tMF Special report on Twilight. Part 2 of a 4 parts series

Updates: Here we present four interviews, showing you just who these Twilight fans are...

The Lexicon Story | A Twilight Mom's Perspective | Kimmy and 'His Golden Eyes' | Ana Speaks!

It would be a mistake to classify The Twilight Saga as ‘adult teen’. It would be an even bigger mistake to identify her fan base as being young teenage girls. Many online writers did just that, assuming perhaps that very few would react to their apparent lack of research and basic knowledge of the book and its author.

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Well, they are in for a big surprise!

Here’s just one reaction to an article at Cinematical written by Jessica Barnes, who started her article with:

“I have never been all that keen to read Stephenie Meyer's vampire romance, Twilight. That is probably because I'm just a little out of the prescribed age range, plus, I'll always be an Anne Rice girl at heart.”

Within the day, more than 59 comments were posted. These are not just the usual ‘Awesome!’, ‘That’s great!’ commentaries. These are detailed, even analytical comments coming from the fans. Here is one reaction to Ms. Barnes article:

You have never wanted to read Twilight because you think you are "Just a little out of the prescribed age range"? Obviously the author of this article is a little too big for her britches. Maybe you should try READING the book before making such comments, or maybe you should do some research on the internet first. Have you heard of Twilight moms? They are all over 25, married, with kids. They are also one of the biggest fansites out there.

[ Cinematical, as always, aims to satisfy all audiences and should be commended for launching a new series of articles that promote Twilight. Here's one of the latest by Kim Voynar. ]

It was the Twilight Lexicon that announced the Barnes article and encouraged its readers to visit the site and leave a comment. The Lexicon, along with 2 other sites (Twilight Moms and His Golden Eyes) was tMF’s top 3 Twilight sites. The Lexicon alone commands an average of 30,000 unique visitors daily.

Another two notable and resourceful Twilight sites that tMF highly recommends are Bella and Edward and Twilighters.org

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Twilighters Around the World: Twilight sites are not limited to English speaking countries. If you think Harry Potter is the only ‘worldwide’ phenomenon, think again, here's our current alpha list:

Argentinean sites: http://www.twilightlatino.com/ and http://www.eclipse-la.com
Australian site: http://www.twilightaustralia.net/
Brazilian site: http://www.twilightteam.com.br/
Chilean site: http://www.twilightchile.com/
Colombian site: http://conexionvampirica.blogia.com/
Finnish site: http://www.vampirelove.net/
French site: http://the-meadow.fr/
Italian site: http://www.twilighters.it/
Mexican site: http://www.crepusculo-mx.com/
Philippine site: http://www.twilightsaga.multiply.com/
Portuguese site: http://www.twilightportugal.blogs.sapo.pt/
Spanish sites: http://www.crepusculomeyer.blogspot.com/ and http://www.crepusculo.com.es/
Swiss site: http://www.bellaswan.net/
Venezuelan site: http://twilight-fans-venezuela.blogspot.com/


According to the Twilight Top Sites, there are now 86 websites dedicated to Stephenie Meyer's book and soon-to-be movie, Twilight.

As to who really are Twilight fans, they represent almost all ages, but are mostly females- high schoolers, college students, working Moms, stay-in Moms, even grandmothers.

But there are also male Twilight fans. Here’s one very enterprising guy who enjoys huge traffic for his blog by saying, “He’s the first guy to publicly read Twilight…” There was a recent update to his blog and we were informed that due to the increased traffic he's now receiving, he's launching his new Twilight site earlier than planned. His new site is called Twilight Guy.

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Support tMF by clicking these ads! Article continues below...

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A Chat with a Twilight Mom: Jessica is 32, a stay-in Mom for the past 3 ½ years, being responsible for their 2 children- Jeffrey (4 years old) and Jerome (2 ½). Her husband is a chemical engineer and works in a chemical plant. Jessica has a BA in Comparative Literature at NYU and previously worked for a medium-size publishing house.

tMF: So, what qualifies a Twilight Mom? Do you need to be active in the TM forum? Other requirements?

