Media has started to romanticize vampires, saying that their immortality is like a permanent commitment to the human they’re romantically linked to. They will always be there for you. Never mind that they drink blood and have fangs, at least they have magically good looks for life. The risk of danger and the mysterious appeal of the vampire also play a big part in a young girl’s fascination. Like in Twilight, Bella is drawn to Edward even though he seems very dangerous and basically admits to her that he is.
Stemming off the over-sexualized view of vampires comes the CW’s Vampire Diaries. It involves two vampire brothers both competing for the same human girl, who is in love with them both. When it aired in 2009, Vampire Diaries is rumored to have attracted the largest audience the CW has seen since its beginnings in 2006. Is it because the show was about vampires? Probably.
Maybe not as big as the vampire craze, but definitely worth the mention, is an obsession with zombies. The 2009 hit Zombieland was a comedic approach to an otherwise frightening subject. Zombies are typically scary creatures that bring fear and an end to the human race, but in Zombieland, 4 people team together to fight off the zombies and save everyone. And they're hilarious while doing so.
When our parents were growing up, one went to a vampire or zombie flick to be scared out of their wits. Dracula definitely wasn’t meant to make a girl swoon. Nowadays, it’s just the opposite. These movies, books, and shows are no longer meant to scare the viewer, but for them to see these “monsters” in a more human light. Girls are almost encouraged to want the impossible: a charmingly undead man that will be devoted to them forever and never lose his attractiveness. Young boys are now held to unobtainable standards and will never be an "Edward." This is unfair to both parties since, in reality, vampires don't exist. These story lines are only meant to entertain and by throwing in a unique character, like a zombie or vampire, the media almost automatically becomes more interesting.
But whether you like Twilight and all the vampire-inspired media or not, you must admit this craze has captured the hearts of young girls and intrigued many more.
So, the real question is: are you team Edward or team Jacob?
The first thing that caught my eye in this post is that the Twilight characters have been made into Barbie dolls. I agree with the authors that movies such as this give men a hard entity to imitate, because they create an idea of the perfect mate. Granted, people know that these stories are fairy tales, but I do believe that it feeds the idea that every woman needs to find the perfect man (which honestly does not exist). So I found the fact that Barbie dolls, which have been said to be the sources of many expectation issues for little girls, are now being used to portray characters that could possibly be creating unfair expectations for males. Do I personally feel oppressed by these characters? No, I do not at all. However I do feel that the obsession with supernatural, near-perfect significant others is strange.
ReplyDeleteHere is an interesting thought on zombies and their new popularity. I do not know if anyone else has experienced this, but I remember thinking it was odd and weird when I was younger and my peers “played” or talked about zombies. Yet now, as a college freshman, I have enjoyed playing “Nazi Zombies” numerous times. I find it quite funny how things like that work sometimes, and how small changes in pop culture can change the way we view things we once found obscure.
This blog post helped me to realize a few new things about the types of media of that have been popularized lately. I fully understand that sexy vampires with their shirts off can leave young girls and many others obsessed and in love, but I feel that the popularity of movies and shows with vampires and zombies is a part of a larger obsession. This larger obsession deals with the overall love of sci-fi and fantasy genre of movies. If you look into the recent past of Hollywood blockbusters it is easy to see the immense popularity of films that deal with these genres. The Harry Potter’s, Avatar, The Lord of the Rings, and Alice in Wonderland all have been very successful in recent years and all of which are fantasy and sci-fi type films. Overall I agree with Kelsey’s post that the reason for this popularity is that the fantastical characters that are created in movies such as Twilight are just much more interesting than mere mortals and as a result capture the interest of tv and movie watchers.
