I have a confession to make. For months and months, I have avoided the pitfalls of the nation’s obsession. I objected to discussions at parties that broached the subject. I skipped the pages of US Weekly that detailed every single aspect of the phenomenon. I walked by displays in Barnes & Noble without stopping. And then I gave in. I added Twilight to my Netflix queue, and thanked the Gods that it was delivered wrapped in that unmarked red envelope so I could avoid the shameful glances of my postman. Yes, I am a grown woman and I watched Twilight. And what’s more? I actually liked it.
These questions were raised in the comments section of truuconfessions.com: why do women get sucked into this movie? Is it because they have unrealistic visions of what love is? Well, admittedly a romantic movie junkie like me is not the best person to answer these questions, but I’ll give it a shot. My expectations were remarkably low for Twilight but I was pleasantly surprised by how completely entertaining the movie was. It draws you in because the plot in no way resembles real life, and I’m not just talking about the vampire storyline.
When was the last time you met a guy with whom you had a cosmic connection and spent hours and hours lying in a meadow with? A man who had a broodingly beautiful stare and was content to share a few impassioned kisses in exchange for protecting your honor forever? Say it with me ladies: never. Perhaps there is some tween who thinks this is what love is, and there’s nothing wrong with that. She hasn’t gone through the trials and tribulations that we have, so let her believe this millennial version of the classic fairy tale.
For the older fan base of the Twilight series, the appeal is firmly in the fantasy. We all know that Edward Cullen isn’t going to show up in the cubicle next to us at work, but we don’t mind letting him enter our living rooms as a guilty pleasure every now and again. After all of the bad pickup lines and nonstarter relationships that single women subject themselves to, don’t we deserve one night of awkward teenage dialogue and over-the-top plotlines as an escape?
I haven’t rushed out to buy the books and I won’t be standing in line when the sequel comes out, but I did confess to my closest (and most non-judgmental) friends about my slip over to the dark side as a Twilight watcher. They admitted that they were tempted too, but just hadn’t taken the plunge. My little admission softened their Twilight-hating, and maybe it will do the same for you. In the end, you might not love Twilight but at the very least you will know what you are missing.
share
