Twilight: One Fantasy Phenomenon I Don’t Get

August 1, 2008 - 9:03 am By Marisa - Wesleyan University

One thing you should know about me is that I’m a total dork. I obsess over TV shows, movies, books, and pretty much everything else you can obsess over. My poisons include graphic novels, Harry Potter, and everything Joss Whedon has ever made. I’ve got geek written all over me (especially when I wear my Gir t-shirt)

But the one hyped-up fantasy series I can’t understand is Twilight, the teen vampire romance by Stephenie Meyer. Well, since I haven’t actually read the books, it would be more accurate to say I just don’t get why my friends want to marry a pale, sunken-faced vampire by the name of Edward Cullen.

For the past few months, I’ve been receiving Facebook bumper stickers about it, the movie version of Twilight is slated for release in December (and already is generating an insane amount of buzz in the entertainment industry), and a library a couple of towns over from me is even hosting a freaking bridal shower for the two main characters when the fourth book, Breaking Dawn, is released on Saturday.

Now, Harry Potter release parties, I understand. I attended them – sans costume, though, because I wasn’t about to let my inner geek show to my friends and kinda-friends from school. And for those of you who claim Twilight is very similar to Harry Potter, I disagree. Harry Potter is this whole detailed universe that delves incredibly deep, and is allegorical in many respects. From what I’ve gathered about Twilight, the plot seems pretty simple: it’s a romance between a vampire and a human girl, like Romeo and Juliet with a fantasy twist.

But apparently, there’s something charming about this epic romance between Bella Swan and Edward Cullen that I’m not seeing. What’s so alluring about this vampire that makes him the next Mr. Darcy? Is it the pearly-white fangs? The fact that he’s been alive for over a century but still has the body of a 17 year old?

My guess is that Edward Cullen represents everything teenage girls want in a guy. He’s handsome, chivalrous, and loving, yet mysterious and broody in the way that drives girls mad. Edward and Bella’s story is an unconventional fairy tale romance, a far cry from the boring reality we’re stuck with day in and day out. I suppose I can see why girls like it simply as a form of escapism.

But as much as my friends beg me to read the books, I’m not all that interested. My idea of an epic romance is Elizabeth and Darcy, or even Noah and Allie. Vampires? I’ll pass. Wizards are so much sexier anyway.

25 Comments		Posted in Buzz
		Tags: bella swan, breaking dawn, edward cullen, graphic novel, Harry Potter, joss whedon, pride and prejudice, stephenie meyer, the notebook, twilight

25 Comments on "Twilight: One Fantasy Phenomenon I Don’t Get"

Darcy says:
Fri, 1st Aug 200810:19 am

I too find Twilight kind of silly…but at least I read it. Your article flails without a solid argument because you’re condemning something you didn’t even try. So, it’s not as fun for me to read, because I’ve actually put myself through the torture of reading Twilight.

I can tell you that the prose is overbearingly fluffy and flowery, like a 14 year old girl’s attempt to write Anne Rice fanfiction by basing it off of her own heart-wrenching crush on some guy in her History class. People swoon and sulk a lot, and the main character is the dumbest, most helpless supposedly-smart girl you’ll ever meet.

Molly says:
Fri, 1st Aug 200810:35 am

I haven’t read the Twilight series and have no desire to. The type of buzz that’s been generated (i.e. in Facebook stickers, comments I’ve heard, etc) only makes me want to read it less. It seems as though this series, as you said, creates an unattainable image of the ideal boy (sorry, can’t say man). And frankly, that’s bullshit because that kind of person doesn’t exist. So in a way, this book encourages girls to obsess and even become emotionally invested in a book, in an idea that will never come true.

I often like to call this sort of thing “porn for women”, due to the nature of fantasy it creates.

Cookie says:
Fri, 1st Aug 200810:36 am

Thank you thank you thank you.

Ask any Twilight fanatic questions like “Do Bella and Edward belong together?” the immediate answer is a high-pitched screaming “OMGYES!”

Then ask them, “Okay, why?”

“Because they do!”

“Okay…what do they have in common?”

“(blank stare)”

“Well…what do they do when they’re together?”

“(blank stare)”

“Um…what do they talk about?”

“(blank stare)”

“…What do-”

“I LOVE EDWARD!”

Seriously, the girls who read the books and love them to death don’t even /like/ Bella, because she’s a ‘rival’ for their precious Edward. Ye gads!

I leave you with this:

http://headtripcomics.comicgenesis.com/d/20080505.html

Casey says:
Fri, 1st Aug 200810:47 am

Molly you can’t say that kind of person doesn’t exist (i know for a fact that he does) there just aren’t enough of them for every woman on earth, or else they just haven’t found theirs yet.

sue says:
Fri, 1st Aug 200810:55 am

I have never read it either, not really my type of thing…but why would you write an article bashing something you didn’t even try? Making speculations without knowing anything about it doesn’t really make for interesting reading

Marisa - high school senior says:
Fri, 1st Aug 200811:04 am

To clarify: the post is about the hype over the series, not the books themselves. I’m not at all trying to bash the books or condemn those who read them. I apologize if it came across that way.

