Why is twilight so popular?

[KR]

Why has the twilight saga been such a big hit when it has persistently received poor reviews, and is clearly poorly written?

[PhoenixAsh]

because it has sparkles

[Lenina Rosenweg]

I've never seen Twilight so I can't specifically say. With US television though it seems good writing and good acting have little to do with popularity. Witness "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" and, in non-cable land,the current popular sitcoms; "Two and A Half Men"-bad sex jokes barely strung together with dialogue and a laugh track,"Big Bang Theory"(the people this show is ostensibly about, hipsters in their 20s, along with an "ambiguously gay" astronomer, would never even watch a show like this) or the ever popular "Everyone Loves Raymond". Poorly written, just barely acted but hits nevertheless.

"Jersey Shore" and "To Marry A Bachelor" are not exactly known for, well...much of anything.

But hey, don't mind me, I'll go back to reading Adorno.

[PC LOAD LETTER]

Mindless escapism will always be prevalent in the culture of capitalism.

[workersadvocate]

Don't get mad at me, comrades, but I once heard someone argue that Twilight is "emotional porn designed for and targeted at women".
And by emotional porn, they meant something equally arosing and appealling to women as comparable to the stimulating effects that more visual explicit porn tends to have on men. Twilight is supposedly "jill-off" fantasy material.

I dunno if that's true. What I do think is that everyone gets off various sorts of things, and maybe we should be consider that before we start judging what arouses others as "sick" and "perverted". IRL nobody has a halo and wings.

[The Young Pioneer]

[insert stereotypical capitalist conspiracy and sexism rant here]

It's just bad writing, yo. :lol:

[Veovis]

I haven't had much contact with this series - I saw one of the movies with my cousin because she wanted to see it, and I wanted to see Taylor Lautner with his shirt off.

From what I understand, it has a pretty sexist premise and showcases unhealthy relationship dynamics.

[Ele'ill]

Do you all want me to move this thread to chit chat or over to film

[GPDP]

IMO, Twilight and its ilk are to women raised in the mindless drudge of capitalism what say, Michael Bay movies are to men (also raised in the mindless drudge of capitalism). I wouldn't go so far as to call it "porn for girls," because it's not really porn per se any more than the average scantily-clad girls in any given summer flick is porn for guys. However, there are terms that fly around such as "explosion porn" to describe Michael Bay movies, so perhaps a similar term is in order for Twilight, such as, I dunno, "Disney porn."

Or perhaps instead of trying to classify Twilight as some manner of porn, we could try to file it under the exploitation genre. It doesn't exist to move either the reading or film medium forward. Instead, it exists solely to pander to the lowest common denominator, and eschews good writing, compelling storylines and character development for sheer base appeal. It's a series where the protagonist is essentially a personality-less blank slate (who is nevertheless a Mary Sue) for women to insert themselves into a fantasy where dark, mysterious, yet sexy vampires and werewolves risk their lives to protect them and eventually settle with them and live happily ever after or whatever the fuck.

I think such a narrative appeals to many women's (though not all) insecurities and desires. And living in the monotony of current society, I don't really blame them. Like someone else said, it's sheer escapism. Twilight exploits this, and that's why it draws so many women.

[workersadvocate]

[insert stereotypical capitalist conspiracy and sexism rant here]

It's just bad writing, yo. :lol:

So what's the appeal?
No need to be ashamed.
People have been dissing visually explicit porn for ages, and men--- under pressure in society and their personal lives---at least pretended to be ashamed of things that aroused us, and I think the results didn't lead to any advancement toward women's liberation or sexual liberation. It became a new divide pitting men against women and vice versa, and I think that's what's really disgusting and perverted.
Extra!Extra! We all get off! Nobody has some genuine moral high horse to snipe across the gender divide. Anti-sex prople can fuck off back into the pages of "1984". This sick game of shaming people about what arouses us must end...that shit isn't liberating and is certainly incompatible with communist society!

