Are you Team Edward or Team Jacob?
When talking Twilight it seems to me that the opinions on these movies based on Stephenie Meyer’s series of books run the gamut. There are those that hate the books and movies, there are those that love the books and movies, and then there are those that are simply, “Meh.” No matter your opinion, one cannot argue that this wildly successful franchise is raking in the big bucks. So I thought I’d give you my 3 reasons why Twilight is so popular.
Reason 1
It’s a pretty basic formula. It’s a Romeo and Juliet story with a supernatural twist. Who doesn’t love vampires and werewolves? What teenage (or older) gal doesn’t fantasize about being the object of affection for both of those paranormal creatures? Who doesn’t love Romeo and Juliet with a happily ever after ending?
Reason 2
The winning element called a love triangle. This is a story that makes the statement “3’s a crowd” the understatement of the year. The angst these characters feel because they are inexplicably linked is excruciating, and what teenage (or older) gal doesn’t find the thought of having two severely attractive dudes vying for the right to establish their status as the other half of the relationship intriguing?
Reason 3
The most obvious and probably the most important reason why these books and movies are so wildly popular is because of all the vampires and werewolves. The element of fantasy is so front and center and all encompassing that escape is easy. The excitement of being privy to such a secret is enough to make any teenage (or older) gal’s head explode.
So, my big question for you is…
Curious minds want to know: are you Team Edward or Team Jacob, or are you just “Meh.”? Why do you think Twilight is so popular?
I have to admit that I haven't seen a single one of the movies. They just looked a little too teen dream for me. But I know lots of adults like them too, maybe I'll bite the bullet one of these days and watch one. I wouldn't be surprised if I became hooked or something. I'll let you know if I do : )
I’m guilty. I devoured the books. Watched the movies, and I will be watching the next two. I even read the partial Midnight Sun. It is what it is and I rather enjoyed indulging my inner perpetual teenager. And a gazillion screaming teens can’t all be wrong. There has to be something about these books that has people in a frenzy. Is it Edward? Is it Jacob? Is it the lure of vampires and werewolves? (And it seems to me that one can’t exist without the other these days, but that is another story!) Is it the angst? Is it the undying, all consuming love? Is it the life and death intensity of everything? Let me know when you read them. You can do a post here! 😀
I have to admit that I haven't seen a single one of the movies. They just looked a little too teen dream for me. But I know lots of adults like them too, maybe I'll bite the bullet one of these days and watch one. I wouldn't be surprised if I became hooked or something. I'll let you know if I do : )
I\'m guilty. I devoured the books. Watched the movies, and I will be watching the next two. I even read the partial Midnight Sun. It is what it is and I rather enjoyed indulging my inner perpetual teenager. And a gazillion screaming teens can\'t all be wrong. There has to be something about these books that has people in a frenzy. Is it Edward? Is it Jacob? Is it the lure of vampires and werewolves? (And it seems to me that one can\'t exist without the other these days, but that is another story!) Is it the angst? Is it the undying, all consuming love? Is it the life and death intensity of everything? Let me know when you read them. You can do a post here! 😀
I like the books (and the movies) but not as much for the love story as for the world she created. Something about the feeling of the books and the movies made me fall in love with them. The style of writing resembles gothic fiction- Twilight is DEFINITELY not a masterpiece like Wuthering Heights or Jane Eyre, both of which I adore, but there’s something about how it’s so dark and open to interpretation that I love. Anyway, that’s all I have to say.
I couldn’t agree with you more. I just heard that the studio is open to Stephenie Meyer writing more Twilight books and they would make them into movies. Studios love a built in audience and other than Harry Potter and The Hunger Games I can’t think of another film franchise based on popular YA Fiction that did as well. I think they should leave Twilight alone. Why mess with a good thing? What do you think?
I think the reason Twilight got so popular is because it brings an Old Fantasy within a new era. Not only are these new vampires basically vegan they are dazzling in a new sense. Sure they’re a less horrifying as compared to Vampire Lestat and the kind in Underworld but they do bring a certain charm. Romance is after all what makes a person think of their past experience when moments were new and just like these movie scenes. In reality when someone makes you swoon in such a way it usually tends to be toxic. Books and movies provide a safe space for idealism to be fulfilled. After a large amount of marvel movies and super hero dramas were far behind. Stephanie Meyers books themselves became popular not because of adult but because the adolescence started to see a shift within society. They wanted to rebel against old ideals and this was it. Older generations were maybe a bit put off because it forced them to see things differently. The adolescence are always waiting for the new and be filled with ideas that could separate themselves to being unique.