ReplyDeleteTEAM EDWARD!!! I completely agree with the blog about the vampires. At first, when the whole vampire thing came out I found it rather ridiculous that it was becoming such a popular trend. Although, I was very interested to see what all the hype was about, so I read Twilight. I loved it! I don’t think the whole vampire thing is so great but I think the story and the way that it was written was. As said in the blog it is very true that “Girls are almost encouraged to want the impossible: a charmingly undead man that will be devoted to them forever and never lose his attractiveness”. As I was reading the book I began to have a new fascination for Edward. I’m not sure how much viewers and readers are interested in the actual point that these men are vampires, I think they are more interested in the fact that these men portray perfect people. I am unfamiliar with the other shows and books about vampires but from what I hear vampires are supposed to be these new hot dreamy figures that all the girls adore. I think this group did make a very interesting point though, aren’t vampires supposed to be scary, why are they not in every girls fantasy instead of every girls nightmares?
ReplyDeleteTeam Edward!
ReplyDeleteWhen reading this blog it made me realize how overly popular vampires have become in today's media. Granite, I am one of those girls who have read the books and own the movie, Twilight, I feel like this craze is getting just a little out of hand. We can see this is the production of the Twilight Barbie dolls. Now, not only can girls own the books, movies, posters, etc., they can now have the barbie dolls, which is giving lifelike qualities to a very unrealistic plot. There is no such thing as "Edward: The perfect man". This is just setting up little girls, and any reader for that fact to have unrealistic standards when trying to find a significant other in the real world.
Another thing I would like to mention is all the vampires you see in today's media. With shows like True Blood, Vampire Diaries and all the other shows stemming off of this plot, we are taking something that used to be used as a tool of fear and making into something that is common. Which vampires most certainly are not. I guess the point that I'm trying to make is.. Yes, these shows are fun to watch but when mixing human qualities with vampires, I don't feel that this is healthy for today's media and the people watching.
I think that it is really weird how the vampire has transitioned over the years! How could something so scary develop into a sexy thrill. Its funny to me that parents were once afraid of vampires from the movie Dracula, but now their letting their kids fall in love with Edward. Vampires now are used as a sex symbol, the though of being bit by Edward means everlasting life being his girlfriend. Everyone wants Edward, but if you would ask one of these teens to let Dracula bite them, they would be repulsed. The transition from scary to sexy is weird to me, maybe its the fantasy of something that isn't real. Maybe the fact that vampires can only come out at night is a bit of a fantasy the surprise of a vampire finding you is exciting. But what is weird to me is that like vampires, zombies are very popular as mentioned earlier. Now you want a vampire to bite you, but if a zombie bites you it is not very appealing. Why is this? They both can potentially be immortal, they're very very similar, but why is a zombie gross but a vampire sexy, I have no clue. All I know is that I haven't fallen into the craze of vampires and maybe that is why I am not excited when I hear about Twilight, and ultimately that is the reason I don't understand why everyone loves vampires.
ReplyDeleteI would have to agree with Alex. I find it extremely odd that there has become this creepy obsession with vampires. I myself am not really a vampire fan, but I know a lot of people that swear by the Twlight series. As weird as this is going to sound I actually had a friend say that she would be turned on if I guy came up to her in the bar and asked her to suck her blood. Where did this obsession and love for vampires come from? Growing up as kid I was afraid of vampires and zombies and now it has turned into a sexually attractive characteristic. I am not sure if it is because there is this idea of fantasy and mystery behind it. I have yet to catch on with the whole vampire sex thrill, but I realize it is out there and quite frequently I think it is kind of weird.
ReplyDeleteThis may be fairly odd, however, I am not sure of what the difference between Team Edward and Team Jacob really is. I know it is very common for girls to be into the whole vampire and zombie craze, but apparently, I am unlike most girls. I am curious why there is such a big obsession with them. In my opinion, I think it is silly for girls to have an obsession with a fantasy, and to dream about a character hoping to find someone as perfect as Edward, because in reality, no one is perfect. In comparison to our parent’s generation, I find it fascinating to see how media and advertising can change a typical view of a zombie or vampire as being scary, into something people now dream about. Another thing I find odd is the need to have an Edward Cullen Barbie doll. Does it really need to go to that extreme to make a vampire doll and a clothing line from it? The funny thing about that is people buy it, so why not make it? Right?
