Vampire Gentlemen and Zombie Beasts

While reading this article, I found it intriguing on the distinction between the undead life of a Vampire compared to that of a Zombie. Even though I knew they were both the "living dead", I have never consciously compared the two on the level that this article did. After reading the comparison the authors made, the contrasts between Zombies and Vampires are undeniable. The comparison that peaked my interest is when the article states, "The zombie incites fear, while the sympathetic vampire incites desire" (Zimmerman & Tenga 2). Even with both species being "undead", the differentiation on how each breed is viewed to an audience is polar opposites. Vampires have gone from blood thirsty beasts in their cultural upbringing, to beautiful people with admirable characteristics. Zombies on the other hand are human flesh starved creatures without a capacity to comprehend human emotion. I found this article to be an enlightening viewpoint on two undead fictional characters todays films.