This Is Why People Think Fictional Vampire Lestat De Lioncourt Is Feuding With Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift has found a new rival: Lestat de Lioncourt, otherwise known as the fictional vampire first created by Anne Rice and currently played by Sam Reid in the AMC film. Interview with the vampire.
For context, this past weekend AMC released the first clip from the upcoming third season, in which Lestat becomes a rock star (as he will in the third season; more on that below). The little teaser showed Reid as Lestat, sitting for an interview and generally acting like a bit of a diva. Reid is already masterful as the theatrical Lestat, but this short clip shows just how perfect a rock star Lestat really is.
Here’s where things get funny. In a now-deleted X-post, a fan juxtaposed images of Lestat in this clip with several images of Taylor Swift in her music video for “Blank Space,” with the caption, “I’ve got a long list of ex-lovers, they’ll tell you I’m insane” — a reference to Lestat’s toxic relationship with Louis, which fuels the show’s first two seasons.
And because this is the internet and X is in the year 2024, some people got angry.
Now since This is the internet and X in 2024, so it’s entirely possible that the person who responded with an impassioned defense of Taylor Swift was trolling. That didn’t stop people from picking it up and running with it, though, because the idea of Lestat starting a stan war on X was just So damned in character.
It also helped that Taylor Swift happened to perform “I Don’t Wanna to Live Forever” as a surprise number during her most recent concert. Talk about timing (what if i told you she was a mastermind?).
Personally, I think we should pit fictional characters against celebrities more often; that’s what internet rage should really be used for.
The third season of interview with the vampire will follow The vampire Lestat, the second book in Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles series. It’s all about Lestat as a rock star, because of course Lestat would be a rock star. It also starts off with two absolute cracker paragraphs, where Lestat describes how hot he is, like you do. It gives Ebony Darkness Dementia Way by My immortal fame.
I am the Vampire Lestat. I am immortal. Sort of. The light of the sun, the relentless heat of an intense fire—these things might destroy me. But maybe not.
I am six feet tall, which was quite impressive in the 1780s when I was a young mortal man. It is not bad now. I have thick blond hair, not quite down to my shoulders, and rather curly, which looks white under fluorescent light. My eyes are gray, but they absorb the colors blue or violet easily from the surfaces around them. And I have a fairly short, narrow nose and a mouth that is well formed, but just a little too large for my face. It can look very mean, or extremely generous, my mouth. It always looks sensual. But emotions and attitudes are always reflected in my whole expression. I have a constantly lively face.
Reid recites the first paragraph of this in all its over-the-top glory in the trailer, which bodes well for how awesome this new season is going to be.
Oh, and in case you were wondering…yes, they did releasing the full in-universe song with a super-extra lyric video.
Your turn, Taylor.