Copyright 1993 Liriel McMahon
HTML version Copyright 1996 Liriel McMahon
No Part of this text may be sold for profit without the express written permission of Liriel McMahon.
Originally published by:
The Vampirism Research Institute
Seattle, WA USA
Some of you may well be disheartened to hear that I had no clear idea or purpose behind this survey when I wrote it. At first it seemed kind of a ground test, to see who was out there and if they were willing to respond. I had vague idea that I should see what ago most vampire fans were, what they've read, and what their opinions are. I didn't think I'd find any concrete connections and I was even in dread of having to write this report. The good news is that once I had all the questionnaires in and began to study them over, I did see some connections. I did some further research for an explanation of what I was looking at, and even searched my own soul for the possibilities which will be presented in the course of this report.
For the researchers purpose here is how the information was gathered. The questionnaire was filled out on a voluntary basis. Word was passed through various vampire fanzines and fan clubs that the VRI was conducting a fan survey. In order for them to receive a questionnaire respondents had to mail a self addressed stamped envelope to us, then when they had finished filling out the Questionnaire they had to mail it back. A lot of thanks go out to those who were interested enough to carry through! Some respondents were even individual enough to give more than one response -- so some tampering occurred where one answer was picked from the ones they had chosen based on the overall opinion towards the question or questionnaire.
For the vampire admirer's purpose, rest assured this is not some kind of expose done simply to gain notoriety. Many people have written and asked me "What are you really doing this for?" I've come to the conclusion that vampire enthusiasts are starting to feel a little victimized by reporters and authors prying into their private lives in hopes of getting a 'good story'. I must admit I wasn't really inspired to do research until I read Vampires Among Us by Rosemary Guiley, I really took her concept of vampire reality to heart. I admire that she was asking psychological questions, probing the depths of people's lives and beliefs, in an attempt to uncover the attraction people have to the vampire. I started to ask these questions too, of myself and others, and from this I've found several insights that I plan to explore in the coming years. But most important of all this research stems directly from my own teeming curiosity and involvement in the inner circle of vampirism: I have been a vampire admirer for six years, all the while asking, "What makes us this way?".
This report is divided into three parts. The first section is a complete overview of the survey, containing mostly statistics and little discussion of them, the stats speak for themselves. The two subsequent sections are concerned with two major kinds of dynamics: age, and exposure to ideas; I feel these directly influence the views and opinions of vampire fans like myself.
I think it's possible that all that will be proven here will be my own tenacity. I doubt whether I'll prove any new theories or bring to light anything that people of greater experience would already know. This may just be an attempt to prove to vampire fans themselves that a lot of different things go into forming our opinions.
Liriel McMahon
July 4th 1993
There were a total of 46 respondents to the survey
The idea behind age dynamics is that your age, life style, and your peers shape your interactions with others and you opinions. I felt that in order to easily look at age dynamics some grouping had to be done. In forming these groups I looked for common threads that would constitute a group feeling, such as family, social, and career markers.
Group 1 is comprised of young people who are generally still in school and/or still living with the parental family. There is pressure on the individual to conform to the ideals of the school and family, whether that be academic excellence, holding the family religious view, or doing what your Dad just said. Also friends and associated pressure the individual to conform to personal ideal of friendship. There is a lack of identity in most, and a strong but false identity in others.
Group 2 is more career or job orientated, or rather the search for one. They may be continuing in college for better career skills or identity. The search for identity continues to take shape and by 29 they hopefully know who they are. The family pressure is markedly decreased, especially if the individual is living on their own. Most notably is the expansion and definition of their social circle.
Group 3 shows a lessening of the obvious parental influences and a focused attention to their 'devotion'; whether that devotion is their career, marriage, children, or something else. I feel that this group knows finally what they want or need and how they can get it. They may be feeling the success of an early devotion or even changing their devotion. Here we will see a tightening of the social circle, unmeaningful relationships pass away most at this point, and the meaningful ones strengthen.
