A Rant against Vampires -- thank you Mandy...

November 13 at 4:32pm - Mandy Jesser

Okay, here's my rant: feel free to post as you'd like...

Why do teenage girls LOVE vampires: (1) Because it's romantic. Most of the girls infatuated with vampires (anyway, those that I teach) are neither attractive or polished or socially apt. By claiming love for these creatures of the night, they have an active fantasty to place their romantic notions. I mean, are they really going to get asked out by any of the boys in the class? No. I mean, are they really going to be doing the asking out? No. I mean, is anyone really going to get bitten by the vampire fantasty? No. Plus, it's the facination of being admired by an other-worldly creature, one who dominates, controls, possesses. And I think as a written rule, if a vampire likes you then you automatically have long, wavy brown hair and get to wear a lot of Victorian clothing. Yeah, I'll go there - it's also a very sexually agressive romantic/fantasy - total possession by the beast. AND DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THE VICTORIAN CONCEPT. I hate fucking Victorians, too, and they're buttoned-up, laced-up notion of "modesty" and sexually repression. It's a sad play: vampire vs. victorian girl. It's a love that can never be.

(2) Vampires are supposed to be this English/European gentleman type. I mean, really, how many of us want a sweaty, uncouth cowboy when we could engage in romantic notions about a cultured creature, who also happens to pulse romantic ideals? I think American girls are drawn to this sense of nobility and class. That's right...I just said it. I mean, Bruce Willis is bald, Will Smith is black, the stars of So You Think You Can Dance are gay, and Tom Cruise/Brad Pitt are aging...badly. Where's a young girl to turn to for a love fantasy? OTHER-WORLDLY. Who wouldn't want to be bitten by sophistication and good manners....which brings me to....

(3) For as much as vampires are creatures of the night, blood suckers, energy stealers, are they REALLY a threat. No. It's a safe fantasty for all teenage girls to have - because the prospect of it really happening is slim to none. It's a departure from the every day grind - it's an escape to a fantasy that suggest sexually tension/agression but really promises nothing more than a day dream about European gentility. The problem is, then, that they don't associate the vampire myth with the reality of aggressive men who play on this sexual dominance. And then girls get all upset and can't figure out where the disconnect occurs.

For the record: I FUCKING HATE THE TWILIGHT SERIES. I think it's disgusting, and I think the appeal that it's a "good read" is distrubing. There's nothing good about the read - it causes girls to imagine this world that only reinfoces that which they can't have (ever lasting, eternal love, by a completely devoted creature of the night) and perpetuates the rape fantasy. Total domination/control by any male image is completely disturbing. I'd rather have a generation of non-readers than one infatuated by Twilight.I'd like to castrate the entire vampire myth by removing the fangs of this fantasy. It's bullshit. And why the fuck is every vampire myth also associated with a fucking werewolf? I don't get it. Dog/Beast. Bloodsucker. Yuck.Ahh...I feel better. Can't wait to integrate this into my next lesson, which will be about why good indie music plays into these "alternative" films.

Sigh.