The other day I was reading a post from DarkFaery Subculture Magazinethat brought up many intriguing points explaining why girls and women today are looking for vampire lovers. The ideas expressed in the post were so incredibly accurate and simple that I’m amazed I did not consider this before. The original post’s main topic of discussion is why there are no (or very little) ugly vampires in media… but then the discussion delves into love and why vampires offer the undying love that every girl or woman dreams of, hence the subsequent obsession with finding a vampire soul mate. And because vampires don’t exist, the only way to vicariously live out this immortal love experience is to worship fictional vampires like Edward Cullen. (Because in reality, I think very few women are attracted to the actor Robert Pattinson, sans broody vampire personality.)
It used to be that girls and women would dream of their own Prince Charming who would come sweep them off their feet and then they would live out their perfect lives together. Prince Charming was dashing, charismatic, good-looking, moral… pretty much the all-around perfect man. It’s a wonder when fanged, pale, soulless creatures of the night arrived and kicked Prince Charming out of the picture.
Now why are females dropping their dreams with Prince Charming in favor of the complete antithesis? … A dark, secretive and ultra-complicated relationship with a man who definitely has issues, and with at times uncontrollable propensities towards acts of evil?
Because it seems that the powerful idea of love for eternity draws women in like a potent drug. Vampires offer what Prince Charming can’t. Prince Charming will give you a love for a lifetime. Vampires provide love and devotion for this lifetime… and the next… and the next… it’s not a joke when the vampire lover says that he will be with you and love you forever.
There’s also a perceptible difference in the types of love offered by each. Prince Charming’s innately good nature assures you that his love is the most beautiful and pure in the world; that form of love is truly admirable and in a sense places the female object of his affection on a sort of pedestal. He admires her and loves her with a gentle goodness and song in his heart. Should he lose her, Prince Charming would spend the rest of his days in mourning and never be able to find another to make him happy again. Yes, we can look at this and say it is true love.
… However, contrast this with how a vampire would love his soul mate. A vampire’s love is burning, passionate and ceaseless. Nothing can stop him from being with the one he loves and his desire for her will never end. The vampire and his lover are on the same plane (as opposed to the pedestal) because he sees her as part of himself. He lived a mediocre existence before her and is only truly able to find happiness now, only because he has found her. If he were to be separated from his love, he could never truly be happy. In fact, should he lose her, in all likelihood he would take his own life in order to avoid suffering for eternity without she who makes him complete.
The true difference in the love of Prince Charming vs. the love of a vampire is that ultimately Prince Charming could still find happiness somehow after separation from his true love. Whereas a vampire’s love is so all-consuming that happiness cannot exist without his lover. Does this seem like the healthiest sort of love to have? Probably not. But it is the type of love that will promise any female devotion for eternity, which is perhaps why females don’t mind the darker bend on it. It’s so strong it’s like an addiction, which is reminiscent of Edward Cullen quotes to Bella (his soul mate):
“I don’t have the strength to stay away from you anymore.”
“I hate you for making me want you so much.”
“You don’t know how long I’ve waited for you.” (… and since he’s a vampire, it’s been a freaking long time.)
“It’s your scent. It’s like a drug to me. It’s like you’re my own personal brand of heroin.”
And why is it that vampires experience love with so much of their heart and soul (despite not really having one)? Why is it that they can resort to actions that may be deemed immoral or evil except when it comes to love? To answer this we will have to consult words of wisdom from my favorite fanged baddie, Spike (from Buffy), who despite being soulless was able to express love in its most devoted and beautiful state…
Spike: “You’ll be in love ’til it kills you both. You’ll fight, and you’ll shag, and you’ll hate each other ’til it makes you quiver… Real love isn’t brains, children. It’s blood. It’s blood screaming inside you to work its will. I may be love’s b*tch, but at least I’m man enough to admit it.”
I think the best contrast to make is comparing Ellie and Carl’s love in Disney-Pixar’s UP with that of Bella and Edward in Twilight. Both are obviously very powerful, but very different. I think right now I’m dreaming of the latter, but who knows in a few year’s time…
You’d think it would be hard to pull off pale and gorgeous at the same time, but these lovely vampire ladies are breath-taking. Out of all the undead females out there nowadays, I thought I’d share with you which ones I think are the most alluring (i.e. I find it difficult to take my eyes off them when they’re on screen). Beauty and fangs make for a killer combination.
5. Aaliyah as the Queen of the Damned (or ‘Akasha’)
The Queen of the Damned lives in Anne Rice’s vampire universe as the very first vampire ever created. She’s hyper sexual, manipulative and all around insane; it’s no surprise that the vampire boys love her. Plus her blood is a potent aphrodisiac. Though her speaking role in the film (with the same title) was negligible, Akasha stole every scene she was in because… well, look at her. That outfit gives me goosebumps.
