Friday, July 13, 2012

Why Team Edward (usually) Loses

Someone recently asked me:
"In shows/movies where vampires and werewolves appear together --WHY-- are the werewolves always so much sexier?!?! "
and someone else:
"Add'l Q. I've never seen a female werewolf other than the one in Werewolf in London/Paris, what's with that?"

I replied:
Werewolf = Wild/Innerbeast = Cowboy + Untamed Emotions = Passionate
Vampire = Undead = Zombie + Intelligence = Sad about being undead = Emo.
      Cowboy>Zombie
 and
Women are already Werewolves. See: Untamed Emotions.
Also, Gothic literature has a long line of vampiric femme fatals ie. Smart Women who will Kill men with their sexual wiles. Why break from Tradition?
      Smart/Rational = Vampire
      Emotional/Impulsive = Werewolf
Plus, filmmakers portray werewolves as hypermasculine, not acceptable for a female character. Fem versions of werewolf: Catwoman, Bearlady in Brave
The response was a bit nit-gritty so I wanted to clarify and expand a little bit.

Dark Shadows (2012)
Johnny/Barnabus Collins looks quite disinterested in flirting
The vampire isn't always emo (melancholic), but often the male protagonist vampire is (Edward Cullen, Louis de Pointe du Lac/Brad Pitt in Interview with a Vampire (1994), Angel in Buffy the Vampire Slayer). This characteristic might be a way writers make the vampire vulnerable and therefore more appealing to viewers. Non-melancholic vampires revel in their all-powerfullness in a manner that disregards humanity . Essentially, their personalities just aren't that attractive and they just come off as ass-holes obsessed with blood. Or bored. And dead. Not a very compelling sexual partner.

The werewolf, on the other hand, has a very expressive personality. Werewolves are also mostly human- they just have a defect that unleashes their inner beast, which unlocks the 'normally' hidden masculine emotions. Recent incarnations of werewolves don't kill people, or even livestock, but act as protectors to other werewolves or humanity. This sacred purpose gives them a reason to have superpowers. Combining purpose with instinctual emotion creates a protective and passionate creature- features most people look for in a sexual partner. 

In this scene from True Blood (2008 - present), the Werewolf Alcide Herveaux 1) Reacts to rubbing alcohol's sting 2) Needs someone to take care of him 3) Stands for something (his pack's code) 4) Can't emotionally let go of his 'fiance' 5) Starts to fall for a new woman. All in a minute and a half. [I've never seen the show (don't have HBO) so I'm not sure how events progress from here.]

That's not to say vampires can't be vulnerable and emotional. They're just to conforming to the vampire stereotype, and therefore seem like ninnies. (Edward Cullen)


Sullen or Sarcastic? I find the whole rivalry hilarious.
 And bizarre, why would you pick Edward?

Notable Vampires/Zombies
James, the Voluturi (Twilight Series, 2008 - 2012)
Jerry (Fright Night, 2011)
Rogue (XMen, 2000, 2003, 2006)
Venom (Spider-Man 3, 2007)
Voldemort (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, 2001)


Notable Were-beings/Cowboys
Jacob Black (Twilight Series, 2008 - 2012)
Michael Corvin (Underworld, 2004, Underworld: Evolution, 2006)
Wolverine (XMen, 2000, 2003, 2006 XMen Origins: Wolverine, 2009 )
Mystique, although she hides her emotions (XMen, 2000, 2003, 2006)
Catwoman (Catwoman, 2004, Batman: The Dark Knight Rises, 2012)
Sirius Black, not Lupin (Harry Potter series, 2001 - 2011)
Wikus van de Merwe (District 9, 2009)


 Were-beings and Vampires are Cowboys or Zombies with supernatural elements. Have any to add? Am I biased against vampires? Leave a comment!

6 comments:

  1. Your title says the vampires lose (and I agree personally) But why does the Vampire end up with the girl anyway? Edward still gets Bella.

    Answer:
    Vampires are always depicted as cultured and moneyied. Werewolves are, like you said, hypermasculine doing masculine jobs. American culture values what the vampires have to monetairly offer over the werewolves. Stuff>Substance

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    1. Belle in Beauty & the Beast ends up with a werewolf.

      I think you're right on that though. Although, I wouldn't say 'American Culture' but whoever controls (20th century) Hollywood. They need to get with the times- we all poor.
      And maybe Americans just think furries are too weird. Necrophila is so much better! (j.k.)

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  2. You mentioned Buffy in the first part, but Spike and Angel didn't make your Notable List. :(

    Also, how do you think Oz figures into this equation, since he's normally so detached?

    Also also- I think Lupin has sufficient emotional capacity (especially in Book 7) to qualify as werebeing- why do you leave him out?

    -MK

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    Replies
    1. I made the Notable lists as quick reference, not a definitive THESE ONLY ARE WORTHY OF THE TITLE! I havn't watched much of Buffy (or any of True Blood) so I'm not quite qualified to speak on the subject of supernatural beings. Its really not a good analysis /because/ I haven't watched the most popular Vampire/Werewolf TV shows. We can add Spike and Angel. They're both moody and broody about being undead right? Or at least cold and calculating? You should write up why they're good examples of vampires ;)

      Oz - don't know this character. Sorry.

      I left Lupin out because his emotions/instincts don't really control him, and he doesn't like it when they do. He's always the one saying, 'calm down, lets think about this'. Very rational, very safe. Compare this to Sirius who risks getting put back in Azkaban just to see Harry off to School. Or to Fenrir Greyback, who blindly hunts and attacks his 'prey'. I don't quite remember what he does, precisely, in book 7, but if perhaps if he's embracing his 'inner self' (emotions) than he's finally accepting himself as both a rational and irrational being.

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  3. Have you watched "Being Human?" Because a vampire and werewolf are two of the main characters, and the werewolf's struggle against that inner beast is something you might find interesting.

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    Replies
    1. I saw half an episode, and it was very intriguing. Unfortunately it was an episode later in a season so I didn't understand half of what was going on. I'll have to check it out on Netflix. Thanks!

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