The lion fell in love with the lamb, and the world fell in love with a vampire

An article I wrote for class:

There are three things known to be absolutely positive.

First, vampires are the new wizards.

Second, there is some part of this vampire love story—we are not sure how dominant that part might be—that fans crave.

And third, people are unconditionally and irrevocably in love with Twilight.

Whether or not you have read the books, seen the smash-hit movie, been to a mall within the last month or just channel surfed by a preview, it’s hard to avoid being bitten by the pale-faced, handsome heart-throbbed Twilight bug.

Following a similar trail left by the Harry Potter epidemic, the best-selling novel series turned movie pulled in $70 million in its opening weekend. Merchandise depicting the unusually good-looking cast of teens fills shelves just in time for the holiday season, from t-shirts and jewelry to posters and life-size cutouts. Twilight is everywhere.

Not since Sarah-Michelle Gellar was slaying fang-faced villains with stakes in the 1990s have supernatural blood-suckers been so hot; Twilight has brought vampires back just as Justin Timberlake redelivered sexy. For first time author Stephanie Myer writing this risqué-teen-vampire love story meant late night typing after the kids were tucked in.

All based on a dream about an attractive young couple—one beautiful girl and her dashing, sparkling vampire lover—discussing their forbidden love in a meadow. Meyer woke up and began writing her way into literary and pop-culture history.

An unsuspecting clumsy beauty named Bella Swan falls for the devastatingly handsome outcast Edward Cullen who just so happens to crave her blood…literally. It’s not so much your typical teen-flick about pretty boy meets conflicted girl or vice versa—and not only because of the whole vampire thing.

“I love Bella! She isn’t that peppy, looking for romance, going through 50 guys to find it kind of girl in other books” says Sara Gove, a freshman at Bristol Plymouth High School. Bella is clumsy, awkward and uncomfortable around the people at her new school and Edward is the epitome of that-kid-who-sits-mysteriously-in-the-corner-of-the-cafeteria-avoiding-other-everyone-else.

Meyer fell in love with her vampire leading man and cared for the young girl like a daughter; these reactions hold steady with the millions of readers enjoying the whole four book series. The world has fallen for Twilight as hard as Edward for Bella for each other, but why do we love them so much?
Professor Craig Seymour of Northern Illinois University thinks that these characters speak to people on a more personal level. “Vampires are interesting because they personify the danger that’s inherent in any sort of romance. There is always a risk when giving yourself over to someone” he explains. Romance can be dangerous and Twilight exemplifies this through the forbidden love between a girl and her vampire—in this case, Bella is literally risking her life to be with the man she loves. Seymour says it is interesting that Twilight is so popular during these hard times. People are willing to escape into this fictional world and fantasize about breaking the rules a little for love.

Gove assures that these characters are relatable and that the novel shows a good idea of high school life, minus the whole vampire thing. People are drawn to that realism with a hint of supernatural. Gove admits that she thinks that it’s fun to put yourself in the story. “It’d be cool to meet a vampire that you fall in love with that didn’t want to kill you” she giggles.

This fantasy life isn’t just for the high school kids either, “I imagine myself in the story,” says Sarah Hills, college sophomore at the University of Mass. Dartmouth and admitted die-hard Twilight fan. She explains, “Everyone in the story is so real and then there are these supernatural beings and you can’t help but think, ‘Could this really happen?’” Hills read the first three books in six days over the summer out of curious boredom and hasn’t turned back since. Although she had issues with some acting choices in the movie, she still has seen the film three times since its release. “Girls love that Romeo and Juliet aspect—it’s that forbidden love,” Hills confesses, “and I know girls can appreciate that there is no sex, it’s not about that—just a lot of romantic tension.”

“I think it helps that they’re all sexy!” assuredly blurts out a recent new-comer on the Twilight wagon, Molly-Katherine Howarth, also a sophomore at the University of Mass. Dartmouth. She was also swept away by the inherent desire to find your true love, “It is just such a good love story. It’s so believable and I guess, I just want to find my Prince Charming too.” She was introduced to the addiction by her already obsessed friend Hills who made Howarth go see the movie opening weekend. After a two-hour movie followed by eight hours of straight reading, Howarth fell hard for the vamps. Hills and Sarah look purely elated when discussing their theories on Twilight’s popularity while arguing whose “team” they are on—Hills resides on Team Edward (the vampire lover-boy) while Howarth roots for Team Jacob (the baby-faced werewolf).

Howarth may be ready to print up some “I ♥ Twilight” t-shirts now but she wasn’t so easily excited by the subject just a few weeks ago. “At first, I thought it was just Harry Potter 2.0; it was just going to ride on the coattails of the whole fantasy story excitement” she says. She really had nothing against the idea of a vampire love fest but she also had no expectations or any knowledge on the subject prior to the movie. Like many people, Howarth saw the movie first and then rushed out to grab all of the books. All that’s left is the year long wait till the sequel comes out.

Peter Gove, Sara’s father, has been watching firsthand the effects of Twilight on pretty much everyone. If Kristen Stweart (playing Bella Swan) was on Live with Regis and Kelly or Robert Pattinson (playing Edward Cullen) visited Jay Leno, Peter was there with Sara at the edge of her seat for every moment. After months of hearing his daughter talk about the books obsessively, he finally got to see what all the hype was about when he took her to the movie; “Sara was so excited to go opening day and I figured whatever, just another kids’ movie I can sleep through” he jokes. Despite his hesitations, Peter didn’t snooze his way through the theatrical adventure and was pleasantly surprised. “It was actually enjoyable” he says with disbelief.

That seems to be the general consensus among the whole world—it was enjoyable. Granted, that level of enjoyment has been taken in many different ways; some just sit back and fantasize about tasting that forbidden apple in the hands of a sexy teen vampire while others own all the merchandise down to the look-alike fashion trends and jewelry.

Once Twilight has gotten its hold on you, there is no turning back. You become a part of their world, forever in the clutches of the vampire’s grip; cursed to live an eternity with Edward Cullen in his sunlight-free world.

Can you avoid Edward’s hypnotic dark gaze? Or will you submit to his temptations of an eternal life from just one bite. You can only fight fate for so long before there is no saving you…