No, I'm the cutest!

• Video of the Nosferatu coffin scene

Count Orlok, from F. W. Murnau's 1922 German Expressionist film Nosferatu: A Symphony of Terror is not an object of the erotic desires attached to vampires in recent pop culture. Orlok is not a sexual figure. If anything, his appearance and one-dimensional character causes him to appear asexual. Orlok’s entire purpose is to disgust and scare the viewer, not woo them.  From his sunken eyes to elongated fingers, Orlok defines the words creepy and evil. Film theorist Enno Patalas article On the Way to ‘Nosferatu’s argues, “Count Orlok can be compared to a flesh-eating plant” (Patalas 2002), something that is seen with fear. Unlike vampires in later years, Orlok's features are never normal. When the audience is first introduced to the vampire, he is a tall, slouching, thin figure in a long dark coat. He wears a turban to cover the baldness of his pale head and the pointed bat-like flaps he has for ears. His cheeks are gaunt, his eyebrows overtly hairy and there is dark shading under his large bulging eyes. Also, his fingers are arthritis-bent and sharp. Making his hands look like they belong to a man-bat hybrid. Orlok’s deformities evoke fear and raise blood pressure, not your libido. 

Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer is attractive. He is a Billy Idol-looking, leather wearing, Doc Martin steel toe kind of bad boy. Spike also, has strong muscles and a six-pack. Thus, he is the antithesis of ugly.  In the article Why Beauty Matters, writers Markus M. Mobius and Tanya S Rosenblat argue that people who are more physically attractive are more confident, thus adding to their attractiveness. They also tend to have better social skills (Mobius Rosenblat 2006).  Women like Spike because he is good-looking and has a personality. Joss Wheadon, the creator of the show, stated that Spike was originally meant as a temporary character for Buffy to kill off (Buffy the Vampire Slayer 1997-2003). The audience loved him so much that Wheadon kept Spike on as a regular. Thus, he became a vampire sex symbol. Sex symbol or not, Spike is not always his handsome self. When he gives into his monster-like tendencies, he looks the monster. Spike is never as deformed as Orlok, but he still looks scary. His brow furrows, his eyes turn a neon yellow and his vampire teeth protrude from his mouth. Spike is only good-looking sometimes. Thus, he is only a sex symbol when he looks the part.

Edward when he is feeding on animals.

Edward when he is feeding on humans.

            Edward Cullen from filmmaker Catherine Hardwicke and author Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight always looks like a human and never a monster. His features are young, stone-like and hip. Even when he kills (to save his partner, Bella), his face does not morph into an ugly vampire like Spike. Edward never loses his humanity, even in moments of violence because he is first a man who happens to have superhuman strength, mind reading powers, deadly good looks and a thirst for blood. Edward’s appearance and sense of humanity cause millions of fans to squeal and dream of his sparkling vampire body. Fans have created cult followings, such as the Twilight Moms (Twilight Mom’s Youtube Channel) and a Twilight-inspired dildo (Eby 2010). Edward is a sex symbol, and his separation from the monster makes him that symbol. Women like Edward because he is gorgeous and reliable.

Here is are links to the Twilight Mom's channel on Youtube and the Twilight dildo.
Twilight Dildo... eh.
Sexually frustrated older women.