Falling Victim to the Vampire

That's right, I've bought into the fad, though I've fought it tooth and nail the whole way into that coffin--or should I say to Forks, Washington?

Yes, I'm going to see a midnight showing of Twilight, and no, I'm not totally adverse to the idea as a whole. I will be the first to admit that I have bashed the novels to no end. I mean, how much respect can a student of classic literature have for a piece of drivel that's basically glorified fanfiction? Look at the facts: the characters are completely unrealistic (apart from the whole vampire bit--I'm talking characterization here, people), the story line is bland, cliche, the situations are ridiculous. Looking at this list makes it even more obvious: Twilight isn't just a bit of fanfiction, it's the nightmarish product of an amalgamation of the worst works. Mary Sue finally gets her man, and she's finally accepted by her public.

When reading the first novel, I actually liked Bella at the beginning. I could identify with her. She was a smart girl who was really devoted to her education--and something about her didn't quite mesh with the population at large. While I have no problem with the idea of a young woman finding her place in the world, Meyer makes it entirely too easy and unrealistic. If someone can point me to the one town in the world (backwoods or not) that will automatically accept me as its social sovereign and give me a hot boyfriend with no effort on my part--I will be forever indebted to that individual. Seriously. Drop me a message.

But the thing that really bothers me? The glitter.

I have a thing for the supernatural. I slum around in paranormal romance--often. I watch True Blood with baited breath. Interview With a Vampire is in my top 10 list of movies. But...I can't believe how far society has come with this acceptance of the pseudo villain/anti-hero. What happened to Bela Lugosi? What happened to the eerie stories told in Eastern Europe that keep the residents indoors when the sun goes down? While I accept the possibility of a "good" vampire just as I accept the fact that there are "good" people and "bad" people (though I'm more prone to view in shades of gray), I'm astonished how romanticized vampires have become. Clearly, Bram Stoker intended for there to be a layer of sensuality, but the glitter's just too much. You have to balance the character. You can't just give an individual immortality and a perfect physique with a possibility of retaining his true love without balancing the situation with some grief. Nothing is that perfect

But. I've bought in. For tonight anyway. I'll put aside my cynicism and go to it with an open mind. Maybe Twilight is redeemable. Maybe the glitter won't be so ridiculous.

I can only hope.