Group 4 has it all together; the mature human being. Despite the fact that their own parents may have passed away prior to or at this time, and that they may begin to feel their own life coming to a close -- they are (usually) doing what they want, enjoying their success.
The group meanings I've described above are idealistic of what most human beings feel they are or should be doing (at least in American culture). I will say here that there is much blurring of the age group borders and descriptions. Some people feel they do not meet up to these ideals exactly, and many do things and describe things in their own way; the whole point of being an individual. The reason I'm outlining these descriptions is to show how I view the information I found in the survey.
I find it interesting that out of 46 fans there was but one person, in group 3 mind you, that said one year or less; they even wrote next to it "A passing fascination." Most curious. Also of note is an apparent trend towards more numbers in the 2-5 years range and the 11+ years range, than in any other. I think this could be attributed to mass media's advancement of the vampire, like with the television program Dark Shadows for the 11+ fans, and the emergence of Anne Rice's creations for the newer fans. But I feel that this theory will need more research.
I suspect that Group 1 is unknowing of others opinions, but I also suspect that seven people isn't enough to get a real scope of the situation. However I know from experience that I would not be easy friends with peers who dislike my interests. that is evident enough in the information above that only 1 out of 7 said their friends are bothered by their interest.
Group 2 is a real mixed bag on the subject. Of special note is that out of all the age groups only people in Group 2 (4 out of 22) said that their friends don't know about their interest. Curious indeed. Do they think they will not be accepted? Or is it because their interest doesn't play a big part in their life and so feel no need to share it? Earlier I noted the expanding social circle of Group 2, I will now say that although they have more friends, this does not mean that those friendships are personal, probably most are acquaintances to go places and do things with. The friends of Group 2 are a lot different than the friends of Group 1. In Group 1 the individual shares more trials and tribulations, and generally are more personal and close-knit with their peers. For Group 2 the individual feels that they are grown up and can handle their own problems, no need to be personal and possibly vulnerable to their acquaintances.
For Group 3, I sense a self-confidence that the earlier groups lack. 8 Out of 13 said that the majority of their friends don't care. As for Group 4 there's not enough people to determine an overall friend opinion, but none of them said that friends were bothered by or don't know about their interest.
I was kind of surprised that Group 1 showed more of their families as not caring about their interest. I was expecting that the average family would be horrified that their youth was entranced by the demon vampires. I guess I was wrong. I guess the young vampire fan does not come from an average family. Maybe the average family needs to be re-defined. Or maybe they are unknowing of their family's opinion.
The trend for this question, in all age groups, is the idea that the family really doesnít care. In Group 2 though a large percent (45%) indicated that their family is in conflict with their interest, a larger percent than in any other age group (30% Group 3, 29% Group 1, 25% Group 4).
Lestat has certainly become the new arch-type for vampires, he is today what Dracula was 80 years ago, the patron of people's imagination. Even when faced with no evidence of this vampire-type's existence people still believe it is possible.
Even though there may be no outright examples of an author's stance in their written creation, the tone of the writing makes the point of view discernible. Sometimes there are hidden messages in what highlights are selected and discussed. You can feel what the author thinks is important and what is not. I would even go so far as to say that reading a book is like having a discussion with the author. Some might think that the this kind of discussion is too one-sided, with the author doing all the talking. Perhaps, but I find myself mentally arguing with an author's statements, particularly if I find them objectionable or illogical. Or sometimes when I find the discussion boring or uninteresting I end the conversation by putting the book down or flipping ahead to a different section. More often though while reading (or watching TV, or talking with friends or family) there is an unconscious assimilation of messages and information that go into forming our view of the world.
