Image description: Series of moon phases, waning, on black background
This time 12 years ago, I was 12 myself, and about to start my first year at secondary school. Unsure of what to expect, I scoured teen magazines Bliss, Mizz, Sugar, the Irish publication Kiss in search of tips to help me navigate the adolescent world. Alongside sex-related scaremongering and late noughties fashion features, among the glossy pages I encountered a lot of hype about a book series called Twilight, and its forthcoming movie adaptation. I initially thought that a plot about vampires wouldnt appeal to me I was more into preppy East Coast boarding school tales but when I saw that songs from my favourite band, Paramore, would feature in the film, I decided to give it a try.
I ended up reading all four brick-sized novels in the space of a week, then going to the cinema to see the film that Sunday. My friends and I proceeded to distinguish ourselves as the most hard-core Twilight experts in the school. We endlessly quoted the books, nicknamed each other after characters in the series (I was Alice), and bought up French magazines on our holidays for the abundance of Twilight-themed posters they offered. I saw that first movie no less than seven times when it first came out.
I saw that first movie no less than seven times when it first came out.
Its a little embarrassing to reflect on my Twi-hard days now, but it seems the series is in for a resurgence. Midnight Sun, a retelling of the first book from Edwards perspective, has hit the shelves after more than a decade in the making. When the first few chapters of the novel were leaked online back in 2008, Stephenie Meyer said that she wouldnt continue with the project, and, even though I was a member of a Facebook page that petitioned for her to change her mind, I didnt really expect her to. But I guess in 2020 anything is possible. Maybe before the year is out, well finally discover the true identity of whoever wrote My Immortal.
Even at the height of its popularity, the series wasnt free from criticism, and fears of a conservative Christian agenda hiding amongst its backdrop of violence and vampires were enough to banish Meyers work to the abyss for a while. Certainly, theres a lot to find fault within the franchise. As an adult, its pretty clear to me that both Jacob and Edward act in a manipulative way towards Bella at various points, and both the heroine and her sharp-toothed love interest are, well, a little bland. Edward may be edgy, and undying love is cool and all, but hes not exactly great craic. His adoptive family and the local werewolves were actually a lot more fun. The phrase still a better love story than Twilight has been bandied around on the internet to apply to the most ridiculous of heteronormative situations. And dont get me started on that Jacob and Renesmee plot twist.
Aside from the content, some of the special effects in the films havent aged so well. Red bug-eyed predators, Bellas creepy green-screen baby, CGI werewolves talking in booming Yu-Gi-Oh! villain voices I think the English slang term naff describes these efforts more accurately than anything in my native dialect.
I dont think its quite fair to write off Twilight as just a gooey gimmick of teen romance.
But though there is a lot to take issue with, I dont think its quite fair to write off Twilight as just a gooey gimmick of teen romance. True, the central couple is annoyingly co-dependent, but Bella isnt the submissive dullard some would have you believe her to be. The Cullen coven saves her in the first instalment, but in New Moon, she is the one who travels all the way to Italy to stop Edward from committing sparkly vampire suicide.
Again, in Eclipse, she comes to the rescue as she distracts two bloodthirsty attackers from beheading her beloved. When she finally becomes undead in Breaking Dawn, she uses her newfound strength to beat a vampire jock in an arm-wrestling match and hones the shielding superpower shes had since her human days to protect her family.
Statistically speaking, Edward is more often the damsel-in-distress than Bella is, and even the trouble she gets into at the end of the first book/film has its basis in a brave act of self-sacrifice: she agrees to meet alone with a killer, thinking he has kidnapped her mother. Bella is stubborn and knows her own mind in fact, hers is the only one Edward cant read and she gets her own way in the end on just about everything, from healing the werewolf versus vampire animosity to succeeding in becoming a powerful vampire herself.
To me, reading it at the cusp of my teenage years, it seemed an allegory for growing up.
There has been a myriad of theories as to what the central message of Twilight is, exactly. To me, reading it at the cusp of my teenage years, it seemed an allegory for growing up. As Bella brushes with danger and learns the rules of the vampire world, she sort of mirrored my own efforts to understand innuendo and withstand peer pressure. The metaphor is put pretty bluntly at the beginning of the final book when the narrator talks about putting away childish things. Bella is fearful of growing old, but she is impatient to reach the status of maturity and autonomy associated with the transformation into a vampire.
It is worth noting that this process is not wholly dependent on Edwards presence. Bella identifies herself as a thrill-seeker and manages to get herself entangled with the supernatural world even when he is not there, through her relationship with the werewolves. Her innate power to shield her thoughts makes her impervious to attacks from malicious actors, and, when she adapts extremely well to the Change, she states that vampiredom had always been her destiny. Edward is a part of this, but it is not all about him; there is even initial doubt as to whether it will be him who transforms her or whether that task will fall to his quirky clairvoyant sister.
