I am trying very hard to understand the current popularity of books, movies, TV programs, etc. that are basically vampire stories. Of course they do offer the usual love story which has a universal appeal even though it has been told over and over in one form or another over centuries. I too love nothing more than a juicy love story. But vampire? I gave that up as a kid after having read and seen the movies about Frankenstien, Bride of Frankenstein, et.al. Nobody loved Bela Lugosi’s portayal of the monster Igor than me.
But I have trouble understanding today’s wild enthusiasm for Twilight and all the vampire productions that are variations on the theme. It is true that I am not a teenager. But I am fascinated by the large number of adults who share their daughter’s screaming invitations for more and more of these stories. Is this still another manifestation of our society’s clammer to remain young? Is this like many middle-aged women who continue to dress like teenagers? At what point in time is a person expected to let go of that mentality?
Perhaps this is all a commercial thing. Perhaps this is just the most remarkable PR job that has ever taken place. I think that the teenage market is huge and so much of our products and advertisements are geared toward that market.
I personally like to read stories that have a foundation of experience behind them, ones that occured a bit later in life, yet are imaginative and meaningful. I am still waiting for the commercial marketplace to focus on this very large group of people who are not teenagers. Perhaps I am just a carmudeon who is saying, “Hey, how about the rest of us who can’t do vampire!”
