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nevyobjects11 · 23 hours ago

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Exposing Mike’s Slutty Demon Poster:

A needlessly thorough breakdown of Mike's true power fantasy, and season 4's obsession with embarrassing secrets.

We already know Mike's bedroom in season 4 is queer-coded, but this poster alone is loaded with homoeroticism, and I had to write about it.

Before I do, I want to point out that bedrooms are associated with privacy, and as such, they should not only showcase a character's personality and interests, but their private thoughts.

Mike has multiple posters in his room, but this one specifcally hangs above the head of his bed where he sleeps, meaning it reflects his inner thoughts, dreams (subconscious) and desires.

On an antique website, this poster was sold as “Psychedelic Wizard Summoning Beast Wicca Poster”

Here is a high-definition image of the poster for your viewing pleasure:

Colours

Firstly, the most prominent colours featured are red and blue, but yellow and green also make an appearance. All four of these colours are connected to Byler.

Blue and green are Mike’s colours, and red and yellow are Will’s colours.

I’ve made a post which discusses the significance of red and blue to Mike and Will’s relationship here.

Although blue is Mike’s representative colour, Will the Wise has already been depicted wielding blue magic through both Will’s painting and this official poster artwork.

Therefore, the wizard in this poster represents Will.

This leads me to another theme of this poster:

The Occult

The devil is in the details after all!

We have a wizard (Will the Wise), wearing blue and red robes, while summoning a demon from a red cauldron which emits blue plumes of smoke.

A cauldron signifies alchemy, which is like an ancient and proto-scientific form of chemistry.

Funny, because Mike and Will have good chemistry, and as seen in the examples above, red and blue seem to represent that chemistry.

The cauldron has a pentagram drawn on it, which is where the Wiccan symbolism comes in. There is also a ritual circle drawn on the ground, a common practice in Wicca to summon spirits. So this is defintely the summoning of a demon.

And yes, I do believe this is depicting a demon (of sorts), and not a dragon.

Partly because we already associate demons with summoning rituals, but also because when I completed a reverse image search of the poster to find the original, I found similar depictions of demons: large, muscular, winged and horned. It also somewhat resembles the Balrog from Lord of the Rings.

(Which was defeated by a wizard no less!)

Some examples included below:

This theme of the occult foreshadows one of the plot-lines of season 4: The Satanic Panic, Mike's association to the Hellfire Club, and the belief that Hellfire is a satanic cult.

In fact, despite the club having multiple members, Jason seems to focus on Mike second to Eddie when he begins his witch hunt.

The demon in this poster represents Mike.

Like many, my first reading of this poster was that Mike was simply into buff dudes (who could blame him?). But because of Will's association to spell-casters, and the themes of season 4, I'm now inclined to believe the demon represents Mike himself.

However, the physicality of the demon may still be important. Yes, it's slightly homoerotic, but it could also be referring to Mike's potential struggle with body image and expectations of masculinity.

Mike is mocked for his body type this season, and although he didn't overhear, I imagine he's recieved similar comments before. He also compares himself to Lois Lane, and El to Superman. On the surface, there's nothing wrong with this gender-bent dynamic at all. It's a fun subversion of the usual trope! But the thing is, Mike doesn't want to be Lois Lane. In his fantasy escapism, he's Mike the Brave: a courageous paladin/ knight.

And speaking of brave knights and fantasies...

Power Fantasies: Heteroerotic vs. Homoerotic Desire

I concede that this demon does resemble a dragon, and that choice could be intentional

A dragon may subconsciously invoke the traditional male power fantasy of the brave knight who slays the beast in order to rescue the beautiful maiden.

This trope has already been referenced in season 2 through the arcade game Dragon's Lair, which foreshadowed the love triangle between Max, Lucas and Dustin.

Mike understands how the whole heterosexual thing works: He's supposed to be the heroic knight, and his love interest (El in this instance) is supposed to be the beautiful maiden.

Now, El is both beautiful and a maiden, but she's not in need of rescuing. In fact, that's another plotline of season 4: Mike reckoning with the fact that El does not need him, like how Princess Daphne needs the knight.

Mike and the Cali crew quite literally go on a rescue mission for her, only to find that she's escaped her captors herself.

(Of course, they do still rescue her from being stranded in a desert, but the lack of action makes it less of a rescue mission and more of a chauffeur situation).

