Vampires are supposed to be scary!
May. 9th, 2009 07:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jadedmusingsMaybe I'm a complete and total freak or nerd, but I'm getting sick and tired of cuddly vampires. I won't go so far as to say they're all inherently evil as they are in Buffy canon (unless they get their soul back from a gypsy, or have a beahvior modification chip put in their brain), but they are not the nice Prince Charmings I've been reading in some books as of late.
Vampires are supposed to be scary. They're supposed to make you want to hide under the covers with a crucifix, holy water, and more garlic than all of the Olive Gardens in existence. They weren't always sexy. Ever see Nosferatu? Before Bram Stoker came along with Dracula, vampires were hideous creatures. They were terrifying because even though they were beaten with an ugly stick, thrown from the ugly tree, and hit every branch on their way down, they could hypnotise/mesmerize you and you couldn't escape their control. Heck, you might not even know you were under a vampire's thrall and that he was feeding on you until it was too late. Even Draculawith all his Gary Oldman hotness, had terrifying powers and could ensnare minds to do his bidding. In short, they weren't the sort of men or women you wanted to date, unless you perfer your dates to end with a restraining order. *cough* Stephenie Meyer, I'm looking at you. *cough*
They don't help little old ladies cross the street, they don't give lollipops to orphans, and they sure as hell don't ride in on white stallions to save you from evil step-mothers. They are creatures of the night because back in the day they didn't have flourescent lighting, and you just didn't know what the heck was lurking in the darkness. Plus, there are actual rare medical conditions that cause people to be "allergic" to the sunlight, and some have theorized this is where some vampire lore started. So, no, they don't freaking ~*sparkle*~ when exposed to daylight, they combust.
Look, I get the appeal of vampires. Since Stoker, they've been portrayed as handsome, beautiful, and downright sexy. Often, they are considered evil because coming back from the dead* is viewed as a Bad Thing in almost every culture on Earth, but I think that, like regular old humans, they can come in different flavors (pun totally intended). I do think that they are all touched by darkness, they did die, after all. I also believe their need for blood can sometimes overwhelm them to the point that they can't control themselves. While they may not be one-hundred percent evil, they are dangerous, and for some people, danger is an aphrodisiac as powerful as any chocolate covered strawberry. Their abilities to read thoughts and mesmerize by merely making eye contact add to the danger, and only strengthen the aphrodisiac.
I'd go so far as to say vampire seduction, when they use their mighty Mind Powahz, is a kind of rape. The ability to consent is taken away, and you lose control. It's ultimately a satisfying experience for the victim, and the drinking of blood has become a metaphor for sex in some ways (think of the fangs as a substitute phallus that "pierces" the skin much like a penis thrusts), but the woman (and sometimes man) never completely agrees to the act. That's a scary thought, but to look at it from another angle, it's a bit kinky, and some of us enjoy that (again, me included). For other women, who feel that sexual exploration is dirty and makes them "bad," not having a choice to consent in a situation that ultimately turns out to be good, might also relieve them of the guilt of enjoying reading a sexual encounter between a vampire and a woman/man (and yes, I did get that idea from Beyond Heaving Bosoms, though they used it to explain rape in the Old Skool Romances). They are granted permission to enjoy the event because, again, it's beyond their control.
Regardless, vampires aren't nice, misunderstood creatures in need of True Love. So far, Keri Arthur has been one author I've seen who does manage to make her vampires both sexy and appealing while making it evident that they're still dangerous. (I also like the fact that her vampires aren't emokids who spend half the book brooding. They're moody, yes, but they have senses of humor, they have flaws, and they are well aware of the danger they represent, something they use to their advantage.) If you take away the danger, they cease to be frightening, and they aren't much different to me than any other human. Why should I be scared of a vampire who doesn't do any of the things/have any of the aforementiond abilities that have made them so terrifying throughout history?
To sum up: Please stop neutering vampires. It makes me sad. :(
* = Vampires are undead in my book. They were once human, but now they are "other." Any human can become a vampire, but they must be "turned," and it's not always a consensual thing. I'm not going to get into the reproduction debate beyond saying I think it's kind of hard to explain how an undead creature makes sperm.
Vampires are supposed to be scary. They're supposed to make you want to hide under the covers with a crucifix, holy water, and more garlic than all of the Olive Gardens in existence. They weren't always sexy. Ever see Nosferatu? Before Bram Stoker came along with Dracula, vampires were hideous creatures. They were terrifying because even though they were beaten with an ugly stick, thrown from the ugly tree, and hit every branch on their way down, they could hypnotise/mesmerize you and you couldn't escape their control. Heck, you might not even know you were under a vampire's thrall and that he was feeding on you until it was too late. Even Dracula
They don't help little old ladies cross the street, they don't give lollipops to orphans, and they sure as hell don't ride in on white stallions to save you from evil step-mothers. They are creatures of the night because back in the day they didn't have flourescent lighting, and you just didn't know what the heck was lurking in the darkness. Plus, there are actual rare medical conditions that cause people to be "allergic" to the sunlight, and some have theorized this is where some vampire lore started. So, no, they don't freaking ~*sparkle*~ when exposed to daylight, they combust.
Look, I get the appeal of vampires. Since Stoker, they've been portrayed as handsome, beautiful, and downright sexy. Often, they are considered evil because coming back from the dead* is viewed as a Bad Thing in almost every culture on Earth, but I think that, like regular old humans, they can come in different flavors (pun totally intended). I do think that they are all touched by darkness, they did die, after all. I also believe their need for blood can sometimes overwhelm them to the point that they can't control themselves. While they may not be one-hundred percent evil, they are dangerous, and for some people, danger is an aphrodisiac as powerful as any chocolate covered strawberry. Their abilities to read thoughts and mesmerize by merely making eye contact add to the danger, and only strengthen the aphrodisiac.
I'd go so far as to say vampire seduction, when they use their mighty Mind Powahz, is a kind of rape. The ability to consent is taken away, and you lose control. It's ultimately a satisfying experience for the victim, and the drinking of blood has become a metaphor for sex in some ways (think of the fangs as a substitute phallus that "pierces" the skin much like a penis thrusts), but the woman (and sometimes man) never completely agrees to the act. That's a scary thought, but to look at it from another angle, it's a bit kinky, and some of us enjoy that (again, me included). For other women, who feel that sexual exploration is dirty and makes them "bad," not having a choice to consent in a situation that ultimately turns out to be good, might also relieve them of the guilt of enjoying reading a sexual encounter between a vampire and a woman/man (and yes, I did get that idea from Beyond Heaving Bosoms, though they used it to explain rape in the Old Skool Romances). They are granted permission to enjoy the event because, again, it's beyond their control.
Regardless, vampires aren't nice, misunderstood creatures in need of True Love. So far, Keri Arthur has been one author I've seen who does manage to make her vampires both sexy and appealing while making it evident that they're still dangerous. (I also like the fact that her vampires aren't emokids who spend half the book brooding. They're moody, yes, but they have senses of humor, they have flaws, and they are well aware of the danger they represent, something they use to their advantage.) If you take away the danger, they cease to be frightening, and they aren't much different to me than any other human. Why should I be scared of a vampire who doesn't do any of the things/have any of the aforementiond abilities that have made them so terrifying throughout history?
To sum up: Please stop neutering vampires. It makes me sad. :(
* = Vampires are undead in my book. They were once human, but now they are "other." Any human can become a vampire, but they must be "turned," and it's not always a consensual thing. I'm not going to get into the reproduction debate beyond saying I think it's kind of hard to explain how an undead creature makes sperm.
no subject
Date: 2009-05-10 09:34 am (UTC)