I'm sure most of you have noticed the recent popularization of Vampires in books and movies geared towards Teenagers. Is this a benign fad, or part of media manipulating campaign. If it's the latter, why would those who control the media want teenagers interested in vampires or vampirism?

[edit on 14-10-2009 by Amelie]

Immortal. Fast. Attractive. Powerful. Confident.
Like to nibble your neck.

You really need the attraction explained?

I'm sure most of you have noticed that every year around Halloween, Vampires become popular. I'm sure the rest of you have noticed when an author/director releases a good film/book, there are many knock offs of it created over the next few months.

I'm not sure - vampires are solitary, distant and anti social.

If I were to guess - it is those attributes that are likely to be the target of the vampire fad (I wasn't aware there was one, I don't watch TV).

If youth relate to the vampire mythology and emulate it - they will be less likely to be involved in groups, or protests etc - perhaps?

It's just like the computer games of nowadays. Be the brave great bad ass, rule the world. Back in the past the computer games had excellent good characters. Now they're starting to use bad evil characters, where you can kill without any punishment.

I don't think it is benign at all. If you are a believer in hybrids or an alien presence then you could take it one step further. What if TPTB are preparing the next generation of adults for disclosure.

Ed the vampire could just as easily be Hal the hybrid or Al the alien.

Their is always something being aimed at youth to make them rebel, act out against society and their parents and even their peers, just to give TPTB an excuse to increase police presence, curfews, laws, and whatever else they see fit.
Make the kids, distant, depressed, violent, even suicidal...
Create problem, create solution...la te da.

I think it is a couple of things - firstly, it is a moneymaker.

Folks are trying to dovetail on the success of Twilight.

Secondly, there's been a big wave of paranormal backlash, which I predicted in 2000 was coming.

I've been studying the occult most of my life and I am now in my 40's. Everytime society lurches to the religious and fundamental, there will come an occult interest revival. It's just a reaction.

Don't miss the big picture - Ghost hunting is also on the upswing, even with teens. IE Ghost Huntress books.

There's Intertwined as well. The stuff is selling well. A new genre is getting really big - that of paranormal romance. That's what these novels and the likes of Vampire Diaries, Twilight, Moonlight... have in common.

It is not new. We've seen it before. Remember the teen girls running home from school to watch DARK SHADOWS? (I think Vampire Diaries had some inspiration there...)

Could some of that be from teen boys withdrawing into fantasy and video games, and teen girls looking for the perfectly attentive, handsome guy that seems interested in them? And these days, they think a guy like that would HAVE to be supernatural? lol

I'm generalizing, but teenage boys that I know seem to mainly want a girl that will sit and watch them play videogames.

Vampires have always been around. I remember when Buffy was popular it was all over the place. Its nothing new IMO. Vampires are considered irresistible, immortal and have amazing abilities like speed, fast healing and others.....great marketing tools in other words. I have been a vampire fan since....well for as long as I can remember. I love Anne Rice's vamps along with Bram Stoker's, great authors!

I don't know, but it's getting annoying. Vampires have never been one of my favorite paranormal beasties. I'd even prefer mummies.

Zombies and werewolves are where it's at, on the conventional side. Not to say that there's a drought of zombie movies recently, but the more the merrier.

Though come to think of it, I can't recall any regular zombie TV shows, just movies.