ReplyDeleteI have not gotten into the whole vampire obsession nor twilight so this blog is very interesting and humorous to me. I agree with Sarah, Kelly, and Alex in saying that the vampire craze is odd. I definitly think the Twilight series started the obsession and has transformed the vampire character from scary to sexy. I think the craze is going to get even bigger when the Twilight movies keep coming out and because of the success of the shows like Trueblood and The Vampire Diaries. I find it even more weird that Kelly's friend said that she would be turned on if a guy came up to her at the bar and asked to suck her blood. That is taking it way to far and I can only imagine what young girls owning these barbies think. As for "Team Edward" and "Team Jacob" I would have to say I am team neither.
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ReplyDeleteI think that the vampire craze has taken over the entertainment industry and has gone out of control. I admit that I have read the Twilight Series but not because it has vampires. I enjoyed the books for their character development and plot but also enjoyed laughing at how impossible the whole scenario seems. But the reading the Twilight series and maybe seeing the movies is as far as I will go. I will not buy dolls like the characters or watch/read dozens of other movies, Tv shows and books that have now been created.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the characters are giving children the wrong impression for their future. The perfect man is now a vampire who sparkles in the sunlight. Young girls are expecting a guy with amazing speed, cold skin, and dreamy eyes to come in their window at night and sleep next to them. A little girl I babysit for has seen Twilight and has the Edward doll and she was telling me as I tucked her in one night that he was her boyfriend and one day she was going to be a vampire too. This is extremely concerning.
I agree with Matt that this can also give boys the wrong idea. If girls expect every guy they date to be like Edward that means that girls are going to be looking forever or guys are going to have to change. No matter how much guys do to become buff, romantic, and dreamy unless someone invents a potion that makes your skin sparkle, little girls are going to be disappointed.
I never really got into this whole vampires craze. I don't really find vampires to be "sexy". Personally I think of vampires as things that want to suck my blood, no matter how perfectly groomed his hair is. I don't remember Dracula walking around without his shirt on showing off his toned abs and hair product, falling in love with awkwardly unattractive girls like in the Twilight series. He sucked people blood. End of story. It is true that this is a fantasy, but why did they have to make him so sensitive. I want Gerard Butler cast in the next Twilight. I want vampires to be back to how they used to be, terrifying and bloodthirsty.
ReplyDeleteThere have been vampire phases before and I can’t see why it would be of much surprise to anyone. It was already going on in nineties but with the other end of the story being the shoot em up sort, such as John Carpenters vampire movie. However, at least for me, when I think of the classic sort of Dracula vampire I always envision the highly sophisticated vampire in their castle with capes, bats, and coffins. I think they have always tried to have an attractive appeal with their intelligence and then their romantic attempt to swoon a damsel. The only difference is that they are now put into modern perspective and the men are being shown against typical men stereo types. The characters are clean cut and even show some fashion such as the lovely Edward doll and his pea coat. The intended audience is more obvious and direct in contrast to past vampire phases. I hadn’t really even considered it to be a gender difference before reading these points. In fact, the only more resent film, Paris Je T’amie, that I have watched with romanticized vampires as the theme was with a female vampire being chased by a human boy.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcPFdnrnNMY
I never understood what all the fuss was about until I cracked open the first twilight and found my eyes glued to all four for the next two weeks. I knew what I was reading wasn't the best piece of literature on the planet, but I did love the story just the same.
ReplyDeleteI agree that people do love fantasy and sci-fi. Sometimes going into another world can be exciting and refreshing, especially in a world today with economic hardtimes, war, etc. Although it may not exist in reality, the idea of true love, and taking care of someone is something, as cheesy as it sounds, that perhaps little girls need more of. Even the friendship between Bella and Jacob is an example I admire. I haven't watched or learned much about the other vampire shows and novels, but I do find it weird that the Twilight series has turned vampire into a whole new meaning. While a lot of people just wait for the movies to come out to see what happens, I'm excited that there's people reading who never did before.