If you enjoyed this video, please check out its companion video "The Lesbian Vampire and Her Bisexual Lovers" to get the other half of this story! ruclips.net/video/7hP8H1kbT1Q/видео.html
As a bisexual woman this would not be canon so I would like that, because I’m not so insecure that need everything to revolve around me and reflect my sexuality. That said if a bisexual or gay vampire comes out I’m not opposed to it. I just like my fiction to remain canon one reason that Twilight sux, and I’m not fond of the changed to the Abramsverse of Star Trek though many of the new movies are good except for the digital lenses flairs.
@@Alina_Schmidt I think he's very sensitive to skewing to the popular opinion so he'd go the lengths just to say contrarian shit just for the sake of it.
“Bi-homicidal” then why did he want to keep Jonathan as his bride? Yes I know the cannon explanation would be because Jonathan was the first to have free will or something, not sure what it was but I think that was why, but then why use the word Bride?
First we had Oscar Wilde describing Dorian Gray as having "chiseled nostrils" and now Bram Stoker with the "sensitive nostrils?" Weird nostril descriptions must be a staple of Victorian bisexual horror authors.
I would say that a billionaire who uses his money and influence to openly prey on young people and get away with it would be a much more accurate updating of the original themes of Dracula. And very much reflective of modern anxieties. Would love to see that done in a big-budget Dracula movie.
He could be openly bi in this version but the focus would be that all his victims are young university students, with most of them being 18 or 19. Maybe he tries to convince them to come to him by offering internships and experience in traveling to a foreign country.
"We don't want Dracula coming on a working visa", but actually he came with a golden ticket from buying property and bringing in his fortune... He is one of the good immigrants! The ones with money!
@@svscrib8922 ADA LOVELACE WAS LORD BYRON'S DAUGHTER?!?!?!? That's amazing! This feels as earth shattering as when I found out Mary Shelley was the daughter of Mary Wollostonecraft.
Vampires live hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands of years, with that wouldn't you want to discover every person you thought was handsome/beautiful? The actor James Dean said it best when he was asked if he was homosexual. He answered, "No, I am not homosexual, But, I'm also not going to go through life with one hand tied behind my back". This is the best answer I have heard.
I've kept telling people all vampires are bisexual at heart, because they lust for blood and blood has no gender. Now, I can also hit them with these speculations about Stoker being closeted. Didn't know that, so thank you!
vampires have such a bad relationship with the church too, getting repelled by crosses, burned by holy water, hunted by the church, etc. so insisting the only valid readings of them are straight ones is just silly. being immortal, powerful, and self-ruling in a time where you'd already be hated even before becoming a vampire makes the idea of vampirism kinda appealing imbo (in my bi opinion).
The original novel by Bram Stoker doesn't have any inference whatsoever about Count Dracula being gay or bisexual : end of discussion ! - GO READ THE BOOK
@@bivamp Did you read and understand my comment or are you a snowflake political correctness freak...??? Go read the book : in the original novel Count Dracula isn't straight, gay or bisexual - he is an undead being, a vampire predator who feeds on human blood ! This discussion is silly regarding the original Count Dracula character by Bram Stoker !!!
I was just thinking the same. I don't think I went around thinking Dracula was bisexual but from most literature and film he clearly was (especially the Byronic types). He basically seduces people in order to drink their blood, men or women. The charged, hypnotic air. Necks being barred and bitten. The person being bitten feeling some kinda pleasure with the pain. In film in general, if men commit violence on other men that kinda closeness and sensuality seems pretty uncommon unless one of the guys is (or is implied) gay or bisexual. That level of intimacy with violence is either gonna be unnerving or titillating to most people watching.
@@NigerianKitchen The coding written in the book made it very astonishing to me, how few people caught on there. Dracula is increadably posessiv of him, despite not planing on feeding from him, he speaks of love quite passionatly in direct context to Jonathan, he went through a lot of effort in keeping Jonathans stay as pleasent and least threatening as possible, intent on spending time with him, despite not really having a good reason for it, always insisting on them being friends until death, laying his hand on his the first night of Jonathans stay, but retracting it at Jonathans noticable discomfort . . . also, him going after Mina had nothing to do with her, but was all about Jonathan . . . As with what you discibed, the queercoding of vampires as predators makes sense. Sexuell interesst and advances of someone you are not into, or are into against your will are uncomfortable to threatening, no matter your sexuality, but for being straight is more commen, same sex attraction is the one more likely to make one uncomfortable, especialy in a society where it is demonised and outlawed
But early vampire stories don't really represent the vampire as bisexual, as much as they represent it as sexually decadent and deviant, traits often assigned to the aristocracy in the past and to the capitalist class today. On top of that, Dracula and other vampires from those times don't represent capitalism; they were mostly aristocrats, a dying social class that disappeard thanks to capitalism, industrialization and the enlightenment.
I think an interesting aspect though is the fact that Dracula is seeking to purchas land in England. There's definitely the "spooky immigrant" aspect, especially as England has no lack of its own aristocrats, but I also felt almost a sense that he could at least be easily formed to represent the aristocrat refashioning himself into the capitalist in the new era.
@@transitoryloving4261 well said, that is also because the bisexual or homosexual identity didn’t exist at the time, the categories were invented later on.
@@inferiorinferno8859 I have to say I laughed when you said "Dracula for one, was clearly a straight dude that was experimenting around with men" "he's not bisexual guys, he's straight man who experiments with men" That gave a me a good laugh, I have to give you props for that. Listen kid, just because you don't like it doesn't negate all the instances in both literature and cinema of something existing. The argument: "the original dracula wasn't bisexual and wasn't a metaphor for colonialism, therefore all the adaptations of bisexual vampires/colonialist vampires is wrong" is by far one of the stupidest things I have ever heard. If you're offended by reality I guess that makes you a snowflake or something, is that the word that's used? But then, you're a person that uses "woke" unironically which makes you sound unintelligent. If I had a pound for every person that cried "Oh no, woke sjw feminists politics are ruining movies" I'd buy a car. It makes you sound whiny.
