Abby Luke

RCL 137

Section 11

9 November 2016

From Blood-Sucking to Breath-Taking

For almost a century, the blood sucking mythical creatures commonly referred to as

vampires have been gracing movie and television screens and receiving widespread acclaim.

Although vampires have remained pop culture icons throughout time, the image of and attitudes

towards these supernatural entities have endured a complete metamorphosis. Early versions of

vampires were presented as monster-like with sharp fangs, pointed ears, and pale skin.

Meanwhile, when millennials think of vampires, images of muscular, attractive men, with

chiseled features and unmatched appeal come to mind. Many have observed that There has been

a "general shift" from the vampire as exotic foreigner - as depicted in Romantic poetry in the

19th Century and most famously in Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula - to the vampire as edgy

"outsider" (ONeill 2008). From 1931s Dracula to modern day series like Twilight, there

has been a paradigm shift within on-screen presentation of vampires appearance and personality

which reflects corresponding popular culture attitudes.

Primitive vampire depictions were drastically different from that of the 21st century. Early

vampires were thought to have risen from their graves. Therefore, many commoners took

extreme measures such as decapitation and putting a stake through the heart to prevent corpses

from becoming vampires. For example, a corpse could be considered a vampire if it did not

appear sufficiently dead (Kastenbaum 2002). Moreover, early blood suckers were depicted as

dirty, unfortunate creatures, who preyed upon livestock under the cover of nightfall. It has been
noted that Unlike the elegant Count Dracula, these revenants are foul-smelling and gross, as

might be expected from those who, partially decomposed, spend much of their time in a grave

(Katsenbaum 2002). This quotation illustrates the negative characteristics that were once

associated with vampirism. The transition from brutish monster to teen heartthrob has spanned

over centuries and serves as an ideological paradigm shift.

Evidence of the belief in vampires and vampire-like creatures have been seen since ancient

times and demonstrated by a variety of different cultures. Early folk stories revolving around

night walkers often reflected medical misunderstandings and ignorant paranoia. Often,

common diseases during the 18th and 19th century had side effects similar to characteristics

typically associated with vampires. For example, Porphyria has been nominated repeatedly as a

medical condition that produces pallor, giving the individual a somewhat bloodless appearance.

The victims are highly sensitive to sunlight and therefore are likely to adopt lifestyles resembling

the nocturnal vampire (Katsenbaum 2002). Moreover, many point to fears of being buried alive,

especially during times of disease, as a catalyst for the generation of vampire myths

(Kastenbaum 2002). These medical misconceptions and social beliefs engendered early

development of vampire based folklore.

Perhaps one of the most lauded vampire tales of all time, Bram Stokers Dracula featured

protagonist Count Dracula and led to the creation of many commonly held generalizations about

vampires. For example, he resides in Transylvania and was marked by monstrous looks and

blood sucking abilities. The film adaptation of Dracula was released in 1931 and illustrates

important shifts in characterization that make the protagonist more similar to modern vampires

(Dracula 2003). Within the movie actor Bela Lugosi depicts Dracula as a more attractive and

distinguished foreigner, much different than the original folklore. It has been noted that From
this beginning, stories about Dracula, in film and television, in fiction and graphic novels, have

viewed the character as being part monster and part charmer (Dracula 2003). This quotation

expresses an ideal integral to the transformation of vampires and highlights how sexual allure has

been an important aspect to vampires for over a century. While sexuality was an important theme

within 1930s-era vampire constructs, Draculas utter brutality and murderous transgressions

override his human like allure. The film illustrates the lack of sympathy towards Dracula due to

his abundant killings (Dracula 2003). Overall, the literary work and film Dracula bridged the

gap between primitive vampire legends and modern vampire depictions through themes of

sexuality and allure.

Victorian-era sexual undertones and vampire folklore were intertwined to create one of the

first popular works of vampire literature, Dracula. At the time of its publishing, there were

several overarching societal values that were incorporated into its plot. Men and women had

extremely defined and specific gender roles. For example, women were expected to be compliant

with their husbands and remain moral and pure (Dracula 2003). Similarly, these themes are

presented within Dracula in its presentation of female characters Mina and Lucy. These

women often remarked about women not being worthy of their male counterparts (Dracula

2003). Moreover, the 1931 film version of Dracula was adapted in accordance with the social

standards of the time. Because the film industry set strict limits on sexuality and violence during

this era, Dracula received a degree of pushback from Hollywood. Therefore, the plot was

presented in a fashion that complied with social norms of the time (Dracula 2003). Both the

literary work and film Dracula correspond to their respective time periods in their

presentations of vampires.
 Vampires left their next substantial mark in popular culture with the release of Dark

