There is an overall assumption that post-9/11 fear of death and the "other" along with the sexualized
images of advertising can be seem as large parts of the vampire phenomenon. Even with this interpretation
of the main causes for the vampire phenomenon, the actual interpretation of the audience and their
reasoning for watching True Blood, Twilight, and/or Vampire Diaries can be broken down on a very personal
level. Every audience member has a different reason for obsession, but in regards to American culture as a whole,
dominant themes of societal fears as well as the pervasiveness of sexualized images in society seem to have led
Americans to watch all three.
The idea of sexualized images as a key force for the creation of the vampire phenomenon holds true in the case of all three shows. Promotional posters and online images depict characters of these shows in extremely sexualized ways. Their body positions, eye contact, and clothing all help to create such sexualization. These sexualized images are contrasted with scene stills as a way to show that despite the use of sex to draw audiences in, the way of maintaining audiences is to use relatable images. When these characters are depicted as humans with similar lifestyles to our own, they become much easier to identify with. All in all, the idea of sexualized images is essential in the study of the vampire phenomenon, because of their prevalence in the advertising for True Blood, Twilight, and Vampire Diaries.
The ability of post 9/11 American society to be a driving force for the vampire phenomenon is also an idea that remains plausible. In these shows, vampires can be interpreted as objects of death, and are labeled as the "other" in the societies in which they live. Since fear of death is a reoccurring theme in society, because of events such as Hurricane Katrina, September 11th, and the massacre at Virginia tech, the subject of death in vampire related shows is relatable to present day society. Although many times, their identity as a vampire is kept secret from society, most people are still well aware that they are different from others. Fear of the "other" is a resulting fear sparked from September 11th, and therefore, also relates directly to all three shows.
To create such a widespread phenomenon as vampires, both sexualized images and societal fears work together in creating such a craze among audiences in America. It is these two ideas together which make the vampire phenomenon so strong in modern day America. Sexualized images are able to draw in viewers, and relatable fears are able to maintain the audiences once they begin watching. Vampires have been a part of the media for decades, but it is their role in present day society that has made them into the phenomenon they are today.