Rough Draft of Project 1:
Addiction of the “Eternal Kiss” 2.0
What is my connection to the topic?
Ever since 9th grade, I’ve been on the right side of obsessed with vampires, having started with the infamous tales of Anne Rice. But unlike the thousands (literally) of vampire fans that popped up like frickin’ dandelions over night thanks to Twilight, I let my interest simmer on the back burner, always there when I want another taste instead of indulging constantly. But I think that’s the thing that has surprised me the most. For years there have been vampire stories, starting with Polidori’s The Vampyre, to Bram Stoker’s more popular Dracula, all the way to Stephen King, H.P. Lovecraft, Anne Rice, L.J. Smith and so on. So if these have been available, why the hell has there been such an increase of interest in vampires in just this past year? Is it really just the popularity of Twilight (and, now as my friend mentions it, True Blood) spreading to all the little preteen girls? Or is Twilight really just a front, a façade, for society’s pleasure in all the things that vampires signify finally coming out into the open? As much as I dislike it when good, pure things are torn apart by so many fans that it makes me sick, it really makes me wonder. Why vampires? (Which is so totally weird!) Why not crime dramas, or baseball, or anything else? Then it also makes me wonder just why I like vampires? Could the reason be the same?
So why do I like vampires?
I’ve never really tried to sit down and think about the exact reason I love vampires. Maybe it would be easier to say there isn’t really anything I dislike about them. Either way, I’ll try to give it a shot. Vampires can be divided into three sub-categories that people like. Physical, emotional/mental, and additional power-ups that come with the change. Unbelievable strength (without all those gross ripped muscles!), lightning-fast reflexes, lack of a satiable appetite (save blood), and a slim physique that makes anyone look great. Plus it is said that vampires body’s change (for the better) to make finding and seducing victims easier. So hey, you turn gorgeous. There’s a plus.
Okay, then there’s the mental aspects. They have increased intelligence and rapid-thought process. Metaphysical prowess increases as well, allowing for abilities like mind control and control over the elements, going so far as to be able to manifest things. How is that not cool? And then there is part that, if you believe the age-old rumor, with the loss of the soul, vampires also lose their emotions. Frankly, I don’t believe this. Rather, I think the more animalistic urges (such as lust and hunger) and emotions (rage and greed) are let out into the open. Things like the urge to satisfy hunger (blood) and find pleasure are now more important than feelings such as guilt and fear. This is part of what truly separates them from mortals.
Literally, what do vampires signify?
Well, let’s just go with the obvious, stereotypical reasons for this part. Vampires are dark creatures, unable to feel much aside from pleasure and hunger, who feed on blood to sustain themselves. They signify an immortal being with unbelievable strength and power that few other creatures would willingly cross.
Okay, metaphorically, what do they signify?
Power. They signify everything we want, but cannot (or at least, might not be able to) achieve. Look at the high and dry: very few weaknesses (just because people know of them, it somehow makes them sound vulnerable? How does this work?), immortality can be tied to a lack of weaknesses, incomprehensible strength, increased intelligence, lacking a need for any kind of food, save blood. Sure, separately some of these things are achievable, but together you get something utterly supernatural. So therefore what they really signify is the unattainable. Absolute power.
So why are vampires such “hot stuff” now?
I have no freaking clue. But I think the clue is in Twilight. I mean, it’s Twilight that you see advertisements for all the time now. I feel enough like a scene-kid walking into the local Hot Topic, but it gets worse when I turn a corner in the store and see Edward Cullen staring at me from mass amounts of paraphernalia. Having read it, but not being a big fan, I think I can offer some insight. Twilight is mostly directed towards the young teenage section, the group of people so full of hope when it comes to love. So, I think Stephenie Meyer aimed to make her stories and vampires signify everything that a teenage (girl) person might want. A perfect fairy tale even with some action and villains so it’s not just pure fluff. Except it seems totally impossible and improbable, not even taking account the vampires and werewolves. The main character survives so many near-death experiences that it is almost statistically impossible. But why are these vamps so damn interesting? Is it because they are beautiful? (Probably.) Or that they have the ability to kill you instantly but the restraint to keep their touch gentle? (Everyone likes a thrill.) Or is it because we, as humans, have what they crave the most and therefore, we are their unattainable desire. We can produce everything we need to live; we don’t even need to kill. Vampires desire their lost humanity and need to at least attack someone/thing to get a meal. That is, unless blood banks are giving out free samples now. So by being what they want, does that in turn make us mortals the dominate ones?