Jessica: Actually, I am a lurker! I think I enjoyed being just a silent member of TM. I’m not even registered… But there’s something that I have in common with most of the Moms that frequent the boards, I absolutely love the book and I can’t wait to watch the movie!

tMF: What makes Twilight so special? It’s a regular fantasy romance novel right? Should you be lending your copy to your 16-year old niece perhaps or maybe a younger sister?

Jessica: It has the usual elements- romance, memorable characters- a girl and a boy, some danger, plots and twists, some surprises, great dialogue. But I think what makes it not totally the same with other romance-fantasy books, is the way it was written. I felt that, even now, the author enjoyed writing these books, not because she expected an audience but she wanted to get pleasure from her own writing.

tMF: So it’s a mistake to say that Twilight is only for young teenage girls?

Jessica: I have no idea if there are more older readers of the books, but all I can say is that even some members of my family have mentioned it since a year ago or so. They’re older than me, but two of my young nieces (15 and 18) have been raving about it. I find that a bit of a surprise coz these girls usually get bored reading textbooks, much less a novel and Twilight is not a small book!

tMF: Are you a fan of Harry Potter? Did you read the Potter books too?

Jessica: No. I was never interested in Harry Potter.

tMF: How about the movies? Did you watched any of the movies?

Jessica: I watched the 3rd movie. It was just average to me, and I wonder why so much interest about the whole lot of them?

tMF: Do you think all these fans will go to the movies to watch the film? It seems that the film company (Summit Entertainment) that is now financing the movie gambled their money and entered a risky venture…?

Jessica: I’ll be one to fall in line. I never thought I’d be part of something like this. But here I am!

There were talks, some trashing even, when the lead cast was announced. I would have preferred a French-speaking Edward, and just have the script get some re-writes but now I think they made a good choice. Yes, I voted for Pattinson in your poll, every day! That’s the thing with us fans, we rally behind Stephenie and if she says ‘he’s good enough to be…’ then that’s more than enough for me. I’m not saying it’s gonna be so huge, but the fans out there will make it happen.

tMF: How can you be so sure?

Jessica: Some members of the media, especially critics and some of these smart writers and bloggers underestimate fans. Sometimes it’s a great feeling to make them realize they’re wrong. I would love to see them get the shock of their lives when this movie makes it big time. It’s like slapping them in their faces, but better.

tMF: That sounded a bit harsh, don't you think?

Jessica: People do what they need to do. In my case, I absolutely enjoyed visiting these Twilight sites and what's the only thing that would ruin my day? Some senseless Twilight bashing, from people who have not even read the book but have plenty of time to criticize.

tMF: Well, that's quite a warning! But let's end this chat on a positive note. What would you consider to be the best thing about reading Stephenie Meyer's books?

Jessica: That's quite hard to answer! You need to give me some time.... OK, here goes... You know, I graduated with a BA in Comparative Lit at one amazing school. I always love books since I was a little girl, and there were so many books from so many great authors that I studied and enjoyed, but this one is different. I just realized that yes, I'm just an ordinary Mom but I am still entitled to experience something awesome, out of the ordinary. This book is special and it made me FEEL special.

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The Downsides of Fanaticism: There are, however, limitations to what organized and determined fans can do. Of course, there are no rules on what is 'beyond the limits'. But it depends on certain people, fans themselves, to set the limits and take the stand. The kind of leadership that an organized fandom can muster will ultimately reflect on the celebrity or actor they admire.

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Image Credit: Direct from the Lexicon- The image was commissioned by Lori Joffs back in March 2006. The sketch is based upon Stephenie's descriptions of the characters that appear in the books and in her personal correspondence with us, and it went through several renderings.

The artist's name is Leela Starsky (she usually specializes in Harry Potter and Star wars art). Link: Artist website

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The Twilight Saga articles at tMF: Part 1 is all about Stephenie Meyer, while Part 3 provides an analysis of the movie's chances to receive critical acclaim and hit box office gold.

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Comments (24)

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written by Cocoa, April 17, 2008

Thank you again for such a wonderful article Jeb. It takes a lot of work to run a site as large as ours. But with such amazing users it makes it all worth while.

