Why The Fascination With Vampires?

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Summerlilly

Covert Superhero
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There seems to be such a plethera of new vampire shows and movies lately. True blood, Twilight, The Vampire Diaries, the Vampires Assistant...I mean it just seems to be getting bigger and bigger. Why do you think there's such a new influx of vamp lovers....or do you think they've always been there?

Since I can remember I've always been fascinated with the idea of a vampire. Why do they seem so sexy? I mean, they suck you're blood until you are dead. Why do we paint them to be beautiful, skilled, immortal and in many cases highly intelligent? Why would we want to become something that delivers the kiss of death, literally? :: vampire
 
I was like 7 when I started watching Buffy. Back then I was so into Barbie dolls and things like that. But when I was around 12 or 13 I showed interest in them. I was looking about them on internet and in books, but Buffy is my favourite show. I hate Twillight, I don't know why but I can't stand that movie. I think people like vampires because they are not ordinary. They especially like them in the love sense. They like to see relathionship between human and vampire, because it's different. And special. They like to see that because they have this feeling, if that two worlds can find happiness then all of us can.
 
PrincessBuffy16 said:
I was like 7 when I started watching Buffy. Back then I was so into Barbie dolls and things like that. But when I was around 12 or 13 I showed interest in them. I was looking about them on internet and in books, but Buffy is my favourite show. I hate Twillight, I don't know why but I can't stand that movie. I think people like vampires because they are not ordinary. They especially like them in the love sense. They like to see relathionship between human and vampire, because it's different. And special. They like to see that because they have this feeling, if that two worlds can find happiness then all of us can.
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Hmmm...that's interesting. If the two worlds can find happiness then all of us can. But can they find happiness? I can't really think of any that truly have. Can you?
 
Ufuf.. there were moments of true happiness, and little moments are what really counts. You know I'm a dreamer and romantic so I have this little film in my head tha Buffy and Angel are somewhere happy together. There are so many slayers, Angel is human now and they live happy normal life 🙂
So yes I see moments of happiness in that show, and not only in Buffy. If there wasn't any happiness there we would never met Angelus, he came because Buffy gave him moment of true happiness. And one moment is enough.
 
I think the recent influx of vampire related media has a lot to do with Twilight. Movie and TV studios look at the money it's making and probably what to capitalize on the vampire popularity.

But that said, I think there's always been a place for vampire related stuff. They're sexy and mysterious, and a little bit tragic.
 
murmurs9685 said:
I think the recent influx of vampire related media has a lot to do with Twilight. Movie and TV studios look at the money it's making and probably what to capitalize on the vampire popularity.

But that said, I think there's always been a place for vampire related stuff. They're sexy and mysterious, and a little bit tragic.
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I don't like Twillight. I think people forgot about vampires. I mean Buffy and Angel ended and since then there was no movie or tv show about vampires. Then came Twillight, and Vampire Diaries and people remembered why they love them. I watched Twillight and I have read it, but I think Edward is lame vampire, he doesn't deserve to be called a vampire. And he is ugly. Haha 🙂
 
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Summerlilly
Sorry but you know he's not ugly... you're just rebelling.
PrincessBuffy16 said:
I don't like Twillight. I think people forgot about vampires. I mean Buffy and Angel ended and since then there was no movie or tv show about vampires. Then came Twillight, and Vampire Diaries and people remembered why they love them.
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Oh, there's always been vampires, even if they haven't always been on prime time television. It's easy, really. Spike said it:
"Blood is life, lackbrain. Why do you think we eat it? It's what keeps you going. Makes you warm. Makes you hard. Makes you other than dead. (quietly) Course it's her blood."

Ok, by now we know about synapses, about oxygen uptake, about the little electrical currents that make our muscles move, but the basics still hold true: Without blood, there is no sentient life as we know it.
 
I honestly don't know. Vampires are supposed to be demons, the "Bad Guys", and yet every movie tries to make them out like they can be good. Thats why I loved Buffy. every vampire was evil, whether it was deep down (Angel) or the defining characteristic (Spike). They were animals, not romantic icons. And when Buffy and angel came together, it was wrong. The whole show made it out to be wrong, not some romantic thing. They both knew it was wrong.
 
B
bunchofmulch111
My thoughts exactly!
Vampires are popular because they represent the dark side of human nature - things like sex and violence and hunger and...sex. 99 times out of 100 they cast a person who is sexy to play the vampire so that makes them appealing, usually they are troubled or tortured and that makes you sympathise with them. Plus, eternal youth - who doesn't envy that?
 
Vampires have always had their following, but I think the recent fascination is due to the Twilight Saga franchise. Even if you don't like Twilight, it is no doubt the reason.

Oriphiel said:
I honestly don't know. Vampires are supposed to be demons, the "Bad Guys", and yet every movie tries to make them out like they can be good. Thats why I loved Buffy. every vampire was evil, whether it was deep down (Angel) or the defining characteristic (Spike). They were animals, not romantic icons. And when Buffy and angel came together, it was wrong. The whole show made it out to be wrong, not some romantic thing. They both knew it was wrong.
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Not all of the new Vamp stuff makes the vampires out to look "good". The vampires on True Blood are freakin bad ass. You may argue that the Bill is a good vampire, but he once was evil. Same with the Vampires Diaries and if you want to go into movies, The Lost Boys. Most of the shows and movies that have vampires have a relationship between a vampire and human and they do make it clear that it is wrong. It's just Twilight that makes them look good. Even then, there are still a couple vampires in the book that are "bad" and we are made aware that the relationship is wrong and dangerous.
 
