Antony and the Johnsons





You are my sister, we were born

So innocent, so full of need

There were times we were friends but times I was so cruel

Each night I'd ask for you to watch me as I sleep

I was so afraid of the night

You seemed to move through the places that I feared

You lived inside my world so softly

Protected only by the kindness of your nature

You are my sister

And I love you

May all of your dreams come true

We felt so differently then

So similar over the years

The way we laugh the way we experience pain

So many memories

But there's nothing left to gain from remembering

Faces and worlds that no one else will ever know

You are my sister

And I love you

May all of your dreams come true

I want this for you

They're gonna come true (gonna come true)


At the end of the novel Shannon hands her old life over to her brother, previously Shane McFarland, presently Brandy Alexander.


"I'm giving you my life to prove to myself I can, I really can love somebody. Even when I'm not getting paid, I can give love and happiness and charm. You see, I can handle the baby food and the not talking and being homeless and invisible, but I have to know that I can love somebody. Completely and totally, permanently and without hope of reward, just as an act of will, I will love somebody. I lean in, as if I could kiss my brothers face."

6. Slob, by Weezer





Leave me alone.

I won't pick up the phone.

And I won't listen to messages

Sent by someone who calls up and says.

"I don't like how your living my life."

Get yourself a wife.

Get yourself a job.

Your living in a dream.

Don't you be a slob.

Leave me again.

Don't hang out in my den.

Waiting for little clues to appear

That I drank some of granddaddy's beer

I don't like how your living my life

Get yourself a wife

Get yourself a job

Your living in a dream

Don't you be a slob

Slob, slob

Waiting for little clues to appear

That I drank some of granddaddy's beer

I don't like how your living my life

Get yourself a wife

Get yourself a job

Your living a dream

Don't you be a slob

Slob, slob


The last night Shane McFarland lived in his parents house, the last night they ever saw him, was the night they found out he was gay.


"Drugs," my mom said, "we could deal with."

"Teenage pregnancy," my mom said, "we could deal with."

"Doctor Peterson," she said. "He said there's just about only one way you could get the disease the way you have it, but I told him, no, not our child, not you, Shane."

"Tonight," my father said. "We want you our of here." Our father.

"We don't know what kind of filthy diseases you're bringing into this house, mister, but you can just find another place to sleep tonight."


A few months later the McFarlands received a call from an unidentified person telling them that Shane McFarland was dead. What they assumed was that he died of AIDS. But really, Shane McFarland was dead, and Brandy Alexander was born.

7. Time to Dance, by Panic! At the Disco





This song was actually inspired by the novel, there are direct references and quotes taken right out of the book.

"Give me envy, give me malice, give me attention." This refers to the photographer directions that are randomly placed throughout the novel.

"Boys will be boys hiding in estrogen and wearing Aubergine dreams." This refers to Brandy Alexander who wears aubergine dream lip color and takes estrogen pills, as well as Manus because he unknowingly takes them as well.

"Pulling the trigger" refers to Shannon shooting herself in the face with the shot gun and Evie shooting Brandy at her wedding with the same shotgun.






Lyrics

8. I Write Sins Not Tragedies, by Panic! At the Disco

I chose this video because as I said earlier this band used Invisible Monsters as inspiration for multiple songs. This video could be an interpretation of Evie's wedding where she shoots Brandy and Shannon burns the house down.

The novel opens with Evie's wedding reception. "Where you're supposed to be is some big West Hills wedding reception in a big manor house with flower arrangements and stuffed mushrooms all over the house. This is called scene setting: where everybody is, who's alive, who's dead. This is Evie Cottrell's big wedding reception moment. Evie is standing halfway down the big staircase in the manor house foyer, naked inside what's left of her wedding dress, still holding her rifle. Me, I'm standing at the bottom of the stairs but only in a physical way. My mind is, i don't know where. Nobody's all-the-way dead yet, but let's just say the clock is ticking."