If shirtless vampire romance fiction floats your boat, fantastic. Don't be ashamed, be defiant in the face of judging prude hypocritical moralists, and perhaps seek out why it stimulates from a pro-humanity pro-diversity egalitarian positive rather than condemning elitist anti-"pervert" outlook. I happen to find "goth" aestheics appealing, and many other people don't (or don't admit it in this oppressive class and socially stratified society).
So be it...but no forcing others into the closet.

[Pirate Utopian]

Because of Jacob. He's fucking hot. Fuck Edward.

#TeamJacob

[Princess Luna]

I am by no stretch of the imagination a Twilight fan, but I will admit it receives waaaaay more hate then it deserves. Also I would take 10 twilight fans over one of the annoying little shits who go around mindlessly bashing it, for no other reason then because they view it as "unmanly"

[RedAtheist]

Twilight is popular because we live in a shallow, backwards, hedonistic society. No mystery there.

I agree that it is girl porn, but I would not call it 'emotional' porn. Sure it tosses the word 'love' around to stop girls who read it from feeling like sl*ts, but I think it is very much physical. The first book contained 155 references to Edward's physical attractiveness (I didn't count it myself, I found that on a blog I can't be bothered finding) plus there are the shirtless men in the trailers, so I would say it is very much physical.

I dislike both Twilight and regular porn. They should not necessarily be banned, but they ought to criticised. I find it annoying that people who don't want to judged for watching porn, judge men who don't watch it and people who give their opinions and criticisms of it as 'prudes'. Media and literature of this nature doesn't just 'turn people on' it's presenting a view of the world, whether it intends to or not, a view that other people are only valuable if they are attractive, regardless of any other characteristics they might have.

This is especially dangerous for women , since they told its okay to date old-fashioned, controlling men, so long as they are hot. Back when the series was popular the media only ever showed its crazed fans, while never giving a voice to its female critics, presenting teenage girls as stupid and boy crazy. It also insults nerdy men who do not have rock hard abs and are told that women will never like them because they're 'too nice'.


Also I would take 10 twilight fans over one of the annoying little shits who go around mindlessly bashing it, for no other reason then because they view it as "unmanly"

Yes, there are plenty of homophobic attacks on Twilight (e.g. Edward is gay) but that does not mean there aren't any legitimate criticisms to be made.

[Rafiq]

Because, the misery of real life being prevalent, it's very appealing to them to soak their heads in some romanticism, like another user said, "escapism". Actually, it's exactly the same with the Harry Potter movies, and the likes of all of those. A healthy dose of romanticism isn't so bad, though, so long as it doesn't interfere with any sort of real political or scientific thought. It's only good when you can really disinigrate the movie and look at the true message (Twilight's unrelenting sexism).

To name an example, there is a Science Fiction Disney movie coming out, about a human, posing as a gladiator in a distant planet. He is extremely talented at what he does. The average user (Or, at least me) would predict that he would form some kind of slave revolt against his masters. This is far from the case. Actually, the planet is invaded by a much more powerful empire. So, the slaves, and their leader, decide to collaborate with their masters, for the "Good of the nation" against the invading force.

So, it's not a bad thing to sit and enjoy the movie (Great special effects, etc), but it's important to be aware of it's overly Fascist, Class Collaborationist and chauvinist undertones. I can go on about several different movies in the same way, but this would be off topic.

So anyway, that's why. Twilight is popular because it's escapism. It generally falls into the category of "Opium of the Masses", along with most mainstream films.

[kuros]

I believe it is to escape from the boredom of daily life.

[Ocean Seal]

Because its about women falling in love with vampires and werewolves who happen to be really attractive and romantic. That's why it suits the female 12-18 demographic.

[gorillafuck]

because of the amount of people that eat up cheesy love stories, I guess?

[Aloysius]

The books are really shitty, and I feel like I'd want to kill my self if I had to read them again, but I make a point of watching the movies I have every month. They fall into the "so bad it's good" category, which includes movies like Plan Nine from Outer Space, and Howard the Duck.