This video is making me see the book version of "I Am Legend" way differently. In the book, the main character is the last human in a world overrun by a vampire plague and he spends his days killing as many vampires as possible, only to learn at the end of the book that the vampires have formed their own advanced society and progressed beyond the need to drink blood through scientific advances because they're still just as intelligent as they were as people. He is put on trial and executed for essentially being a serial killer. This could definitely be seen as a metaphor for people clinging onto an old, traditional (read: heteronormative) way of life as the world moves on without them. What used to be acceptable and even encouraged (fighting vampires or criminalizing homosexuality, you get the picture) is now recognized as an atrocity.
I'm wondering is "he's not bisexual, he's bihomicidal" is a ill placed joke, like a bad pun joke because he is bisexual and it's obvious? But then I remembered who moffat is and the Sherlock nonsense with Sherlock and Watson
When you said "Byronic hero" at ~13:50 my brain genuinely though for a sec that it was some portmanteau of bi and ironic that I hadn't heard before Took me a couple of seconds to realise my mistake 😂
25:27 Isn't it implied in Mina's letter thqt she is Bi when she warns Jonathan that if he cheats on her, she'll do the same with some dudes and a girl that Jonathan also likes?
I read an analysis insisting Dracula wasn't queer. The argument was that people were misinterpreting Victorian language and social norms and Dracula's physical description being so monstrous. I'm pretty sure the author didn't take into account those same social norms with regard to being gay. There was definitely no mention of the letters between Stoker and Whitman.
I've seen similar any time lesbian or bi women from that time period are re-analyzed now. Just reminds me that even Anne Lister's stupid male relatives didn't want her coded journals getting "out."
honestly i always figure he wasn't bi or straight. He was no longer human and we were his food, when i eat pork i don't care if i what sex the pig i am eating is. Now going form the original black and white movie (since i didn't read the book) i am with he always seem to be bi as he didn't care where the blood came from.
The original novel by Bram Stoker doesn't have any inference whatsoever about Count Dracula being gay or bisexual : he is an undead vampire predator who drinks HUMAN blood - END OF DISCUSSION ! (Edit : 🌘🕷️🕸️)
I love how vampires have evolved in fiction and just how acceptedly and expectedly sexy and queer they are now. I've learned so much from this video and was grinning the whole way, I think talking about vampires and queerness is my new favourite thing.
Assuming the individual didn't start out bisexual, a vampire will discover some measure of genuine bisexual desire (even just a 1 or 2 on the kinsey scale), or learn to be a bit flexible, just as a function of time. You live long enough, you'll get lonely and/or just plain curious.
Honestly, thats what I was thinking. Like you’re alive for so long as a vampire that you’d eventually get bored or curious. Then again, I’m like super fluid in who I find attractive and I know some ppl say they’re super straight (lmao) but I feel after thousands of years, it wouldn’t be surprising if vampires would be open to the other sex lol
Agreed , Lestat and Louis were/are vampire versions of myself and my boyfriend of 10yrs. Interestingly enough we both identify as bisexual despite being in a serious long term gay relationship
@@talonshadows4587 well, when you find the one then you’ve found the one. Their gender might be the last thing on your mind when you’re secure about your own sexuality
@@talonshadows4587 I mean I would say many bi people if not most bi people continue to identify as bi even if they found the 'one' bc it's just being truthful lol. if you're bi you're bi. also if you have a history of dating men and women and being attracted to them, then there's no issue still identifying as such. a person does not change someone's sexuality etc. etc.....
Wonderful video, and your disclaimer below it, "Contains spoilers for Dracula (1897), Dracula (1931), Dracula (1958), Dracula (1994), and also Dracula (2020)." made me chuckle quite a bit.
as a bisexual... i have to tell that when i was in school we made a play adaptation of Dracula, and the very closeted bi trangirl that i was y portrayed Van Helsing. Watching this now is just so true and funny.
You say there has never been a more bisexual portyal of dracula eh? Well allow me to introduce you to Alucard from Hellsing Ultimate, especially the abridged series. "No one alive can comprehend his sexual preference". Enjoy
Well since it was made by Japanese people, their culture thinks you should keep that to yourself and doesn't like it very much, and plus they probably weren't even thinking of a random vampire characters sexuality in castlevania lol
. . . oh dear, unsure if I would call the disaster that is alucard abridged bi, given he himself claims no one could even comprehend his sexuality . . . but yeah, he showed interest in both sexes so it at least partialy counts ^^
Twilight is also Byronic because it’s meant to be loosely based on Wuthering Heights (which it also Bella’s favourite book and potentially why the “I like to watch you sleep” window thing exists)
I was thinking, as Bram didn't want to give up his straight lifestyle perhaps he also didn't want to hurt the woman he married and bring shame upon her and his family as well. Like he wanted to bare the shame all by himself; less of a sin than hurting those you care for.
It reminds me of the tragic life of John Laurens. He was also forced to be married to a girl and raise their daughter together to not bring shame to her family as he impregnated her out of wedlock. But he was so often away at war that I don't think he cared too much about them.
Small thing that i loved in 2020 dracula was how he explained his fear of crosses. He said that he does not fear the cross because it is a symbol of god. He fears the cross because his victims were often oppressed and made to feel anxious by the church. As he drank their blood, he absorbed their fear and anxiety, related to the church and the cross. I can 100% relate to this, as this really was religion that made me believe i was sinful and worth punishment, not my sexuality itself. And even for straight people, religion inficts a ton of fear regarding their sexuality, as it only allows sex after marriage, and only the most basic form of sex. ang is not my first language so sorry for mistakes
What you said about a Dracula that's monstrous to modern audiences sounds similar to how Abigail Thorn described the version of Dracula that she was going to be in before it got cancelled.
It’s ironic. I recently started reading Dracula 🧛🏼♂️ I thought to wait and finishing reading another time because pride month was coming up, and I wanted to read about LGBTQ+ characters. But I continued with the story, the audiobook narrated by Alan Cumming in particular, and I started thinking how lustful Dracula sounded towards Jonathan. And then I come across your video and I can’t unsee it/ unhear it 😅 Love your content, thank you for sharing with us! 💜
Today I was watching Nosferatu with my boyfriend, and from the few lines of dialogue that he had we decided that he's a raging bisexual who had a one night stand with Butter the panic bi.
