Bunnies and Bloodlust: The Count on Sesame St. Never had It this Good

Everywhere I go, all I ever hear about are vampires. It’s gotten so bad that I’ve begun to wear garlic and believe in Jesus. No doubt about it, our popular perception of the vampire has become so culturally saturated that you’re now just as likely to see vampires depicted in non-horror genres over portrayals playing out the old Bella Lugosi model of yester-year. Most recently, the second season debut of True Blood aired on HBO, which has resulted in a mania of fanged-fan-fervor that can only be matched by the bloodlust caused by the Twilight franchise. Fittingly, perhaps the most underrated movie from last year was Let the Right One In, a contemporary vampire parable that combines two of the most frightening features of modern horror: children and the undead.

So why is it that we’re so drawn to vampire stories? Of course, it goes without saying that our modern-day incantations of the vampire owe a big debt of gratitude to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. For seven seasons Buffy’s producers revitalized the idea of the vampire and gave it human qualities that resonated with younger, more demanding audiences. Now the Buffy tweens have all grown up – they want more vampires – and perhaps their adult sensibilities are reshaping who vampires are becoming and how they are behaving. There has always been a strong link between vampires and the exotic/erotic. Nonetheless, the sexual overtones, tensions, plot points depicted in Twilight and True Blood are indicative of how audiences fantasize their “macabre” (or perhaps just experimental) impulses in the comfort of more recognizable settings (Sunnydale and Bon Temps as opposed to Transylvania). Because vampires are so abject, having qualities that are both familiar yet unusual (though desirable), contemporary vampire motifs provide a means to fantasize about such sexual transgressions, the carnal taking/possession of another person’s soul/essence, or the tainting of innocence. This scene from Paris, je t’aime starring Elijah Wood demonstrates the idea compactly. Notice how quickly his terror turns to seduction and lust. Even in Nosferatu, F. W. Murnau’s 1922 classic, evil can only be defeated through the vampire’s rape/murder of the sacrificed female protagonist.

Finally, we here at HTM would like to feature a vampire story that has left an indelible mark on the genre as well as my personal happiness. James Howe first published his story about a vampire bunny that sucked the juice out of vegetables in 1979. Bunnicula ended up spawning six other books, including the harrowing epic Celery Stalks at Midnight.

For more info regarding the impact horror films have had on popular culture check out

Kendall Phillip's Projected Fears.