Great series!
written by Alphie, April 17, 2008

I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your series on Twilight and the approach you are taking to cover all the bases. As someone who has watched the fandom from infancy, it's nice to see the fans depicted in a good light for our devotion to the series and its author. Great reading!

hmmmm
written by janel, April 17, 2008

Maybe it could have been better if you actually interviewed a registered member of Twilight Moms. It seems to me that Jessica, being a lurker, is not really representing that site. Just my opinion, but her answers were great! Is there a chance we can have more in-depth interviews with the more proper people? This is not a criticism but after the first part, I was expecting a really great 2nd part!

not all reader young
written by cag, April 17, 2008

I am 40 and I am a huge fan. So are many of my coworkers were are all in our 30's and 40's . We read all sorts of stuff and sometimes you like what someone recommends sometimes you don't. But everyone of my friends I have given this book to becomes fanatical about it. I am glad twilight lexicon had a link to your stories they are very interesting.

the Twilight Guy
written by Krystal, April 17, 2008

That same Kaleb Nation guy who wrote that he is the 'first guy to read Twilight' just started this new site called Twilightguy.com . From what it says on his site, he's really going all out on this! He's planning to write a journal of reading each chapter of the books during the summer, from a guys perspective. SO guys really ARE reading Twilight!

Member of the 40-Something crowd
written by Kim, April 17, 2008

Thank you Jed Medina for another excellent article about Twilight!!! I can’t tell you how thrilled (and relieved) I am to see the media finally understands the Twilight fan base (I’m 40 ).

Along with this wonderful site, MTV Larry Carroll and Cinematical Kim Voynar, have done their homework…again thank you all for working so hard to report the correct information. This is soooo exciting

(Someone needs to enlighten SARAH SKIDMORE, Associated Press Writer: "Twilight" is among four books by Meyer that has stirred a slightly fanatic base of preteen fans.”

Twilight Grad Student
written by ScullingOnSquam, April 17, 2008

I also have to congratulate you on a well-written article. It is nice to see all of your research and your attempt to understand the many facets of the Twilight universe!

I'm here to show that we're not all young, and we're not all going to swallow whatever book is handed to us as the 'best thing' ever written. I'm 25, and I've recently completed my MA in Arthurian literature and have just started a PhD studying fantasy literature adaptations (i.e. from book to film, how the book is adapted, what changes and why etc.), and, of course, one of the works that I am looking at is Twilight(as well as Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, His Dark Materials and The Dark is Rising). I've recently returned from some time in Portland (where they are filming Twilight) and while I was studying it there, my 57 year-old mother fell in love with the books and is nearly finished with Eclipse now, and the 40 year-old friend that I was staying with plowed her way through all three in the week that I was with her. These books are not just for teens.

I'm a huge advocate of fantasy literature, the positive influences it can have personally and in the literary world, and I'm thrilled that Twilight is gaining a bigger spot in the limelight; and, as said earlier, I think this is due to Meyer's inviting style. She knows her characters so well that we can't help but believe them, see their motivations and understand why they act and react the way that they do. I am grateful for how much of the filming process has been shared with the fans, and I'm eager to see the finished product for personal enjoyment as well as academic study.

I'm anxiously awaiting the third installment of this series as well! Keep up the good work!

-Maggie

Member of the Teen Group
written by Shannondoah, April 17, 2008

I agree with a lot of the quotes in this article, because there are a lot of people who are taking time out of their personal lives to bash a book that they haven't even read yet, and seriously, it's getting ridiculous!

And to answer your question, yes! I do think that Twilight will be a VERY succesfull movie, and I will laugh when a lot of companies are crying because they had the chance, and didn't take it!

I just want to say thanks to Summit Entertainment for making a lot of peoples dreams come true (not just teenage girls... like me) and I want to thank the Twilight Lexicon for posting this link!

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written by Watty, April 17, 2008

I am a 25-year-old wife and mother of a toddler, and I am just in LOVE with the Twilight series! I am registered on Twilight Moms and I love to lurk on the Lexicon! I check a ton of Twilight sites everyday for updates I love these sites and their dedication to Stephenie and the movie. I stay at home with my son all day and love check the Twilight sites during nap time. The fans are amazing! I know some can be a little obsessive at times , but I am glad that they are so passionate about a series of novels. I think the cast is amazing and I am dying to see the movie.