[Tim Cornelis]

I believe it is to escape from the boredom of daily life.

Which makes no sense. Why can't a book or film be part of daily life?

[Thirsty Crow]

Mindless escapism will always be prevalent in the culture of capitalism.
Yeah, 'cause comments like this one are really useful.

I've even tried to read the first part of the saga, couldn't really becuse of the bland, lifeless narration and a storyline which is boring as hell.

And I guess that such "accessible" narration was part of what made Twilight amenable to film adaptation, and the rest is history.
Well, not exactly, but okay, I have an opinion on this and it concernes the actual storyline (as artistic technique, I believe, plays a lesser role in film).

You see, it's really cool being a mix of two popular culture forms: vampirism and teen saga. It waters down the (potential) extravagance of the former (IMO, see Interview with a Vampire for an accesible vampire extravaganza) while spicing up the abnormally rehashed teen formula. Imagine how cool it would be if a werewolf and a vampire were your potential boyfriends (well, one being a boyfriend and the other being a pretender to the throne).

And I don't get it, I really don't. I watched two of the movies, and they suck big time. But I think what I stated might be some kind of an explanation.

[kuros]

Which makes no sense. Why can't a book or film be part of daily life?
Not exactly sure what you mean, i havent said reading books or watching a movie is't a part of daily life.

[Zealot]

I've tried watching it on three separate occasions and each time I failed to get through the first 10-20mins out of boredom. They stole the badassery of vampires and diluted it down, coming close to the uselessness of homeopathy. Vampires used to be fucking cool now vampires are just Team Edward. I would, however, be interested in reading the novel since most people rave about it although I'm not sure whether this question is about the book or the film series.

From what I can gather, Twilight has a potent mix of vampirism and romance that is sure to arouse a teenage mind and elicit the emotions of alienation or the "they just don't understand me" type feelings that are common today.

[PC LOAD LETTER]

Yeah, 'cause comments like this one are really useful.
There's no need for that attitude.




I've even tried to read the first part of the saga, couldn't really becuse of the bland, lifeless narration and a storyline which is boring as hell.

And I guess that such "accessible" narration was part of what made Twilight amenable to film adaptation, and the rest is history.
Well, not exactly, but okay, I have an opinion on this and it concernes the actual storyline (as artistic technique, I believe, plays a lesser role in film).

You see, it's really cool being a mix of two popular culture forms: vampirism and teen saga. It waters down the (potential) extravagance of the former (IMO, see Interview with a Vampire for an accesible vampire extravaganza) while spicing up the abnormally rehashed teen formula. Imagine how cool it would be if a werewolf and a vampire were your potential boyfriends (well, one being a boyfriend and the other being a pretender to the throne).

And I don't get it, I really don't. I watched two of the movies, and they suck big time. But I think what I stated might be some kind of an explanation.You're reading into it way too much. It serves its purpose as escapism with no literary merit. Dry, superficial story; a failure of willing suspension of disbelief; shallow personalities with a contrived attempt at complex character development ...

[Aleenik]

Why has the twilight saga been such a big hit when it has persistently received poor reviews, and is clearly poorly written?Most people don't seem to care about what 'professional' critics have to say in regards to movies, and I don't blame them. The kind of reviews I care about are peer reviews.

As for the movies themselves, just like any movies, some or many it will appeal to and some or many it will not appeal to. It being "clearly poorly written" is an opinion which you are entitled to have, but a lot of people, including my sisters, would disagree.

I myself hate horror movies. I'll admit a few things here. I am afraid of the dark and I get scared very easily. If I watch a scary movie, it is likely I'll never forget about it. So I try to avoid seeing them or even just hearing them (Like if I am in a different room) when possible. I even hate short commercials for horror movies. I often get scared of those too. So, as a result of not being into horror things, I was never in to vampires at all. So naturally, a movie about vampires, even ones that aren't as scary as Dracula, obviously doesn't appeal to me.