The series was just edgy enough to be exciting with a bit of life-or-death peril and cartoonish blood-letting thrown in among the love triangles for good measure. This kind of mild fantasy-horror was an important feature of the franchise, for it offered young fans like myself exposure to some of the scarier elements of the adult world while also promoting a reassuring message about hope and solidarity. With the help of their friends and family, there are few obstacles the protagonists cannot overcome.
It offered young fans like myself exposure to some of the scarier elements of the adult world while also promoting a reassuring message about hope and solidarity.
Before its death and recent rebirth, the Twilight franchise left a legacy in the teen fiction department, as it helped establish the paranormal romance genre. In much the same vein (geddit?) as Meyers series, stories were spewed out in which a human girl fell for a supernatural bad boy. I remember enjoying the Evermore series, about psychics, and Fallen, which was about dalliances with you guessed it fallen angels.
Ryan Murphys 2011 television show American Horror Story tried to tweak and critique the format a little bit. Angsty emo teen Violet the epitome of the Im not like other girls trope falls for good-looking ghost Tate. They enjoy a brief, dark romance with Tate at one stage offering Violet a rose that has been painted black, because, he says, I know how you dont like normal things. Tates actions, however, are revealed to be rather less defensible than Edward Cullens tortured vigilante past, and Violet ends up banishing him from her life, strengthening instead her bond with her family. This could have been a nice rebuttal to the supernatural bad boy trope, but the pairing proved so popular that a cop-out excuse for Tates behaviour was offered in season eight. The couple reconciled, to the delight of squealing fangirls.
How do paranormal romance fans justify pining after Edward despite his possessive nonsense or Tate with his diabolical instincts? I think its too easy to dismiss their appeal as just being down to looks or to claim that Twilight and co. have led women to idolize unhealthy behaviour. A viewer may overlook the fact that Edward damages Bellas engine to stop her driving into dangerous werewolf territory; that does not mean theyd forgive such a move if a variant of it was pulled on them in real life.
Just as the fantasy nature of this genre allows readers to dabble in the intricacies of the adult world, it also gives them the opportunity to live vicariously in a realm of what if. Ignoring someones flaws to such an extent wouldnt be feasible or appropriate in the real world, but with paranormal romance, you are free to daydream without facing consequences. Crushing on a problematic fave is an escape from the responsibilities life often piles on young women. Cant we permit this brief respite from worldly pressures?
So I think that, despite everything, it is still possible to enjoy Twilight as a guilt-free pleasure. I know I was pleased to return to the world of Forks when watching the films again with my housemate recently. Eight years had passed since the release of the last film, Breaking Dawn Part 2, and there was something comforting about coming across the familiar sights of the Cullens and Swans houses and array of vehicles. It felt a little like visiting home, but also revisiting a younger, more innocent version of myself, who thought fancying Edward was the height of edginess. In the strange times of 2020, theres something quite nice about reacquainting yourself with your past passions.
Even though I thought had outgrown them, I discovered I was not immune to a touch of nostalgia. 2008 wasnt a simpler time, by any means. But its pop culture output did have its merits, and I dont think theres any harm in being reminded of them every now and then.