Cookie: That sounds like pretty much every conversation I’ve had with my friends about Twilight.

Twilight Fan says:
Fri, 1st Aug 200812:00 pm

I’m a senior in college, and I read Twilight. It’s a good, fun story to get lost in, which in my opinion, it what books are for. They are to entertain you and give you a story to enjoy. Twilight does exactly that, which is why so many people get into it, and why there is so much hype for the book that’s coming out tonight. Even my boyfriend, a few years older than me, read the books and is excited (even though he won’t admit it) for the fourth book to come out. I refuse the idea that these books are somehow sub-standard just because some people get too obsessed and over-the-top about them. Read the books, enrich your life, enjoy a good story!

I’ve heard people say that they like to go through J.K. Rowling’s books with a sharpie and cross out every word that is superfluous and unnecessary, and that doing so leaves no story. I completely disagree with those people when they shout about what they’re doing, as if everyone should follow them. If you want to be a Debbie Downer, keep it to yourself and don’t talk down on something someone else may enjoy. There are a multitude of different types of people in the world, and a multitude of different things for us to enjoy! If you are not a fan of a book or whatever else, that’s fine… but I disagree with people who try to force their negative opinion on people who may not yet have an opinion about that book or movie or whatever. Let’s be open-minded.

J - NYU says:
Fri, 1st Aug 200812:46 pm

I don’t know anything about this series, but I DO know that the picture of the actor supposedly playing the vampire dude on screen makes me cringe.

He looks like a cadaver. A wimpy cadaver.

Casey says:
Fri, 1st Aug 200812:54 pm

The actor that places the vampire guy is the same guy that played Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter.

Ha, kinda ironic.

Ashley says:
Fri, 1st Aug 20081:53 pm

I work at a bookstore and we’re having a big release party tonight for “Breaking Dawn,” so I basically had to read the series. My friends and I like to describe it as not well written, but laced with crack… It’s not very good, but it’s so addicting!

Lisa says:
Fri, 1st Aug 20084:50 pm

I agree with Ashley. There’s something about the books that just is freekin’ addicting. I read the books. multiple times. I am 21. While I really dont understand fanatisicm in general and dont necessarily agree with the hype…I think while she not artistic in the way she writes them she writes them in a way that just makes you feel and relate to the characters which, to me, is what matters. Go Twilight. (I love Edward!!! …haha jk)

K says:
Fri, 1st Aug 20087:24 pm

“Well, since I haven’t actually read the books, it would be more accurate to say I just don’t get why my friends want to marry a pale, sunken-faced vampire by the name of Edward Cullen.”

Then why are you even writing this article? If you haven’t read the books then how are you supposed to understand the “phenomenon”???

Maybe next time you should do some sort of research before you write an article. And no, asking your friends doesn’t count as research, sorry.

Sarah says:
Fri, 1st Aug 20088:07 pm

I think it’s kind of ridiculous to make fun of something you haven’t read. Especially because your only argument against it is that people are taking the fandom too far.

Casey says:
Fri, 1st Aug 20089:21 pm

Dude, some of you should maybe re-read the article. She is asking for opinions, why are these books hyped so much? That is her question, she’s not trying to “put down something she hasn’t read” she is a little biased based on what she’s heard about them, but she’s asking, “why [her] friends want to marry a pale, sunken-faced vampire by the name of Edward Cullen.”

K says:
Sat, 2nd Aug 200812:51 am

Casey,

I didn’t see any call for opinions. She said that she doesn’t get it. Well, maybe if she read the books then she’d get it. Or maybe she wouldn’t. But the thing is, how can you write an article about something you haven’t read? If she had read at least one of the books and still didn’t get it, then this would be a legit article, but what the heck is the point of this article? Seriously? Does anyone know?

This would be like me writing an article about the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books. I haven’t read them, I’ve seen the previews for the movies, I’ve heard what my friends have said and I’ve heard the general story, but how am I to judge them if I haven’t even read them? Of course I’m not going to understand why so many people like them BECAUSE I HAVENT READ THEM.

This article is a joke.

Cecca says:
Sat, 2nd Aug 20082:00 am

The article’s not about the books, it’s about the hype. Now does anyone have anything to say about the actual topic of the article, or do you just want to bash it some more?

Beth-Frosh says:
Sun, 3rd Aug 20084:09 am

I have read both Twilight and New Moon but I find myself struggling to finish Eclipse. The plot of the story is drowned in the angst between Bella, Edward, and Jacob. The book is 600-some-odd pages that could have easily been condensed to half that size.

I dont really read teen fiction (aka Young Adult)anymore because of books like Eclipse. they are preceded by some pretty good stuff but after awhile, the series dries up. Breaking Dawn is a much needed conclusion.

If you want vampire romance, cruise the romance section of the bookstore. You’ll find something much more interesting there.