This video suddenly got me thinking about the NBC Hannibal series and the legacy of the literary vampire in that. Hannibal is posed as from Lithuania, charismatic, rich, stylish- and of course he eats people. Then you have Will as the mixture of seduced friend/victim and supposed hero who will defeat Hannibal. Except in the series they completely mess with the traditional dynamic, giving our 'hero' a negative character arc and more explicitly exploring the notion of romance in between our 'hero' and monster character. You've got me wanting to write essays on this now. This was a cool video, thanks.
my mom always says "of course all vampires are bi! if you've lived through hundreds of years, being attracted to only one kind of person would be so boring" and i think she slays for that
I feel no vampire can be straight when you hit triple digits your gonna be bi or pan at the least and being a straight vampire is like a being a unicorn.
If vampires were former humans doesn’t that play into it. If someone was straight as a human I can’t imagine that changing once they become vampires. Likewise if someone was already gay or bisexual before becoming human. I’m aroace and no way in hell is that changing. Even if I become a vampire. At the end of the day vampires are former humans. And no one sexuality would be considered making them a unicorn
@@ollieno971 sexuality shouldn’t be a factor. And honestly i don’t get the argument behind it. I love cake yet I’m not marrying it. Dracula threw a baby at the brides…that right there would have some dark implications. I’m not defending anyone. As a asexual it would be nice to imagine vampire me still ace. People, no matter their sexuality should be able to dream of themselves as vampires. 🤷♀️
For a modern anti-villain treatment maybe we could model Dracula after Bram Stoker: a closeted bi person with deeply seated internalized homophobia who doesn't care that he's hurting other people in similar shoes.
Re: the book - the voivode was into Harker from basically the moment that stiff-necked oversocialised little wet British noodle arrived on his doorstep; this theory simplifies explanation of _so much_ of what went on between them in good old' Castle Drac pre- the good Count's emigration, & no-one alive, dead, or undecided will ever be able to convince me otherwise.
the irony, is that the only time I found a gay version of Jonathan harker was in a gay porn version. And as fun as that one is ( you gotta give it to them they made a decent effort on the horror gothic setting) I would like if that sort of exploration would not be just relegated to porn parodies you know?
The 'first Icelandic translation' of Dracula is also very much clear about Dracula's plans for Jonathan - but then, this book has one chapter in common with the English version, everything else is more or less the translator's own story. It's published under the title 'Powers of Darkness' now.
Small correction regarding Dracula's all female victims: we do have a glimpse of Dracula's voracious "bisexuality" once he's onboard Demeter, having fed of all its male crew, but the captain, when it arrives at its destination. And let's not forget the promiscuity accusations constantly leveled at sailors/seamen. PS: love your channel :)
I just watched a Bram Stocker video that spoke about the queer themes and touches upon the Oscar Wilde trials, and now this vid 😍 can't wait to see your take and what do you have to say about it 💖
Considering Dracula's splattered throughout with symbolism, and the nature of evil goes for both, I can see why Dracula would swing both ways, not just stick with one.
I was an emo (‘00s Bisexual Chic) who was obsessed with vampires as a teen and still now. I ended up being bisexual. Guess I was a little more obvious than I thought 😅
I always imagined Van Hellsing as being some for of POC, just because the one passage that called his skin tan" and "bronze". Although, I also pictured Dracula as looking like Colonel Sanders, so what the fuck do I know.
Bring tan and bronze doesn’t necessarily mean Van Hellsing is POC. I have seen white people that fit that description. Nina Dobrev fits that description for me. Tv trope wise it’s also the dark type and handsome
0:34 "If I described to you a handsome aristocratic man in the early eighteen-hundreds with a voracious bisexual appetite, who drank from a human skull..." Me: hmmm sounds like Lord Byron, but I'm not sure about the skull *2 seconds later* Me: it _is_ Lord Byron! :D this just made my day
Love the video. I kind of like the idea that Harker is how Stoker would like to see himself (law degree, loving relationship with a badass woman) and Van Helsing is how Stoker sees himself (careful and retreated and loveless) If you want to read more about Stoker and Wilde, the letter Stoker got from Wilde's brother after he wrote a homophobic article in response to Wilde's incarceration is available. Also, if you're ever in Dublin Wilde's and Stoker's houses are super close to each other and next to a park that has a Wilde statue with his gayest quotes around it.
The case was well made on the whole. I'm a little surprised you left out Barnabas Collins from Dark Shadows. Jonathan Frid's infusing his performance with so much reluctance was considered rather impactful; his portrayal also was illustrative of the restraints of the times. Knowing my G&S, I thought Ruthven rhymed with given.
Ditto re: Barnabas. Also, the fanged four from Buffy were basically a semi-incestuous poly family for several decades, with bisexual relationships among all four members being heavily and often implied. Did we get any bi TV vamps in this video essay, or were they all just book and movie vamps?
Out of fear that I might forget to hit the like button, I do so before your videos have even begun and have yet to regret the decision. Love your work and have every intention to become a patron once things become a touch more stable for me. Damnpemic and all. Keep being fabulous!!!!!
I suppose the modern vampire would be about erasure then…that could actually work really well. That really puts a new spin on the invisible in the mirror.
A version of Dracula where his same sex attraction is not the thing that makes him monstrous reminds me a lot of Bryan Fuller's Hannibal actually. As has been pointed out, Hannibal on that show ISN'T a vampire exactly, but he IS "A Dracula" lol
I literally cannot get enough of these video essays which manage to strike the balance between academic research, funny one-liners and a sexy red lip 😉
Have you seen the 2013 American TV version of Dracula with Jonathan Rhys Meyers? It's full on bananas. Dracula's goal is to invent clean energy and therefore defeat the oil-funded secret society that cursed him. There is an entire episode devoted to the drama over whether the special sunblock he is working on will be successful so that he can attend a day-time board meeting in a greenhouse.
Why isn’t there an adaptation where Jonathan and Mina are a married couple who’ are actually beards where their true loves are Dracula and Lucy? Or a dual coming out story for them?
Wow this video was amazing. There's tons of video essays on the history of vampires in cinema and the monsters coorelation to homosexuality BUT i never knew about the history between walt whitman, bram stoker, and oscar wilde. That was really cool to learn
Hell yes, Lucy was very interested even lamenting outright, that marrying all 3 was not an option. She was faithful cause society demanded it, but nowerdays that could have been a polycule, especialy with how respectful accepting and not jalouse the guys reacted to her choice! A great fanfiction waiting to happen . . .
