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Point of Vampire Craze: No Sex Is Deviant Anymore

Bloodsuckers of today just want to fit in

By Nick McMaster, Newser Staff

Posted Oct 14, 2009 6:56 PM CDT

(Newser) – A cultural obsession with vampires usually coincides with changing sexuality, writes Stephen Marche. The vampire is a realized sexual other—whether an aristocratic libertine or an AIDS victim—with the human characters representing the mainstream. Usually, the normals have killed the other, but our current vampire moment is different: Whether in Twilight or True Blood, the vampires are often the most normal characters.

True Blood makes an explicit link to homosexuality, but the larger point carries for any sexuality that has been in the past considered deviant. Sexuality is being divorced from notions of “decency” because “for most Americans, there is no longer any such thing as a shameful sexual act between consenting adults,” Marche writes for Esquire.

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Stephen Moyer is shown in a scene from the HBO series "True Blood." (HBO)

In this image released by HBO, from left, Kristin Bauer, Alexander Skarsgard, and Patrick Gallagher portray vampires in "True Blood." (HBO)

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 10 comments

Thinker

Oct 15, 2009 12:14 PM CDT

Ann Rice also wrote the adult version of Sleeping Beauty, filled with BDSM and other so-called deviant sexual acts. It's quite good.

opheliaglass

Oct 15, 2009 6:41 AM CDT

Whoo! True Blood! I smiled when they talked about going to Vermont or wherever to get married. Teehee. And, vampire-lore is totally, obviously utterly full of sexual symbolism (think about it). But I don't think Twilight should count in this discussion. It's vampires for people who wouldn't like vampire stuff.

brawne

Oct 15, 2009 4:35 AM CDT

I do agree, but how funny since most of the actors directors and producers are gay--of the Twilight thing. You want to change this country and its lame ways? We should demand on mass that George Clonney come out of the closet. If we went to his movies and treated him the same way as before, he might come out. I mean who cares it he's gay? Enough people that he he thinks that he can't make the films he wants if he was an authentic human being. I mean if you like the guy are you going to make him play Rock Hudson forever?

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Point of Vampire Craze: No Sex Is Deviant Anymore