You may be wondering what brought this article on. I have been a fan of Twilight since December 2008, so it’s been almost two and a half years now. During my time as a supporter of Stephenie Meyer’s work, I have heard many opinions about the series. Unfortunately, most of these opinions were negative. And when one of my teachers made fun of Twilight last week, I knew that this was the last straw – this matter must be settled once and for all. Also, with the next instalment of the film adaptations coming to cinemas in a few months, I thought I’d get my little rant out there, before the criticism starts again.
Most often, people who don’t like Twilight claim that Meyer’s vampires aren’t “real” vampires. Well, first of all, vampires don’t exactly exist (or at least their existence hasn’t been discovered yet), so there’s no such thing as a “real” vampire. All joking aside, what my opponents in this debate don’t seem to understand is the fact that Twilight isn’t a vampire story. I can hear you gasping in astonishment, so let me explain myself. Obviously, it’s true that one of the main characters and several secondary ones are vampires. But that isn’t the gist of the story! The Twilight series is all about love. The love between two people – Bella Swan and Edward Cullen. Yes, Edward is “on a special diet”, he’s got pale, cold and sparkly skin and he doesn’t sleep. Why does that matter? Let me assure you – that is not why I read the books. And just because the Cullens don’t die in the sunlight that doesn’t mean they can’t be considered vampires. Like I already said before – vampires do not exist, and in fiction there's always room for interpretation. Therefore, everyone has the right to imagine ficitional creatures in their own, individual way.
I’ve also heard that Twilight is boring. That’s hardly an insult, at least in my mind. But since this argument is most often expressed by men, I think I have a general idea of where they’re coming from. I know that this may come as a shock to you, but it must be said – Twilight, in addition to not being a vampire story, also wasn’t written for males. I’m sorry if anyone feels offended by this, but it’s safe to say that most men just don’t care about romantic novels or movies. Just like a lot of women don’t enjoy watching things such as action-packed films with lots of car chases or football games on TV. We’re not a different species, I’ll give you that, but we do differ in some ways. This isn’t a bad thing. It’s these differences that make life beautiful. Guys – would you really want a girl who is all about the crazy robots from outer space, who save the Earth while destroying most of the universe? Sure, it might be nice if the person you love shares some of your interests, but sometimes we – women, that is – need to read or watch a sappy love story. That’s just the way we’re built. As a general rule, I don’t think anyone should declare something as ‘boring’ if they’re not the target audience. Let Twilight be, and watch a movie that represents another genre.
The third accusation I’ve come across has to do with the age-group that Twilight supposedly was written for. Apparently, some people believe that it’s a story for young teenagers and anyone over the age of sixteen should stay away. Again, this isn’t something I can agree with. I don’t think kids can fully understand the whole plot. You need a little experience before you try to understand what Bella is going through. The second part of the Saga, New Moon, is a great example of this. It simply isn’t possible to identify with what happens to Bella unless you know the pain and suffering that accompanies a break-up. Her whole world shattered when Edward left – words can’t fully express the emotions that you feel when someone you love leaves you. Not many preteens know this feeling.
Another con of Twilight – Bella is compromising her feminist principles. This is, to me, is unreasonable. I am not a feminist myself – never have been. That might be why I couldn’t care less about anything that has to do with the matter. But I also think that no one should be too hard on Bella. When we fall in love we do crazy things. Surely letting a man take care of you isn’t a crime? And the fact that Edward is so protective? He cares about Bella! That too isn’t punishable, as far as I know.
I realize that this rant is getting quite long, and seeing as I’ve touched upon the main controversies surrounding Twilight, it’s probably time to start sum up. Bottom line – whatever you might or might not think about the Twilight Saga, the series makes a lot of people happy. It makes me happy. It gives me hope that maybe one day I will be a Bella who has found her Edward. Don’t take that away from the fans with your criticism. I love Twilight for what it is – a love story with twists and turns that has a happy ending. It’s entertaining. For me, reading or watching Twilight is like coming home – I feel safe and content. And at the end of the day that’s all that matters.