4. Elena Anaya as Aleera
I always thought Dracula’s first bride was supposed to be the most enchanting? Well maybe she is but the youngest vampire bride Aleera in Van Helsing was definitely the most smoldering hot. I believe this is the reason why she survived to stick around until the end of the film so she could do battle with the primary female lead… epic cat fight. I kind of really wish she won. Her thick Transylvanian accent was music to one’s ears – that is if you’re into cold growl tones with a slight metallic quality.
3. Ashley Greene as Alice Cullen
The combination of innocent, pixie-like features and vampire fangs and blood is irresistible. Such a cute exterior to mask a killer nature. (Well, I suppose the entire family is vegetarian so that makes it less scary?) Though Alice has quirky style and sometimes looks a little too pale and washed out in the Twilight films, her sweet face and graceful demeanor are always a pleasure to behold. Alice often has this cute smirk on her face; it’s charming in that it seems to say to would-be aggressors, “Try something. Really, I dare you.”
2. Jun Ji-hyun as Saya
The young, but incredibly deadly protagonist in Blood: The Last Vampire. She’s half-human, half-vampire which makes her all the more glorious. The fact that she carries a huge katana (a sword to kill demons of course) and her cold, aloof personality makes her an intimidating presence. No surprise she’s a loner, but it makes you want to sit next to her and be her friend. When she’s in action slaughtering other demons, she’s at the peak of her blood-smeared beauty. (Just disregard the pig-tails.)
1. Kate Beckensale as Selene
Just look at that face… beauty that is captivating and definitely beyond mortal. It’s even better when Selene speaks and you catch a glimpse of her fangs now and then. (They are of the kind that don’t retract.) The best part of watching Underworld was seeing Selene nonchalantly pummel lycans left and right in her black spandex body suit. Even in the midst of flying bullets, crumbling buildings and spatters of blood – she always looked perfect. Enjoy Selene in the intro of Underworld below:
My favorite holiday… ALL HALLOW’S EVE… is upon us once again. I do enjoy October 31st so. It’s when I get to release my inner Vampire Girl out to play. Every Halloween I typically start my day mid-afternoon with a choice flick from my vampire film archives. It really gets me in the right mindset for the rest of the evening. Then two of my best girlfriends (both Wiccans) usually come over for a seance or two. I don’t believe in these rituals so much as they do, but I must admit it’s very calming and brings me a lot of peace. After the ceremonies and a light meal, we wait for it to get dark and then it’s time to frolic into the evening.
Now of course this night is all about dressing to impress and stepping out of your usual comfort zone. I love admiring what characters individuals adopt for the night. Sometimes it’s very telling of the person’s hidden desires. At the same time, I’m not quite sure when Halloween became an excuse for women to dress as scandalously as possible to the point where it becomes painful to look at. It’s possible for ladies to look sexy and classy – and most importantly… seductive for the evening. I’m a firm believer in that. I think Halloween is not to be an evening of naughty mayhem. It’s more an opportunity for people to explore their darker sensibilities in a coy, playful manner. And be comfortable. (Since that sort of thing usually makes people very uncomfortable.)
Usually I think the best dress ensembles for the evening come from variations of things you would be able to wear normally. I really despise costume material. They look so contrived and cartoon-ish. In the rare case where the picture on the bag is correct and the costume does flatter your figure, somehow it always looks somewhat cheap to me. My recommended solution is to go to your local used clothing or vintage store to sift through the racks and see what you can pull together. Lucky for me, Halloween gives me the perfect opportunity to rummage in the back of my closet and bring out all the pieces I used to wear back in my darker days.
Do not look like Elvira this year. For the life of me I don’t understand who would ever find these outfits alluring. PARTICULARLY if you’re looking to adopt a vampire persona. I have yet to see a good vampire look come from a costume bag:
… I cry a little inside when I see outfits like these running about on Halloween.
Word of advice, to achieve the vampire look and persona… it’s all about the face, eyes and attitude. A vampire girl in a burlap sack is still going to look seductive if she believes it and plays it coy. Maybe that’s what’s been missing from the Halloween aura recently. People are more interested in partying hard than immersing themselves in a different doppelganger persona for the evening. Pity.
Anyways, vampire girls everywhere should look to the following dark beauties for inspiration this Halloween… they’re truly breath-taking:
Cheers to a haunting and lovely evening for All Hallow’s Eve!
For female vampires wondering how to pull off a strong look, the following video tutorial is highly recommended:
I'm addicted to vampires and blood. This is where I'll share my musings on vampiric film and TV, as well as other thoughts on vampire culture. Read my ramblings - I could think endlessly about vampires and other divine creatures of the night.
It used to be that girls and women would dream of their own Prince Charming who would come sweep them off their feet and then they would live out their perfect lives together. Prince Charming was dashing, charismatic, good-looking, moral… pretty much the all-around perfect man. It’s a wonder when fanged, pale, soulless creatures of the night arrived and kicked Prince Charming out of the picture.
