Why vampires?

[Jang]

Lately I have been wondering, why is it, that humans are so "fond" of vampires? Why is it that this particular curse is so compelling to us?
I have thought that there might something in human nature that is reflected in vampires, but I can't see exactly what. I would imagine that human?s inner desire for immortality, and the fact that we feed of each other in real life might have something to do with it, but I am not sure.

What are your thoughts? There must be something more to it than "Dracula was a best seller".

 

[bodyklok]

why is it, that humans are so "fond" of vampires? Why is it that this particular curse is so compelling to us?

Probably something to do with sex. And boobs, well I suppose those two are pretty much the same.

 

[Limasol]

Yeah, I'm thinking of Mad world for the latest digital example.

"And she has a fantastic rack"

 

[Lord George]

I blame the 80's and the whole Aid's scare, so society projects its fears in the forms of vampires, as vampirs = blood disease = Evil. So we end up with loads of the damn things everywhere.

 

[Avatar Roku]

Well, Vampires are mysterious, immortal figures. It makes sense that we'd be drawn to that.

 

[Branovices]

I'm not really sure why vampires have such a draw in popular culture. I have a rather deep interest in folklore and have more than a few shelves dedicated to the subject... vampire books are especially easy to find.

The modern conception of sexual vampires started with a short story written by Lord Byron (the same night Mary Shelly came up with Frankenstein's monster.) Before that vampires were horrible ghouls that no one would idealize.

I think the sexual aspect is somewhat overplayed, especially today when sexual repression is not really a problem. I think today... well, it's not hard to see why people would be drawn to being young and beautiful forever. Look how much people spend on cosmetic products every year, terrified of growing older.

 

[Anachronism]

They're mysterious, attractive (apparently) and very, very powerful.

I mean, nobody wants to be any of those things, do they?

 

[Low Frost]

I don't know. Maybe you want to find out why every culture known to man has all had vampire, dragon, and great flood myths.

 

[Aramax]

Because all women can easily be tickled if you kiss them on the side of the neck from behind.

That's why vampires are so popular.

 

[randommaster]

Who wouldn't want to control a legion of attractive people?

You never see vampires messing around with fat people and whatnot, because it's no fun to write about for most people, so by default you have what is essentially someone with a harem, which most wouldn't object to.

 

[The Young One]

There's something about the way they are marketed I think, in order to make them seem sexier than humans, enigmatic and mysterious, more powerful and controlling than anything us mere humans could wish for. I think tv shows like Buffy, Demons and the many adaptations of Dracula have certainly had a hand in making vampires a lot more appealing than they really are.
I personally watched Demons and thought having Mina as this mysterious Vampire worked pretty well. I also liked how they wrote Quincey into another episode, for anyone who saw it

 

[Low Frost]

They're mysterious, attractive (apparently) and very, very powerful.

I mean, nobody wants to be any of those things, do they?

Depends on WHAT vampire myth you subscribe to.
Vampire myth was something else before Ann Rice and Twilight. They were sometimes ugly, sometimes beautiful, some didn't live forever, others didn't dissolve in sunlight, etc
Vampire myth is as mutable and varied as the imagination.

 

[Lord Beautiful]

It's because vampires kick ass. Take these two, for example.

Spoiler

Alucard, coming from the dead to wear your colon as a slipper.

Spoiler

A dhampir, yes, but a vampire to some extent nonetheless.

 

[Logan Westbrook]

The modern conception of sexual vampires started with a short story written by Lord Byron (the same night Mary Shelly came up with Frankenstein's monster.) Before that vampires were horrible ghouls that no one would idealize.

Actually, it was John Polidori, inspired by a story fragment from Byron who kick started the whole thing.

Vampires, in the gothic romance sense, are essentially a metaphor for sex and sexuality. Various aspects of vampires have been explored, deconstructed or subverted, but that central tenet largely remains intact.

 

[Anachronism]

Vampire myth was something else before Ann Rice and Twilight.

I've never read Twilight and intend to keep it that way. I have, however, read Dracula. In that, Harker writes in his diary that he wanted one of the "Brides of Dracula" to kiss him. Dracula himself is very much an enigma, and is clearly very strong, agile and intelligent.

While I agree that vampire mythology can be pretty much what you want it to be, from the aristocratic Count Dracula to the near-zombies of I Am Legend, I was mainly trying to refer to the Dracula vampire archetype.

 

[Low Frost]

Vampire myth was something else before Ann Rice and Twilight.

I've never read Twilight and intend to keep it that way. I have, however, read Dracula. In that, Harker writes in his diary that he wanted one of the "Brides of Dracula" to kiss him. Dracula himself is very much an enigma, and is clearly very strong, agile and intelligent.

While I agree that vampire mythology can be pretty much what you want it to be, from the aristocratic Count Dracula to the near-zombies of I Am Legend, I was mainly trying to refer to the Dracula vampire archetype.

Elizabeathan-era Europe went along way towars sexualizing and romanticising vampires.
Tho the Greeks had similar tales, methinks. It's been a long while since I've dregged up that knowledge.

 

[GoldenRaz]

Apparently, vampyrism has some sexual undertones and as everybody knows, sex sells...

 

[Aqualung]

I don't know, I prefer werewolves myself. Maybe because they're so.. perfect, in a demented way? Like Tim Burton's work.

 

[Ignignoct]

Vampires symbolize power, immortality, grace, nobility, intelligence and yet also the undead. Zombies are mindless, and Werewolves berserk. One could be a Vampire and still retain many human traits, while being exponentially more powerful.

That, and a vampire's feeding is a blatant metaphor for sex. Hot, immortal-on-mortal sex.

Edit: The only proper type of vampire, is that Stoker's or Symphony of the Night.

Spoiler: Example...

 

[smithy1234]

People only like the hot teen heart throb angsty vampires and not the Nosferatu creepy ones.