Vampires and werewolves

One of the biggest selling franchises in the past ten years is that of the Twilight Saga, both in book sales and at the box office. Twihards everywhere are in anticipation for the last installment of the movie series, which is premiering in November 2012. Besides Twilight, True Blood and the Vampire Diaries, also both based off best sellers, are very highly ranked television shows. 

What all three of the above have in common - vampires and werewolves, essentially bloodsuckers and shape shifters. I love all of the above. I don't care if other people hate on it, I'm a fan. But it's also a phenomenon. So many shows, so many films, so many books with these common denominators? I mean, back in the day, Buffy the Vampire Slayer was unique to prime time television. Today, the vamps and wolves are everywhere, and one has to wonder why. 

Is it because of the immortality angle? Are we, as a public, as a society, as the human race, so fascinated now with immortality that we can imagine ourselves being vampires? 

Is it because of the blood lust and the fact that the main protagonists in all of the above wish to maintain a tight reign and control over this lust, over their primal need to feed? Are we as a race feeling out of control and thus need to witness someone, or something, exert an almost supernatural level of control over a base instinct? 

Is it because of the shifting aspect within the wolves? Are we perhaps also in constant battles with ourselves, presenting one image to the world whilst another, darker self longs to emerge? 

Is it because of the sex appeal? True Blood has some intense sex scenes, Twilight and Diaries have managed to find some of the most beautiful people in Hollywood to cast and in each one the same thread runs - love between a vamp and a human. 

Is it because of the love triangles evident in EVERY single story? Bella, Edward, Jacob. Sookie, Bill, Eric/Alcide. Elena, Stefan, Damon. It's a common denominator, and we eat it up! 

Maybe at the end of the day it's because vampires and werewolves ACTUALLY exist. Just not in the guises presented to us by Hollywood. They exist in the form of fake friends. The exist in the form hypocritical colleagues and bosses. They exist in the form of lying, stealing, corrupt politicians. They exist in the form of needy family members. They exist in the form of two faced bitches and double crossing assholes. They are REAL, and Hollywood is cashing in, and we're not even realizing it.