Why
are vampires erotic?
For
those who are not true vampire aficionados, this may seem like an odd question.
We forget that most people view vampires as nothing more than ungodly creatures
of the night that live off of the blood of humans. For nearly a century, the
undead have been portrayed as monsters, beginning with Max Schreck’s portrayal
of Nosferatu with its rat-like visage and continuing today with the pack of
hunters from Steve Niles’ 30 Days of Night or the monstrous
deformities of Guillermo del Toro’s/Chuck Hogan’s The Strain trilogy. However,
purely evil vampires make up only a small portion of the genre. True fans know
that most of the undead have an erotic and sensual quality about them.
I’m
not talking about the overt sexuality of the scantily-clad, buxomy female
vampires like Vampirella and Bloodrayne. I’m referring to that underlying
eroticism of the male actors who have sunk their fangs into the role. Bela
Lugosi set the standard for the undead when he portrayed Dracula, both on stage
and screen, as an outwardly appearing aristocrat who used seduction to feed.
Since then, numerous actors have tapped that vein of lust and sin when
portraying the undead, from the sympathy engendered by the remorseful vampires
Lestat and Angel to the blatant sexuality of Frank Langella and Gary Oldman.
Even Christopher Lee, whose portrayal of Dracula for Hammer Studios is one of
the most menacing vampires on screen, turned his female victims with
consensually forced sadism.
The
idea of vampirism being synonymous with eroticism is not new to the genre. When
Bram Stoker published Dracula in 1897, it is widely assessed that the
Count symbolized the negative aspects of repressed sexuality within Victorian
society. [Author’s Note: I realize I could write a book onDracula symbolism.
Academics have interpreted the Count as representing the male fear of
progressive women, the Freudian Id, and homosexuality. A few have even viewed
him as an indictment of such political evils as capitalism or colonialism. I am
more than happy to debate this in the comments section, but for the purposes of
this piece, let’s agree that Dracula is symbolic of repressed sexuality.]
However, as generations have passed, the eroticism has become more lurid,
switching from a tantalizing moment within the realm of horror to an underlying
current. Compare the brides of Dracula creepy seduction of Dwight Frye in 1932
to the soft porn version with Keanu Reeves in 1992. Whereas prior to Anne Rice
every novel that dealt with the undead would portray them as monsters and be
categorized under horror, now there is an entire genre based on vampires as
romantic characters. True Blood has taken Charlaine Harris’ paranormal
romance series and imbued it with a sensuality that has made the HBO production
the most popular vampire drama on television. The storyline in Season Six when
Eric Northman seduces Willa Burrell, the governor’s daughter, into wanting to
become a vampire is as erotic as any scene from a love story, with the tuning
substituting for sex.
It’s
no coincidence that society’s increasing openness and acceptance of sex has
been accompanied by an increase in the sensuality of vampires and the
popularity of paranormal romances. Vampires generate a feeling of eroticism
with the public because they represent our basest psychological urge. Vampires
are us once our moral and psychological constraints have been removed and we
can give free reign to the lust, violence, and narcissism buried deep in our
psyches. Their sexuality is not inhibited by social or religious norms. Their
good looks and vitality are immortal. Their appeal to the opposite sex is
legendary. For many people, being a vampire, or being turned by one, is a
fetish or fantasy they would willingly indulge.
So
the next time you’re watching a vampire movie or reading a paranormal romance
and you feel a tingle that’s not in your neck, don’t feel guilty. There’s
nothing wrong with you. You’re just letting your desires run wild.
Article
by:
Scott
M. Baker, author of Rotter World and The Vampire Hunters trilogy
Twitter: https://twitter.com/vampire_hunters
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