Vampire mania taking over competing genres
Jenice Tupolo stood outside Regal Davis Holiday 6 on the cold night of Nov. 21, 2008. It was midnight and she had school the next day but she didn’t care. Tupolo and a group of her friends were going to see the first viewing of “Twilight”. The group got their tickets two weeks in advance and had no trouble getting in the theater early and finding seats. Tupolo had not read the novel, so she didn’t understand her friends’ excitement over a silly little vampire movie, but just minutes into the film, Tupolo caught TwiFever and caught it bad.
Tupolo, a junior at DHS, is just one of the many students hooked on the mythical world offered by the supernatural fantasy genre. Junior Yasmeen Nahal saw all three Twilight movies on opening night. “I’m not actually a huge ‘Twilight’ fan,” Nahal admitted, “but Taylor Lautner is really hot so I watch the movies anyway.”
While not a total TwiHard, Nahal’s latest obsession is the CW TV show “The Vampire Diaries”. “It’s not just a typical show about high school. I mean, they’re vampires, they’re freaking awesome!” Nahal said.
Nahal said the character Damon from “The Vampire Diaries”, played by Ian Somerhalder, is another reason she likes the show. “He’s not bad to look at,” Nahal said, a blush rising to her cheeks. “I like [the character Damon] because while he’s evil and kills people, he’s still really funny and charming.”
Ashley Tupin, while not a “Twilight” fan, still finds her supernatural thrills by reading Steven King horror novels and watching TV shows like “Smallville” and “Supernatural”. “I like [“Supernatural”] because it offers you an alternate view on life, like a ‘what if’. What if vampires, werewolves, and ghosts really did exist?” Tupin said.
Tupin and Tupolo are also avid “Harry Potter” fans. While Tupolo has her “Twilight” obsession, she made it very clear there is still room in her heart for Harry Potter and the rest of the Hogwarts gang.
Tupin’s bookshelf, while dominated by horror novels, also proudly shows off her massive “Harry Potter” collection. “I just think the whole world [J.K. Rowling the author] created is really cool and magical. I kinda wish I went to Hogwarts,” Tupin said.
Avid Reader employee Tristan Hills said he gets teenagers coming in the store eight to 10 times a day to buy fantasy novels. “A lot of vampire novels are spinning off the ‘Twilight’ series,” Hills said. “Definitely fantasy and supernatural novels are really popular right now.”
Not all students at DHS have positive opinions about the whole magical world these popular stories have created. “There is a point of enjoying it and obsessing over it. I personally find the movies quite strange but at the same time I’ll watch them. What I don’t agree with is the people who revolve their lives around the books, the movies, and the characters,” said senior Madison Barlow. “The whole ‘magical scene’ just doesn’t really apply to any of my interests.”
