Let’s Move On, Folks! 5
I have never been a fan of the bandwagon. In fact, instead of being tempted to jump on it I usually have this insane urge to do quite the opposite. Or at least the unexpected.
The latest craze that’s making me shudder is this new obsession with, vampires and werewolves and all things supernatural.
It’s all well and good, I mean I think it’s interesting that Hollywood’s classic monster flicks all came grouped during bad times too, but really! Movies back then knew they were these insane parodies. That’s what made them so awesome.
Movies now though… they’re all taking that “finding the humanity in a monster approach”. Which makes for some really interesting backstories (I do love me some character development), but at the same time I am SO TIRED of watching what feels like the same story. Monster (guy of course, could be ugly outside or just tormented inside) with a tortured life, falls in love with the beautiful woman (has to be beautiful. women don’t play monsters!) and she brings out the softer side of him, and together they battle the world’s hatred and intolerance until they come out on top.
It’s cute, but it’s trite.
I can see why we’re so fascinated by the idea of human characters with superhuman or supernatural abilities. I mean ancient peoples had gods that worked almost exactly the same way. Characters with the most amazing powers that lived apart from humans, but mingled their lives and stories with them. I don’t think a summer blockbuster involving the X-Men is too far off from the Ancient Greeks and their gods.
So I will be the first to admit I’m a sucker for the idea. I love science-fiction, fantasy, mythology, and yes graphic novels too. I’m a total sucker for this concept.
So yes, people love vampires because they’re “monsters” and supernatural but still look like super sexy humans. Idealized humans even. Best of both worlds right? But while I remember falling in love with the vampire concept reading Anne Rice back in the day (I really loved the idea of ridiculously old vampires being unable to watch civilization after civilization move forward without them), I am so utterly tired of the concept now. And yes, I do blame a lot of that on Twilight. There’s always something a little kitsch about the whole “I vant to suck your BLOOD!” thing, but having hordes of screaming teenage fangirls latch onto the idea brings that whole bandwagon idea back to the forefront.
I know if you are a fangirl (or a closet fangirl) them’s fightin’ words 
but to be honest I have nothing against people enjoying the series. It’s just not for me.
In fact I will be the first to admit, sometimes if you get sucked into a series, even if you KNOW it’s terrible you can’t help yourself. I think I felt that way reading the Sookie Stackhouse series (True Blood for those who know HBO). The writing was not on par, and I’m not sure I’d agree with anyone who said otherwise, but I don’t think that was the selling point for me. I just… got to know the characters, and the marginal cost (ha, econ) of each additional book wasn’t that great once I started.
So I AM watching True Blood, and feeling a little dirty everytime someone points out the Twilight comparison. There just isn’t room for both in my head. And I’m sorry, but the sparkly vampires lost out to well… Eric Northman;)
Eric Northman? He's kind of easy on the eyes. And a bad boy... Damn I'm too easily sold...
So I do need it to go away for a while. So that things I love can stop being associated with that damned bandwagon in my head.
When it comes to the Harry Potters seriesI feel a lot like you do about the Sookie Stackhouse series. The writing in the Harry Potter books was not great by any standard, but it was easy to read, and easy to get into. But I can’t see myself reading it again, or bring myself to be interested enough to watch the movies. I tried the theory out with Twilight — that it may not be great, and it will be cliched, but it might be easy to absorb. But alas, I was disappointed!
It’s true, the Harry Potter series did kind of fall into the same category for me. I never fully got on the Harry Potter bandwagon (I didn’t mention it because I know a LOT of people that still love it, even though it was a good example), but I did have a lot of friends that did. Which worked out fine, because I fully support silly fangirling
I’m great like that. But I just draw the line at someone trying to convince me it’s a great work of fiction. Great for popculture, not necessarily the literary world.
I watched the entire first season of True Blood in the last two days because someone told me to watch it and that’s what I do – binge watch. To be honest, I wasn’t impressed. Not even because of the Twilight stigma, but I just don’t like the actors/actresses in it. Especially the girl, she annoys the shit out of me. As does everyone’s accent and hillbilly lifestyle. Yeah, I’m prejudiced.
Lmao, I’m pretty good at discerning whether a show is worth really fanning over, or pushing my friends into. True Blood wasn’t really one of them (although quite a few of my friends do watch it). The truth is that I watched it as a general HBO fan. I normally like their series, and I like that when it comes to their shows the writing is always up there as a major priority. I especially like that they tend to END series properly instead of dropping it like network television normally does.
And yes, the main characters both Sookie and Bill do tend to annoy the hell out of me at times. But I do love the supporting characters, and at this point I’m invested in all the characters, and will likely continue watching it.
Dear Lord do I ever agree – lol this is the one I wanted to comment on even though I could very easily tell you myself. In any case, I am so over the vampire phenomenon *rolls eyes* they’re everywhere and sparkling at me and I simply cannot handle this.
And yes, while Harry Potter continues to be one of the joys of my life I know it’s not literature in any sense – just a strange convolution in the time/space continuum in which wizards in Scotland struck a hidden yearning in the hearts of millions of readers. Similar to Twilight. Except Twilight sucks. *facepalm* Bad pun, apologies.