I have a confession to make. I indeed am a Twilight fan as well. It is especially hard to admit this to a handful of avid readers too because I know most of you will sigh in disbelief and wonder why any person would be a Twilight fan. Indeed they are not the most complex or thought-provoking series, but there is something about the novels that simply drew me in and I had to read them all. Regardless of why I decided to read the Twilight series, the fact that I am a Twilight fan still remains.
So the question remains—why are people so embarrassed to admit that they are Twilight fans? Marissa addresses this issue and comes up with a valid reason why people are so embarrassed to admit their love for the Twilight fandom.
People, especially women, tend to be embarrassed to admit that they are Twilight fans because thousands of critics and avid readers claim that the series gives women the wrong impression on how relationships should be. Yet again, people are worried about a problem that has been ongoing since the nineteenth century; people are worried that women who read certain kinds of novels will get the wrong ideas about relationships and men.
People, especially women, tend to be embarrassed to admit that they are Twilight fans because thousands of critics and avid readers claim that the series gives women the wrong impression on how relationships should be. Yet again, people are worried about a problem that has been ongoing since the nineteenth century; people are worried that women who read certain kinds of novels will get the wrong ideas about relationships and men.
The discussions about whether women should read certain types of novels has been going on since the nineteenth century when people were concerned about if women should read gothic novels or not. Personally, I find it demeaning that people think women do not have the capabilities to understand the relationships in the Twilight series and even more so that they feel like women should always be the dominant people in relationships. Yes, I am all for feminine equality and having women choose whatever they want and to be in a relationship with whoever they want to be. However, I do not think it is right for people to tell women that the relationship that Bella and Edward are in is wrong.
Sure, Edward is somewhat controlling and does come off as creepy in the beginning of the series. However, Bella chose to be with Edward and the entire time Edward gave her the options to do whatever she wanted. Edward always wanted what would make Bella happy, even if it meant having to say goodbye to her. Some aspects of their relationship are not ideal of course, but no relationship is perfect.
It is possible that the novels may give young girls the wrong impression of what relationships should be like and that every guy should be absolutely perfect. At the same time, most romantic comedies or simply teen movies portray a perfect relationship that has the amazingly handsome guy and the random girl who just so happens to get attention from the attractive guy. The concept of relationships like that of Bella and Edward in Twilight is not anything new and people should not be so harsh on Twilight fans because it seems unlikely that teenage fans will react to the series in a way that will cause harm to any future relationships they may be in.
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