Aislinn says:
Sun, 3rd Aug 20085:23 pm

I was not even aware of this series. But I’ll admit to being a closet vampire dork with a love for Buffy and Angel so honestly, I might stop by my local library and pick up a copy. I’ll have to go in disguise so that no one will know about my inner dork though

Elizabeth says:
Mon, 4th Aug 20085:14 pm

These books are terrible. I trudged through the first two (I’m usually a very fast and enthusiastic reader) and have decided I’m not going to read the last two simply out of annoyance. Bella Swan is a non-heroine. She’s weak, unstable, co-dependent and thusly a terrible role model for this series’ target demographic.

That said, Jacob Black > Edward Cullen.

Kayla says:
Wed, 6th Aug 20081:49 pm

I can definitely understand your point of view on the Twilight series. When I got the books for christmas I was happy that i got books, but I was looking at what the story was about and i was utterly disappointed. I was stuck at a house with nothing better to do so i started reading the series and the character Edward gives girls a false version of guys and makes them hope, which is a part of that book that i didn’t like. I’m not sure what it is about the book though that it just catches you from the very beginning and you can’t set it down. I would have been saying the same thing about the book if I didn’t take the time to read it and now that I have read the whole series I realize now that it is a world that you wish to escape to just like you would in Harry Potter. The Twilight series has more of a mature side to it unlike Harry Potter and that is probably anther thing that makes it a book that you cant set down. The way Stephenie Meyers has made it, not only Bella starts to love the other characters, but where you seem to follow the same direction. The fact that Stephenie Meyers is a religious woman shows that there are books out there that can be extremely good books without the detailed violance and sex scenes that everyone expects these days. So I guess what im saying is maybe you should try to sit down and read the series even if you don’t like it just to see what all the chaos about the book is really about. You can’t really judge a book by it’s cover or by what other people say about it, so once you’ve sat down and read the book then you have a reason to actually share with the world what you think about it. Maybe even after you read it you won’t like it, but you can’t really know unless you do.

Miranda says:
Wed, 6th Aug 20085:36 pm

I’m not usually one to go for those “OMG! It’s a new fad and it’s totally great and you have to read it” things, but I do enjoy Twilight. I didn’t even know it was popular or anything. I was just looking for a new book to buy and read and picked it up. I really did enjoy it.

Now, I have to say, I abhor articles that criticize books or movies when the writer hasn’t even bothered to read or watch them. Why should I respect your opinion when you really don’t have a basis for it?

Aislinn says:
Tue, 2nd Sep 200810:41 pm

OK, so I have now read the books, at least a few, and feel better able to comment. OK, yes, they are hyped but behind it all is a really sweet story. Now, I’m a big dorky Harry Potter, Buffy, Narnia fan so I’m predisposed to like vampire stories but thats not why I like this one. The trith is it’s well written and it feels like how it felt to fall in love and to then have your heart broken. It’s real but not too real cause it’s still fantasy. Either way, I dare you to give it a try Marisa, I was as hesitant as you and so far, I’ve loved it.

Kay says:
Tue, 4th Nov 20086:47 pm

The reason I, who did not get into the harry potter thing or other books of this genre, LOVED twilight and devoured these books at an astounding rate is because the reader literally falls in love with Edward. You are Bella in the book. She is average, clumsy and awkward, like me and probably a lot of other people. So as Bella falls in love with Edward who sweeps her off her effing feet, you are equally swept. it is magical, i love twilight.

Harold says:
Fri, 21st Nov 20088:10 pm

Hi. I’m reserved, handsome, quiet, and secretive. I’m also hypersensitive to light and sound and I’m not a morning person. I’m a very mysterious guy with a little bit of a creepy, dangerous side. Call me!

Jenna says:
Tue, 2nd Dec 20082:48 am

Harold, I know what you are, vampire.

I’m just kidding. I have to agree with above comments. Twilight is horribly written but really fun and addictive.

Tell us what you're thinking...

Name (required)

Email Address (required)

Speak your mind

Notify me of follow-up comments via email.

COVER STORY
Duke It Out: Study Abroad
[It's pretty obvious that the average CollegeCandy reader has some very strong opinions....

The Doctor Is In: I’m Afraid Of Sex
Got a health question? Don’t trust those “Doctors” at the University Health...

Should Colleges Favor Guys?
Is gender equality in college that important? According to NPR, colleges are favoring...

Read More Posts From This Category

HAHA
Single. For The First Time In a Long Time
Single. Free. Blissfully happy. [Alright ladies, let's give a big CollegeCandy welcome...

The CC Weekly Weigh In: We’re All a Little Crazy
Though we hate it when guys call us crazy/psycho, every girl out there has had their...

Coupled. It’s One Big Balancing Act
Being in a relationship in college is not easy. It pretty much goes against the...

Read More Posts From This Category

Thanksgiving Makes For Some Great TV

If there’s one thing I love more than gorging myself on turkey (and stuffing, and cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie… mmm… wait, what was I talking about again?), it’s loafing on the living room couch before and after Thanksgiving dinner and taking in some fine Thanksgiving television.

The Morning After: The Pooper

A Vegetarian Thanksgiving? Yes, Please

From StyleBakery: The Fall Fashion Survival Kit

The CC Weekly Weigh In: Let’s Say Thanks

Costco Goes Couture!

I Kissed A Girl…And I Wanna Do More