With that being said- I have to explain why people of all ages will love Twilight:
- it is not raunchy but it does have love and a hint of sexuality
- it has action but no gore
- it goes indepth on characters and their back stories, but it doesn't have over the top shock value. You really feel more bonded with the characters.

fansite.:)
written by twilighteriko, April 17, 2008

i'm from the philippines, and i have made a Twilight Saga group on Multiply. It's rather small, but it's a Twilight fansite nonetheless!;p i hope you could acknowledge our site as a Twilight Fansite in the Philippines. haha.) thank you! kudos on the great articles!

Teen's Opinion
written by Ann, April 17, 2008

Thanks for another great article! ALthough I do have to disagree with some of Jessica's reasonings. I don't intended to see the movie because I want to get back at the people who criticized the books. Thats a very silly and immature reason in my opinion. I want to see the movie because I love these stories and want to see all the scenes that I've read over and over finally come to life. Deep down, there's a part of me that wishes this movie wasn't so big, because I selfishly want to keep these stories my own personal escape. But I'm so happy that Stephenie Meyer and her books are getting the recognition they deserve!

And I had so much hope that Harry Potter would finally be left out of a conversation about Twilight, but alas, I was too hopeful! As a fan of both, the comparisons (and the bashings) are getting tiresome.

Age does not equal competence
written by Anna, April 17, 2008

Hmm, I wasn't as impressed with this article as much as I was with the first installment. I feel like the person that you chose to interview did a very poor job representing the fandom
1. I'm not going to see the movie because I want to prove people wrong. Our fandom isn't about seeking revenge. I'm going because I love these stories.
2. Harry Potter bashing is immature and unnecessary.
3. She was representing Twimoms and she's not even a member.
4. I felt that teenage intellect was being insulted
"But two of my young nieces (15 and 1 have been raving about it. I find that a bit of a surprise coz these girls usually get bored reading textbooks, much less a novel and Twilight is not a small book!"
Plenty of teenagers read long books for enjoyment. This shouldn't be so surprising. And yet she is 32 and used "coz" in the interview.

I guess I'm just getting tired of people thinking that people over 20 are the only ones who can fully grasp the meaning and power of these stories, or really any novel. The teen Twilight fans should not be looked down on, or counted as any less competent about the series as someone over a certain age.

Misleading Information
written by ashlandj, April 17, 2008

"Some senseless Twilight bashing, from people who have not even read the book but have plenty of time to criticize." I found this quote to be quite contradictory to the TwilightMom's statement of having never read Harry Potter. Though the movies are a different entity, the job of the movie is to bring the same spirit; which they do.

Overall, the article was interesting; though, a bit disappointing compared to the first. I'd like to finally read a Twilight article that doesn't have to compare Harry Potter to make their point.

It's a free country!
written by jedmed, April 17, 2008

These articles are not meant to impress. They are meant as a tribute to Twilight fans, who have been maligned and insulted by some people who are totally clueless about why the fans love the books. This is also a tribute to the author, for the wonderful gifts she has given us- her imagination and a bit of herself.

I read the books and find them to be extraordinary. That's why I'm doing these articles. For the sheer pleasure of writing it and adding my voice to the growing positive buzz about the book.

I'm going to compare Harry Potter and Twilight, and before anyone makes any conclusions as to why, I'm entitled to it. I want to compare them. It's as simple as that.

And yes, there will be more interviews- from people you have come to love, respect and adore!

Free Speech
written by Ann, April 17, 2008

Everyone is also entitled to their opinion, whether it is positive or negative or disappointed or whatever.

"They are meant as a tribute to Twilight fans" which we really do appreciate! But I just personally don't appreciate Harry Potter being drug into a Twilight "tribute". No offense at all to you Jed! I think that these are some of the more high quality profiling of the fandom that I've ever seen. But since we all love these stories so much, we just want to see them stand on their own.

As the author....
written by jedmed, April 17, 2008

Hi Ann,

I don't think you appreciate my efforts at all. I write these articles because I want to, and I already have an outline of what I'm going to write next. I don't appreciate being dictated upon what I can and can't write.

I am going to compare Harry Potter and Twilight, not because I like the other better, but because there is something that I find so common about these great works that I want to share it to all open minded fans.

