The Twilight Phenomenon: “It’s All Too Much” | Teen Ink

The Twilight Phenomenon: “It’s All Too Much”

April 2, 2009
By Laurennnn PLATINUM, Sadieville, Kentucky
Laurennnn PLATINUM, Sadieville, Kentucky
31 articles 9 photos 31 comments

Favorite Quote:
"To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people merely exist, that is all." -Oscar Wilde


Twilight; it’s sweeping the nation and taking it by storm. It’s the largest book sensation since Harry Potter. Stephanie Meyer; an amazing author who, by luck, had a bestselling dream. She’s a phenomenon herself, with not only Twilight on the shelves, but The Host and Prom Nights From Hell. She also has a series of movies as a companion to her book series, Twilight, but have any of you stopped to think that maybe we’ve paid a little too much attention to this wonderful author and her books?

Now, I would never underestimate Meyer’s writing skills, or her colorful visions that have brought so many to fall in love with her leading vampire, Edward, but I will question as whether we’ve taken the marketing a little too far. Anytime I step out of my house, I see something about Twilight: a shirt, a poster, a keychain, or even, a bottle of Twilight perfume! People! Your boyfriend will NOT turn into Edward Cullen just because you spray him with Edward scented cologne and I guess that’s where I’m going with this. But wait! Now I don’t even have to leave the house! I can simply go online to check MySpace and see adds for Twilight quizzes claiming to tell you who “your perfect Twilight mach is!” or “which Twilight character you most resemble.” Who takes the time to make this stuff up?

My best friend, Brooklynn, is a self proclaimed Twilighter. She is in love with the fictional character Edward Cullen and wants Alice as a best friend. I am the one who introduced her to the Twilight series because I loved it so much. I still love it to death, but I am disappointed in how people, like Brooklynn, are treating this craze, with a closest stocked with shirts that proclaim “Team Edward,” or “I Run With Wolves.” This is taking it a little too far. While one shirt simply saying “Twilight” might be cute, a whole wardrobe proclaiming your love for the leads is simply edging on crazy.

Also, I’m extremely glad that Meyer has become successful in her writing career and has gotten movie contracts, but midnight release parties for the books and movies and the release of the DVDs is taking it a little to far. I recently attended the midnight release party for her book Breaking Dawn with Brooklynn, who I mentioned above. It was at a Barnes & Noble store. I was surprised what I found. People were dressed up as the characters and there was a giant wedding cake for Edward and Bella. At the Starbucks, there were Team Edward and Team Jacob drinks. There was a Twilight Fashion Show for the people who came in there best Twilight looks. There were a couple of boys dressed as Jacob and Edward there for pictures with their fans. And when it came time to purchase the book, as they called up the different groups, the people ran to be first. I thought the idea of this was insane. We were all purchasing the same book, we’re just buying it at different times.

Stephanie and all the Twilighters, don’t be mad! I love Twilight, too! I really do! I just believe the American public has taken it too far. I recommend this book for anyone. It’s a great read, but don’t take your love for Edward, or Bella, or Jacob, or vampires, or werewolves too far. I don’t believe any book, or movie is worth an obsession like the one surrounding Twilight. In the words of The Beatles, “It’s all too much!”


Similar Articles

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 22 comments.


xkayrawrx said...
on Apr. 6 2009 at 12:05 am
I completely agree!

EdytD SILVER said...
on Apr. 5 2009 at 11:37 pm
EdytD SILVER, Livingston, New Jersey
6 articles 0 photos 258 comments
great essay - my personal opinion of twilight is that the writing is pseudo-intellectual, as i call it (which basically means that the author is attempting to sound intelligent by using big words but is merely making her characters sound histrionic and maudlin), is written with incorrect grammar (while i might not be a grammar whiz, i could find mistakes on the first page), and the plot is cliched. The whole "damsel in distress" idea is overused, and has been since fairy tales first came out. Furthermore, the characters are shallow and fall into pieces without one another - whatever happened to individuality and independance? I agree with you wholeheartedly that this craze is absurd, and personally think that all those young women wasting their days dreaming of their personal "Edmund" should wish for something better for themselves.



-edyt d.