1. He Controls Me Because He
Loves Me: Female
Submission in Vampire Fiction
Jamie Lee, University of Central Arkansas

2. Introduction
 Vampire fiction is very popular with young
audiences; especially True Blood, Twilight,
and The Vampire Diaries (according to a
Google search for the most popular
vampire television shows/movies)
 What messages are these stories sending
to the audience?
 Content analysis to examine gender roles
among men and women

3. Why Is This Important?
 Young people are the next leading
generation
 They will have the power to make
important decisions later in life; it is
imperative they have positive models for
behavior
 Media is the most pervasive and effective
way to get young people’s attention

4. Methods
 Season 1 True Blood (12 Episodes), First Twilight
Movie, Season 1 The Vampire Diaries (22 Episodes)
 These shows chosen due to perceived target
audience (young adults) and accessibility of
episodes
 Looked for: submissive, competitive, directive,
persistent, nurturing, aggressive, emotional, violent,
sexual (see appendix for details)
 These variables show main ways that masculine
and feminine traits are portrayed; I tallied every
instance of each behavior

5. True Blood
Male Female
Submissive 6 8
Competitive 2 -
Directive 31 18
Persistent 5 11
Nurturing 17 13
Aggressive 43 27
Emotional 25 36
Violent 38 16
Sexual 28 23

6.  Female characters always wear tight clothing
 Heterosexuality emphasized; several hetero sex
scenes but homosexual sex is only implied
 Sookie is controlled by brother, boss, and boyfriend
 Her psychic ability seen as a hindrance, can only
feel normal around Bill

7. Twilight
Male Female
Submissive 3 13
Competitive 8 4
Directive 19 5
Persistent 8 5
Nurturing 4 3
Aggressive 6 3
Emotional 6 3
Violent 3 5
Sexual 1 1

8.  Even from the beginning of the movie, Bella claims
that dying for someone you know is a good way to
go
 Bella dependent on Edward to save her life; looks to
him for advice
 Edward practically stalks Bella: watching her sleep,
following her to make sure she’s safe
 Edward has psychic ability (can read people’s
minds), seen as an asset

9. The Vampire Diaries
Male Female
Submissive 25 23
Competitive 13 2
Directive 71 43
Persistent 44 37
Nurturing 24 27
Aggressive 52 29
Emotional 34 70
Violent 99 36
Sexual 26 31

10.  Stefan always keeping secrets from Elena
 Flirting is used quite often in series to manipulate
people
 Damon uses compulsion to make women have sex
with him
 Elena always wants to give Damon a chance
 Most of the violence is against women
 Other vampires harass Elena due to her beautiful
appearance: “she looks like Katherine”

11. Common Themes to All
 Sookie, Bella, and Elena all come from
“broken homes” – vulnerable to
controlling relationships
 All three girls willing to look past vampire
nature: “he’s different”
 Vampire boyfriends controlling; claim it’s
for her safety

12. Conclusion
 Vampire fiction appears to be in favor of
female submission
 Gives the idea that with enough love, even a
monster can change for the better
 Perfect role models to groom a generation of
dependent and submissive
women/dominating and selfish men
 Young audiences need to see healthy
relationships popularized in the media,
especially dating relationships

13. Limitations/Future Research
 Larger quantity of vampire fiction needs
to be watched
 Look at all television/movies geared
toward young audience