Thursday, November 12, 2009

Move over Dracula

Seriously, folks, what is UP with vampires lately?

I'll admit, I've gotten sucked (HAHAHA) into the genre myself, but I don't really understand how it happened. I remember when it happened, but now how. Last year, around October or so, my book club suggested Twilight so I read it. Fluffy teen vampire romance, hardly any substance, next thing I know, I'm borrowing the other three in the series and waiting impatiently for the movie.

The movie is ridiculous, by the way. One of the worst I've ever seen. But did you KNOW the second movie is coming out next week? I'm going to see it with the same book club friend I saw Twilight with and I'm really looking forward to it. I'm embarrassed, but not enough to stop.

I'm also addicted to Vampire Diaries, the CW series about teenage vampires. Kind of like Dracula meets Dawson's Creek. Awesome. I love it. I started this post while watching this week's episode.

Bill will be a little miffed that I'm sharing this tidbit, but there is a vampire show we watch together. We quickly flew through the first season of True Blood, the HBO series and are awaiting the next season to come out on Netflix so we can continue. Now, the HBO series is really more about boobs and blood than anything else, which is why it is okay for guys to watch it, but it is still vampire drama just like the rest of it. So WHY!?!?

Before last year, I had no information about vampires or the dramas that come along with them. I watched Interview with a Vampire but I don't think it fits the genre exactly. So that means the only knowledge base I have is from the previously mentioned sources: Twilight, Vampire Diaries and True Blood. I'm sure vampires are choking on their O negative right now.

According to my sources, vampires have a really rough life. Ridiculously attractive, sunlight issues, extreme strength, and the annoying propensity to fall into deep, tragic, all consuming love with some weak, albeit fascinating woman. Each woman involved doesn't fall under his spell but rather sees deep into his soul to the true "person" that he really is. All hero vampires find other means of survival than human blood, but must constantly fight the urge to kill his beloved.

So tragic, so intense. So necessary for all true romances. Danger, intrigue, impossibility. No wonder middle schoolers love it. To think that when no one understands you, there is someone strong, handsome, refined and mysterious who not only gets you, is all consumed by you. Merely an inconvenience that he is tortured by an intense desire to drain you which he is able to overcome because he just loves you so much.

Working in a middle school, I witness firsthand the frenzy created in adolescent girls by the Twilight saga. Pledging allegiance to vampire Edward or werewolf Jacob, each teen imagines being the object of either devotion. What Twilight does so well is capture true teenage angst when it comes to first love. Vampire Diaries has the best story, in my opinion. I actually got confused as I was watching tonight, though I place most of the blame in my desire for a well-worded blog than a complicated storyline.

True Blood, as I said before, is just about sex and gore. Not sure I buy the intensity suggested in the relationship between Sookie and Bill, but just when I'm starting to doubt it, someone ends up with blood all over her skin tight white T-shirt.

I'm not really sure how to end this post, so I'll end it with a couple of vampire jokes.

From the internet:
Why did the vampire's lunch give him heartburn?

It was a stake sandwich.

From Bill:
What's the difference between the 12 year-old that watches Twilight and the 30 year-old that watches Twilight?

The 12 year-old doesn't know any better.

He swears he made that up.

1 comment:

Robin said...

I think Twilight appeals to women of all ages. My mother-in-law and her friend, in their late 60's and 70's respectively, read the series and planned a whole vacation around visiting Forks and the Olympic Peninsula. My favorite vampire movie is “The Lost Boys”. You can’t beat Kiefer Sutherland, Jason Patric and the two Corey’s all in one movie! Plus it was filmed near where I grew up.