Enough About Twilight | Teen Ink

Enough About Twilight

August 11, 2010
By CatBrooks SILVER, Wyckoff, New Jersey
CatBrooks SILVER, Wyckoff, New Jersey
9 articles 0 photos 2 comments

It truly is a sad day when the vampire is no longer associated with Dracula, but Edward Cullen, the male protagonist of Stephenie Meyer’s bestselling ‘Twilight’ series. Thanks to her novels, the perception of a vampire has gone from villainous and horrific to romantic and dazzling. There is a myriad of reasons why the series is rubbish. Sparkly skin as a vampire’s consequence for walking in sunlight is just one example. In the end, however, the true ludicrousness of ‘Twilight’ is not actually the Disney Channel nature of the books or predictable plot lines but of the cult-like following that it conceived. Consisting of both hormonal teenagers and adults, the phenomenon is a combination of frightening and pathetic.

Readers have a tendency to succumb to the intelligence, eloquence, and gorgeousness of the vampire Edward Cullen. So blinded by his seductiveness are fans that they fail to realize that he is merely a despondent dead guy that spends all his time brooding over his emotional baggage and hating himself. After all, he confesses to Bella that she alone is what stops him from killing himself entirely. In fact, in chapter one of ‘New Moon’ Edward tells Bella, “Last spring, when you were…nearly killed…Of course I was trying to focus on finding you alive, but part of my mind was making contingency plans. Like I said, it’s not as easy for me as it is for a human” (that is, it is not as easy for Edward to commit suicide as it is for a human). The reality of this walking corpse is that his handsomeness is the sole aspect that prevents him from being considered an emotionally-impaired freak. With such evidence proving Edward’s self-loathing and indifferent personality, why readers hope to be Mrs. Cullen is unfathomable. Those that are love sick should also keep in mind that he is not real and never will be real, and it is impractical to expect anyone to live up to his “perfection”.

Regarding the melodramatic feud between supporters of Edward and supporters of Jacob, who is possibly the one realistic and decent character in Stephenie Meyer’s series, the debate is completely futile. Bella was obviously going to end up with Edward in the end and become a vampire, as noted in Alice Cullen’s vision. Anyone who thought differently must not have comprehended the story at all.

The series has had an effect on many aspects of life. The small Washington town of Forks, the setting of Meyer’s series, is now a tourist location and where several “Twihards” make a pilgrimage. Nordstom has a cosmetic and clothing line dedicated to ‘Twilight’. Fans can purchase make-up inspired by Bella, Rosalie, Alice, and Victoria or don shirts stating their alliance (Team Edward/Jacob) or designed with a quote. Beauty specialists in London and writers for Cosmopolitan have written instructions for how to look like the vampires in ‘Twilight’. The list goes on with absurd ways culture has been impacted by sparkly vampire books.

No, I do not hate the books. They are decent reads, not badly composed though certainly not akin to the works of other female authors such as Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte. While I do find the Twilight Saga to be a pleasant read, I do not identify myself with Team Edward, Team Jacob, or Team Switzerland. I’m Team Go-Read-Something-Else.


Similar Articles

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 20 comments.


KatsK DIAMOND said...
on May. 5 2012 at 2:32 pm
KatsK DIAMOND, Saint Paul, Minnesota
57 articles 0 photos 301 comments

Favorite Quote:
Being inexhaustible, life and nature are a constant stimulus for a creative mind.
~Hans Hofmann
You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.
~Ray Bradbury

That's completely true, and it has gotten way too much hype. THey were pleasant reads, but not what I'd call my favorite book, by any stretch of the imagination. Plus, Dracula is much more interesting (and she did use some of Bram Stoker's characteristics)!

on Oct. 28 2011 at 8:23 am
RedFeather GOLD, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
12 articles 0 photos 155 comments

Favorite Quote:
Prose is like walking but poetry is like dancing.
—Paul Valery, poet (1871 - 1945)

I agree that the whole thing has gone way out of hand. My whole school was seperated by the team Edward vs. team Jacob thing. When it came down to it, I chose Team Jacob, and half my friends will never let me forget that. (Bella should have went with Jacob anyway.) Team Jacob has my vote, but I'm not that obsessed that I'd but t-shirts or posters or start school rallies and such. Completely out of hand.

on Oct. 28 2011 at 8:17 am
RedFeather GOLD, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
12 articles 0 photos 155 comments

Favorite Quote:
Prose is like walking but poetry is like dancing.
—Paul Valery, poet (1871 - 1945)

"Find your Bella"??? What is that? Do they expect moody vampire guys  to be on the website?

Not that I find the idea of vampires impossible - their actually pretty cool, but I agree. Sparkly skin? What's next? Turning into butterflies instead of bats? I definately prefer the Dracula,  House of the Night Novels, and Amelia Atwater-Rhodes versions of vampires.


Didi said...
on Sep. 14 2011 at 5:19 am
sorry I do not agree!!!!!!!! I think your storry about twighlight is  BUULL SH!!!!!T ..YOu dont know what you talking about...BEST MOVIE EVER!!!!

on Jul. 7 2011 at 11:06 pm
TrulyRosa BRONZE, Beaverton, Oregon
2 articles 0 photos 46 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Play the wrong note and we'll all b[e] flat."