El being strong on her own is a good thing, but Mike's frustration and confusion about this does highlight something important: He doesn't really know how to be in a heterosexual relationship if he's not performing it.

Their relationship doesn't look like how he thinks it should to others - and that makes him anxious. From Mike's perspective, if he can't be the brave knight and El won't act as the helpless maiden, then how else is he supposed to act? And how long until others start to figure out that he's not who he pretends to be? And the thing is, Mike likes that El is powerful! He genuinley admires her. It's only when he tries to figure out how that fits into their romantic relationship that he gets nervous.

This trope doesn't just provide Mike with a social script for what a heterosexual relationship might look like, though. It's also a very common heterosexual power fantasy.

And yes, it is sexual in nature:

The knight exerts his dominance and showcases his physical prowess by conquering the beast through violence. Violence is associated with hyper-masulinity, as well as sex itself: they're both visceral bodily experiences, that arise from arousal or excitement, and end in physical reward. Once the knight has vanquished the dragon, he is rewarded with the beautiful maiden: his sexual conquest.

If it sounds misogynistic and crass, that's because it is. But I'm going to do something I rarely ever do for straight men: cut them some slack.

Because a power fantasy is not meant to be politically correct! It's meant to be arousing and self-indulgent.

It's also meant to be a little bit embarrassing, and something we usually keep to ourselves (or express through fiction and metaphor).

Some heterosexual women may indulge in their own sexual fantasies of being rescued or ravished by muscular men—Karen Wheeler, for example.

But Mike didn't care much for Princess Daphne, and his poster doesn't depict a dragon being slain—so what is his fantasy?

Looking back to Mike's poster, its imagery is very different to the knight slaying the beast and resucing the maiden, even if it may subconsciously invoke it.

It's missing two key (heterosexual) components: the knight, and the beautiful maiden.

There's just the spell-caster and the beast: both masculine entities, who are not competing, but rather... collaborating.

The beast here is not dangerous or threatening, even if it appears large, menacing and is rippled with muscle.

It's been intentionally summoned after all; it is still obedient and amenable to the much smaller wizard.

This is a subverted (queer) power fantasy!

The beast is not subdued through violence for the purpose of attaining a woman: The beast is instead subdued through magic (energy, intellect, attraction) for the purpose of... what exactly?

Well, you might summon a demon if you want to strike a deal (make a deal with the devil), meaning the demon has something the wizard wants. In return for doing the wizard's bidding, the demon may possess the wizard's soul (a permament tie). It's a mutual exchange of energy, and both parties are getting something out of it. It's extremely high stakes, but (presumably) high reward. A little bit like pursuing a homosexual relationship in a conservative small-town during the 1980s.

It's also incredibly taboo (due to the occult) and therefore erotic.

That's because this poster presents a homoerotic fantasy.

Let me break Mike’s fantasy down for you:

The powerful and mesmerising wizard subdues (or tames?) the equally powerful and intimidating demon, so they can make a deal and do something considered sinful.

Neither is afraid of the other. Rather, they are excited about what they can accomplish together.

Once the bidding is complete, the demon then owns the wizard’s soul for eternity. The wizard knew what he was getting into though, and the benefits outweighed the risks.

Yowza!

We have sinning, equal power yet mutual submission, seduction and temptation (the wizard seduces and the demon tempts), and an eternal soul tie.

That is indeed an erotic fantasy.

Interestingly, in this fantasy Mike (the demon) appears physically larger and stronger than Will (the wizard), but Will still holds a certain power over him. He's a spell-caster after all, and don't forget that a spell can also be referred to as a charm. In fact, Charm Person has been an available spell type in dnd since it's first edition. Basically, in Mike's power fantasy, it may be him who looks badass, but Will is the charming one with influence, and Mike is under his spell.

This fantasy appeals to Mike because it resolves him of his guilt and shame:

Mike is not the pursuer or initiator here, Will is: he's the summoner. Will is summoning him, and Mike is simply answering the call.

(While being depcited as a demon no less, which represents corruption, temptation and hedonism).

It also makes the fantasy less vulnerable:

If you have feelings for someone and you're not sure those feelings are returned, you might fantasize that those feelings are not only reciprocated, but reciprocated with enthusiasm.

Nothing screams enthusiam quite like an elaborate occultist ritual, or being willing to give up your soul.

