It seems to have popped up in every facet of our media entertainment since Bella and Edward became the angsty-American teen girl’s favorite new couple. I can remember when Buffy the Vampire Slayer reruns filled cable television’s evening slots. My own sister was a Buffy nut, obsessed with all things Buffy, Angel and vamp. But the fad didn’t take on a life of its own, as it has been this past year. Today, you can find the aisle Twilight, its sequels, and the whole newly-created young-adult vampire genre) are stocked on (and probably sold out to some extent) by the girls, aged 11-20, huddling over each other, gushing over the fictional vamps, and saying things like “Team Edward. Jacob’s cute, but Edward’s SKIN SPARKLES!” In the aftermath of the Twilight film cashing in on the author’s four books’ monetary (if not literary) success, other vampire-based shows, merchandise, books and Web sites followed suit. Now I can’t go anywhere without seeing a T-shirt referencing Edward’s Greek-statuesque good looks, a girl toting…no more like clutching dearly to her chest, a Twilight book, or see a show that has surfaced as a result of vampire-mania.  I’ll admit though, True Blood on HBO is pretty good. Sure, it follows the vampire story formula, with the human girl in love with the the protective and trying-to-be-good vampire man, surrounded by a disapproving society. But I do like Anna Paquin and I am an uber-geek who loves the idea of parallel realities. And this story takes place in a parallel reality, much like ours, but where vampires have come out of hiding behind legend and myth, to “mainstream” (or live openly with humans in society), with the assistance of a lab-created blood that sustains their nutritional needs. Of course the Japanese created this synthetic blood. It’s merchandised and sold as ‘True Blood’. So I figure we will have to deal with this vampire craze for at least another two years. That’s enough time for two more Twilight movies to come out and be ripped apart by the critics (and maybe after the youth of America realizes Edward and Bella are hitched, they will move on to bigger and better things). In the meantime, sit back, and enjoy poking fun….at confused vampire-obsessed kids and at the clever parodies shows like South Park have come up with.

It seems to have popped up in every facet of our media entertainment since Bella and Edward became the angsty-American teen girl’s favorite new couple. I can remember when Buffy the Vampire Slayer reruns filled cable television’s evening slots. My own sister was a Buffy nut, obsessed with all things Buffy, Angel and vamp. But the fad didn’t take on a life of its own, as it has been this past year.

Today, you can find the aisle Twilight, its sequels, and the whole newly-created young-adult vampire genre) are stocked on (and probably sold out to some extent) by the girls, aged 11-20, huddling over each other, gushing over the fictional vamps, and saying things like “Team Edward. Jacob’s cute, but Edward’s SKIN SPARKLES!”

In the aftermath of the Twilight film cashing in on the author’s four books’ monetary (if not literary) success, other vampire-based shows, merchandise, books and Web sites followed suit. Now I can’t go anywhere without seeing a T-shirt referencing Edward’s Greek-statuesque good looks, a girl toting…no more like clutching dearly to her chest, a Twilight book, or see a show that has surfaced as a result of vampire-mania. 

I’ll admit though, True Blood on HBO is pretty good. Sure, it follows the vampire story formula, with the human girl in love with the the protective and trying-to-be-good vampire man, surrounded by a disapproving society. But I do like Anna Paquin and I am an uber-geek who loves the idea of parallel realities. And this story takes place in a parallel reality, much like ours, but where vampires have come out of hiding behind legend and myth, to “mainstream” (or live openly with humans in society), with the assistance of a lab-created blood that sustains their nutritional needs. Of course the Japanese created this synthetic blood. It’s merchandised and sold as ‘True Blood’.

So I figure we will have to deal with this vampire craze for at least another two years. That’s enough time for two more Twilight movies to come out and be ripped apart by the critics (and maybe after the youth of America realizes Edward and Bella are hitched, they will move on to bigger and better things).

In the meantime, sit back, and enjoy poking fun….at confused vampire-obsessed kids and at the clever parodies shows like South Park have come up with.

Mar 25. 0 Notes.

Notes