Lol I LOVED how you ended it! I'm so with you on that!

bedbug BRONZE said...
on Jul. 2 2011 at 2:04 am
bedbug BRONZE, Seoul, Other
1 article 0 photos 18 comments

Favorite Quote:
\"If you come to a fork in the road, take it.\" Yogi Berra. Also, \"Any girl can be glamorous. All you have to do is stand still and look stupid.\" Courtesy of Hedy Lamarr

similar situation-on the sidebar, there is an IMVU 'Find Your Bella' ad.

JenMcFly said...
on Mar. 14 2011 at 9:08 pm
I totally agree with you and I find it funny that as I was reading this the banner ad ob the page was for a "personalized vampire romance....where you are the star" and you can 'Fall in love with your own Edward" .

fizzingfalls said...
on Mar. 14 2011 at 5:58 pm
I really agree with you. What everyone is all up and hyped about is just something that has been twisted and changed into something that can make some people want to hurl rather than listen to what happened in Eclipse. I mean yeah they're a great read but this whole Team Edward and Team Jacob thing is really getting on my nerves. This article is a great way to say how these books aren't what life's all about.

KarmaHope said...
on Mar. 14 2011 at 4:37 pm

I am with you all the way. I read Twilight and New Moon, and I would like to read the other two books, because they're written really well and have a nice plotline. But people have gone too far. I see them as a good book and the hype is fun to diss, but nothing more. I'm so happy someone else sees it from my point of view!

You do well at giving negative feedback without bad-mouthing it. Two thumbs up for that!


on Jan. 9 2011 at 4:37 pm
CatBrooks SILVER, Wyckoff, New Jersey
9 articles 0 photos 2 comments
To clarify- I do take some stabs at the author's elements, such as the glittering vampires, but that is merely to emphasize my point of the "end of the horrifying vampire".  I think Stephenie Meyer has a fabulous imagination, but I believe readers should broaden their reading horizons instead of spending their entire life obsessing with Twilight.

on Jan. 9 2011 at 4:33 pm
CatBrooks SILVER, Wyckoff, New Jersey
9 articles 0 photos 2 comments
Hey, I understand what you are saying, but I DID include that I like the books and thought they were pretty good reads.  I by no means am insulting the imagination of the author.  I said in the beginning, I'm not ragging on Stephenie Meyer, I'm commenting on the crazy obsession that has come from the series: the readers and their actions, not the author's work.

on Jan. 7 2011 at 4:40 pm
aspiringauthor_ BRONZE, Fairfield, Connecticut
1 article 0 photos 324 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that." - MLK Jr.

Let me be the first to make a negative comment. :) I am truly sorry, but I do not agree. I really liked these books, and do not believe they were pointless or stupid or whatever you may have called them. :) I do agree that the whole 'teams' thing is stupid. Why can't we read them and forget about the stupid movies? Oh, and an arguement I feel the need to make... These books are completely fictional, as are vampires/werewolves. Stephenie Meyer made these things up as she wrote the book. So some things may seem like rubbish, but in reality, it's just the result of someone's imagination. So please, I ask of you, before insulting someone's ideas, think of how you would feel if someone trashed one of your stories. I realize I am kind of being an idiot because I am completely disagreeing with you, but hey. I'm just making my point.

on Jan. 7 2011 at 1:49 pm
KunaiNinjaFighter SILVER, Monticello, Arkansas
7 articles 0 photos 67 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Think left and thing right, Think low and Think High, Oh the thinks you can think up, if only you try!" Dr. Suess oh and "Two things are infinite: The Universe and Human Stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.'- Albert Einstein

Amen. I'm on your team of go-read-something-else!

on Oct. 11 2010 at 8:09 pm
icingonthecake BRONZE, Riverside, California
3 articles 3 photos 82 comments
Hahahahahaha! I really like how you ended it :)

on Sep. 16 2010 at 10:51 pm
Healing_Angel SILVER, Sydney, Other
8 articles 2 photos 509 comments

Favorite Quote:
Live for today, not for tomorrow

THANK YOU!! I'm sick of the whole vampire thing and the twilight series caused me to go off them altogether. I can't seem to find a good book that isn't related to vampires anywhere!

reba137 BRONZE said...
on Aug. 25 2010 at 3:05 pm
reba137 BRONZE, Reeseville, Wisconsin
2 articles 0 photos 4 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Some days its beter to walk away..."

i agree twilight took my style and handed it out to all the girly girls who judged me in the first place... thouse books and movies hav made me hate the modern vampire

lechatnoir said...
on Aug. 23 2010 at 11:43 am
lechatnoir, San Francisco, California
0 articles 0 photos 7 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today."
-James Dean

Hey have you guys watched the youtube videos "Alex Reads Twilight" They're hilarious.

on Aug. 22 2010 at 8:29 am
Emma.H.96 DIAMOND, Kalamazoo, Michigan
65 articles 0 photos 67 comments

Favorite Quote:
You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should've behaved better. -Anne Lamott, from Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life.

I agree, first of all the books are actually really good but so were harry potter and a walk to remember. The fact that some people want to live their lives as if the characters are real and that the plots are really happening is just plan pathetic. This is a very good article!! Keep up the good work

on Aug. 20 2010 at 1:57 pm
theatercamper112 SILVER, Lemont, Illinois
9 articles 0 photos 14 comments

Favorite Quote:
Do what you want to not what anyone else tells you to.

This is an outstanding article you should be very proud of yourself!!!!!!!!!!!

motor1 said...
on Aug. 17 2010 at 6:36 pm
Outstanding work. This writer has a bright future!