lmx_v3point3

No I don't think it has, your analysis of the sitation is well reasoned :D

I think the authors/writers for the various vampire media use the negative ways vampires and their like are immediately viewed - as you mentioned - to do some of the storytelling for them in a couple of ways. It allows them to very easily guide the audience into a 'switch' in perception - where the character that your instinct encourages you to think of as 'bad' or 'evil' is actually the hero or romantic interest - which can be very neatly done in all genres but has been recently rather overdone in that it has become expected and some lazy storytelling has resulted (I am tempted to cite Twilight here).

I think this general technique in storytelling has come about (not that I'm suggesting that it's in any way new or innovative, just highly prolific at the moment) as a result of people trying to redefine the world as one in which there is no prejudice - not that I'm in any way saying this is wrong, just that some storytellers tend to slap it in place to avoid having to actually tell someone they're writing a story about prejudice. (And sometimes to cover up the fact that there's a fair amount of prejudice in the story anyway and they want at least one counter example).

That reply to your comment went a bit sideways, sorry. I agree with everything you said, and you said it much more concisely and eloquently than I did. Hehe! :D

What I think we agree it comes down to is that vampire stories are a substitute for our own (and the population as a whole's) intimacy and sexuality issues.