Why is our society intoxicated with Edward and Bella?

By Open Book

There’s been a lot of talk in the news about Robert Pattinson throwing a Halloween soiree for the cast and crew of Twilight. Some fans believed the story was true while others believed it was another publicity stunt. Really? It’s to be expected a movie studio would promote a film a few months before a scheduled release date.  But Breaking Dawn (Part. 1) will not be released until November of 2011. So what’s all the publicity for and why? Is it to keep fans entertained during the filming of Breaking Dawn? Is it another attempt to sell the Edward and Bella romance to fans? Are people that desperate for the Edward and Bella romance they can’t wait for the movie to be released? 

Many people believe Twilight has ruined the once so-called “scary vampire.” Recently, a story written by Barbara Ellen in The Observer addressed this issue she stated; “It’s as if we have culturally defanged and emasculated the undead to the point where they’ve become same-old and boring.” She goes on to say; “When I was young, I remember being genuinely rattled, and moved, when I came across Nosferatu, Salem’s Lot, Night of the Living Dead, The Exorcist and Near Dark. “Young people” scoffed at yoof-appeal, crossover vamp-movies such as The Lost Boys.”[1] Is it true? Has our society become so intoxicated by Edward and Bella, we are dreaming about dating the undead?

The romance between Edward and Bella has made Rob and Kristen the most watched and speculated actors in Hollywood. Fans of the series follow their every move. The stories in the tabloids about Rob and Kristen’s so called “romance” seem to mimic the stories in the book.  Are we that desperate for romance that we’ve turned the actors into prisoners? The recent pictures of Rob and Kristen arriving on the set Breaking Dawn summed it up. Rob arrives on the set wearing a t-shirt entitled CONART.[2] Now, I’m not saying Rob meant anything by wearing this t-shirt, it probably meant nothing. However, it makes you wonder, have fans gone too far? Have we turned actors into slaves of these characters instead of the artist? Maybe Twilight fans will sober up one day to realize an actor is separate from the characters they portray on screen.  Perhaps one-day people will go back to desiring relationships with the living.

Tags: 2010, Edward Cullen, Hollywood, Movies, Robert Pattinson