Watching this video was just 27 minutes and 40 seconds of me, a young bisexual with anxieties around sex realizing why I've been so obsessed with vampires and vampire content my entire life. Can't wait to watch the other video where I will undoubtably find more internalized homophobia and biphobia to unpack
Wow! This is a brilliant take on bisexuality and one of the most iconic characters in literary history. I never knew about I just saw your recent video about bisexual chic before watching this one. Yeah, I really fell down another rabbit hole and am still falling. ^^
I would go back to University (I'm 51) just to take a queer literature class given by you. Thank you. I had no idea about the connections between Stoker, Wilde and Whitman let alone the details of it. I have all kinds of feelings about the tragedy of Bram Stoker's fear of coming out derived directly from the trauma of witnessing the fate of his contemporary, Oscar Wilde. Unrequited love, repression and loneliness. Stoker's life sounds a little like an Emily Bronte novel, TBH Also the Hunger is my second favorite film. RIP Tony Scott
@@annajung1234 NGL... I get excited every time I turn someone on to Excalibur. It Has Dame Helen Mirren (in her early 20s) as Morgana, Liam Neeson as Gawaine, Sir Patrick Stewart as Leondegrance, Gabriel Byrne at Uther Pendragon and Nicol Williamson as the best Merlin ever on film.
If you enjoyed this video, please check out its companion video "The Lesbian Vampire and Her Bisexual Lovers" to get the other half of this story! ruclips.net/video/7hP8H1kbT1Q/видео.html
As a bisexual woman this would not be canon so I would like that, because I’m not so insecure that need everything to revolve around me and reflect my sexuality. That said if a bisexual or gay vampire comes out I’m not opposed to it. I just like my fiction to remain canon one reason that Twilight sux, and I’m not fond of the changed to the Abramsverse of Star Trek though many of the new movies are good except for the digital lenses flairs.
This was so delightful in all the ways. Love from an American bisexual woman married to a European bisexual man.
Vampires don't belive in sexuality
U discuss dracula but u include interview with a vampire why same thing very different approach yes lestat was bi but it wasn't the focus louie was
@Troy Michael been misinformed
Roommate: what are you watching
Me: bisexual propaganda
I would like a roomate but i live in a closet in my parents house.
Omg they where roommates
@@lucie8827 same-
@@classichorrorenthusiast i call my cat my roomate now xD
@@lucie8827 what's your cat's name, if you don't mind my asking?
Apparently moffet heard the queer baiting accusations from Sherlock and was like"I'll show you queer baiting you little shits!"
He would so do that.
@@wandanemer2630 so true
HE WOULD ABSOLUTELY DO THAT OMFG HES SUCH A LIL SHIT AHAH
@@Alina_Schmidt I think he's very sensitive to skewing to the popular opinion so he'd go the lengths just to say contrarian shit just for the sake of it.
I was going to say something similar 😭 I hate that it's true
"bi-homicidal" is the most Steven Moffet statement on sexuality I've ever heard. Why do I keep letting this man disappoint me?
It's the chaotic evil equivalent to, "I thought you only killed boys. / I go both ways," from Jennifer's Body.
“Bi-homicidal” then why did he want to keep Jonathan as his bride?
Yes I know the cannon explanation would be because Jonathan was the first to have free will or something, not sure what it was but I think that was why, but then why use the word Bride?
@@fruitygarlic3601 XD yasss
I thought it was a bad-landed joke?
@@giuseppemassari9970 so a normal Moffat joke then?
First we had Oscar Wilde describing Dorian Gray as having "chiseled nostrils" and now Bram Stoker with the "sensitive nostrils?" Weird nostril descriptions must be a staple of Victorian bisexual horror authors.
Wilde was full gay so was byron stoker STRAIGHT
Dorian Gray was practically a love letter to a sociopath. But Lord have mercy that writer could describe a beautiful man.
@@ratuse hint Oscar wilde was gay
@@davidkay1948 yes, I think that's pretty much common knowledge.
@@davidkay1948And a statutory rapist, but people don't like talking about that bit.
as a bisexual who loves vampires i clicked this so fast when i saw it omg
Same.
Saaaame. I love when they go bitey bite.
Same
same😂😂
Same
I would say that a billionaire who uses his money and influence to openly prey on young people and get away with it would be a much more accurate updating of the original themes of Dracula. And very much reflective of modern anxieties. Would love to see that done in a big-budget Dracula movie.
Yeah, the problem with Dracula is not that he's a sexy bi, but that he's a rich aristocratic man.
He could be openly bi in this version but the focus would be that all his victims are young university students, with most of them being 18 or 19. Maybe he tries to convince them to come to him by offering internships and experience in traveling to a foreign country.
@@Sytheduke OH MY GOD WE MADE JAMES CHARLES THE ENCARNATION OF BYRONIC FEAR OF OUR TIMES!!!
I think having a vampire be a rich person abusing their power is a fear that can hold up without becoming dated.
Oh my god yess
I love that you can talk about lord Byron like it's still hot gossip. This has made my day.
"We don't want Dracula coming on a working visa", but actually he came with a golden ticket from buying property and bringing in his fortune... He is one of the good immigrants! The ones with money!
True!
Nailed it
He even ate all the other immigrants on the boat!
Bloody Draculas comin' over 'ere suckin' all our necks.
The connections with Bram Stoker and Lord Byron, Oscar WIlde and Walt Whitman are making my mind reel! Queertastic
and also lets not forget that lord byron's daughter, ada lovelace, went on to become the worlds first computer programmer and a famous mathematician
@@svscrib8922 I will have to look into that. Intriguing
@@seanraines5871 extremely, i was freaking out when i made the connection
@@svscrib8922 ADA LOVELACE WAS LORD BYRON'S DAUGHTER?!?!?!? That's amazing! This feels as earth shattering as when I found out Mary Shelley was the daughter of Mary Wollostonecraft.
@@kayzmavc4596 WHAT ?? this just keeps getting better and better, thank you for sharing this, i had no idea!
Vampires live hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands of years, with that wouldn't you want to discover every person you thought was handsome/beautiful?
