Portrayal of Vampires in Cult Television, how they have changed and Essay

Portrayal of Vampires in Cult Television, how they have changed and why - Essay Example People have instilled in themselves a sense of dread and terror because of the idea of a vampire. They have believed that these creatures should not be allowed to live. Most legends suggest killings of vampires to eradicate them from the face of the planet, because they ‘do not belong’. However, in the 21st century, today, people have come to terms with the fact that vampires do not exist (Sklar, Rachel). Most people do not believe in the supernatural and idea of immortality in this day and age of fast communication, information and technology. Even then, the idea of maybe having such creatures around and existing excites a vast amount of the population of the world. As seen with time, the most form of popular entertainment has usually been in the form of fiction or letting people think about what ‘might’ exist. Thus, much the same way, vampires have been popularized today through television, books and movies. This is because people crave for an understandin g of things that have not yet been explained by scientists or do not have reason. Staying alive eternally, having super powers to carry out tasks etc are things that human beings get thrilled with because they are not able to do so. It is because of an endless thirst of curiosity that people want to know more and more and try and delve into the unknown. It is because of the same reason that today, people are eager to know about vampires and whether or not they do exist in real life. People often wonder, ‘what if there is a vampire amongst me and all the people I do interact with?’ Scary and exciting as it may be, all this has led to the creation of very popular vampire cult television; series that depict forms of vampires, interacting with normal human beings on a daily basis, doing everything they do - and a little more. From Bram Stoker’s Dracula to Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight, these immortal beings have been reflected over the years with dramatic changes in their characteristics and surroundings. In television most of the current â€Å"Vampire Series† have achieved a â€Å"cult† status. The word â€Å"cult† depicts a religious group that is devoted to, or even obsessive about what they believe in. The term â€Å"Cult Television† is somewhat close to this. It is a term gained for a show that has an obsessive or even extreme following; a show that might not have been appreciated when it was first broadcast and is a step away from the mainstream. â€Å"There is no single quality that characterizes a cult text; rather, cult texts are defined through a process in which shows are positioned in opposition to the mainstream† (Jancovich, Hunt 2004). Since 2008 there has been a different type of vampire on our screens, this is evident through the emergence of television series such as True Blood, Vampire Diaries, Being Human etc. Many of the shows have a â€Å"cult† following or are of â€Å"cultâ⠂¬  status. In this dissertation I will be considering why vampires have received an increase in popularity with audiences and whether or