Vampires vs. Werewolves: Twilight Popularity Hits Supernatural Levels!

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Long before I had even contemplated seeing the Twilight movies or trying (and failing) to read the books, the Twilight saga had struck a chord in the hearts of many. The gothic interest in vampires has even extended into the realm of television with series such as True Blood and The Vampire Diaries drawing an addicted audience.

The first Twilight movie was released in November 2008 followed by New Moon in 2009 and now, most recently Eclipse in 2010. The series will be milked for all it is worth following plans to split the final instalment into two films. So the saga continues. A mass of female teenagers will be frothing eagerly as they await the release of Breaking Dawn: Part 1 in November 2011.

Word of mouth truly is the best type of promotion. I became weary of staring blankly back at those who asked me “So Jill, who d’ya thinks’ hotter; Edward (vampire) or Jacob (werewolf)?” At first I considered it a trick question. How can either man be sexy when one is an un-dead bloodsucker and the other is a dog? Figuring it was social suicide to leave myself out of the loop any longer, I succumbed to this cultural phenomenon and let a friend show me the first instalment on DVD. I was not disappointed. It was hilarious.

My friend was not impressed with my flippant attitude. She, like many, takes the story quite seriously and considered any of my cheap shots at vampire Edward’s pasty appearance as an abrasive attack on her fictitious crush. And she is not the only one.

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Thousands of others worldwide have delved into the story in a very involved manner resulting in some crazy outbursts. According to Lee (2010), “Werewolf cliques are beginning to make their way into teenage social groups” with several “wolf packs within the north side of San Antonio”. And for the vampire fans, Stack (2009) asserts “a plethora of vampire groups have emerged online where people with gothic interests can arrange to get together in the real world”. The Twilight craze has prompted vampire clubs and lairs to spring up in Australia as well. Stack (2009) continues that “a group of self-professed vampires meet once a month at Marrickville in Sydney's inner west or at Hawkesbury in the north west to participate in rituals. One of their members, 40-year-old Newtown resident Marc, who did not want his surname published, claims to consume a 200 to 250ml-glass of blood on a regular basis”.

So why is there such a following among some? The story itself actually really pisses me off. It centres on a teenage girl who continues to act sour and depressed despite the fact she has not one, but two handsome supernatural beings vying for her love. I mean, cheer up! Some should be so lucky- am I right ladies?!

But that’s exactly it. One reason the tale has become so enthralling is because we (myself included) have been sucked in to the point where we simply must find out which one she picks! So some fans (for individual reasons) have affiliated themselves with either ‘Team Edward’ or ‘Team Jacob’, and choose to express their devotion through such behaviours as ‘becoming’ a vampire or werewolf.

As for the other explainations for this craze, well...some people are simply weird...

References:

Image 1: Freemont Outdoor Movies, (2010),’Rumour: Twilight special Event to Kick off Season?’ blog post, Freemont Outdoor Movies blog site, http://fremontoutdoormovies.com/category/blog/, April 17th 2010, accessed 24/08/2010

Image 2: Fun 140 Website, (2010), 'Are You Team Edward or Team Jacob? Quiz', http://fun140.com/quizzes/8550-are-you-team-jacob-or-team-edward/take, accessed 26/08/2010

Link: Conger, J. (2010), ‘Did you miss the buzz? Teen wolves descend upon San Antonio high schools’, Kens 5 News website, posted May 17th 2010, http://www.kens5.com/news/Teen-wolves-in-San-Antonio-94015234.html, accessed 24/08/2010

Lee, K., (2010), ‘Is the Twilight Craze Unhealthy’ blog post, Hot Topics weblog, http://blog.seattlepi.com/hottopics/archives/207722.asp, May 25th 2010, accessed 24/08/2010

Stack, B. (2009), ‘Vampire clubs, covens and lairs spring up following Twilight craze’, The Sunday Telegraph, November 15th 2009, accessed via news.com.au website at http://www.news.com.au/features/vampire-clubs-covens-and-lairs-spring-up-following-twilight-craze/story-e6frfl49-1225797766631, accessed 24/08/2010