Sunday, January 4, 2009

Hold the garlic -- I'm in love with a vampire

I think this Staten Island paper is just trying to figure out the allure ...they might try reading some of the books, watching some of the shows and movies, just an idea...

Blood-sucking monsters of today are seen as romantic and cool

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- While vampires have historically been seen as blood-sucking monsters, today they are increasingly seen as romantic -- even cool.

"Vampires, to me, are a wonderful mix between horror and fantasy," said Kelly Reebe, a senior at St. Joseph Hill Academy. "The concept of creatures of night and darkness, along with having sharpened senses, makes them completely interesting. Then, obviously, the fact that they are created to be alluring, and perfect in their appearances, only makes them more appealing Vampires can be found in various areas of pop culture -- from movies, to TV shows, to books.

Consider Edward Cullen of the "Twilight" series, written by Stephenie Meyer. This vampire is a high-school heart-throb, with bronze-brown hair and golden eyes.

"The 'Twilight' books are written so well, and they have a bit of everything a teen would look for in a book -- which is why the series is amazingly popular," said Colleen Muray, an assistant manager at the Borders store in the Staten Island Mall.

And "Twilight" is not the only popular book to focus on vampires. For example, "Vampire Academy," written by Richelle Mead, and "Night's Kiss," written by Amanda Ashley, are also read by many teens.

Vampires also make appearances in TV shows, such as: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1997); "Angel" (1999), a spin-off of "Buffy"; "Forever Knight" (1989); "Moonlight" (2007), and the new HBO series, "True Blood."

Mangas like "Vampire Knight" and "Vampire Kisses" are also casting vampires as non-evil creatures, dating and even protecting the human race from "evil" vampires.

Today's vampires even have their own fashion -- and it doesn't involve someone going around in a black cape!

The fashion is more a mix of gothic and old Victorian style. Included are accessories such as chains, choke collars, and anything with skulls on it. Some teens also get custom-made fangs or their eyeteeth sharpened to look more like vampires.

Rae'Ann Gifford, a junior at Port Richmond High School, said she finds the vampire fashion elegant.

"It represents me and what I like," she explained. "Vampire fashion is also a preserved gothic style .... It's like something old but modified to this day and age. Yet somehow my grandmother doesn't like it."

And there are even vampire fan clubs. Many vampire-lovers visit such Web sites as www.vampirefreaks.com, which includes a chat room, music reviews and more.

Tiffany Rizzi, a sophomore at St. John Villa Academy, said she believes vampires aren't killing monsters.

"As in any tale, there's another side of a story," she said. "A different perspective can lead to the reconsideration of such opinions. Especially because, they're still people at heart."

http://www.silive.com/teens/advance/index.ssf?/base/living/1231080337245710.xml&coll=1

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