things are getting desperate when all the boys can't be men
Nicole and I were talking about Twilight again, where she described many things about the series in detail and I explained why exactly they showed the foundation of real life abusive relationships. At some point, she realized that the relationship shown in the books was completely unhealthy and abusive, but she still likes it anyway- which is her teen-speak way of saying: "I acknowledge why this is bad and unhealthy when placed in the real world, but I will continue to enjoy this as a fantasy." Also, she was surprised to learn how very little of Stephanie Meyer's book series was in any way original at all. Then she tried the argument 'I don't care if writers steal from other writers, because there are no original concepts anyway,' to which I listed a nice selection of horror/urban fantasy authors that had done things with the genre that others hadn't done before (and tried to duplicate.) I will have to agree that there's very little originality in fad vampire fiction today, though. It all seems to be built on the same stupid blueprint.
I am very, very tired of sexy vampires. Not vampires who just happen to be sexy but retain their monstrousity, but diet vampires who are put out there to fulfill the female, bodice-ripper wet dream. And I realize that this is just my opinion, but it's the reason I just can't get into vampire lit. It's like reading a lot of shojo manga, and all the vampires are the sparkly bishonen with a bad past. I read it and think to myself: "Heeeeey, I've seen this formula before! Only without vampires. Sometimes." My favorite recent vampire character is Alucard, from Hellsing. He's played with a lot of sexual overtones, yes, because vampires and sexuality go hand in hand, but he's still terrifying, violent, and clearly a monster. They show him with threads of humanity at the same time and make him sympathetic, while still showing him as having gone past the point of humanity.
They give him some element of romance with Integra, while at the same time twisting it horribly and giving it all these lovely, dark, bloody undertones. And what really makes that relationship for me is that Integra has the control. She's not being swept away in the tide of Alucard's assholery, she stands on her own and demands and commands. And what's more, he respects her entirely. Alucard wouldn't be able to pull an Edward Cullen on her, because she would give him the verbal backhand of gods. This is another element of vampire/supernatural relationships that irritates me. There is typically a superpowered Alpha Asshole, and a submissive, normal EveryGirl/Woman. Every Woman is given enough of an attitude to be relatable to the 'empowered' women of today, but not enough backbone to actually, you know, stand up for herself on any important level. She is always physically weaker and magically inferior. With these two, they play out the Beauty and the Beast relationship in all its horrible, abusive glory- the man is a savage beast that must be tamed by the love of the woman. This is typically accompanied by the male imprinting in some creepy way and choosing her as his one love and stalking her in a way that I am sure is meant to be romantic. And I loathe it all. It enables abuse and violence and makes Stockholm Syndrome out to be some high expression of love. (DAMN YOU VAMPIRE/WEREWOLF ROMANCES HOW I HATE YOU.)
It's no surprise, then, that my favorite vampire/human couples involve Badass Vampire and Badass Lady (Spike/Buffy, Angel/Buffy, Integra/Alucard.)
In some way, it's a little empowering that we have cornered this literary market and made it by women and for women. But it's only empowering in about the same way it was when Palin ran for VP. Sure, it was a woman running for Vice President, but it was the woman who wanted to pass a law to make women pay for their rape kits. That being said, I'd love to renew my interest in vampires again, as it's not vampires themselves that I have a problem with. I love vampires. If you guys have any sort of vampire books that don't follow shojo manga formula, or, even better, involve no romance at all, please drop me a recommendation.
I am very, very tired of sexy vampires. Not vampires who just happen to be sexy but retain their monstrousity, but diet vampires who are put out there to fulfill the female, bodice-ripper wet dream. And I realize that this is just my opinion, but it's the reason I just can't get into vampire lit. It's like reading a lot of shojo manga, and all the vampires are the sparkly bishonen with a bad past. I read it and think to myself: "Heeeeey, I've seen this formula before! Only without vampires. Sometimes." My favorite recent vampire character is Alucard, from Hellsing. He's played with a lot of sexual overtones, yes, because vampires and sexuality go hand in hand, but he's still terrifying, violent, and clearly a monster. They show him with threads of humanity at the same time and make him sympathetic, while still showing him as having gone past the point of humanity.
They give him some element of romance with Integra, while at the same time twisting it horribly and giving it all these lovely, dark, bloody undertones. And what really makes that relationship for me is that Integra has the control. She's not being swept away in the tide of Alucard's assholery, she stands on her own and demands and commands. And what's more, he respects her entirely. Alucard wouldn't be able to pull an Edward Cullen on her, because she would give him the verbal backhand of gods. This is another element of vampire/supernatural relationships that irritates me. There is typically a superpowered Alpha Asshole, and a submissive, normal EveryGirl/Woman. Every Woman is given enough of an attitude to be relatable to the 'empowered' women of today, but not enough backbone to actually, you know, stand up for herself on any important level. She is always physically weaker and magically inferior. With these two, they play out the Beauty and the Beast relationship in all its horrible, abusive glory- the man is a savage beast that must be tamed by the love of the woman. This is typically accompanied by the male imprinting in some creepy way and choosing her as his one love and stalking her in a way that I am sure is meant to be romantic. And I loathe it all. It enables abuse and violence and makes Stockholm Syndrome out to be some high expression of love. (DAMN YOU VAMPIRE/WEREWOLF ROMANCES HOW I HATE YOU.)
It's no surprise, then, that my favorite vampire/human couples involve Badass Vampire and Badass Lady (Spike/Buffy, Angel/Buffy, Integra/Alucard.)
In some way, it's a little empowering that we have cornered this literary market and made it by women and for women. But it's only empowering in about the same way it was when Palin ran for VP. Sure, it was a woman running for Vice President, but it was the woman who wanted to pass a law to make women pay for their rape kits. That being said, I'd love to renew my interest in vampires again, as it's not vampires themselves that I have a problem with. I love vampires. If you guys have any sort of vampire books that don't follow shojo manga formula, or, even better, involve no romance at all, please drop me a recommendation.