[Agent Ducky]

We all get off!

Nope. I'm asexual and I can honestly say that I do not. You remind me of the kind of person who tells me that I'm suppressing my desires or some fucked up shit.

[Agent Ducky]

I'm a teenage girl, and I read half of the first book, after which I couldn't stand it anymore. Waste of my time.

I think the appeal is to young teenage girls who want to project themselves onto Mary-Sue Bella and drool all over the 2 male characters. Which I don't understand because Edward is creepy as fuck. "I'm watching you sleep." I guess some teenage girls might find the obnoxious purple prose to be cute or romantic or some shit, which is apparently what teenage girls are supposed to like. I guess the fact that the main character is so whiny is supposed to endear her to the reader or something who can relate to her problems or something, but not really. She's just whiny. But that's about it. Teenage girls generally have no taste in literature or anything so they gobble that shit up .

[Aleenik]

Twilight would possibly be even more popular if it was like this.
miawLu_ScMI

[Ostrinski]

Twilight sucks and its author is a rubbish author, hence why they are both upheld to such a high caliber in our society.

[Thirsty Crow]

There's no need for that attitude.Say what? :p


You're reading into it way too much. It serves its purpose as escapism with no literary merit. Dry, superficial story; a failure of willing suspension of disbelief; shallow personalities with a contrived attempt at complex character development ...
I'm not really reading anything into it.
You might have noticed that I completely agree that there is no literary merit to the books. I was sure that expressions like "bland, lifeless narration" and "storyline boring as hell" would trigger such an interpretation. I didn't even get to the point where I could talk about characters' development in the books, so that speaks for itself.

But you didn't refute, or supplant, the stuff I wrote about the generic background of the "saga", its source in forms of popular culture, in any way. I don't think it's reading into it, in fact, because that says very little on its own about the aesthetic merit of the crap we're talking about.

[Jimmie Higgins]

I like "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Harry Potter". They are pulp-y fun with some interesting populist and political undercurrents - not that that really matters that much for pop entertainment.

I think Twilight promotes some really backwards ideas (women are helpless, weak, and the highest achievement is marriage to someone who will take care of you). In the books and movies, most of Bella's dates with Edward involve him carrying her around at some point! Not to mention all the virgin stuff and basically that from what I understand the last book argues, that sex will ruin your life. Oh and they are terribly written and the movies are dull and have very thin plots.

That being said, I have read about 100 pages of the first book (I was on vacation, it was at the house I was staying at and I was curious) and did I mention how badly it's written. Sorry, got distracted. Anyway what struck me was how self-absorbed and melodramatic the protagonist is but weren't we all to some extent when we were 12 or 13? It speaks to some of the anxieties of people that age, not fitting in at school or home and all that. It's not all that unique, but it struck a chord and at a certain point when something becomes a phenomenon, people check it out or get into it, just to be able to relate to other people around them. So everyone in a group of high school kids has an opinion (either love or hate or indifferent) and their view of the phenom helps them to define themselves and their taste and how they fit in with their peers. On the other hand, go to a group of 60 year olds and they probably say about the books, "Oh yeah, don't know about that" or "I think my neighbor's kid is really into that" or "Isn't that a silly fad".

[PC LOAD LETTER]

Say what? :p


I'm not really reading anything into it.
You might have noticed that I completely agree that there is no literary merit to the books. I was sure that expressions like "bland, lifeless narration" and "storyline boring as hell" would trigger such an interpretation. I didn't even get to the point where I could talk about characters' development in the books, so that speaks for itself.

But you didn't refute, or supplant, the stuff I wrote about the generic background of the "saga", its source in forms of popular culture, in any way. I don't think it's reading into it, in fact, because that says very little on its own about the aesthetic merit of the crap we're talking about.
Well, uh, this is embarrassing. I've never argued with someone while agreeing with them at the same time.

I'd buy you a drink if this were a bar.