Who is dominating whom in the relationship?
Looking back on a point made earlier, this topic is truly questionable. The argument can be made both ways. Vampires are dominant because they have more strength, better reflexes, etc. They’re more intelligent and don’t have the same restraints with their emotions as mortals do. They’re also immune to disease and death by old age (they may age, but that won’t be why they die). They also have very few weaknesses compared to mortals; wooden (ash) stakes through the heart, beheading, burning, silver, holy water/land (anything purified), and sunlight are pretty much it. Mortals? Hell, anything will kill us. But they’re entirely dependent on a continuous source of blood, and since we haven’t been able to create artificial blood yet, vampires can either choose between animals or people. But look at people; we can survive easily from either a strict vegetarian diet, carnivorous, or a mix. We don’t actually need to kill anything (save a few plants) to survive, and plants grow a lot faster than people or animals do. So because we as mortals can survive easier does that make us supreme? We can live without vampires and nothing will change. But vampires can’t leave easily or happily without people. Therefore, with this mindset, one can easily deduct that humans are the dominant ones in the relationship. Right?
Was Twilight really just the catalyst that started this huge craze?
Yes. Probably. I mean, sure there have been tons of vampire stories for years. Look at Bram Stoker, Stephen King, H.P. Lovecraft, Anne Rice, L.J. Smith, etc. But hell. Twilight hits stores and within a year of the last book coming out the movie does too! It’s taken years for Vampire Diaries to even become a tv show! But I suppose the times, they are a-changing. People can be more open about their eccentric likes. So now you have things like Twilight, True Blood, and Blood Ties. People aren’t afraid to say, “Yeah, I have a strange desire to be a gorgeous, blood-sucking creature that rules the night.” Okay, I might be able to believe that. Except it all just seems to be a fad. Just another thing to get into because it’s popular. Which makes me lose a lot of respect for any new vampire story/plotline.
All fads have their draws, that’s why they become so popular so fast; What are the draws of the vampire fad? (What do vampire signify for a teenager?)
Okay, so not to be an ageist or anything, but fads are most popular within the teen-age-group. It’s the time when everyone is trying to define themselves and are thus drawn to do what “everyone else is doing.” And then a fad is born. So what is it that vampires represent that makes the teenage girls (as I have yet to see a boy scream, “Oh my god, Edward Cullen!”) all go weak in the knees?
Let’s start off easy; Thrill – the High. Adrenaline. Call it whatever you want. When put into a situation that invokes fear, adrenaline (i.e. epinephrine) is produced to stimulate the ‘fight or flight’ response. The body increases the blood sugar amount, giving a boost of energy, and heart rate increases, while BP also rises, all of this resulting in shallow, rapid breathing, extreme light-headedness (almost an out-of-body experience type of deal), dizziness, and loss of a sense of time. What’s another name for this? Tripping. Now, this alone doesn’t seem all that tempting. It’s what comes with adrenaline; endorphins. The real high. The “nice” drugs. Endorphins give a release from pain and make us feel oh-so-good. Add epinephrine to endorphins and you have one big trip, worthy of any junkie. People might say they’ll never do drugs and will never understand the high, but it’s simple, and no one is immune. That one pure moment when nothing else matters but the rapid beating of your heart and chemicals running through your veins. ("We are drawn to that which we fear, and we love vampires for the same reason we love roller coasters and scary movies," Detore-Nakamura says. "And while a vampire has the power to kill, a crude wooden stake or a sunrise can dust him, too.")
