Manipulating and Using People

Bloodsucking Fiends is about relationships, and no relationship is based purely on love. All of the characters have desires they are trying to fulfill, and they enter into relationships to fulfill their own desires. Jody needs someone to protect her, to keep her safe during the daytime, and to do errands for her that she can't accomplish during the night. Even more than that, she needs some way to fight off loneliness. Jody hates being alone, and she is willing to do almost anything to fight loneliness. Her ultimate act of manipulating Tommy is in turning him into a vampire to fulfill her own needs.

The women's magazines that Tommy reads and the advice that Tommy gets from the Animals highlight manipulation in relationships. The magazines tell women how to use sports metaphors to manipulate men, how to get what they want by any means...