It all started as a joke. It was late on a Saturday night and my roommates and I were all looking for a good laugh. We sat curled up in the fuzziest of blankets, four intelligent young women, and turned on the movie Twilight, prepared to make snarky comments.
From there, it spiraled out of control.
Over the course of the next two weeks it became a ritual for my whole apartment to sit down together and make our way through all five movies in the Twilight Saga. As our marathon stretched on, our anticipation grew until we were bouncing with excitement at the start of Breaking Dawn Part Two. By the end we shed many tears because our experience had come to a close with such an epic finale. Never had I thought I would become a Twilight fan, let alone one in my twenties, yet here I am.
For years Twilight seemed to represent everything I stood against. Cheesy romances, predictable plots and of course, hoards of screaming girls. The mere fact that the Twilight Saga was sucha big phenomenon was enough to make me turn my nose up and scoff.
While I sat and debated with friends over what path the characters should take, I discovered I was not only enjoying the movies, I was loving them.
That realization began to break down so many preconceived notions I had about other trends. Questions plagued my mind, eating away at this illusion I had bought into. Can I enjoy cheesy romances and movies and still be taken seriously by my peers? Is it ok to like cliche stories when I have dedicated so much time to reading and dissecting great novels? Will people begin to doubt that I am “different” or “unique” if I buy into the whole Twilight hype?
The reason I stayed away from Twilight, nay, hated on Twilight and mocked its fan base, was because there was so much pressure to not be like “other girls.” This saying creates the narrative that when girls reject femininity or things that are considered “basic,” they are unique and cool, and therefore sought after. Not only does this expectation to be quirky push people, especially womxn, to reject trends, it also encourages people to compete to be the most “different.” Once something becomes mainstream, it must be tossed away.
In our culture, I think this is especially true for womxn. When discussing things that are “basic,” it is typically trends enjoyed by womxn. Why is it that womxn must go above and beyond to prove that they are different? It seems that we cannot even like a movie series without having to justify our decision.
What is worse about this tendency is that it shames people who do enjoy pop culture trends or things considered “basic.” Who cares if you like Twilight or listen to songs on the top 100 charts religiously – just do you!
It is time to stop judging others based on what they like or what aesthetic they subscribe to. People are too complex to be confined into one category, so don’t be afraid to branch out and try new things.
And so, I have decided that I should not be ashamed that I am now a fan of Twilight and neither should you. Whatever your Twilight might be, whether it’s a book, an outfit, a sport, or anything else outside of your “vibe,” give it a shot and don’t care what the haters say, they are probably team Jacob anyway.
Photos: Her Campus Media