'Tis the season for zombies and vampires. I'm intrigued both by the ongoing cultural fascination with the undead and by the subtle shifts in perception of what were traditionally monsters. Vampires, in particular, have made the shift from horrifying and ugly monsters to dreamy angsty pretty-boys. I find that both annoying and troubling. (More on that here.)
It seems to me that both zombies and vampires reflect different facets of our cultural struggles. Zombies are always hungry but never satisfied; they are driven by instinct; they never rest; they are, in fact, consumed by their consumption. Theirs is an ultimately frustrating existence, and I think zombies might be a graphic portrayal of our (subconscious, perhaps) frustration with societal expectations, especially with respect to work and vocation.
Vampires, on the other hand, are symbols of sensuality and hedonism. Yes, they hunger, but they fill themselves and are satisfied, at least for a time, and usually accompanied by fabulously attractive and unaging companions. According to the Wikipedia entry for Vampire, "The continuing popularity of the vampire theme has been ascribed to a combination of two factors: the representation of sexuality and the perennial dread of mortality." That's hardly a surprise given our cultural youth-addiction and the ongoing pornification of, well, everything. Vampires are deathless hedonists. Of course they're popular.
The thing to remember, though, is that both zombies and vampires are dead creatures. Whatever life they have is merely a parody of true life. This is important when considering vampires, especially given the popularity of the Twilight saga and most other current vampire fare. Vampires (and zombies) are not characters to be emulated; they are monsters to be fought. What are monsters, after all, if not personifications of the evil in our hearts? We all have zombies and vampires in our lives, if we're honest enough to admit it. The question is, will we wage war against them? Or will we give in and be ruled by the hollow promise of undeath and reject life in all its fullness?
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