In early stories V’s were not the attractive blood suckers we have come to adore; they were creatures of fear and disgust. Their only goal was survival, by means of consuming as much human blood as possible. Today’s V is cool (figuratively and literally), impossibly attractive and seem to possess some form of human emotion. The modern day Vampire also has more positive interactions with humans and attempts to fit in the modern world, for the most part.

In 1922 V’s made their debut on the big screen in a silent German Vampire film called “Nosferatu,” based on Stoker’s infamous book and directed by F.W. Murnau.

In the 1960′s V’s became more human friendly, and when Anne Rice’s “Interview with the Vampire” was published in 1976, she infused sex appeal Vampire’s brilliantly.

From that point forward, V’s have been portrayed by the media in many ways, however the shift from hunched over creatures to hunky beauties has changed how many of us view V’s. So what hold do Vampire’s have on many of us that is so irresistibly intriguing?

It’s all about representation; V’s remind us of forbidden and/or unrequited love, dangerous relationships bursting with excitement (whether it be good or bad) and eternal life/love. Add the sadistic twist of draining the blood of a helpless victim to the mix and the recipe is complete. So is it really V’s that we are fascinated with, or the concept behind what they are?

Think back to a “dangerous” guy/girl with which you held an intense desire for. Were they more appealing because they were supposedly off limits? Of course they were, that’s was probably a main driving factor in your desire for that person. The modern day portrayal of V’s makes them out to be a combination of beautiful and dangerous and also sparks curiosity and desire among those with whom they interact. A forbidden person/love interest may put you in dangerous situations; however in that moment in time, it all seems worth it for the rush that accompanies the risk. Another curious attraction we have with V’s is their absolute possessiveness, for those of you who aren’t up to speed on Vampire etiquette, once a human belongs to a V, the Vampire is extremely possessive and attempts to keep their human from others of their kind and also other humans who might interfere in the relationship. Been in a relationship like this before? It’s not as romantic as it may sound, and in real life this type of affair typically takes an ugly turn, ending badly (i.e. restraining order). But sometimes we confuse possessiveness with love which can also lead to great danger and peril. Why do we still seek out these relationships? Because danger often equals excitement which many people undeniably find appealing.

Would you want to wander the planet as an “undead” and unofficial member of society for all of eternity? I think most of us would answer no, but it does hold some appeal. You could perfect any skill you want, go anywhere and do almost anything imaginable because time does not exist in the same manner it does for humans. The positive aspects also have intense counteracting negatives which include: watching everyone you know die, going crazy knowing that you will exist and roam the earth “undead” forever and not having the ability to grow older like your human counterparts do.

Yes I admit, Edward is beautiful in Twilight and there is something sadistically sexy about the fact that Bill will only suck Sookie’s blood (and only when they are being intimate) on True Blood. Our fascination with V’s is merely an escape from reality mixed with morbid curiosity, they make for amazing story plots and are wonderfully entertaining but fantasies are not meant to be real, this one being no exception.

The current obsession with Vampires will quickly dissolve once the media finds the next craze to exploit, but for now it is a fun escape from reality.