The actor James Dean said it best when he was asked if he was homosexual. He answered, "No, I am not homosexual, But, I'm also not going to go through life with one hand tied behind my back". This is the best answer I have heard.
lmao that's amazing
Ngl, my deadass brain read the name as James Deen and got a different imagery for a second.
I've kept telling people all vampires are bisexual at heart, because they lust for blood and blood has no gender. Now, I can also hit them with these speculations about Stoker being closeted. Didn't know that, so thank you!
vampires have such a bad relationship with the church too, getting repelled by crosses, burned by holy water, hunted by the church, etc. so insisting the only valid readings of them are straight ones is just silly. being immortal, powerful, and self-ruling in a time where you'd already be hated even before becoming a vampire makes the idea of vampirism kinda appealing imbo (in my bi opinion).
gonna start using imbo in everything from now on thanks
The original novel by Bram Stoker doesn't have any inference whatsoever about Count Dracula being gay or bisexual : end of discussion ! - GO READ THE BOOK
@@filipematias5127 did u even watch the video or are you just homophobic?
@@bivamp Did you read and understand my comment or are you a snowflake political correctness freak...??? Go read the book : in the original novel Count Dracula isn't straight, gay or bisexual - he is an undead being, a vampire predator who feeds on human blood ! This discussion is silly regarding the original Count Dracula character by Bram Stoker !!!
@@filipematias5127 literally just watch the video
I do love a man with sensitive nostrils.🥰
I love pp 😍
@@apollo6519 omg same 😘
@@gh0sty_269 same
When I read Dracula in High School, the bisexual elements were obvious to me. I cannot believe people deny it.
I was just thinking the same. I don't think I went around thinking Dracula was bisexual but from most literature and film he clearly was (especially the Byronic types). He basically seduces people in order to drink their blood, men or women. The charged, hypnotic air. Necks being barred and bitten. The person being bitten feeling some kinda pleasure with the pain. In film in general, if men commit violence on other men that kinda closeness and sensuality seems pretty uncommon unless one of the guys is (or is implied) gay or bisexual. That level of intimacy with violence is either gonna be unnerving or titillating to most people watching.
Reading it again and YEAH
@@NigerianKitchen The coding written in the book made it very astonishing to me, how few people caught on there. Dracula is increadably posessiv of him, despite not planing on feeding from him, he speaks of love quite passionatly in direct context to Jonathan, he went through a lot of effort in keeping Jonathans stay as pleasent and least threatening as possible, intent on spending time with him, despite not really having a good reason for it, always insisting on them being friends until death, laying his hand on his the first night of Jonathans stay, but retracting it at Jonathans noticable discomfort . . . also, him going after Mina had nothing to do with her, but was all about Jonathan . . .
As with what you discibed, the queercoding of vampires as predators makes sense. Sexuell interesst and advances of someone you are not into, or are into against your will are uncomfortable to threatening, no matter your sexuality, but for being straight is more commen, same sex attraction is the one more likely to make one uncomfortable, especialy in a society where it is demonised and outlawed
To me he just seemed like a really capable loving housewife. He's good at cooking, cleaning and entertaining his guests.
Back then there was no such thing lol
I find it fascinating that vampires are both a metaphor for bisexuality (good) as well as high class european colonialism and capitalism (evil)
But early vampire stories don't really represent the vampire as bisexual, as much as they represent it as sexually decadent and deviant, traits often assigned to the aristocracy in the past and to the capitalist class today. On top of that, Dracula and other vampires from those times don't represent capitalism; they were mostly aristocrats, a dying social class that disappeard thanks to capitalism, industrialization and the enlightenment.
I think an interesting aspect though is the fact that Dracula is seeking to purchas land in England. There's definitely the "spooky immigrant" aspect, especially as England has no lack of its own aristocrats, but I also felt almost a sense that he could at least be easily formed to represent the aristocrat refashioning himself into the capitalist in the new era.
@@transitoryloving4261 well said, that is also because the bisexual or homosexual identity didn’t exist at the time, the categories were invented later on.
@@transitoryloving4261 100%
@@inferiorinferno8859 I have to say I laughed when you said "Dracula for one, was clearly a straight dude that was experimenting around with men" "he's not bisexual guys, he's straight man who experiments with men" That gave a me a good laugh, I have to give you props for that.
Listen kid, just because you don't like it doesn't negate all the instances in both literature and cinema of something existing.
The argument: "the original dracula wasn't bisexual and wasn't a metaphor for colonialism, therefore all the adaptations of bisexual vampires/colonialist vampires is wrong" is by far one of the stupidest things I have ever heard. If you're offended by reality I guess that makes you a snowflake or something, is that the word that's used? But then, you're a person that uses "woke" unironically which makes you sound unintelligent. If I had a pound for every person that cried "Oh no, woke sjw feminists politics are ruining movies" I'd buy a car. It makes you sound whiny.
answer: yes, yes he is.
This video is making me see the book version of "I Am Legend" way differently. In the book, the main character is the last human in a world overrun by a vampire plague and he spends his days killing as many vampires as possible, only to learn at the end of the book that the vampires have formed their own advanced society and progressed beyond the need to drink blood through scientific advances because they're still just as intelligent as they were as people. He is put on trial and executed for essentially being a serial killer. This could definitely be seen as a metaphor for people clinging onto an old, traditional (read: heteronormative) way of life as the world moves on without them. What used to be acceptable and even encouraged (fighting vampires or criminalizing homosexuality, you get the picture) is now recognized as an atrocity.
This reminds me to start writing my "the Blade movies are actually queer and here's why" essay
Make it a video essay! Maybe you can get featured or linked!
As a bisexual obsessed with vampires, bless you for this video
Me me
I'm wondering is "he's not bisexual, he's bihomicidal" is a ill placed joke, like a bad pun joke because he is bisexual and it's obvious? But then I remembered who moffat is and the Sherlock nonsense with Sherlock and Watson
yes that’s what I was thinking lol
When you said "Byronic hero" at ~13:50 my brain genuinely though for a sec that it was some portmanteau of bi and ironic that I hadn't heard before
Took me a couple of seconds to realise my mistake 😂
Same thing happened to me! Isn't it bironic?
Same!
Oh the birony
I mean... it works either way.
I think its both.like a pun!