Shadows in 1966. The series centers around Barnabas Collins, a vampire who shares traits

similar to more modern vampires. Themes of love and affection are once again present within the

program, with Barnabas in love with a human who he attempts to transform into a vampire and

spend eternity alongside (Moody 2003). In contrast, Dark Shadows illustrates vampires in a

different fashion than its predecessors: Cleverly, Barnabas was not depicted as a mere monster

but as a man tortured by his conscience (Moody 2013). This important distinction sets a

precedent for vampire television and film that follows Dark Shadows and shows a shift from

soulless monster to a man burdened by circumstances. Dark Shadows served as an important

stepping stone for vampires in pop culture and generated new themes that have been carried out

in following series.

In a similar way to other vampire based series, Dark Shadows presented its characters in a

manner that mirrored the popular culture landscape of the 1960s. Often the root of controversy

due to its unique content, Dark Shadows rebelled against typical social standards of the time.

For example, during its time on the air it was constantly threatened with cancellation by the

management of ABC (Moody 2013). This quotation illustrates how Dark Shadows

challenged societal norms due to its unconventional nature, featuring vampires, ghosts, and other

mythical creatures. By the same token, the 1960s were a time during which television

increasingly featured unorthodox family dynamics. In this decade, society was first exposed to

The Munsters, The Beverly Hillbillies, and The Brady Bunch, which featured unusual

families and attracted widespread appeal (Endre 2014). These programs also represent a shift in

pop culture ideals that mirror social rebellion during the 1960s and 1970s, marked by the civil
and womens rights movements (Endre 2014). Dark Shadows not only is part of the paradigm

shift in relation to vampires, but also coincides with the social atmosphere of the time.

The 1980s put a unique spin on vampires that altered the path of popular cultures future

endeavors in film and television. The Lost Boys was a movie released in 1987 that presented

vampires for the first time in their form most similar to modern times. Instead of being presented

as monster like outsiders, the vampires in The Lost Boys live in California and are marked by

good looks and hip attitudes (Swanson 2012). These vampires were perceived as handsome

young bloodsuckers with chiseled cheekbones, cool clothes and attitude to spare were wilding

through the Northern California seaside resort of Santa Carla, a fictional town with the

ignominious title of Murder Capital of the World. (Swanson 2012). This quotation captures

the essence of vampires in the film and shows the drastic progression in portrayal that this movie

symbolizes. Now instead of appearing burdened and uncontrollably murderous, viewers almost

envied the lifestyle lived by these protagonists. The Lost Boys carries the indelible tagline:

Sleep all day. Party all night. Never grow old. Never die. Its fun to be a vampire (Swanson

2012). There is a clear distinction between this motto and previous programs such as Dracula

and Dark Shadows where vampires suffer from their nature. This film sculpted the modern

perception of a vampire and inspired many works to come, thus it is essential to the paradigm

shift.

The film style of The Lost Boys reflects the rise of blockbuster films during the 1980s.

Starring popular actors of the time such as Corey Haim, Corey Feldman, and Kiefer Sutherland,

The Lost Boys featured vampires in a way that mirrored popular culture trends of the decade.

The 1980s were a time period where the film industry endured widespread expansion and classic

movies like The Breakfast Club and St. Elmos Fire first surfaced (Prince 2000). Although
reviews of The Lost Boys were not fantastic, the film was met with positive response from

young people and garnered box office success. To illustrate, (The Times called it a glossy

fiasco with most of the real blood sucked out of it) but found instant youth-culture currency

(and a strong box office of $32 million) (Swanson 2012). This quotation solidifies the notion

of large scale blockbuster success grounded in teenage support that was seen throughout the

decade. The Lost Boys incorporated a new take on vampires in giving them a new sense of

coolness within a film reflective of popular culture in the 1980s.

