Shaye Saint John: Hello Again!

Shaye Saint John is one of those people (yes, I will be referring to her as a person) whose inspiration touches nearly everything I do. Shaye is a reminder that anything and everything can be pushed further. She is also proof that internet fame is only a mannequin and thrift store away.

Shaye Saint John is a physically and mentally crippled actress and model. She was allegedly in a car accident that disfigured her, prompting her to reconstruct her body with old mannequin parts. She began to gain momentum online in about 2005 via YouTube, MySpace and her personal website. Shaye amused, shocked and terrified viewers with disjointed, low-fi home videos and images of her unusual lifestyle. From haunted yard sales to illness due to expired diet drops, every frame of Shaye's life was wracked with insanity. There are no normal characters to serve as an anchor to reality, either. Shaye's only companions are soiled, defaced baby dolls. The videos are so clean that they could be played for children; just make sure they aren't children that you have to put in bed.

The videos were made even more bizarre by tacky, cheap editing. Badly rendered 3D images paired with poor quality video created a feeling that the footage was much older. Something that had been forgotten and locked away for years. As cliche as it sounds, these videos were far before their time; they pre-date the Tumblr/Tim and Eric aesthetic that has become so common as of late.
Shaye's popularity grew, and her world became a culture. Fans began to recognize and use her catchphrases, as well as accept the unique fixtures of her universe as normal. She even released a DVD, 'The Triggers Compilation,' which I have seen and personally recommend.

Shaye's persona spread to every corner of social networking. She eventually established a sort of brand, although it isn't clear whether this was intended or not. Mutilated dolls, overly-retouched faces, retro computer imagery; it all became synonymous with Shaye Saint John.

I would love nothing more than to completely demystify Shaye and reveal the man behind the curtain. Sadly, the man behind the curtain is dead. Eric Fournier, the creator (and perhaps portrayer) of Shaye Saint John passed away in 2010. To everyone's surprise, Fournier's drug of choice was alcohol, and he ultimately died of gastrointestinal bleeding. Not only has Shaye's legacy not ended, but it has become even more bizarre. After Fournier's death, friends and colleagues continue to protect the mystique and mystery surrounding Shaye Saint John. In the short biographical film 'Trigger Happy,' personal friend Carl Crew claims that Shaye was real. She was allegedly hit by a train, taken to a military hospital and submitted to CIA mind control experiments for months.

"There was some incident that happened that was so scary, that Eric decided not to work with her anymore. There was somebody in the CIA that arrived and helped her away from the negative elements within the CIA that wanted to nail her. They offered her the ability to escape. They offered Eric some help in exchange for arranging for the concept that he was going to be Shaye. That all evidence would point to him having played Shaye, so Shaye could disappear into the witness protection program." - Carl Crew, 'Trigger Happy'

In a way, I am glad that the backstory on Shaye is so convoluted and hard to follow. I am glad that Fournier's friends are telling (what I believe to be) lies. As the saying goes, you can dissect a frog to see how it works, but the frog will die. I have to wonder if a video of Fournier explaining his art and showing how it all works would kill the magic. Maybe it is better for everyone if we allow ourselves to wonder how much of Shaye is comedy schtick, and how much is a manifestation of Fournier's tortured soul. Or maybe, just maybe, Shaye Saint John is living a quiet life in Bulgaria, working at a call center. "Hello again!"

Shaye's personal website lives on at shayesaintjohn.net. Be warned, it is a very noisy website, so mind your volume.