Time have just published an article informing us that ‘The Vampire Craze in Popular Culture Isn’t Dead Yet’. The article suggests that the growing popularity of zombies (and may I also include werewolves, witches and fairies here) has not entirely destroyed the interest in vampires. Indeed it proposes that zombies and vampires are in some ways two sides of the same coin. Personally, I can’t see why we can’t have equal opportunity popularity of monsters but I suspect people always want to make a hierarchy or create division in the ranks (hence, ‘Team Edward’ versus ‘Team Jacob’). The author also makes a nod to the vampire in academia which made me smile.
So, are vampires still popular? Well, I’d say that you need look no further than the fact that Starbucks has released the Frapulla Frappucinno in time for Halloween, a blood drenched concoction that will probably kill you through sugar-content alone. I can only assume that Starbucks are naively unaware of the connection between vampires and capitalism unless this is a veiled comment on their recent tax avoidance. Perhaps they see themselves as the next evolution in vampiric Marxist narratives: the fearful tale of a blood-sucking multinational conglomerate that makes Count Dracula’s attempts to take over Britain seem tame …