Image credit: Mark Tegethoff via Unsplash
Liked reading this article? Sign up to our weekly mailing list to receive a summary of our best articles each week click here to register
Want to contribute? Join our contributors grouphereor email us clickherefor contact details
Post Views: 3
Link:
In defence of the Twilight saga - Oxford Student
- Woman's blood-drained corpse is found in Italian church where she had been searching for ghosts: Victim, 22, - Daily Mail - April 12th, 2024
- My latest Game Pass obsession is a vampire-punching action game that could be Red Dead Redemption 2's wacky ... - Gamesradar - April 12th, 2024
- Lindy Ryan on Setting a Vampire Novel in a Small Texas Town - CrimeReads - April 12th, 2024
- 14 Actors Who Appeared In Both Supernatural & The Vampire Diaries - Screen Rant - April 12th, 2024
- Coachella 2024: How to Stream Every Performance on YouTube - Vulture - April 12th, 2024
- Back to the 80s: 'Lost boys' The State Hornet - StateHornet.com - April 12th, 2024
- Slay the Spire 2, Vampire Survivors meets Contra, and other Triple-i games - Ars Technica - April 12th, 2024
- How Vampire Weekend Mastered The Five-Albums Test - UPROXX - April 12th, 2024
- Abigail Directors Tease A Fresh Spin On Vampires That's "Very Much Us" - Screen Rant - April 12th, 2024
- Vampire Weekend Livestreamed Their Solar Eclipse Album Release Show: Watch - Stereogum - April 12th, 2024
- Fan favorite vampire films among those coming to a theater near you - WAPT Jackson - April 12th, 2024
- Vampire Weekend Reckon With the Divine (Again) on Only God Was Above Us - Spin - April 12th, 2024
- Review | Vampire Weekend have grown into their boat shoes - The Washington Post - April 12th, 2024
- Interview with the Vampire season 2: Release date, cast, and more - Android Authority - April 12th, 2024
- Upcoming horror movie Nosferatu debuted a trailer behind closed doors, and apparently Bill Skarsgrd's vampire is ... - Gamesradar - April 12th, 2024
- Vampire Weekend's 'Only God Was Above Us': All 10 Tracks Ranked - Billboard - April 12th, 2024
- Abigail Has Screened, And Critics Are Calling The Bloody Vampire Horror One Of The Best Movies Of 2024 - CinemaBlend - April 12th, 2024
- When Kirsten Dunst revealed the special gift Interview With a Vampire co-star Tom Cruise sends her every year - Hindustan Times - April 12th, 2024
- He is cooking with this cast: Ryan Coogler's Vampire Movie With Michael B. Jordan Casts Another Marvel Star Hailee ... - FandomWire - April 12th, 2024
- Ryan Cooglers Untitled Vampire Thriller Adds 2 More to Cast - ComingSoon.net - April 12th, 2024
- The Vampire Diaries Improved After This Character Left the Show - CBR - Comic Book Resources - April 2nd, 2024
- Paul Wesley Shares Only Way He'd Appear in Another Vampire Diaries Show - E! Online - E! NEWS - April 2nd, 2024
- Interview With the Vampire Releases New Season 2 Trailer Ahead of May Premiere Watch - Yahoo Finance UK - April 2nd, 2024
- Interview with the Vampire season 2 drops second trailer at AMC - Sportskeeda - April 2nd, 2024
- A Major 'Twilight' Star Is Down To Return For The TV Show, So Bring On The Sparkly Vampires - Yahoo! Voices - April 2nd, 2024
- 'Vampire' neutron star blasts are related to jets traveling at near-light speeds - Space.com - April 2nd, 2024
- Louis Is Haunted by the Past in New 'Interview with the Vampire' Season 2 Trailer - Collider - April 2nd, 2024
- A Vampire's Face Has Reemerged From a Centuries-Old Shroud - AOL - April 2nd, 2024
- Video: AMC Networks Releases a Second New Trailer and Key Art for Season Two of "Anne Rice's Interview with the ... - The Futon Critic - April 2nd, 2024
- Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person Presents a Rather Different Kind of Teen Angst - Reactor - April 2nd, 2024
- Shiki And 7 Other Vampire-Themed Anime Series For A Blood Curdling Binge-Watch - AugustMan Thailand - April 2nd, 2024
- Interview with the Vampire Season 2 Trailer: Memories of Claudia - Bleeding Cool News - April 2nd, 2024
- Harvey Guilln Says Goodbye to the Mansion in 'What We Do in the Shadows' Season 6 Set Image - Collider - April 2nd, 2024
- Interview with the Vampire Season 2 Trailer Set for Sunday Night - Bleeding Cool News - April 2nd, 2024
- Vampire Weekend share new single 'Mary Boone' and announce UK and European tour - NME - April 2nd, 2024
- The Vampire Diaries Cast: Where are they now? From Ian Somerhalder to Nina Dobrev - 9Entertainment - April 2nd, 2024
- Zendaya Starring in Remake of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'? - Snopes.com - April 2nd, 2024
- The Best Vampire Movie Never Says The Word 'Vampire', Stream This Dark R-Rated Horror Hidden Gem - Giant Freakin Robot - April 2nd, 2024
- V Rising gets the crossover every self-respecting vampire wants: Castlevania's Simon Belmont is coming to try and kill ... - PC Gamer - April 2nd, 2024
