this is the skin of a misogynist, Bella!

Today we're revisiting my roman empire, the 2005 YA novel Twilight. Don't worry -- we're probably going to talk about all of the books. and the movies. If you don't like that, then I suggest you file a complaint with the professor who forced me upon this platform by assigning me to make a blog for this class.

Why did we like it then? And who didn't?

Twilight was a cultural phenomenon for young women that began in 2005 and lasted throughout the 2010s. Looking back, the most outstanding reasons why many of us liked the franchise might seem shallow, such as the Team Edward vs Team Jacob dynamic. I argue that these shallow reasons actually represent something much deeper. Twilight was one of the most prominent pieces of media in recent history that centers around a young woman making defining choices. At its essence, Twilight is a story about a woman getting what she wants, despite the backlash of her family or friends. In the words of Chappel Roan, maybe Twilight was the first Femininomenon.

Moving into who didn't like Twilight, I'm sure that we can all remember the people who made fun of us for our interests. I don't think it would be a stretch to say that many of these people also openly hated other forms of female-dominated media.

What can we take from it now?

If you've been on tiktok or instagram or any other platform where you also follow me (bc I know you all love to keep up with your favorite cult leader), you have like seen the mass resurgence of popularity for the franchise that has been dubbed the "Twilight Renaissance." While some of this resurgence could be part of "recession indicator" culture, I think that a large factor is that many of us are able to present a more critical analysis of Twilight, wherein we can share both how we love it and hate it.

Being a critical scholar like myself, I can see the positive elements of Twilight, such as its underlying feminist message of Bella getting what she wants, despite the numerous elements of misogyny that should also be noted. In summary of what we can take from it now -- it's a nuanced story that provides a concrete example of critical discourse in the online space.