25:27 Isn't it implied in Mina's letter thqt she is Bi when she warns Jonathan that if he cheats on her, she'll do the same with some dudes and a girl that Jonathan also likes?
I don't remember that... It seems like it was way too long since I read the book.
That's true, in the show.
And in the book, her and Lucy have a very... romantic friendship, also.
@@KarlKristofferJohnsson I meant on the show's first episode
@@professormoriarty1428 Ah, that makes sense. I would probably remember bisexual implications from the book.
@@wandanemer2630 in the 1992 version as well
I read an analysis insisting Dracula wasn't queer. The argument was that people were misinterpreting Victorian language and social norms and Dracula's physical description being so monstrous. I'm pretty sure the author didn't take into account those same social norms with regard to being gay. There was definitely no mention of the letters between Stoker and Whitman.
I've seen similar any time lesbian or bi women from that time period are re-analyzed now. Just reminds me that even Anne Lister's stupid male relatives didn't want her coded journals getting "out."
honestly i always figure he wasn't bi or straight. He was no longer human and we were his food, when i eat pork i don't care if i what sex the pig i am eating is. Now going form the original black and white movie (since i didn't read the book) i am with he always seem to be bi as he didn't care where the blood came from.
The original novel by Bram Stoker doesn't have any inference whatsoever about Count Dracula being gay or bisexual : he is an undead vampire predator who drinks HUMAN blood - END OF DISCUSSION ! (Edit : 🌘🕷️🕸️)
Not even a quarter of the way into rereading and drinking blood is directly compared to love. But alright.
Interesting!
I love how vampires have evolved in fiction and just how acceptedly and expectedly sexy and queer they are now. I've learned so much from this video and was grinning the whole way, I think talking about vampires and queerness is my new favourite thing.
Does the silence about Wilde speak volumes ironically . . . or Byronically?
I’m sorry. (But not really, I’m actually immensely pleased with myself)
As you should
Hell yeah, more bisexual vampirism!!!
Woo hoo!!
What We Do in the Shadows has ONLY bi vampires! 💖💜💙
Assuming the individual didn't start out bisexual, a vampire will discover some measure of genuine bisexual desire (even just a 1 or 2 on the kinsey scale), or learn to be a bit flexible, just as a function of time. You live long enough, you'll get lonely and/or just plain curious.
Miriam Blaylock in "The Hunger" comes to mind.
Honestly, thats what I was thinking. Like you’re alive for so long as a vampire that you’d eventually get bored or curious. Then again, I’m like super fluid in who I find attractive and I know some ppl say they’re super straight (lmao) but I feel after thousands of years, it wouldn’t be surprising if vampires would be open to the other sex lol
Moffat trying to deny Dracula's bisexuality in his new BBC show lmao
Fine, dude. We still have Lestat.
Agreed , Lestat and Louis were/are vampire versions of myself and my boyfriend of 10yrs. Interestingly enough we both identify as bisexual despite being in a serious long term gay relationship
@@talonshadows4587 well, when you find the one then you’ve found the one. Their gender might be the last thing on your mind when you’re secure about your own sexuality
@@talonshadows4587 I mean I would say many bi people if not most bi people continue to identify as bi even if they found the 'one' bc it's just being truthful lol. if you're bi you're bi. also if you have a history of dating men and women and being attracted to them, then there's no issue still identifying as such. a person does not change someone's sexuality etc. etc.....
Wonderful video, and your disclaimer below it, "Contains spoilers for Dracula (1897), Dracula (1931), Dracula (1958), Dracula (1994), and also Dracula (2020)." made me chuckle quite a bit.
LMAO omg that's amazing. XD
as a bisexual... i have to tell that when i was in school we made a play adaptation of Dracula, and the very closeted bi trangirl that i was y portrayed Van Helsing. Watching this now is just so true and funny.
How interesting
Cool!
did you just say “right in the thrussy?!!” THRUSSY. you made me choke on my lunch.... I am dying. you have a new fan lmaooo
You say there has never been a more bisexual portyal of dracula eh? Well allow me to introduce you to Alucard from Hellsing Ultimate, especially the abridged series. "No one alive can comprehend his sexual preference". Enjoy
Bless.
Him and Anderson could sink the titanic if it crashed into them, that's how sharp their romantic tensions were, especially in the Abridged.
@@mr.p215 I havent seen it but just reading that sentence was pleasing.
Well since it was made by Japanese people, their culture thinks you should keep that to yourself and doesn't like it very much, and plus they probably weren't even thinking of a random vampire characters sexuality in castlevania lol
. . . oh dear, unsure if I would call the disaster that is alucard abridged bi, given he himself claims no one could even comprehend his sexuality . . . but yeah, he showed interest in both sexes so it at least partialy counts ^^
i'm so glad tom cruise didn't win. interview with a vampire was such an awakening for me. i reread the books far too often.
Twilight is also Byronic because it’s meant to be loosely based on Wuthering Heights (which it also Bella’s favourite book and potentially why the “I like to watch you sleep” window thing exists)
The gospel version of a byronic hero
"Is it gay to drink each other's blood?"
Only if the necks touch.
I was thinking, as Bram didn't want to give up his straight lifestyle perhaps he also didn't want to hurt the woman he married and bring shame upon her and his family as well. Like he wanted to bare the shame all by himself; less of a sin than hurting those you care for.
It reminds me of the tragic life of John Laurens. He was also forced to be married to a girl and raise their daughter together to not bring shame to her family as he impregnated her out of wedlock. But he was so often away at war that I don't think he cared too much about them.
Small thing that i loved in 2020 dracula was how he explained his fear of crosses. He said that he does not fear the cross because it is a symbol of god. He fears the cross because his victims were often oppressed and made to feel anxious by the church. As he drank their blood, he absorbed their fear and anxiety, related to the church and the cross. I can 100% relate to this, as this really was religion that made me believe i was sinful and worth punishment, not my sexuality itself. And even for straight people, religion inficts a ton of fear regarding their sexuality, as it only allows sex after marriage, and only the most basic form of sex.
ang is not my first language so sorry for mistakes
What you said about a Dracula that's monstrous to modern audiences sounds similar to how Abigail Thorn described the version of Dracula that she was going to be in before it got cancelled.
