The Twilight series is objectively trash, I know this, and despite that fact I still find watching the films extremely comforting. Yes, there was a time when I was embarrassed to admit I liked the Twilight series, but I am not afraid anymore at 27.
On the nights when I would come home from a slightly drunken night out, because I don't really do that anymore these days, I would clumsily open whatever streaming service happened to be showing the films and fight sleep until I couldn't hold out anymore. It's a nostalgic feeling for me, and one of my closest friendships has been cemented by our mutual obsession with a very mediocre story about forbidden vampire love (that friendship has lasted over 10 years). I didn't know many teenage girls at the time without at least one poster of a male actor from Twilight ripped out of J-14 magazine scotch taped to their wall. The die-hard fans really asserted their dominance by procuring cardboard cutouts of either Edward or Jacob, though personally I found that a bit creepy, especially with the lights turned out. TikTok has pointed out recently how obscenely funny the descriptions of Bella's outfits are in the Twilight books, not to mention how the themes are likely heavily influenced by Stephanie Meyer's Mormon background. My 14-year-old self must have glossed over the fact that Bella wore a long khaki skirt the first time she goes to Edward's house; that or I just didn't find it odd at all. This got me thinking about all the conversations I've had with fellow Twilight lovers about how much more interesting the story would be had small plot points been slightly altered. Remember when Edward tried to convince Bella they could stay together without her becoming a vampire? He insisted he would stay with her as she aged, and I would like to call bullshit on that. You can't tell me the second some hot piece of a vampire rolled into town he wouldn't leave middle-aged Bella to find a new man. If I could alter anything about the Twilight series to make it even more strange and ridiculous then I'd easily make Bella remain human. Can you imagine how insane it would be? Edward is walking around looking seventeen forever (like your second favorite Metro Station song) while Bella is something like 75 and they make zero sense together. This one change would make the series better in the sense that it would make it infinitely worse, and supply a dose of comic relief. Is she Edward's grandma to the general public's eye? Is she his much older sugar mama? It would be anyone's guess. I know I sound like a madwoman, but you are also reading something written by a person who made up an entire inner monologue for a minor Pride and Prejudice character, so there's that. It's Anne De Bourgh in case you were wondering, but I have jokingly called her plain Anne in the presence of some company. Bella thought she was miserable when Edward left her in New Moon, so just imagine how utterly pissed off she would be if all events in the books happened as written other than her being turned. The logistics of her remaining human would be a nightmare. After 5-10 years she would have to move with the Cullens when random people in town started questioning how they look like they haven't aged. She would have to go to family events, weddings, and all other social events alone lest she raise suspicions. At that point just let go of the obvious baggage and find another man. She would be miserable and Edward would be forced to watch her be miserable. Vampire romances will continue to be a genre for what I imagine is years to come. There were stories written about it before Twilight and we know many other books have followed in its footsteps. I will shamelessly continue to watch Vampire Academy, though it is also labeled as entertaining trash, and pine for the amazing movie it deserved to be yet never was. In the style of Carrie Bradshaw sitting at her computer reflecting on her experience with a new fling, I can't help but wonder, has the time of the teen vampire romance come and gone? I don't know, but for now I've moved onto slightly more adult stories involving faeries.
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