I came across the article Too Old to Twighlight? on Babble this weekend and it made me smile. I make no secret that I am not a Twilight fan. Yes, I’ve read all of the books. I’ve seen the movies – I even took a group of teenage girls from my church to the last premiere. It’s not that I don’t have a soft spot for stories filmed with teenage angst, hot guys, and melodrama. I just don’t dig Twilight.
My dislike- disdain in all honesty – for Twilight has very little to do with the fact that it’s aimed at a teenage audience. So is The Hunger Games and I’m eagerly anticipating that movie premiere. Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Veronica Mars also feature teenage protagonists, but I’ve watched my share of both (and maybe own seasons on DVD). And I’m a bit shamed to admit that I skipped over the college years of Beverly Hills 90210, but just couldn’t resist tuning in for that final season to see if Kelly and Dillon ended up together.
Unlike these other shows, Twilight takes itself far too seriously for my taste. It lacks wit, restrains itself in all the wrong places, and is painfully melodramatic. Twilight is so busy being dramatic, in fact, it forgets to laugh at itself a bit. As a result, the characters end up feeling cold and flat despite all their supposed passion. Even the bad guys are uninteresting because they are so one-note evil. There’s more fun – and fear – when a bad guy is unpredictable, flawed, and even eerily funny.
I have no shame in saying I think Veronica Mars rocks, but I can admit I go for more shallow fare as well. My secret go-to teenage movie: Save the Last Dance. The raunchy ABC Family (isn’t that an oxymoron?) teenage melodrama I quietly watched on Netflix while folding laundry this fall: Make it or Break it. When my husband and I went to the movies Saturday night, I kind of wanted to see the new Footloose instead of Tower Heist. I can totally relate to getting lost in teen stories, to remembering the all-encompassing passion I felt for that boy in English class, to cheering for underdog. I even go for Jacob a tiny bit. But I’ll never be a Twilight Mom.
That being said, I may take my fair share of shots at Twilight for being dull and dreadfully serious, with the most annoying female protagonist ever. I might groan about all of its perceived flaws. What I am not mocking, however, is the Twilight Mom’s delight in a teen story, something simple, passionate, and heavy handed. I get that. I just don’t get Twilight.
I have to agree, I’m not a Twilight fan. But I can secretly enjoy a good teen story!
Amen, sister! Very well put.