Visit any major bookstore in Sheboygan - or any place that sells books really - as well as any video store, clothing store or convenience store like Wal-Mart and you'll begin to see one particular trend taking over, subtly but yet noticeably enough so people flock to it. What's the trend? Vampire books.
They are everywhere! Not only are the ever-popular books crowding the young-adult fiction section in Walden - where I'd normally go for my book fix - but there's also t-shirts, soundtracks and everything in between. Let me tell you all right now, I myself have not the slightest inkling of interest in such things. On the contrary my best friend, Brittney, loves the books and all things vampires. Albeit I do have an interest in the supernatural and paranormal - which means I like to both read about the two subjects and write about them as well - I draw a thick chalk line at vampires.
So why have I resisted the paranormal phenomenon when others are clamoring over each other and renting the movie? Not only is it because of my disinterest but also because I realize what vampires truly are...and what the media has inadvertently manipulated them into being.
Sorry Krista and Eileen! I am feeding off of the conversations you too had about Krista's paper on vampires. Hope you don't mind. :). But even so, I don't need snippets of conversation to realize how romanticized vampires have become. Just take the movie Twilight for example. It's lead female character falls in love with a vampire and shows blatant signs of wanting to become one. Why? Is it the promise of eternal love? Is it that's she irrevocably attached to him and can't extract herself from the relationship? Is his hold on her that strong? The questions don't end there.
How did vampires become such a romanticized and yearned for figure in America today? Obviously the main culprit is the media. Just look what it's done to well-intentioned stars like Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift. Both are practically worshiped and followed by throngs of 'tween' girls picking up their every word. It's scary if you ask me. How two singular people can rise to fame so quickly, swallowed up by America's youth like quicksand pulling you to a different dimension. And the sad thing is, when you boil down to the grime in the bottom of the pot, neither Miley Cyrus nor Taylor Swift are very exceptional at singing. It's simply their mass-media appeal and overrated demeanor that's preceded them and whetted a false appetite for their glory. But this blog post isn't about the horrors of Disney singers, it's about vampires. Back on topic! :)
A couple of weeks ago my Mom and I were flipping through the channels and stumbled upon one of those annoyingly chipper morning shows. Usually I don't watch but a particular show was interviewing a mother-daughter writing team that just started a vampire series called House Of Night. Predictably the series involved deep romantic underpinnings. The mother explained that the series' main character was modeled after her daughter, so she could relate to her. Is this perhaps another tactic by writers of such books? A way to make vampires relatable to fans? A way to find common ground?
While scouring iTunes for songs to download onto my iPod I stumbled upon an advertisement for the HBO series True Blood. I'll admit the picture of a woman licking her lips layered in thick, crimson blood was enough to suggest what I already suspected. Yep, vampires again. The show was about vampires and humans openly co-existing in a community. This again refers back to the above paragraph about writer's efforts to relate vampires to humans, to find that common thread that obviously was woven together only by the media itself.
With all of this said, I'll no doubt continue to read about, listen to, stumble upon and run into many a vampire book and other memorabilia. But the thing that frustrates me the most is the overtaking of the young adult fiction section in my favorite bookstore, Walden. At the beginning of last year the Twilight series and The House Of Night series have been swallowing up other genres of books, leaving me little to pick through whenever I pay a visit. Like I've said before, I in no way am a fan of vampire books and therefore ask why I must be forced to compensate for those that are by having my favorite authors snuffed out. I am now turning to the mystery section where some of my other favorite authors are still holding their own against this onslaught. I hope they will continue to.
Whether you are a fan of vampire books or not, I would, as always, enjoy feedback. I hope what I said was neither judgemental, vehement or hastily written but a viable, well thought out argument against what frustrates me about today's bookstores and the media in general.
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I understand your frustration, I felt the same when Anne Rice's Vampire series were first published. I finally gave in and read some for a research project and found them historically inaccurate, but an entertaining read. As you've heard thru my conversations, many believe the fascination with vampires really began to take over pop culture after Dracula was released in the 1950's - When Bram Stoker wrote that, he wasn't intending for the tall, dark, and handsome Bella Lugosi to be his creature of darkness, but that's what they got and turned something terrifying into something sexy. I gave in and watched the Twilight movie (since my mother rented it, honest!) and must admit it was entertaining, but again historically inaccurate. I enjoy the history of it, not the creepy sex appeal... thanks for your thoughts!
ReplyDeleteEven though I am a fan of vampires, I completely understand your frustration. You nailed my annoyance for the "Twilight" series and how the media have just twisted the whole concept of the mysterious undead.
ReplyDeleteI am yet to find a good piece of work that isn't all "vampires are safe" and "vampires and humans always live happily ever after in love". "Twilight" has it, "True Blood" has it, "Dracula" does NOT, "Vampire Academy" does, but I tolerate it ok.
I wouldn't mind if a vampire can be appealingly sexy, but the danger has to be present. If the media world keeps up this trend of "vampires never harm you", I might as well read "Dracula" myself to know what the real vampire truly is.