What could anyone cancel Abigail about? Lol
@@azuregriffin1116 no the play was canceled just before lockdown
It’s ironic. I recently started reading Dracula 🧛🏼♂️ I thought to wait and finishing reading another time because pride month was coming up, and I wanted to read about LGBTQ+ characters. But I continued with the story, the audiobook narrated by Alan Cumming in particular, and I started thinking how lustful Dracula sounded towards Jonathan. And then I come across your video and I can’t unsee it/ unhear it 😅 Love your content, thank you for sharing with us! 💜
Today I was watching Nosferatu with my boyfriend, and from the few lines of dialogue that he had we decided that he's a raging bisexual who had a one night stand with Butter the panic bi.
This video suddenly got me thinking about the NBC Hannibal series and the legacy of the literary vampire in that. Hannibal is posed as from Lithuania, charismatic, rich, stylish- and of course he eats people. Then you have Will as the mixture of seduced friend/victim and supposed hero who will defeat Hannibal. Except in the series they completely mess with the traditional dynamic, giving our 'hero' a negative character arc and more explicitly exploring the notion of romance in between our 'hero' and monster character. You've got me wanting to write essays on this now. This was a cool video, thanks.
My goal is to now find a way to include "Thrussy" and "Sensitive Nostrils" in regular speech.
Also this shade of lipstick is stunning on you.
my mom always says "of course all vampires are bi! if you've lived through hundreds of years, being attracted to only one kind of person would be so boring" and i think she slays for that
I feel no vampire can be straight when you hit triple digits your gonna be bi or pan at the least and being a straight vampire is like a being a unicorn.
If vampires were former humans doesn’t that play into it. If someone was straight as a human I can’t imagine that changing once they become vampires. Likewise if someone was already gay or bisexual before becoming human. I’m aroace and no way in hell is that changing. Even if I become a vampire.
At the end of the day vampires are former humans. And no one sexuality would be considered making them a unicorn
@@moondivine2288 I feel like If someone is straight and is turned into a vampire it just doesn’t work. They turn to dust or something lol
@@ollieno971 sexuality shouldn’t be a factor. And honestly i don’t get the argument behind it. I love cake yet I’m not marrying it. Dracula threw a baby at the brides…that right there would have some dark implications.
I’m not defending anyone. As a asexual it would be nice to imagine vampire me still ace. People, no matter their sexuality should be able to dream of themselves as vampires. 🤷♀️
the thrussy reference almost killed me. u are lucky i wasnt drinking or eating at the time or else my blood would be on your hands!!
"Sensitive nostrils" may be my new favorite descriptor.
"A version of Dracula in which his sexuality is not considered monstrous." Have you considered the hit anime: Hellsing Ultimate?
For a modern anti-villain treatment maybe we could model Dracula after Bram Stoker: a closeted bi person with deeply seated internalized homophobia who doesn't care that he's hurting other people in similar shoes.
Moffat is just the modern form of Bram Stoker's anti-gayness lol
Guys I think we’re forgetting Alucard being canonically bisexual in the Castlevania universe
A person of culture I see
The best boy. Plus it's good to see a Bi Vamp (in Adrian's case Dhampir) who is actually a good guy and not a raving genocidal mad man like his Dad
Verity shh you're revealing our secrets, now they will see us bisexual vampires coming 😫
Re: the book - the voivode was into Harker from basically the moment that stiff-necked oversocialised little wet British noodle arrived on his doorstep; this theory simplifies explanation of _so much_ of what went on between them in good old' Castle Drac pre- the good Count's emigration, & no-one alive, dead, or undecided will ever be able to convince me otherwise.
agree, there is no way the count did not have a thing for jonathan, the hints are everywhere
I always assumed it was common knowledge that bisexuals were descended from vampires.
8 months into a-level analysis of him, I fucking hope so or those essays are fucked-
Can’t believe Queen didn’t mention Dio Brando
I had no idea all these great stories and writers were so related (both socially and literally relatives)
You keep making content which is targeted to my exact tastes and honestly thank you so much
"The blood is the life! The blood is the life!" --Renfield
the irony, is that the only time I found a gay version of Jonathan harker was in a gay porn version. And as fun as that one is ( you gotta give it to them they made a decent effort on the horror gothic setting) I would like if that sort of exploration would not be just relegated to porn parodies you know?
Here I am being messy in the youtube comments, asking what this gay dracula porn was called.
@@ProgressiveBoink
My dog is asking for the link you know....
The 'first Icelandic translation' of Dracula is also very much clear about Dracula's plans for Jonathan - but then, this book has one chapter in common with the English version, everything else is more or less the translator's own story. It's published under the title 'Powers of Darkness' now.
I always loved vampires for their open minded love-is-love-attitudes. Later I found out I'm just bisexual as well. :')
"With kinks like that, will they even be allowed in Pride this year?"
I snorted. Literally snorted. Great breakdown.
Interview with the Vampirte was ironically Tom Cruise's gayest film at the time. Really the dude needs to come out.
Small correction regarding Dracula's all female victims: we do have a glimpse of Dracula's voracious "bisexuality" once he's onboard Demeter, having fed of all its male crew, but the captain, when it arrives at its destination. And let's not forget the promiscuity accusations constantly leveled at sailors/seamen. PS: love your channel :)
I just watched a Bram Stocker video that spoke about the queer themes and touches upon the Oscar Wilde trials, and now this vid 😍 can't wait to see your take and what do you have to say about it 💖
Hi, I know it's late, but what video was that? I'm interested in watching that
So...Polidori basically made modern bisexual vampires a thing by way of friend-fiction 😭
That was really interesting! I was not aware of the Bram Stoker / Oscar Wilde angle before. Thank you very much!
Considering Dracula's splattered throughout with symbolism, and the nature of evil goes for both, I can see why Dracula would swing both ways, not just stick with one.
The title hooked me but your eyeshadow kept me watching.
I was an emo (‘00s Bisexual Chic) who was obsessed with vampires as a teen and still now. I ended up being bisexual. Guess I was a little more obvious than I thought 😅
I always imagined Van Hellsing as being some for of POC, just because the one passage that called his skin
tan" and "bronze". Although, I also pictured Dracula as looking like Colonel Sanders, so what the fuck do I know.
