Interview with the Vampire and Our Fascination with the Undead

Spoiler alert! This article contains major spoilers for the first five episodes of the first season of the AMC series "Anne Rice's Interview With the Vampire."

In recent years, vampires have once again flooded our TV screens, with four shows debuting within just two months. Yet, while we historically think of vampires as creatures of horror, all these shows have one thing in common: the vampires they focus on are sympathetic, not monstrous.

In Anne Rice's 1976 novel, "Interview With the Vampire," Louis and Lestat are romantic figures, even as they crave human blood and engage in acts of violence. The AMC adaptation of the novel takes liberties with the original story, starting the action in the early 1900s, exploring race, and making Lestat and Louis' relationship explicitly romantic.

This article explores how vampires became figures of sympathy and romance and why we continue to find them alluring. It also investigates whether watching stories featuring romantic representations of vampires could lead fans to become more accepting of abuse in their real-life relationships.

The Emergence of the Sympathetic Vampire

Sympathetic vampire characters have appeared in literature since the early 19th century. Anne Rice's novel, "Interview With the Vampire," marked a turning point, ushering in an era of romantic vampires that persists today.

Vampires as Desirable and Romantic

Romantic vampires are often attractive, seductive, and misunderstood. They mirror us, bridging the gap between human and monster, and becoming symbols of rebels or outsiders. In "Interview With the Vampire," Louis and Lestat's outsider status is compounded by their vampirism, interracial relationship, and Louis' position as a Black business owner.

Self-Realization

Vampirism can be appealing because it grants beauty, strength, wealth, and the opportunity for vampires to pursue self-realization. In "Interview With the Vampire," becoming a vampire allows Louis to expand his business and Lestat to compose musical pieces.

Blood Lust

Vampires' need for blood transforms their desire for humans into a matter of life and death, making romance with a vampire a compelling fantasy. In "Interview With the Vampire," viewers experience the romanticization of Louis' relationship with Lestat from Louis' perspective, including the comfort and empowerment it brings as well as the betrayals and manipulation he faces.

Does Romanticizing Vampires Lead to Acceptance of Real-Life Abuse?

Research suggests that those who watch vampire dramas are not more likely to experience abuse in their own romantic relationships. However, women who found the romantic portrayal of stalking realistic or were highly immersed in the movie were more likely to endorse stalking myths.

Vampires as Erotic Escapism

Phillips believes that the erotic escapism represented by romantic vampires might be the reason some fans were angered by Lestat's beating of Louis in "Interview With the Vampire." The scene introduces an element of horror into a romantic vampire narrative, forcing viewers to confront uncomfortable truths about vampires as figures of sympathy and romance.