It still has a very romantic element, though:

I think the whole being eternally bound to someone through a (demonic) contract thing is just a wild and fantastical metaphor for marriage and long-term commitment.

It’s the romantically indulgent aspect of the fantasy: through this deal, Will’s soul (and therefore the crux of his being), will belong to Mike alone.

Subconsciously, this is what Mike wants—something to tether and bind them together.

Force them together, even.

(And yes, I do interpret Mike as somewhat of a possessive lover, just not to an unhealthy extent. I mean, we all saw season 2, right?)

"But how does this fit into Mike's fantasy of being a heroic paladin?" I hear you ask.

Well, there's a difference between an escapist fantasy that makes one happy, and a fantasy that arouses. Mike's happy fantasy is just like Will's: a world where they can be together with their friends, be the heroes of their own story, and fight against repression. This is not that, however: this is a fantasy which both excites and frightens him.

However, that's all it really is: a fantasy.

It's not real, and it doesn't accurately represent Mike and Will's real life dynamic.

It's just a teenaged boy's secret romantic fantasy, that only he knows about. Hence why it is manifested inside of his bedroom, above the place he sleeps.

But the writer's love to give Mike a hard time.

Bedrooms and Privacy

Funnily enough, our first look at the poster occurs in a scene where Mike's privacy has been invaded.

Nancy barges into Mike's room while he is only partially dressed, and he appears quite flustered. He was reading El's letter, but it's the demon poster that's framed beside his head, representing his private and inner-most thoughts.

This scene is hilarious, but it's also quite pitiful. I have a fourteen year old brother myself, and when I visit home I never open his door without knocking. Like Nancy, I might not care if I find him in his underpants (I changed his nappies when he was little), but I understand that for him... it would be mortifying. It's exposure - and it's uncomfortable!

Mike's partial exposure here is not indecent (he's basically in his pajamas), but it still gets the point across: Nancy has barged in on Mike's alone time, and he feels embarrassed and exposed.

This parallels another scene with Dustin: His mother (almost) barges in on him doing something secret (changing his grades), so he pretends to be naked so she'll leave him alone.

She respects this, while wearing a look of fright and disgust.

And of course, another scene concerning Lucas: Erica threatening to tell Dustin the "gross" and embarrassing thing she found under his bed.

Season 4 has an obsession with exposing (or threatening to expose) embarrassing secrets!

All of these scenes either take place in a bedroom, or refer to a bedroom. They're also all about privacy being violated, or embarassing secrets being exposed.

Additionally, they’re all accompanied by an innuendo, which is relevant:

If season 3 is about the party experiencing the metaphorical horrors of puberty, then season 4 is about the mortifying exposure of being within its throes.

We know what Dustin's embarrassing secret is: His D- in Latin. We can also infer what Lucas' embarrassing secret is: probably something sexual, hence why Erica thinks it's gross.

But Mike's secret?

Well, it's not made clear. He was caught doing something perfectly innocent: reading a letter from El. What's embarrassing about that?

Nothing.

It all comes back to the homoerotic demon poster, I'm afraid, and the power fantasy that Mike has attached to it.

And Will also has a secret in his bedroom when we first see him:

The painting!

The thing is, Will brought it to the airport with the intention of giving it to Mike right away.

Eventually, he settles for giving it to Mike in the van (which had a lack of privacy), after the two had multiple scenes which utilized the interruption trope.

It’s a recurring pattern this season: Mike and Will are interrupted just like Nancy interrupts Mike, Mrs. Henderson interrupts Dustin, and Erica interrupts Dustin and Lucas.

And honestly, I think the painting reveal would have played out very differently depending on the setting, with each location offering a different level of emotional vulnerability:

At the airport: a lighthearted gift, no speech needed.

In the van: a meaningful gift with a speech—but it’s only a half-truth.

In Will's bedroom: a deeply personal gift, with a speech that finally tells the full truth—because they have privacy.

Whereas Mike's room contains a homoerotic fantasy (the poster) that he considers an embarrassing secret, Will's room contains a homoromantic fantasy (the painting) that was always intended to be shared.

But secrets can't be contained forever, especially in a narrative setting. It's tension which boils to the surface.

In Mike and Will's case, that tension has been bubbling for multiple seasons now.

Both their secrets will inevitably be revealed in season 5. The only question is whether they'll finally get a little freaking privacy when it happens.

(And if Mike is able to accept that his secret isn’t actually that embarrassing at all).

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