True Blood: Sexy in America

Once upon a time, male sex appeal was determined by the car he drove and the clothes he wore. Case in point, remember the days of Don Johnson in Miami Vice? The dude was hot just standing next to his white Ferrari Testarossa, sporting his black T-Shirt and white unconstructed Armani jacket. For females in America, he was the ideal for sexy on television.

Now, it really depends on whether a man has fangs or shape shifts into a werewolf. I actually feel bad for the modern male. At least back then, he could’ve aspired to own the Testarossa. At this point in our culture, the definition of sex appeal hinges on whether a guy bites the neck of his partner during sex or defends her honor by tearing out the throat of her enemy.

And that leads us to the perfect example of sex appeal on television today – Vampire Eric Northman of True Blood. He doesn’t own a car and I’d bet his T-Shirts are from The Gap. He’s tall, blond, pale, honest about his intensions, and that pesky lack of humanity. You always know where you stand with Eric and that makes him even more attractive. He moves in and out of the darkness in his soul and that makes him a tiny bit vulnerable.

Enter a strong woman, Sookie, who’s not the least bit interested in him sexually. We’ll talk about her need for therapy later. What is interesting about their relationship is her unavailability and the fact that he’s dead. At some point, we know these two will be horizontal and that anticipation has sparked additional appeal in this season.

And don’t think for a moment, Alan Ball isn’t on to us. He knows that Eric is the new poster child for male sexuality in this country and he’s yanking our chain every chance he gets. He’s doubled Eric’s screen time and deepened his storyline. With Bill vacationing in Mississippi, Eric is now the primary protector of Sookie. He’d never admit to her he relishes this job and the opportunity to keep the (were)wolves at bay. His demand on last night’s episode that Sookie invite him into her home had every hot blooded female mouthing those now famous words, “Mr. Northman, would you please come into my home.”

Don’t be surprised if Ball isn’t planning an Eric spin off; maybe something titled “Eric’s Diaries” or “Desperate Eric”. But remember, whether Eric continues to ride the True Blood wave of popularity or star in his own show, we all win.