Okay, that vampire chick in the Lost Boys was good, and the older brother was too. (Can't believe I remember that movie...)
But my other explanation would be that most werewolf movies suck (Wolfen, Silver Bullet, etc.) and that Vampires just sort of filled in the media gap due to their flexibility. You can make them evil or good, immune to whatever you want, and can come up with some random lore that nobody will get too pissed off about. They're perfect for horror movies, while werewolf movies are always the same. "Who could the wolf be?" Asks the only character that was missing every full moon.
And they're totally awesome. Blade showed me that when someone who lives (pretty much) forever practices martial arts, they just can't be matched...
Either that or people got bored of making up new monsters. But hey, Supernatural's still taking the extra step in finding random and obscure monsters to freak you out with.
 
E
Emzzie
I LOVE SUPERNATURAL :)
S
Summerlilly
Yeah, no one gets bored with vampires. But why?
"I honestly don't know. Vampires are supposed to be demons, the "Bad Guys", and yet every movie tries to make them out like they can be good. Thats why I loved Buffy. every vampire was evil, whether it was deep down (Angel) or the defining characteristic (Spike). They were animals, not romantic icons. And when Buffy and angel came together, it was wrong. The whole show made it out to be wrong, not some romantic thing. They both knew it was wrong."

True. Vampires were created as a force of evil, and shows like Twilight variate from the vampire mythos dramatically. They are not really about vampires at all in any sense that those who developed and believed in vampires originally would recognize. The Buffy vampires, on the other hand, would be recognized by a Victorian or even Medieval European.
 
Hmmm... interesting. Well, I think movies like Twilight ultimately gives us what we want. Maybe sometimes we want the vampires to be good. There's an epic story in the vampire who's evil but wants to be good. The tortured soul who wants redemption. Both Angel and Spike want that. Maybe every vampire in Buffy was technically evil.... but maybe deep down we wanted them to be good inside? Specifically with Spike. Drusilla on the other hand, she was born to be evil...and is damn good at it.
 
E
Emzzie
Drusilla karma
And what do these "good vampires" sacrifice for their IMMORTALITY? Do they merely have to agree to bear an epic load of angst? Immortality should not be free. In Buffy, I believe they do a fair job of showing this.
 
S
Summerlilly
Exactly. It isn't free.
Vampires have really been romanticized in the current generations, not so much in the Buffy verse, but I think a lot of people took the idea of Angel and ran with it in a happier direction. I read all the Twilight books and was hugely disappointed in the lack of danger we ever see from the vampires. Angelus was amazing, we saw just how dark he was, and that made the storyline much more interesting. I'm actually a werewolf fan myself, but as stated, it's way to hard to make them look good, so the next thing I turn to is Vampires, but that has been getting tougher lately since none are ever dangerous anymore!
 
I think Twilight has brought vampires into the SERIOUS mainstream, targeting mainly the preteens and young adults (but somehow it seems as if even middle aged women can appreciate Meyer's work.) Vampires and vampire-eqsue "goth" style is penetrating the media so vigorously that it's ridiculous. I mean, have you all seen the teen magazines lately such as Seventeen and Teen Vogue? What about the influx of vampires for Halloween? Craziness!

So, other networks and companies are banking on this cash cow even though some new shows and novels about vampires seem to be a rip-off of Twilight. Funny. All the while, fans of Anne Rice's Interview with a Vampire (plus subsequent series, of course) and Joss Whedon's Buffy are pushed into the background, probably as old news. 🙁
 
T
TheCheese
[No message]
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Summerlilly
Yeah, it kind of pisses me off. I don't know if I want EVERYONE to love vampires!!!boo
Exactly! And it's really disappointing, because Vampires used to be B.A. and well now... they sparkle. Lol
Anyone seen previews for the new Wolfman movie? In which they keep the werewolf scary? They need to remake a Dracula film or something, and make it, well, scary. Or bring in a new dangerous vampire, dark and twisted, that would be fun 😀
 
Megalita said:
I think Twilight has brought vampires into the SERIOUS mainstream, targeting mainly the preteens and young adults (but somehow it seems as if even middle aged women can appreciate Meyer's work.) Vampires and vampire-eqsue "goth" style is penetrating the media so vigorously that it's ridiculous. I mean, have you all seen the teen magazines lately such as Seventeen and Teen Vogue? What about the influx of vampires for Halloween? Craziness!

So, other networks and companies are banking on this cash cow even though some new shows and novels about vampires seem to be a rip-off of Twilight. Funny. All the while, fans of Anne Rice's Interview with a Vampire (plus subsequent series, of course) and Joss Whedon's Buffy are pushed into the background, probably as old news. 🙁
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Agreed. Did you see the South Park episode about "Vampires" (called "The Ungroundable")?
 
M
Megalita
Nope, haven't seen it! But I will look it up, thanls.
I think something that interests people is the romantic side to being a vampire (I'm not strictly speaking of love romance when I say this).

You live forever.

Plain and simple. I think most people feel alone at times in the world, and they always wish they had more time to do things, and there's a monotunous drone that creeps into our daily lives. In literature and in myth, the vampire escapes these things. It has all the time in the world and it joins a unique group of people who all share that same fate.

Being a vampire seems like a unique way to still be human, while also seemingly being better than human. It's kind of a romantic ideal.

Obviously we see a lot of the "love" side of things lately, but I don't think many of them handle it very well or uniquely. I may get shot for saying this, but I don't think Twilight does the Vampire genre any good. I do think Buffy started the resurgence of the genre and I think it did so in an original way (which is why I love the series so much).

Speaking of original, I recommend everyone read "Let The Right One In" and then watch the movie of the same name.

The story crosses so many bounderies and really questions what love is. I don't want to spoil it for anyone but by the end of the novel, it'll have you questioning a lot more then "Could someone really love a Vampire?" That's just a surface question for that story. I really love it. I might re-read it, actually.
 
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