Show j 1 I Vampires pires Why are re they here and when will th they ey le leave ve N NL L Thi Community Reporter They're the sexiest creatures in n fiction these iconic characters of horror I No one can get enough of them At least for most people these days especially for the ladies old and young You know who you arc are Vampire mania has always lurked amongst the shadows It seems only recently this phenomenon sprung into the spotlight And contrary to common common belief it hasn't retreated burning and singed its it's stood in the light and sparkled From books movies TV shows to online gaming and role playing vampires have formed legions in mass media But why all the hype Some faculty f culty members have their theories Vampire stories are area areat areat a at once fantastic and sexually charged Jason assistant professor of the English Department said No matter the time and place or reason stories of forbidden love will always find an audience John Morgan Manager II Institutional Marketing said Many students can agree the altogether dark charismatic and brooding stars and the romance aspect arc are major factors Anything I have to say sayI I like about the vampire genre is the sexual part of it What's better than aggressive vampire sex Lynzi Simons student asked smirking But on a more serious note vampires being the hero now create a whole new realm to vampire fantasy The stories have substance not just death Austin Allred llred fellow prefers the once demonic evil portrayal not the depiction of vampires emulating sex icons Gary Howard associate professor English believes theres there's a blend of the afore elements mentioned plus things below the surface Vampire literatures teach audiences in searching for and conquering the antagonists in our lives we often need search no farther than our own hearts and psyches Howard also commented on the fear the Western World holds for the shadowy specter of terrorism Vampires catalyze an audiences audience's imagination provide an escape and give sanction to people creating a sanctuary over forces that baffle our mortal minds and defy solution Having easier lives void of human shortcomings trivial worries and weaknesses is grandly appealing having a magic wand rare ab abilities and immortality seductive We W get tired of living normal lives so people who are given special powers are interesting Jay Williams Dean of Arts and Communication said Having the leading male character have such strength and who's sexy and romantic and the hero is what Christina a substitute teacher and student mother said she likes best about vampire fiction She believes this fad will last through the Twilight movies and a bit afterwards herself only became becam interested after reading the first Twilight novel Its It's getting more and more popular with older women she observed but high school and early college female students who have havea havea havea a more unrealistic view of relationships make the most avid fans Allred agreed All females 28 12 compose this base but it isn't just girls who are interested Chad Simons security guard at OC Tanner and father of student Lynzi Simons is living proof Twilight is one of the best vampire movies ever made Simons admitted before disclosing plans to see the sequel New Moon Certain demographics this generation seem inherently prone to vampire mania but the fundamental message behind these stories has endured centuries Look at Bram Stokers Stoker's archetypal 1 1897 novel Dracula His modified tale of the 15 h century Romanian warrior prince VI Vlad ad the who drank victims victims' blood to gain supernatural powers has stood the test of time even with obvious variations Different details emerge giving the stories variants relevant to the time that are being transmitted Stories that continue to be passed on address issues fears and cultural taboos Elizabeth Montague associate professor English said As Vlad preyed on those outside his class had immense political and monetary power licensing all his actions Montague believes vampires possibly reflect our economic fears and anxieties We observed people like Bernie Madoff who sucked the financial life-blood life from duped investors Weve We've become weary of greedy CEO's and other power brokers bleeding us' us into our current state of affairs With this market proliferation as Williams calls caBs it it in all forms of media and entertainment vampire I mania has undergone some dynamic transformations but remains a hefty decoration on today's pop-culture pop mantle not to be nailed into a coffin any time soon |