1997 sparked one of the biggest vampire crazes pop culture has seen to date with the release

of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Within Buffy the Vampire Slayer many previous themes

associated with vampires are held constant in this series. For examples, Buffy does find herself in

a relationship with a vampire (Davis 2009). Within the show Theirs is the storybook, star-

crossed romance: He may keep his soul unless he experiences one moment where he ceases to be

plagued by the horrible acts he committed as the soul-less Angelus (Davis 2009). This quotation

mirrors previous vampire human love affairs and retains the theme of empathy towards regret-

ridden vampires. Buffy the Vampire Slayer also aids vampire personality progression in its

presentation of Angel, one of the main characters who is a vampire. Angel is described to have

had a conscience and a soul, and resisted the desire to drink human blood, living on pig's

blood instead. Angel is also an example of the decent, desirable vampire, who even assists (and

flirts) with the vampire slayer (ONeill 2008). In the past, vampires seldom suppressed their

human blood thirst or assisted in efforts to kill other vampires. Buffy the Vampire started a

new trend that influenced vampires to come.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer not only represented a shift in vampire television, but also altered

gender related stereotypes associated with the genre. Buffy is a high school aged female who
discovers she has the ability to hunt and kill vampires. This idea alone is vastly different from

preceding shows in that the females are usually presented as weak victims (Davis 2009). Buffy

the Vampire Slayer defies conventional gender roles and shows Buffy as strong and not led

astray by love. Buffys characterization coincides with the progression of the feminist movement

throughout the 1990s. Within this decade, the prominence of gender roles began to dwindle

along with discrimination towards women in the workplace (Gender Issues 2001). Buffy

reflects these changing attitudes and the series itself is molded by the social setting surrounding

it.

Complete with four novels and five movies, the Twilight franchise took the world by storm

and created a worldwide vampire phenomenon. Stephanie Meyers novels tell the love story of

Bella, a high school student in Forks, Washington, and Edward Cullen, a 100-year-old vampire

(Furness 2013). The series is Characterized by a gothic tone and lengthy passages of

description, the novel focuses on Bella's obsession with Edward, the passion both of them fight,

and the circumstances that conspire to keep them apart (Furness 2013). Once again, this series

illustrates a mortal-immortal love connection with its own set of difficulties. Many have noted

how Twilight shares common themes of romance and sex spanning all the way back to

Dracula (Furness 2013). Moreover, Twilight marks the complete metamorphosis of public

vampire perception. Edward Cullen and his family are presented in a manner very different from

past vampires. For example, Meyers vampires can be exposed to sunlight, although their skin

sparkles in the sun, and resist temptation to feed off of humans (Furness 2013). The vampires in

Twilight also are depicted as extremely beautiful, cool, and wealthy; very different than past

portrayals (Furness 2013). Additionally, there is a vast discrepancy between the behavior of

Edward Cullen versus that of other vampires. Readers and viewers have observed that It seems
the vampire is no longer a marauding hunter of unsuspecting humans; instead he is a symbol of

celibacy and common sense (ONeill 2008). This quotation highlights the complete

transformation vampires have endured throughout the years, as this description is the complete

opposite of how these mythical creatures were initially perceived. Twilight represents one of

the most recent examples of vampires in popular culture and illustrates how far these blood

sucking monsters have come over the past one hundred years.

Twilight incorporates vampires in a fashion that appeals to teenagers in keeping with the

21st century young adult fiction revolution. The 2000s have seen a rise in teen targeted novels

that has been called a second "golden age of young adult fiction (Strickland 2015). This

quotation emphasizes the extent of recent book trends sweeping the nation. With series like

Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, and Divergent drawing vast fan bases, young people are

consuming fantasy driven plot lines more than ever. Many attribute the growth in young adult

fiction to the identity confusion and searching for sense of self typically associated with the teen

years (Strickland 2015). Nevertheless, Twilight feeds off of societys love for fiction and

presents its vampire love story in accordance with the popular culture environment of the 2000s.

Once a root of paranoia and the subject of horror films, vampires are now some of the

millennial generations favorite on-screen characters. The progressive on-screen transformation

of vampire persona has symbolized a drastic change in popular culture. Starting with Bram

Stokers Dracula, human like traits have slowly been incorporated into the personalities of

these once monster-like entities. Since original vampire folklore told throughout time and 1897s

publishing of Dracula, vampires have come full-circle. Now with films like Twilight, society

observes that He's (the vampire is) a cool, handsome, trendy school student, and a "vegetarian

vampire" - that is, he resists his inner desire to drink human blood and feasts only on animals
instead (ONeill 2008). It is characterization like this that drives and has driven vampire

fascination among young people for decades. With teenagers struggling with their identity and

development of self, it is likely that young people connect with the flaws and struggles of

outsiders such as Count Dracula, Barnabas Collins, and Edward Cullen. The glamorized 21st

century society now has people falling in love with creatures as terrifying as vampires. Overall,

the evolution of vampires from murderous monster to attractive, edgy outsider illustrates a

conceptual paradigm shift with ties to various time periods.

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