Vampira: Dark Goddess of Horror, a book by College of Charleston monster expert Scott Poole is in bookstores now. It is the first published biography of Malia Nurmi (Vampira) and explores her impact on pop culture – from 1950s America to current celebrities like Madonna and Lady GaGa.
Poole admits vampires’ time in pop culture has passed, giving way to zombies, but their impact on our culture is undeniable.
Double Meaning
Vampira rose to fame in 1954 with the late-night horror show, “Dig Me, Vampira.” In it, she dressed as a sexy vampire and acted as a host for horror and sci-fi films. It was unlike anything seen before and rose to instant popularity in Los Angeles.
RELATED: The rise and fall of Vampira on boingboing.net.
Poole contends horror, and vampires, are more than just a good scare.
“We need to visit our dark side and Maila’s love for laughter in the dark seems the best way to approach that difficult task,” notes Poole, a history professor. “One of the things I explain in the book is that behind all Malia’s jokes about making a zombie cocktail or pretending to be some sort of dead homemaker, she was really making fun of the 1950s ideal of the middle class housewife.”
Vampire thriller/soap opera True Blood uses a campy-style to talk about sex and death in a way that makes it (weirdly) more comfortable. But, after it’s premiere at the height of Twilight mania, the show is past its prime, taking with it the vampire craze.
RELATED: HBO’s True Blood ends its run on August 24, 2014.
Influence on Today’s Celebrities
Many people say Vampira paved the way for women like Elvira, Madonna, and Lady Gaga. The latter two are clearly not portraying vampires, but they are going outside social norms.
Scott Poole, history professor
Poole says, “I’m careful not to get into direct influences on Madonna and Lady GaGa. But, one thing is certain… we like to punish young women in this society when they cross certain kinds of lines. Everyone from Vampira to Miley Cyrus to Madonna experiences this kind of criticism. Maila was different because she never earned the riches that comes with that kind of stardom; sadly she just faced the punishment.”
So, while horror pop culture is now all about zombies, Poole shows that vampires had an impact.
RELATED: Poole goes in search of S.C.’s Lizard Man in College of Charleston Magazine.
