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Hollywood has increased the vision of the vampire throughout the last few decades, and has given our culture a spotlight in the media. No matter how negative or wrong they are about us, no matter how much they say we will explode in the sun or can be killed by a stake through the heart. (Anyone would be killed with a stake going into there heart)

Where would our culture be without this spotlight? I'm willing to suggest that there would be a lot less Vampire blamed murders, lot less role playing, and there would simply be a lot less of us.

Please share with me what you think of this.
-vv-

I think there would definately be a lot less posers. But I don't think without the popularity of the vampiric sub-culture, we would not have a fine place of gathering like the VR here. We would still be in the coffin so to speak. Not freely expressing ourselves here and out in the real world.

I agree, you know i am glad in a way we have the spotlight, and in a way i am not. I think we need to be open and out about who we are, because if we aren't, the anxiety builds and builds until detonation. On the otherhand, people can openly mock and ridicule us for the way we are and for what we believe, and another thing, we can't fly, cant send fire to burn someone, etc etc etc,

-vv-

I am just here to meet people and place to put my poems. I think vampires are cool and everything do I think there real yes and no. People who drink blood yes people who have realy cool powers no but I wish. Would I be a vampire yes. I would want all these cool powers all so. I am just here for the ride and will keep doing my poems just being my self about it.

Cool, thanks for the post! The powers thing is stupid, yes, some of us have psychic abilities, but nothing as extreme as in the books.

Vampirism has evolved just how society has evolved. We are no more tolerated by society than the cultural beariers have allowed in past cultures. They fear what they do not understand.

Hollywood definitly helped on creating the whole vampire frenzy , because its a fashionable thing now.

I would say, even though it has given us much-needed avenues through which to communicate with one another as well as provide the idea for creating I site like VR, the exposure has increased the popularity of a fictional concept, overall (I think) hurting the real culture, so to speak. Nowadays, there are so many people calling themselves vampires, whether they're lifestylers, actual psys/sangs, or simply delusional that it becomes difficult to differentiate between those who are/aren't actually vampires (psy/sang, of course), and similarly between those who do/don't know what they're talking about. It's hard to see, at least at first glance, who's telling the truth, and it becomes harder still for someone in need of guidance to actually find it without wasting a lot of time and potentially getting so confused that they're left with no direction or understanding whatsoever!

I could careless to be honest what the outside world thinks of us and our culture, none of it has ever or will ever effect my well being. I am who I am, and exist as such regardless of the medias view of me or my culture.

I agree on that as well. Most people who love this type of lifestyle and are a prt of this culture were as such before Hollywood made it such a frenzy.

Even when the Vampire frenzy gets replaced by something else in Hollywood (and I am sure that it will be replaced eventually), we will still be living our lives as we choose :)

I think its a double edged sword of sorts. Yes, the world is vampire crazy with movie after movie/ show after show, within the past few months. This allows for the entertainment value for mundanes as well as us.

But then, like stated earlier it leaves a way for the "crazies" to have an excuse for the dumb sh@t that they do. Media isnt about trying to fish out fact from fiction. Unfourtunately we are all clumped together, RPGers, dellusionals, real vampyres etc. As long as someone is coming to them as a vampire, they will accept it as their facts and run with it.

But if there wasnt a type of acceptance by the media, there wouldnt be places like this...I do agree with that.

Probably there would be less vampirism in society, without the hightened movie craze, yet alot of written text is still out there to pump up the vampire society, and as someone stated above the crazies would still be looking for a path for psycological excuses to blame them on. I think before movies the written language of books taunted my mind in the vampirism lore and other night creatures. Vr has given some insight of this and the forums. there would still be places out there, probably fewer that dwell in vampiric society.

between shows like Buffy and Angel and movies like Dracula and interview with the vampire being attracted to vampirism has become more popular, which is a good thing as it as allowed sites such as this one to be created and flourish

I am speaking in reference to it's direct effect on us as a culture. Not the effect it has on itself. The web is a form of media so that includes websites. So that's why I didn't speak in terms of it's effect on website longevity. If you're speaking of it's direct effect on us as an actual culture. On how we live day to day and exist as vampires, I'd say the media and the spin it spats out about us, has zero effect. It would like to believe it has a whole helluva lot more influence than it actually does. Ofcourse it does have a little, just not as much as it would often times have us believe.

less posers for sure, and our culture i think would be more known

because everyone thinks that vampires are fake because of hollywood so if there wasnt hollywoods vampire and then true vampire would be the only ones so there wouldnt be as much skepticism because there wouldnt be any posers

think i worded it right...???

i do not believe i worded mine right hmm let me think...

oh okay i have it here there wouldnt be a base for us so people would be less skeptic because when people think vampire they think hollywood underworld dracula but if that didn't exsist and wasn't fiction it would just be the truth nothing to say the real thing is copying off of

Even without Hollywood there would still be books, which is where Hollywood gets it's ideas from. Hollywood just reaches a larger market. Without Hollywood there would be less acceptance, less awareness of vampires, less posers and less vampires. I would say though that proportionately the number would stay in the same relative percentages other than the acceptance. Hollywood desensitizes people therefore allowing more acceptance. If you doubt that Hollywood desensitizes people just look at how movies and TV have changed. When movies started you couldn't show a woman's ankle without people raising a fuss. Now they've had full frontal nudity on prime time TV. I will grant you that in some ways it has also damaged the community because the only information some people have about vampires is from Hollywood. It would be the same though without Hollywood because people are more likely to read a fictional work than a non-fictional book especially one they might learn something from. The majority of people use Hollywood and books as a way to escape reality. The problem is some people can't tell the difference. It's that small percentage that causes problems for everyone.

withoutthe spotlight,vampirism would be less known but on the good side vampirism would be taken more seriously by other cultures,hollywood has mad a mockery of vampires is how i see it,of course there are some good shows they put out but very different from real life modern day vampires.