Bring tan and bronze doesn’t necessarily mean Van Hellsing is POC. I have seen white people that fit that description. Nina Dobrev fits that description for me. Tv trope wise it’s also the dark type and handsome
we’re getting an interview with the vampire tv show next year and i’m hoping they make their bisexuality explicit as it’s okay now :)
Are we??? Exciting!
Me over here with my bi vampire boy.
This is exactly the content I came to enjoy and it's so refreshing to hear!
thank you so much for the captions!english isn't my first language so it really helps me understand what you're saying better
0:34
"If I described to you a handsome aristocratic man in the early eighteen-hundreds with a voracious bisexual appetite, who drank from a human skull..."
Me: hmmm sounds like Lord Byron, but I'm not sure about the skull
*2 seconds later*
Me: it _is_ Lord Byron! :D this just made my day
Gay, ginger, 6’2, loves gothic horror, my my mr. Stoker you’re hitting all the right marks for me
I just watched young frankenstine and now every time I hear frankenstine I hear Gene Wilder say 'fronkensteen'
Love the video.
I kind of like the idea that Harker is how Stoker would like to see himself (law degree, loving relationship with a badass woman) and Van Helsing is how Stoker sees himself (careful and retreated and loveless)
If you want to read more about Stoker and Wilde, the letter Stoker got from Wilde's brother after he wrote a homophobic article in response to Wilde's incarceration is available. Also, if you're ever in Dublin Wilde's and Stoker's houses are super close to each other and next to a park that has a Wilde statue with his gayest quotes around it.
The case was well made on the whole. I'm a little surprised you left out Barnabas Collins from Dark Shadows. Jonathan Frid's infusing his performance with so much reluctance was considered rather impactful; his portrayal also was illustrative of the restraints of the times.
Knowing my G&S, I thought Ruthven rhymed with given.
Ditto re: Barnabas. Also, the fanged four from Buffy were basically a semi-incestuous poly family for several decades, with bisexual relationships among all four members being heavily and often implied. Did we get any bi TV vamps in this video essay, or were they all just book and movie vamps?
"It ain't gay if the fangs don't touch, bruh!" -- the next time I play a Toreador antitribu
Out of fear that I might forget to hit the like button, I do so before your videos have even begun and have yet to regret the decision. Love your work and have every intention to become a patron once things become a touch more stable for me. Damnpemic and all. Keep being fabulous!!!!!
Fright Night is also a film with a vampire who’s not picky about who his lovers were. His main house servant was even male.
I suppose the modern vampire would be about erasure then…that could actually work really well.
That really puts a new spin on the invisible in the mirror.
damned, thats good!!!
A version of Dracula where his same sex attraction is not the thing that makes him monstrous reminds me a lot of Bryan Fuller's Hannibal actually. As has been pointed out, Hannibal on that show ISN'T a vampire exactly, but he IS "A Dracula" lol
I literally cannot get enough of these video essays which manage to strike the balance between academic research, funny one-liners and a sexy red lip 😉
Have you seen the 2013 American TV version of Dracula with Jonathan Rhys Meyers? It's full on bananas. Dracula's goal is to invent clean energy and therefore defeat the oil-funded secret society that cursed him. There is an entire episode devoted to the drama over whether the special sunblock he is working on will be successful so that he can attend a day-time board meeting in a greenhouse.
So two of the most iconic halloween stories were created on a game night with friends?? That is the best thing I've heard all year
Why isn’t there an adaptation where Jonathan and Mina are a married couple who’ are actually beards where their true loves are Dracula and Lucy? Or a dual coming out story for them?
Wow this video was amazing. There's tons of video essays on the history of vampires in cinema and the monsters coorelation to homosexuality BUT i never knew about the history between walt whitman, bram stoker, and oscar wilde. That was really cool to learn
As a fictional character he will have whatever sexuality I want him to have in my slash fic.
Would now be a good time to mention that Lucy/Seward/Morris/Holmwood are basically a polycule or nah?
They are absolutely a polycule and I will not shut up about this.
Yep, when I read the novel, I really pegged Seward/Holmwood and Lucy/Mina. And Van Helsing with someone else, but I can't remember.
Hell yes, Lucy was very interested even lamenting outright, that marrying all 3 was not an option. She was faithful cause society demanded it, but nowerdays that could have been a polycule, especialy with how respectful accepting and not jalouse the guys reacted to her choice! A great fanfiction waiting to happen . . .
0:00 The video starts with a reference to the movie "Dracula´s Daughter", that´s how you know this is going to be great.
Every video you put out is just a bless🖤
As far as i knew Dracula has always been bisexual or at least unspokenly sexually fluid. Dracula being heterosexual never made sense to me.
Watching this video was just 27 minutes and 40 seconds of me, a young bisexual with anxieties around sex realizing why I've been so obsessed with vampires and vampire content my entire life. Can't wait to watch the other video where I will undoubtably find more internalized homophobia and biphobia to unpack
Myself and some other non-binary individuals have come to a conclusion that vampirism can be associated with being non-binary. For us it clicks.
Wow! This is a brilliant take on bisexuality and one of the most iconic characters in literary history. I never knew about I just saw your recent video about bisexual chic before watching this one. Yeah, I really fell down another rabbit hole and am still falling. ^^
I would go back to University (I'm 51) just to take a queer literature class given by you. Thank you. I had no idea about the connections between Stoker, Wilde and Whitman let alone the details of it. I have all kinds of feelings about the tragedy of Bram Stoker's fear of coming out derived directly from the trauma of witnessing the fate of his contemporary, Oscar Wilde. Unrequited love, repression and loneliness. Stoker's life sounds a little like an Emily Bronte novel, TBH
Also the Hunger is my second favorite film. RIP Tony Scott
Would you mind sharing what your first favorite film is, fellow The Hunger fan?
@@annajung1234 Ahh yes, fellow Hunger fan! it's Excalibur!
@@GradyBroyles Thanks, I will add it to me to-watch list :)
@@annajung1234 NGL... I get excited every time I turn someone on to Excalibur. It Has Dame Helen Mirren (in her early 20s) as Morgana, Liam Neeson as Gawaine, Sir Patrick Stewart as Leondegrance, Gabriel Byrne at Uther Pendragon and Nicol Williamson as the best Merlin ever on film.
I could have watched like 2 hours of you talking about this. Such a great video!