Edward was the classic dream guy every girl wanted to be with. Even the Underworld and Blade vampires lacked that. Vampires almost had no character no real faith and not at all a trace of humanity. With Edward he had family and niche within the vampire system that was corrupt and curt in its display of power. A vampire who lived 100 years probably killed hundreds if not thousands of times and constantly displayed dismay toward humans was only a show because he truly admired them. His envy consumed him and his beauty was haunting to himself. With adding the ability to read minds he was really the TOP predator. What he brought to humans was fear no matter how many times he made them swoon. He loathed himself which i think a young man could relate to. He loathed his existence because what he was had the ability to consume and damage the things he respected when we was alive. He thought deeply of what his soul was and IT ate him alive. To a man there is a thing when you see a woman and if you never experienced love you are completely enamored by its “beauty”. Its smell its taste and its awareness makes it insufferable to be around. Edward was a tragedy until he met Bella. Through her he found something worth living for even when he was dead to himself. That is something that if it does happen in real life something that only happens once in a lifetime.
Team Jacob also has its role in showing strength in humanity. Grounding humans to become strong in bonds. Unlike vampires the wolves (more like supernatural shapeshifters) crossed the bounds vampires could only dream of. The Quliete are humans with supernatural abilities and no need to be undead. They develop muscles quickly and can be quick tempered. Yet their clan kept track of each other as a network. Each wolf when sided with a pack knew the thoughts and emotions of another so the bond it creates are stable. Although they show similar qualities and traits to vampires they help show the reader that humans at their peak can transmute their own sadness into formidable strength through relationships. Jacob did not have to hold himself back as Edward did. Edward had to tame his natural desire as Jacob only had to act on it. Its a dichotomy that any viewer can relate to. The books itself i don’t believe was forcing the reader to chose sides it was forcing the reader to acknowledge two distinct kinds of love. A love even Edward couldn’t understand (at first) because it had been something he himself never truly experienced as a human.
Last but not least the woman Bella: Truly what made this story so good was a strong female character. She was headstrong and smart. However, she was never truly active and was clumsy. She’s not the cheerleader, not a nerd, not a slob, and not usual. She stood out too. She was always bound for something more. From the very beginning she never had a comfortable life. She found comfort with what she had and never really asked for too much. Bella was already born with a gift(on top of being an underdog) she didn’t even know until Edward came around. She was unusual somewhat timid she existed but solely to fit in. She had a bigger destiny. Every girl who lives her dream would feel this way. There are costs to live a dream and it was her life. Edward did his best to protect her but love knows no bounds. Her depression hit her so hard after he left that she did anything to see Edward again. It shows how easily love weighs on a heart. Jacob had to carry her up many times and during all of this also had to go through a hellish change into a “cult” (soon to be new tribe leader initiation). Bella through Jacob found the fire of will to live again. She was so interested in the undead that she forgot what it was to live.
We all get enamored with restless thoughts of a fantasy which brings us to the final point. This book and series was great because people wanted to relate to something that had not been done before. Something that wasn’t flashy yet its stylized enough to capture the attention of the young at heart. It was never about being dreamy it was the dream itself. The movie prevailed and will continue to do so just as Taylor Swift did and does. They reached the hearts of the unheard and gathered them up to give them a voice. In secret of course but all things done in secret will come out just like Midnight sun did. Nothing is better than Love. Especially the music. The music played a large role. Paramore was very significant with hit songs as Misery Business and That’s what you get. Haley Williams was a perfect choice to play the lead songs in this. They were themselves unique and an emotional voice like hers which conveyed such charisma and angst the accurately described the sensations of the scenes. They were very skilled artist and the movies blended other songs so well to fit the scenes. The producers were very successful in creating the scenes without words. It’s the stylized choices the producers of the movie used to really show the greatness of love. Only certain songs and rhythms can play at the key of love. It created a life of its own, something so many produces try to achieve yet fail. So what many people probably didn’t like the edited crazy looking baby in the last movies but it wasn’t about the baby it was about the dynamic duo kicking ass with their gang. Theres many other details I could go over but the gist is spoken here. Whoever reads this thanks for tuning in.