The main issue here is being able to differentiate in the various types of vampires that there are, and when people make reference to them, they should make a point to emphasize what kind of vampire they are referring to.

Not all people are as educated as we are in the many kinds of vampires, i.e., Fictional Vampires from Vampire Lore (to explain medical conditions and the death process) and Roleplaying, versus the "human" Vampires.

If one is intelligent (and interested) enough, I am sure that they are able to distiguish, and sepaate, fictional vampires from their "human" counterparts who practice vampirism as a lifestyle or religion. I have read all types of vampire lore and do roleplay, yet I do not consider vampires of this genre having to do anything with "human" vampires--other than opening the doors of interest and, perhaps, influencing some (boths posers and those into vampirism) to incorporate the romanticism, and Vicorian/Gothic period style into their dress, mannerisms, and surroundings.

There are those out there who are not knowing about Vampirism (as a lifetyle or religion) and will always believe the only vampires are the "undead" and evil type that they read about in books or see in the movies; however, lack of knowledge, misunderstanding and prejudice is not only limited to the world of vampires. People, in general, are known to place blame on what they fear and do not understand.

It is great that there are those who see 'vampirism' as more than just the mindless fluff of TV and film; it's good to have somewhere to go - like VR, and research libraries - to have an intelligent dialog and get viable information.
This is a great thread, by the way.

Without Hollywood, people would actually have to read books to learn enough about vampires to pretend to be one.

i agree that hollywood has giving us the spotlight but a negative one people will always believe that vampires are undead or evil and it attracts posers and delusions of immortalit,the only good part it is places like this
i myself think we should take a leaf out of the black veil and not draw unwanted or negative attention

the spotlight may be negative but it allows those that knew they were different but didnt understand how or why to understand themselves.
not that i would be "out of the coffin" even if hollywood didnt demonize vampires.

it just goes to show you that being in the spotlight is not always a good thing,especially if it is unwanted or negative attention which is in most cases the majority of the spotlight on vampires.

I think Vampires would be better off in some ways but not in all ways. I mean if there wernt the TV ways or books then most people would not have heard of you. I for one am glad to know of you.

Since vampires don't exist, the spotlight wouldn't effect anything.

All it would do is cause more interest in a different fictional creature.

we always getting negative and unwanted attention one way or the other whether its hollywood or the old folklore tales they both demonize us,i was in a vampire chatroom once and a 13 year old kid asked to be bitten and turned immortal,thats the kind attention we don't want
everyone always sees the stereotype.

If not for Hollywood Vampires would still be just scary bed time stories told to children to make them behave. Hollywood has made the Vampire a romantic thing and in doing that has brought into the main stream. Simple as that.

maybe,but they are still wrong and gives us a look some of us don't want.
and also some who are open about it and tell people are then ridiculed.
personally i think the spotlight is a double edged sword,the plus is places like here and a lot other social groups.but then there is unwanted attention from all sorts of people who only sees vampires as the ones in the movies or books

Many deny the existance of vampires, however, they cannot say so with certainty. Thus, they fear the shadows of their doubt. Many things exists that we pray does not exist, yet it does not change it's existance. Vampirism has existed throughout the pages of time and is repeatively mentioned in the bible and other text. Vampirism has evolved as society association with it's history has been divulged.

In our current state, media will always help to bring attention to any intrinsic group.

It is the onus of this group to direct those who seek it into a correct understanding. Mentoring is the duty of any such group.

This is one reason I've come to VR.

I think vampires would be scary stories people tell other people and stories you read.... I do believe some other myth would be more popular and exploited.

I don't hollywood has made much of a difference apart make the culture more accessible to the masses. There have always been who do things to fit in or try keep/prove things are real.

In complete honesty if it wasn't for F.W Marnau's 1927 german film "Nosferatu" vampires would NOT beas widely known as they are now. And the trend wouldn't even exist. Reason being that films is responsible for the spawning of literally 1000's of books and movies. Ann Rice wouldn't ave even published a book if it wasn't for that film, Bram Stoker (ETC)

That's why I love TRUE BLOOD on HBO.
It makes vampires look more real. All the Hollywood BS is not in it. Its regular life amongst vampires. And I think is so cool. It's an awesome show and its making vampires look better than ever, and more "human" too.

Yes I would have to say Trueblood hs put a new spin on things for a change .

i personally dont like the spotlight to much, i think without the Hollywood image we might be more accepted by every one else, since they wouldn't have these notions that we are some sort of fairy tale work.... blood-drinking cults/spirituality/religions have existed throughout the world, a good example is meso america. a whole society based on the life force which was contained in blood. when cortez came they first thought he was a god and offered him blood to drink..

also Hawaiians would compete for manna, killing one warrior you would take his manna, very similar to psi vamps... so ya the word "vampire" is western but vampirism has existed through out the world since the beginning.. theres even evidence of cave men drinking bone marrow of the dead for the belief that they would gain spiritual powers (blood is made) you may call it what you want but it all sounds vampric to me