Perspectives on the Vamp Craze in Pop Culture: Halloween

So tonight was Halloween. Amazingly, I had only one classic vampire ring my door bell ala Bela Lugosi or perhaps Frank Langella from the 1979 remake of Dracula. One mummy, a vacuum cleaner salesman, Guns N Roses rocker Slash, a couple of smurfs, a skeleton, a gorilla, a football player, several cheerleaders, four girls who called their costumes "Divas", a policeman, a fireman, a nurse, a gangster, a dog,  a doctor--very few were fictional  characters, let alone classic monsters. Amazed, I realized that the children trick -or-treating tonight are NOT part of the vampire craze; they are the next generation, a generation who seems to have a much more realistic focus...at least, for now.

It's well known that the tween-teen audience drives pop culture; USA Weekend published an article featuring Miley Cyrus early last fall saying much the same. Most of the children who rang my doorbell tonight were anywhere from 2-12, most were between 6-10. I had approximately 45 or so kids show up for the treats and thankfully, I suffered no tricks. Six bags of candy later, with less than one bag remaining, I began to wonder why there were no Bellas, no Edwards, no Jacobs. Is Twilight losing its foothold like its predecessor, Harry Potter? Is that why Chris Weitz (who's brother Paul directed the recent release, Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant), insisted on continuous shooting for the Twilight saga, knowing that all good  things must come to an end, and Twilight, though about the pursuit of immortality, finds itself mortal after all?

Though there's still no date for Breaking Dawn, as decisions are made about splitting the book into two films, Eclipse already has a release date set for spring 2010. The Harry Potter film franchise rolls on but there is a decidedly less-excited audience for the films than when the wizard-craze first hit the States. Of course, Harry Potter had seven books while Meyer's saga is only four. But still, it is remarkable how quickly this literary phenom is burning out. Though perhaps it's less remarkable than I imagine, given the inconsustency in Meyer's writing in the first book, and the overall disappointment with what happens in the last book. What I saw tonight reflected in the  children dressed up for Halloween, was that all the hype about Twilight, including the newly devised Twi-Con in the spirit of Comicon, is really just that--hype. One of my very good colleagues anfd friends recently said, "It is the time of the vampire..." and I don't doubt it with Twilight, True Blood, Vampire Diaries, The Vampire's Assistant, and a number of other new releases coming out in 2010 that have to do with the supernatural. But ultimately, we're seeing the results of work that started several years ago. Essentially, the time of the vampire is almost over. After all the buzz dies down and the dust settles, what will be left of the vampire-craze? Will vampires still be the reigning kings and queens of pop culture? Or, will the next new thing, already in process, render vamps toothless?

What always seems to drive storylines is a relatable hero. Among the costumed kiddies were several Super Girls and one young lady dressed as Bat Girl. While comic book superheroes have been enjoying the limelight since 9/11, geared for mostly male audiences, is it possible that a resurrgence is headed our way, and the young ladies portraying the female superheroes are the prophets of the next new thing in pop culture? I hope so. It would be refreshing to see female superheroes like the ones in Singer's X-Men, strong and independent, instead of the patriarchal pigeon-holing in examples like Catwoman and Elektra, where one saves the world from face cream (pathetic), the the other, becoming lost and disillusioned (disheartening to those who want to be strong and independent)--both left audiences feeling like female superheo flicks were not the ticket to relatable empowerment-escapism. Sad (because I love Halle Berry and Jennifer Garner--you go , Girls!), but still true. However, in the gold lame of Super Girl's cape, I saw a glint of the future, and the future is bright indeed with shades of  independence and strength that willusher in the time of the girl-hero.

On that note, I bid you a hopeful good night...well, good morning at this point. Though Meyer refuses to finish Midnight Sun, it still rises for me!

Until the next time--take care,

Rebecca