Obsession Bites: Twilight

The second installment of the Twilight Saga: New Moon premieres tomorrow. Accordingly, young girls everywhere are in hysteria as they eagerly await their entrance into the theater, bemused at the story of vampires, love, lust, and violence that they have read about in the book series by Stephanie Meyer. Personally, I'm a bit over vampires. Hollywood keeps making movies about them that all have very similar and thus predictable plot lines- a sexy, young yet eternal male lead falls for a human girl whom he must resist biting and therefore turning into a vampire. However trite the plot, these movies continue to be blockbusters, proving that they are not only money makers, but in high demand by viewers who seem to be addicted to the dark world of the vampire.

I mean, who doesn't want a 200 year old fast-as-lightening vampire to save and protect her at the first sight of danger? Aside from the physical perks of dating a vampire, such as speed, great hair, fangs, and pale skin that crystallizes in the sun, there are distinct recurring emotional elements that may add to the popularity of vampire dramas. For instance, in most vampire movies, and of course in Twilight, the girl, at some point during her infatuation, begs her vampire boyfriend to bite her so they can be together forever. Alas, he cannot give in to his temptation and curse the one he loves! Melodrama aside, perhaps we desire the kind of devotion and eternal promise that doesn't seem to exist in most non-vampire relationships. The first movie's worldwide gross was over $383 million, so apparently many women, young and old, share in this fantasy of being in an obsessive relationship with an otherworldly being. The success of the movie can also be assessed in the way it turned its cast of unknowns into today's hottest stars.

While people can defend liking, even loving, a movie, the craze surrounding Twilight has gone past the point of rationality. Sure, the young Hollywood starlets are strikingly good looking, but I'm not sure that it justifies the total infatuation exhibited by the majority of the Twilight fans. Even in my book Rob Pattinson is quite handsome, and I can remember being a young adolescent in love with the latest heartthrob. While there is nothing wrong with dreaming about these stars, in this modern age hit movies seem to consume every facet of our lives, making this behavior a whole lot easier and a bit more dangerous. Twilight is incorporated into ads for just about anything, from Burger King to Volvo- the kind of car I have driven since before Edward did. Vast promotional efforts and press junkets have been more than effective in building up the hype for tomorrow's release. Even for those of us who have not read the books or seen the movies in the theater, it is hard to ignore such a pervasive phenomenon. That being said, I will probably end up seeing New Moon eventually. The good news is that I won't be waiting in any lines or listening to screaming fans when I do!