Hood Today

The biggest thing in almost every market these days is the concept of vampires. Whether it be the teen romance of "Twilight" or the provocative gore of "True Blood," the public is eating it up. What is the fascination with vampires? Well I'll tell you. It's a combination of elements that influence the consumer markets drive to read, watch, and hear about these ancient creatures of lore.

The vampire, as many know, is a mythical figure that has plagued history and cultures for hundreds of years. They have been recorded as legends in countries all over the world, from Romania to China. These creatures possess the powers of seduction, inhuman strength, and super speed, depending on which story you're reading. The media's version of the vampire started with "Dracula," Bram Stocker's visionary representation of an ancient Romanian Tradition.

So what's the appeal? I think it's the attraction that people have to being superior to everyone else. The vampire is also often depicted as being forever young and very handsome or beautiful. Who doesn't want to live forever? After all, remember you can see these features in traditional religions. Christ promises in his last supper everlasting life. Supernatural beings possessing these powers isn't too far from popular conceptions of life and death.

The world of vampires is all around us, from the books we read to the movies we watch, but the vampires that have emerged from the minds of our current literary and cinematic leaders have shown a new light on the ancient beings. They are no longer creatures that dwell in castles in the Far East and feed on unsuspecting victims in the night. These "modern" vampires are young, compassionate creatures that just want to fit in. Vampires now hold their urges and have an appeal they have never had before. They now look like heroes instead of monsters.

The problem is that the media is saturating the market with too many books and too many shows and the movement is bound to implode in itself. True vampires are no longer prominent and only the media-friendly vampires that everyone loves so dearly shine through. Edward has taken the place of Dracula and rural Louisiana has taken the place of the Romanian back country.

The media and the public love the modern vampire because they can relate and look up to them as a sign of hope and something supernatural and spiritual in this time of desperation and realism. Vampires are powerful and godlike beings that humans would give anything to be. The books and movies of fantasy and vampires take people to a place where they feel powerful and needed.

Vampires are a staple of society and probably always will be. The only question left to ask is perhaps, "what is next?" The werewolf is now starting to catch fire with the instillation of Jacob from the "Twilight" series and the new movie "The Wolfman."

The public loves the unknown and the media loves giving it to them. The fact that vampires, werewolves, and other monsters are factual beings makes it that much easier. Movie producers and authors can write and film anything they want because there are no rules. In the end, we may never know why people idolize and follow these creatures of the night so closely, but as long as there are people it seems there will always be their supernatural undead counterparts, the vampires.

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