Next; Thrill – The Risk. Being in a relationship with a vampire is like constantly jumping in front of a speeding car. You never know if it will swerve out of the way, risking itself, to save you, or not stop and leave you bleeding and broken on the ground. But you give the car (or in this case, the vampire) enough blind trust that it will not kill you. I can tie this into the whole adrenaline junkie effect I explained above too. But there is another part. Risk also gives off the same adrenaline that fear does. Do I trust him enough to know when to stop? Will he bleed me dry? It’s a 50-50 chance… How much do I mean to him? All are very reasonable questions (when in a relationship with a vamp). Trust is extreme in any relationship, and with vampires, who have the ability to lose control so quickly, it is even more important. And with vampires, trust becomes more of a physical thing. Does (s)he love you enough to stop at just the right time to prolong your wondrous life with them? Or will this be the last time? You never know where you stand exactly with a vampire and that’s where the thrill comes into play again. And a second part of the trust; if (s)he really is going to kill you, will he love (or respect?) you enough to do it sweetly, holding you close or will (s)he blindly rip your throat out and leave you seizing on the floor as your heart continues to pump blood out of the huge hole in your neck? (“It's exciting because you just never know when a vampire is going to lose control and have to bite you.” –Detore-Nakamura)
Now; Hope. There is one thing that every teenager (secretly) hopes for. Undying love and acceptance. Well, in a relationship with a vampire, you have the undying part right away. If you’re lucky enough to snag one of them, and they happen to like you as much as you like them, then you shouldn’t have to worry about them ever leaving you. Even if you should grow old and wither someday, they won’t leave your side. Or maybe they will take your existence to the next notch, and truly be with you forever. And then there is the ideology that because they are so different from society that they will accept any and all of your “strange” faults. It’s the sort of blind hope that one truly embraces when they are young. Even if the relationship is full of flaws, you still believe in the dream that everything is wonderful and right in the world and nothing bad will ever happen when you’re with this person. ("We find them attractive because they live forever, and it's not their fault that they are not monogamous," she says. "After all, their wives and girlfriends keep dying off." -Kristin Romney)
Next- Status symbol. Much like a Gucci bag, or Prada shoes, liking vampires is now officially “cool.” Being able to keep up a conversation about Twilight is now a top-notch priority for everyone from the Goths to the preps. If you don’t like Twilight then you are now the outcast. Kids who favor the good old works like Anne Rice, are still the freaks, because there is no way Lestat de Lioncourt could ever be as sexy and amazing as Edward Cullen. Sure Underworld was (and still is) totally badass when it came out in theaters but you still don’t see paraphernalia of it plastered on the walls. Girls have even gone to say that Twilight is the new ‘dating guide’ and that it was the prime example of what all boyfriends should be like. (But is this really true? Edward is possessive, emotionally abusive and controlling. Doesn’t sound like a great boyfriend…) So I suppose nothing has really changed. The current fad is different, sure, but ideologies are still the same. You’re cool if you’re with it, lame if you’re not. The people who liked it at first no longer do, while the ones who do, tear it apart until nothing about it is good.
Finally – Vampires signify everything a teenager wants. They’re gorgeous, whether they’re female or male. Bodies to kill (or die) for. They have the power to protect or kill you and the choice to do either. They have immense knowledge, and can help with almost any problem you could have. They’re rich, even if they don’t flaunt it; you know you’d easily be taken care of. They have the security of knowing they won’t just suddenly die one day too. Plus, dating the hottest guy or girl in school instantly makes you popular. You’re the queen or king of your high school kingdom. And that covers status, wealth, and power, the top three desires most people (secretly) want. Vampires are the key to unlocking this wonderful life.
I could probably and easily write another paper on how Twilight has affected society but I will leave that for another paper.
All quotes in parentheses are from this site; http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/2008/11/21/2008-11-21_on_the_eve_of_twilight_why_women_find_va.html
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