Discussion 8 - Personal Statement Example

Vampire Craze and Collective Behavior After the era of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in the 90s, millions of mostly teenage viewers were caught in a crazeabout the lives of vampires and werewolves dramatized in shows such as the Twilight saga, The Vampire Diaries, and Trueblood. Good-looking vampires, who were portrayed to live just within us, now dominate our TV shows, movies, magazines, internet, and books. Today’s vampire-themed entertainment is one of the examples of collective behavior among teens and fans who participate in this craze.

LaPiere (2010) characterizes craze-like behavior as something related to fanaticism. As observed, it is usual that teen fans now are enticed to wear black dresses, play dark contemporary music, and buy different memorabilia of vampire shows. A proof of this fad is the emergence of the so-called “vampire industry” which, according to E! entertainment, has generated $7 billion profit since 2008. (Gorgan, 2010). For Smelser (2011), the existence of craze can be generally attributed to four areas in society, namely: economic, political, expressive, and religious spheres.

In the case of the vampire craze, the phenomenon can be placed under the expressive sphere since this social phenomenon is used as an “expressive symbols” in today’s youth. The role of media in this vampire craze if also an important area to look at. Immediately after the release of the Twilight saga, TV stations and film producers started making similar shows to capture audience’s attention and intensify hype among fans. Mass media is an important tool for entertainment to engage viewers so that they may eventually form collective appreciation of the latest fads.

However, like any fashion or fad, the vampire hype among teenagers can be seen as temporary. Soon enough, it will fade but can also recur – like a cycle. ReferencesLapiere, Richard. Collective Behavor. Montana, USA: Kessinger Publishing LLC, 2010Smelser, Neil J. Theory of Collective Behavior. London, UK: Taylor & Francis, 2011Gorgan, Elena. “Vampire Craze Has Generated $7 Billion Profit”. softpedianews.com. 26 August 2010. Web. 22 June 2011.