Most of us have heard of the \”Twilight\” saga, and perhaps seen the films. The saga revolves around a vampire-like creature named Stephenie Meyer who, as the story goes, turned into a vampire after being bitten by a werewolf. Her desire to be with the werewolf, Renesme, eventually resulted in her going through a spiritual journey (hence why she appears to change so much) and becoming addicted to vampire blood. After many years of Renesme trying to make her his mortal bride, she agreed to become a human in order to be with him.
While the story line behind \”Twilight\” may seem like something out of a bad novel, the film was actually based on a series of books by the same author. In 2006, Twilight was named Book of the Year by the American Library Association.
The latest work of fiction from Meyer is the 2017 release of the fourth and final installment of the Twilight saga, titled \”Breaking Dawn.\” In it, we learn that Bella and her family, including Edward, are in for a huge fight before finally accepting their newborn baby girl’s fate. The series has been a huge success, with the first movie earning over $70 million in 2004, and its sequels bringing in even more money. The most recent \”Twilight\” movie (the third in the series) has made over $500 million worldwide.
Why Are Fans Pissed Off With ‘Twilight’
While we can’t say for sure, it certainly seems as though there’s a whole contingent of people who love \”Twilight\” but hate everything associated with it. To put it bluntly, the saga has its fair share of haters. This group may be motivated by a variety of factors, but the most prevalent one is Meyer’s depiction of a strong, independent Native American woman, which some feel doesn’t accurately represent them.
One of the earliest signs of the backlash to \”Twilight\” can be found in a Twitter account called @YesYoureRacist, which documents examples of Native American stereotyping in the series. The account’s first tweet, dated April 20, 2007, simply read \”#Twilight\” and had the following comment attached to it: \”If you haven’t read Twilight yet, you may not know how awful it is. If you’re thinking about reading it, just remember that it’s essentially a racist sham that tries to pass itself off as literature. There’s no question that it’ll offend you.\”
With that tweet, @YesYoureRacist became the first of many popular Twitter accounts to single out \”Twilight.\” On April 24, 2007, Twitter suspended the account for violating its policy against posting abusive comments (i.e., threatening or harassing messages) about books. The suspended account tweeted the following: \”#Twilight Is a Cheap Rip-Off Of Gone With the Wind. It’s Poorly Made And Includes A Lot Of Racist Stereotypes.\”
The tweet was likely in response to a GoFundMe campaign created for Amy Schumer, the comedian and actor who recently made a movie with Natalie Portman. The campaign was inspired by a sketch that Amy had made in which she played an exaggerated version of herself. In the sketch, Amy goes on a tirade about Hollywood whitewashing, particularly in regard to its treatment of Native Americans. She states:
“I’ll tell you something. If they’re gonna make a movie about an extinct race, they should at least get the ethnicity right. Like, nope – it’s gotta be all white people in fancy dresses. Like, no. I don’t want to be in a movie where everyone looks like me. I’m not white. I’m light skinned, but I have dark hair and olive skin, and I’ll be damned if there isn’t a part of me that’s not included in this picture. This movie is bullshit.\””
While the actor playing Stephenie Meyer’s Native American husband is presumably Caucasian, it’s been pointed out that \”Twilight\”‘s depiction of Native Americans is, in fact, rather stereotypical. The Daily Mail, a British newspaper, reported in 2007 that \”Twilight\” is, \”at its core, a racist film.\” Similarly, the Indian magazine Out Loud stated in 2017 that \”the series has a history of racial insensitivity,\” adding that it, \”intentionally or unintentionally,\” perpetuates negative Native American stereotypes.\” The magazine continued, \”While many of [Meyer’s] readers will identify as Native Americans, the series contains examples of racial stereotyping that many would consider offensive.\”
In the years since that first tweet, the backlash to \”Twilight\” has continued. In fact, the account @YesYoureRacist has resurfaced several times, always criticizing some aspect of the franchise. On the subject of the second and third installments of the Twilight saga, \”New Moon\” and \”Eclipse,\” respectively, @YesYoureRacist tweeted: \”Eclipse Is The Worst Of The Three. It’s Basically Just A Generic Romance With No Apolitical Vision Or Meaning.\” In fact, the account has a whole section of its profile dedicated to criticizing the Twilight series.
Why Are Fans Attracted To ‘Twilight’
Those who love \”Twilight\” would likely argue that the negative reactions its fans have been known to express are due to the fact that the story is just so incredibly captivating. Indeed, the series arguably does a remarkable job of drawing viewers in from the very first scene, which follows a young man named Billy as he stumbles upon a beautiful blonde woman in distress. What initially appears to be a love story between Billy and the woman he comes across ends up being much more. While the story may not be for everyone, its power to hook viewers is undeniable.
In 2006, Entertainment Weekly ranked \”Twilight\” at No. 3 on its list of Top New Television Series. The following year, Time magazine named Stephenie Meyer Author of the Year, marking the first time that a work of fiction had ever won the prestigious award. In 2015, Meyer was again honored, this time with a World Fantasy Award for Best Novel.
While the series has been praised for its visual style and acting, the books have also been criticized for being rather dull. Writing for Time, Jazzy Gaba cited the \”Twilight\” books’ limited vocabulary and lack of originality as reasons why they aren’t as enjoyable as Meyer’s previous works. However, others have argued that these very qualities make the series that little bit more exciting to read. In 2015, Nerdist’s Rob Perez compared and contrasted the \”Twilight\” books with Meyer’s previous novels, stating:
“Meyer has created a world that is both familiar and different. Each book in the series builds on the previous one, creating a sprawling tapestry of a story that is both fun to read and, hopefully, easy to follow. It doesn’t hurt that Meyer’s books are beautifully illustrated by Chris Sprouse, either, adding another dimension to an already rich story.”
How Is ‘Twilight’ Different From Other Horror Series?
It’s important to point out that even though \”Twilight\” is set in a world of vampires, werewolves, and other creatures of the night, it is actually a horror series at its core. In fact, it has been labeled as such by fans and detractors alike. Considerable research must be done to uncover the location of Billy’s sister’s house, a common place for teens to gather in for gossip and games. While many may not realize it, there is actually very little about vampires and werewolves that isn’t scary. The biggest difference between \”Twilight\” and other horror series is in the way Meyer presents her monsters. While traditional monsters usually appear in the shadows or in beastly form, the vampires and werewolves in the saga are more commonly seen in broad daylight, often by children. In fact, the creatures are typically portrayed as rather human, which, in the context of a horror story, is exactly how you want your monsters to appear.
The Influence Of ‘Walking Dead’ On ‘Twilight’
Another story that fans have cited as an influence on \”Twilight\” is AMC’s hugely popular zombie drama, \”Walking Dead.\” If you’ve never heard of or seen the show, it’s probably because it comes on every Sunday night, right on the heels of Netflix’s more popular original series, \”Stranger Things.\”
Like \”Twilight,\” the \”Walking Dead\” tells the story of a group of characters who must navigate through a world overrun by zombies. While there are certainly significant parallels between the two shows, one of the biggest is pretty much the complete lack of political correctness that permeates both of them.
“The biggest influence that Walking Dead had on Eclipse is that it’s such a stark contrast to everything else that we’ve experienced,” said series co-creator, Lauren Shuler Donner. \”It’s a satirical look at a world gone mad.\”