- Canadian imperialism and the Gaza genocide: The contrived, right-wing furor over a cartoon depicting Netanyahu as a ... - WSWS - April 2nd, 2024
- Is This a Real Photo of Vampire Queen 'Madam Violet,' Voted UK's Scariest Woman Alive in the 1880s? - Snopes.com - March 16th, 2024
- The erotic 70s horror where lechy men turn into bloody-hungry vampires - Dazed - March 16th, 2024
- The vampires ball is coming to an end - Meduza - March 16th, 2024
- Oregon son, 56, who is accused of killing his mom by shoving a huge makeshift stake through her throat claims - Daily Mail - March 16th, 2024
- Muni Bond Games and the IRS' Lurking Arbitrage Vampires - Governing - March 16th, 2024
- Ball of vampires', nuke warning: Key takeaways from Putins interview - The Times of India - March 16th, 2024
- Putin compares western elites to 'VAMPIRES' who 'fill their bellies with human flesh' - GB News - March 16th, 2024
- Every Time Alaric Died In The Vampire Diaries & Legacies - Screen Rant - March 16th, 2024
- V Rising declares a 1.0 release date, climbing from the grave of a years-long early access to become your next time ... - Yahoo Movies UK - March 16th, 2024
- 15 Actors That Could Play Edward Cullen in the Twilight TV Series - MovieWeb - March 16th, 2024
- BLOOD HUNT #1 Preview Releases A Horde Of Vampires On The Marvel Universe's Greatest Heroes - CBM (Comic Book Movie) - March 16th, 2024
- Man accused of killing mother in Siletz believed she was a vampire - Yahoo News - March 16th, 2024
- Stephen King approved 'Salem's Lot' movie to stream on Max this year - Yahoo Movies Canada - March 16th, 2024
- Empire of the Damned Review: A Wickedly Good Time | Arts - Harvard Crimson - March 8th, 2024
- The BLOODCOVEN: Marvel's Vampires Get Their Own Avengers With 6 "Supervampires Fed on the Blood of ... - Screen Rant - March 8th, 2024
- 17 fantasy and science fiction books to read in March 2024 - Winter is Coming - March 8th, 2024
- This MCU Hero Returns to Fight Vampires as Marvel's Massive BLOOD HUNT Begins - Screen Rant - February 28th, 2024
- These Vampons by 'Artisan Vampires' Will Make Your Period Goth AF - Loudwire - February 28th, 2024
- Bloodsuckers Through the Ages - A History of Vampires (Video) - Ancient Origins - February 28th, 2024
- 'Blood Hunt' #2 Cover Shows the Avengers Are Bloody, Battered, and Broken - Marvel.com - February 28th, 2024
- Vampires Invade the Marvel Universe in New Blood Hunt Trailer - Superherohype.com - February 28th, 2024
- 'Near Dark' Is the Acid-Soaked Vampire Western You Need to See - IMDb - February 19th, 2024
- In The Sci-Fi World I Created, Vampires And Werewolves Are Still A Huge Problem (20 New Pics) - Bored Panda - February 19th, 2024
- Kathryn Bigelow's 'Near Dark' Is the Acid-Soaked Vampire Western You Need to See - Collider - February 19th, 2024
- Interview With the Vampire review Tom Cruise and Brad Pitts brilliant bloodsucking bromance - The Guardian - February 19th, 2024
- Is This Too Niche: Vampires - The Post - The Post - February 19th, 2024
- ALEX VAN HELSING Novel Trilogy Being Adapted as a TV Series By Kit Williamson GeekTyrant - GeekTyrant - February 19th, 2024
- The Supernatural Romance Of Vampire: The Masquerade Blood-Stained Love - Forbes - February 19th, 2024
- Leaving the shadows for passion: Why vampires are classic monsters that best reflect our fears and desires - EL PAS USA - February 19th, 2024
- Vampire Weekend to Embark on 2024 Tour, Releases Two New Singles - Variety - February 19th, 2024
- Vampire Weekend adds second Austin show to 2024 tour - Laredo Morning Times - February 19th, 2024
- Vampire Weekend's summer 2024 tour will stop in Minneapolis - Bring Me The News - February 19th, 2024
- Vampire Weekend Announce Massive Tour in Support of New Album Only God Was Above Us - Rolling Stone - February 19th, 2024
- Harry Potter: Are There Vampires in the Wizarding World? - CBR - Comic Book Resources - February 19th, 2024
- The Midnight Sons return, Black Panther becomes a vampire, and much more in Marvel's Blood Hunt tie-ins - Gamesradar - February 19th, 2024
- Morbius is The Secret To Saving Marvel's Entire Universe (Yes, Seriously) - Screen Rant - February 19th, 2024
- Geometry Survivor is a little Geometry Wars and a bit Vampire Survivors - GamingOnLinux - February 19th, 2024
- The War with Angels Is On! SYFY's Reginald the Vampire Officially Returns for Season 2 in May - Yahoo Entertainment - February 19th, 2024
- BLOOD HUNT: Marvel Comics Reveals T'Challa/Black Panther Will Be Transformed Into A Vampire This May - CBM (Comic Book Movie) - February 19th, 2024
- Interview With The Vampire season 2 teaser reveals May 12 release date - Winter is Coming - February 11th, 2024
Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero