(Part 1) I like Vampires...

… but I wouldn’t want to be one!

So, as we may ALL be aware by now, Vampires are the rage these days – well, at least for those new to the genre – since its reawakening with (yes, I’m about to say it) Twilight.

But for those of us who aren't newbies. Who knew about vampires ever since reading the writings of Bram Stoker’s Dracula (age 9), Anne Rice’s The Vampire Chronicles (age 13) and seeing Buffy, The Vampire Slayer (age 17) for 8 seasons on TV - (and devouring more or less every other, even remotely vampire related material there was: Vampirella comics, Dark Shadows TV re-runs, and movies such as Once Bitten with Jim Carrey, Vampire’s Kiss with Nicolas Cage and I certainly cannot forget The Lost Boys) - Vampires are nothing new.
In fact, one good thing that the popularity of Twilight brought (back) to the genre, was rousing vamps out of the coffin and bringing them to the mainstream again, more “general public” approachable, if you will.

Hence, now, we not only have the Twilight four volume franchise being brought to film over the next few years, but there’s also: True Blood (based on Charlaine Harris’ Southern Vampire series) currently going for the jugular on HBO; The Vampire Dairies (based on the books of L. J. Smith ) set to take a bite out of The CW network in the Fall; and even rumours of (another) Buffy, the Vampire Slayer movie, as well as a potential Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter film (based on the Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton) and a Dark Shadows remake, potentially starring Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins. Of course, we must not forget the vampire Tv shows of the recent past, which were staked before their time, namely Blood Ties (based on the Blood Books by Canadian author Tanya Huff) and Moon Light.

So why then you may wonder, since being such a fan of the genre, I would make the above statement: “I like Vampires, but I wouldn’t want to be one”?

Well firstly I should mention how this sentiment came about.

(Warning True Blood spoiler alert in 3…

2…

1)

So there I was watching the second episode of this season 2 of True Blood on HBO – Lafayette, who is being kept prisoner in the basement of Fangtasia by Eric et al, tries to escape and is shot by a nervous and trigger happy bar-maid (Ginger is it?). Later on that night the vamps are awake and they’re considering what to do with him. He pleads to be let go, he doesn’t want to be put back into the basement and he doesn’t want to be killed. So what does he prose to Eric and his posse? “Make me a vampire!”

I sat there and my reaction was like: “O-kayyyy!” Simply incredulous!
Why?

Because for one, I could not imagine Lafayette as a vampire, mainly as I think he is such a vital part of the show “as human” and I cannot visualize how his character would evolve as just another vampire.

And two, immediately as he made the suggestion: “Make me a vampire!”

I thought to myself, if I were in his shoes, could I see myself requesting that?

And my resounding feeling was NO!

No matter how much I like vampires, and were they indeed real, I can’t see myself wanting to be one.

And here are a few of my reasons why.

Well for starters, I can’t imagine having to live off human blood and the thought of having to bite into flesh to get at said blood (even with fangs) is not very appealing.

Furthermore, to have to give up the sun (according to traditional vampire lore and not of these Twilight times) and hence my especially favoured season, summer (albeit I love Winter as well), I don’t think so – I feel there’s more than mere coincidence that my name (of Hindu origins, though I’m not) translates to mean “golden a/o daughter of the sun”. I love being in the Sun.

But then I got to thinking again: is it that I feel this way (liking vamps, but not wanting to be one) because I’m female?

...(continues in part 2)