Multiplexes around the world are sure to be jam-packed with loyal fans in honor of the premiere of “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn-Part 1,” the fourth installment of the popular “Twilight” series, Friday.
Fans of the franchise will arrive in droves to camp outside the theater, waiting for an ungodly number of hours just to say they were the first to witness the next phase of the love triangle between the smitten Bella Swan and her dreamy supernatural boyfriends.
As a modest admirer, I am somewhat baffled by “Twilight’s” wide-spread, multi-generational appeal. That the franchise would allure a starry-eyed 14-year-old girl goes without saying. However, the influx of middle-age women indulging in the same glossy, teeny-bopper practices, stimulates a wide range of ethical questions. Oh, their poor husbands. It is clear Stephenie Meyer’s bestselling vampire series does not simply function as an excuse to showcase star-studded eye candy but offers something deeper at its core.
If you take away the supernatural elements, the “Twilight” films are essentially cautionary tales for teenage girls about the dangers of premarital sex and teenage pregnancy. A kind of “you can look, but you can’t touch” approach, if you will. Meyer is evoking the adolescent experience, dishing out lessons of purity and celibacy in a sexualized environment.
Many of the characters are broadly drawn, lacking depth and maturity. This makes it difficult to see them as anything other than archetypes or symbolic stand-ins for the narrative’s overarching message.
Take the hunky Jacob, for example. He’s painted in an overly idealized fashion, rarely wearing a T-shirt and possessing all the superficial qualities of a teenage heartthrob. Not much insight is conveyed about his inner turmoil. He is merely a blissful distraction from Bella’s struggle toward purity and self-righteousness.
Admittedly, Bella’s psychological struggle between submission and anxiety is effectively rendered. She is enchanted by the eerie, sensitive and enigmatic charms of Edward, her groom-to-be. There is a palpable tension between them, curiously suppressed in favor of more traditional, conservative values.
While these hallmark-quality morals are smoothly integrated into the narrative, Meyer’s devoted fans soak them up without question. This is not to suggest that such values are not noble or important. However, with the influence and appeal of so many liberal, salacious icons such as Lady GaGa, Katy Perry and Ke$ha they seem to reflect the concerns of a different generation. Has our social climate gravitated toward these principles? It is a topic worth exploring.
Still, the “Twilight” phenomenon has made a considerable impression on American pop culture, offering portraits of teenage romance, supernatural escapism and thrilling popcorn entertainment. As Bella and Edward enter an exciting new chapter of their relationship, drama, action and heartbreak will likely ensue, among a handful of other juicy surprises. It will be interesting to reflect on this cultural phenomenon 10 years from now to see what its lasting legacy is. My money is on Jacob’s perfect abs, but I’ve been wrong before.
Laron Chapman is a film and media studies senior.
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applescruff84 6 months, 1 week ago
I agree that the book series and resulting movies advocate abstinence, but I think "purity" and "warns teens of sex" is a bit much.
The author, I believe, is Mormon. While I won't go so far as to stereotype a stranger's religious perspective on such a hot topic as teenagers having sex, I think we can safely assume that Stephanie Meyer isn't a fan of pre-marital sex in general-- regardless of age.
*Side note: The character Bella never "struggled" with purity issues in either the books or movies. It was the post-Victorian mindset of character Edward that led them down this "waiting until we're married" side plot.
"Warns teens of sex" is a bit ambiguous to me. If this were ANY other tale about two teenagers having sex and making a baby (like MTV's deplorable "16 and Pregnant" series) then I think I would be inclined to agree with Chapman.
Although I do agree with Chapman that there is something to be said in the fact that a mainstream movie/book series stresses abstinence in our overly sexed society.
I think if these books and movies "warn" teenage girls of anything, it's having sex with vampires. Sex with vampires=vampire embryos that will suck you dry from the inside-out like a Wendy's frosty that's going out of style. Team Jacob!!