In the cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the enigmatic Dr. Frank N Furter arrives on Earth with a self-proclaimed mission. But what exactly was this mission, and did it align with his outlandish behavior and shocking creations? A closer examination of the film, particularly through the perspectives of other characters, reveals a purpose far more calculated than mere hedonistic pleasure or the creation of a muscle-bound plaything.
Character Perspectives on Frank’s Ambitions
Several characters in The Rocky Horror Picture Show offer insights into the true nature of Frank N Furter’s mission, often contradicting his flamboyant pronouncements. Dr. Scott, a supposed expert in “audio-vibratory, physiomolecular transport,” immediately senses a sinister undertone to Frank’s activities. Upon witnessing the Sonic Transducer in action, immobilizing Brad, Janet, and himself, Scott voices his suspicion:
DR. SCOTT: You won’t find earth people quite the easy mark you imagine. This sonic transducer – it is, I suppose, some kind of audio-vibratory, physiomolecular transport device….
Dr. Scott character in Rocky Horror Picture Show theorizing about the Sonic Transducer
Scott’s expertise allows him to recognize the transducer’s potential for interstellar and even temporal transportation, technology his own people are developing. He implies Frank is not merely experimenting, but perfecting a technology with a specific, and likely exploitative, purpose concerning Earthlings.
Eddie, Frank’s rebellious creation, also hints at a darker mission. During the dinner scene, as Dr. Scott sings Eddie’s Teddy, he reveals Eddie’s desperate warning:
I’m out of my hed. O hurry or I may be dead! They mustn’t carry out their evil deeds!
Eddie’s “evil deeds” warning, delivered from within Frank’s inner circle, carries significant weight. Having experienced Frank’s machinations firsthand, Eddie’s fear suggests a mission far more sinister than simple Transylvanian revelry.
Debunking Misconceptions: What Frank’s Mission Was NOT
Frank N Furter’s flamboyant lifestyle and the creation of Rocky often overshadow the potential for a more strategic objective. However, examining these aspects reveals they are diversions, not the core mission itself.
Not a Hedonistic Lifestyle Experiment
While Frank’s “lifestyle’s too extreme” is cited as a reason for mission failure by Riff Raff, equating hedonism with the mission is a misinterpretation. Frank’s over-the-top behavior is his defining characteristic, but it’s presented as a flaw, a distraction from a more focused goal. If hedonism were the mission, it would be undeniably successful, yet it’s declared a failure. The “extreme lifestyle” is the reason for failure, not the mission itself.
Not Simply Creating Rocky
The creation of Rocky, Frank’s muscle-bound Adonis, is also frequently misinterpreted as the mission’s objective. Frank boasts about “success” upon Rocky’s creation, but his subsequent actions and dialogue reveal Rocky’s true purpose: a mere plaything.
FRANK: I didn’t make him for you! He carries the Charles Atlas seal of approval!
Frank’s dismissive remark to Janet and his later justification for creating Rocky after killing Eddie – “He had a certain naive charm, but no muscle” – clearly indicate Rocky’s role as a sexual object, a replacement for the inadequate Eddie.
Furthermore, Riff-Raff refers to Rocky as “your new playmate,” solidifying Rocky’s status as a temporary diversion, not a mission objective worthy of interplanetary travel and scientific endeavor. Riff-Raff’s immediate hostility towards Rocky upon “birth” reinforces this idea.
Unveiling the Real Mission: The Sonic Transducer and Earthling Domination
Dr. Scott’s initial assessment regarding the Sonic Transducer being central to Frank’s mission likely holds the key to the truth. While Scott incorrectly assumes its purpose is merely advanced transportation, the transducer’s selective effect points to a more insidious goal.
The Sonic Transducer uniquely affects Earthlings – Brad, Janet, Scott, Rocky, and Columbia – while leaving Frank, Riff-Raff, and Magenta untouched. This selectivity strongly suggests the device is specifically engineered to target and manipulate humans.
Considering Transylvanian technology already includes the Transit Beam for space travel, the Sonic Transducer is unlikely a redundant transportation device. Instead, its purpose aligns with its observed effect: bending humans to the will of Transylvanian Transsexuals.
The true mission of Dr. Frank N Furter, therefore, was likely to test and perfect the Sonic Transducer as a tool for controlling Earthlings. His arrival on Earth was not for pleasure or creation alone, but for a calculated experiment in domination, using the Sonic Transducer to potentially subjugate humanity. His hedonistic excesses and creation of Rocky were merely distractions and personal indulgences that ultimately led to the mission’s exposure and his own downfall.
