Matters of Perspective

The case for the modern day vampire.

I never intended for this to be a response essay. In fact, I've thought many times about writing an essay on the appeal of vampires for quite a while now. However, since

The Brothers Krynn

article beat me to it, here we are. I'm not going to argue his points (well, not much), I believe he makes a very good argument (as he usually does). Though, since most of the modern day vampire's popularity is due to women (I say most, not all), I'd like to offer a woman's point of view.

It's something that has been near and dear to me, an obsession I’ve had going on at least twenty years now (ugh, why is that so hard to say?). Vampires. They both fascinate and terrify me, which is honestly part of the appeal. And, at least for women like me, I think I've cracked the code as to why.

In his article (you can find it here),

The Brothers Krynn

brings up the point that vampires, being the undead, are essentially corpses and, therefore, feeling attracted to them amounts to necrophilia. While he's not entirely wrong, I would argue it's not quite the same. If women were attracted to them due to the fact they were dead, sure. But they aren't. Otherwise, there would be far more people attracted to various other undead creatures such as zombies and mummies. Speaking as a former Twilight nerd (yes, I was one of those women), I can tell you that is simply not the case. So, if it isn't the death aspect, what does make the modern day vampire so attractive? In short, they're the original bad boys. That's it. Now, it does lead into the next question, what is it about those bad boys?

Funny enough, this actually ties in to more recent conversations about the state of masculinity especially in literature and entertainment. I won't delve into it too much here, because, for one, I've already brought up the subject in a previous essay (you can read that here). And, also, it's a subject that has been thoroughly covered by many a writer here on Substack already (including

The Brothers Krynn

, and I highly recommend you check out his articles on such). But, for the past several years, there has been talk (especially around the entertainment industry) about the “toxic masculinity” of the alpha male. Say what you like about the alpha male in general, I personally like the alpha male characters, but that's me.

Regardless, there is an innate instinct for women to be physically attracted to alpha male types. And it harkens back to basic biology. On average, women tend to be smaller and physically weaker than men, which makes us more vulnerable to attack. That’s where, generally, the role of the alpha male becomes apparent. The alpha male is our protector, our provider. You see this among many animal species as well. It's fundamental. And whether we like it or not, it's an important factor in mating and physical attraction. Subconsciously, we are attracted to those that we believe may fill that role well.

So what makes the alpha male so attractive? I’m glad you asked (well, if you didn’t, I’m going to tell you anyway). Physical fitness certainly plays a part. Ever wonder why many women like men who are physically fit? Why women writers (especially with romance) talk about toned muscles and great physique? It’s not just the brute strength, but it says something about how well you take care of yourself, ergo, how well you may take care of me.

But strength isn't the only factor. It also comes down to confidence. There’s a certain level of confidence and bravado that comes with being the “bad boy.” Generally it's someone who doesn't just follow the crowd. They're far more skeptical about taking someone's word for it. And they tend to be more independent. It’s the rogue personality, the “I’m going to make my own way regardless of how someone else may feel about it” type. And yes, the danger aspect does have a role as well. Danger often repels danger. Make yourself enough of a threat, people tend to leave you alone. Hence why it's never wise to “poke the bear” so to speak. Again that emphasizes the amount of potential protection one can provide.

Now, none of this is to make the case for bad boys vs. good guys. In fact, I would argue, it depends on your definition. In many ways, you could say Batman is a bad boy. He's a vigilante, he rebukes authority, taking matters into his own hands. Does that make him a villain? Again, it depends on your definition. And while “bad boys” are appealing for the reasons I've stated above, that does not mean they (or any men) get a free pass when it comes to abuse. That is always unacceptable.

The good man comes from the heart, so it is possible to have these bad boy traits and be a good man (I married one). But the attraction to the modern day vampire (and I emphasize modern day for a reason, this does not extend to Bram Stoker’s version) is purely physical. And you could argue it’s a consequence of what modern day society has done to the alpha male in general. He used to be the good guy. Nowadays, Hollywood especially has decided the alpha male is just too dominant and, therefore, taken some of the oomph out of his appeal. So, where does biology send us women? To the only characters left who stand a chance at protecting us.

So, there you have it. The case for the modern day vampire from a woman's point of view. It's one of those great mysteries that we'll probably never unravel completely and, therefore, never hear the end of. And while my Twilight fandom days are long over, I will always have a fascination for the stories and lore surrounding vampires, modern and historic.

Challenge: Open discussion time! What are your thoughts on the subject? Do you agree? Disagree? Let me know in the comments below.

Song: “You Look So Fine” - Garbage

A big shout out this week to another great article written by

The Brothers Krynn

! If you haven't subscribed the his page, you should. Go check his article and many others on his page here.

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