What I'd like to compare now is what non-fiction books have been read and opinions on certain related questions. the books covered are Vampires Among Us by Rosemary Guiley; she is a journalist and an author on paranormal phenomena. Also American Vampires by Norine Dresser; she is a folklore professor at CSU, Los Angeles). And Bloodlust by Carol Page; she came from a magazine background, also worked as a temporary professor with the graduate writing project at Emerson College. [Oddly enough all women, like myself.] The other books by Hillyer and Hoyt were suggested by the Count Dracula Fan Club and are books I have not read -- their content is unknown to me, so an analysis is unavailable.
As seen by the information of Question #3 in the survey overview, Guiley's book is the most read with Dresser's and Page's falling into second and third place respectively. What I looked for was not what the majority thought of the predictable questions #4, 5 and 6, but whether there was a leaning of non-majority opinion based on what they had read. Now of course many individuals have read all three books, but what will be seen here is what books agreed with or took part in the formation of their opinion.
In the next few tables of information, a group of 'none' was introduced, this is to indicate the opinions of those who have not read any of the books listed (including Hillyer's and Hoyt's books). Even though only 6 out of 46 fit this category, I think this will give an idea of the 'natural' opinions of vampire enthusiasts who aren't in the mainstream of vampirism non-fiction.
Here is what is obviously a sign of what I was looking for. A larger percent of people who have read Page's book seem to think of vampirologists as too nosy, than those who have read otherwise. The 'natural' opinion is that of approval which seems to be reinforced by readers of Guiley and Dresser.
It is obvious from this that vampire hunters are not well liked, no matter what their judges have read. However it seemed more the natural opinion and the opinion of those who have read Guiley to give more thoughtful opinions (which vary widely see Question #5 in the survey overview) rather than resorting to violent or single minded action. Also oddly enough a larger portion of Page readers thought of them as heroes.
This is where I kick myself for putting such a non-descriptive response as "depends on what kind they think they are" -- as it tells me nothing about the people who chose that response, except that they are willing to see how convincing the supposed vampire is. Otherwise this was the chance for what Dresser calls "practicing vampires" to come forth. 4 out of 46, four of which have read both Guiley and Dresser, and three of which have read Page. Pretty well educated vampires I might ad, and is seems that nobody from the 'none' group stepped forth. Perhaps there weren't enough people in that group, but I'm suspicious that these vampires might well have been trained by what they were reading.
What more is there to say?
*** Vampires Werewolves & Demons; 20th century reports in psychiatric literature by Richard Noll. (C) 1992 Brunner/Mazel Publishers, NYC. "...This is a serious, scholarly, altogether professional book..." Includes case files on all the above.
***** American Vampires; Fans, Victims, Practitioners by Norine Dresser. (C) 1991 Vintage Books, NYC. "...At once scholarly... reveals the bizarre 'fit' between an enduring myth and our popular culture..." Includes interviews with vampires.
***** Vampires Among Us by Rosemary Guiley. (C) 1991 Simon & Schuster, NYC. A proposal for 'vampire reality' and in depth interviews with '20th century vampires' and fans.
*** Bloodlust; conversations with real vampires by Carol Page. (C) 1991 HarperCollins Publishers, NYC. More frank interviews with vampires.
***** Social Psychology by John W. Kinch. (C) 1973 McGraw-Hill, NYC. A Nice introduction to Social Psychology.
**** Understanding Society; an introduction to sociology, 2nd Ed. by Caroline Hodges Persell. (C) 1987 Harper & Row Publishers, NYC. Nice introduction text with the novice student in mind.
** Hand Book of Social Psychology 2nd Ed. Vol. 5: Applied Social Psychology Editors Gardner Linzey & Elliot Aronson. (C) 1954 Addison-Wesley Pub. Co., Reading, MA. A thick hand book reference of graduate level.
Liriel McMahon is nobody special. A musician/writer who lives in Seattle, works as a technical computer grunt for King County, and tried attending college for a good liberal education. She is currently working on the latest VRI survey. Liriel may be reached at her email address or the address listed at the top of this document. LirielMc@aol.com.
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