I have my treasured collection of Harry Potter DVDs, which I watched from time to time because I want to enjoy the movies once again. I just watched The Goblet of Fire 2 days ago and I can't help but react to some of the actors in the movie and how I admire them.

Jessica is Kat's older sister. Kat is my partner at tMF. We have to literally forced her to do the interview because I got sick and I have not enough time to email some of the admins and owners of the most popular Twilight sites for interviews. I don't appreciate the kind of criticism she is getting. It's very insulting.

Is this the way a Twilight fan treat her fellow Twilight fan? How disappointing!

Apologies to sites not mentioned
written by jedmed, April 17, 2008

I would like to apologize to some of the sites (foreign language Twilight sites) which I missed to include in the article. If you own or are maintaining one, just let me know and I'll add it in the article.

I was just talking to Barb from Eclipse LatinoAmerica and she got some important things to say:

I was finishing the first part of the series and I have to say that your words about Mrs. Meyer were fantastic!

I feel myself so identified with her and my decision to stay at home with my kids (yes... even when I'm so far away, I'm also a TwilightMom ) and choose to be a full-time-mum over my own professional development. And suddenly... this saga came out and I fell in love with a vampire and I started writing and running a website... and fell in love with a vampire (did I mentioned it before?) when I always been scared like hell from their fangs !!! HAHAHA.

So many people found in these books and this author a source of inspiration, a fresh air... and hope. Running this website and being a kind of "adoptive-mum" (like Esme!) to a huge group of girls, gave me hope in this world. You have no idea how talented, loving, caring, sweet girls I found in this fandom. Kids with so much dreams, so much love, so misunderstood like most of us have been in our teenage times... so much skills in language, art, music, writting, technology. I'm IMPRESSED!
Everytime I see a parent I congratulate them for the amazing job they have done with their kids. I use to see the news... and everything about drugs and alcohol and the desperate words in the songs they listen... I was truly concerned about who will have the world in their hands after us... and before my kids... and I'm so happy to have found this fandom and these girls...I'm happy because I found hope and a chance to be helpful... unexpected,hum!

Thanks Barb, you made my day!

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written by ohitsjustvanessa, April 17, 2008

You go Barb warms my heart to read that!
Also you go jed!
Fans should be happy that Twilight is being mentioned at all. They should understand that even if it isn't their opinion they should at least respect the human writing it for at least putting it out there, and saying what they believe.
I hope you understand that the fandom as a whole isn't like this, and I wish everyone that commented could see that they are representing the Twilight Fandom as a whole even if they don't want it to be that way. An outsider would observe it that way. So thanks for bringing twilight onto themovie-fanatic.com and I can't wait to see the rest of the series!

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written by kellagood, April 18, 2008

I'm enjoying this series of articles. I can imagine how frustrating it must be for avid fans of the book to see the HP comparisons, but I can say for myself-- not being familiar with the book--I'm glad to have a frame of reference.

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written by Ann, April 18, 2008

No, I sincerely do appreciate your articles and the effort you're putting into them! I was absolutely blown away by the first instalment. I wasn't trying to dicate you or tell you what to write. I was just expressing my personal feelings about the HP comparisons. But you have every right, as a journalist, to compare the two.

And as for the critisisms on Jessica, I was just stating that my reasonings differend from hers. I believe it was the post below mine that reacted a little too harshly on Jessica.

So, it was never, ever my intent to insult you or anyone else in the fandom. I was attempting to point out the opinion that some of us share about the HP/Twi comparisons, but it was obviously taken the wrong way, and I apologize. I would never willfully upset another member of this fandom! I hope you can see that my intentions were good, but I obviously didn't translate that into my posts! I'm honestly upset that I caused this reaction! Don't hate the fandom because of me!

what we have so far...
written by jedmed, April 18, 2008

Thanks Ann, I'm grateful that you tried to explain your stand. I totally understand your position and yes, I think I have reacted on some issues that was raised by another poster.

Don't feel upset because our argument is quite passionate and still the respect is there. I will never hate the fandom, I have learned a lot and discovered new friends as a result of these writings.

As an update, we're in the process of launching interviews, as noted by many fans, from more authoritative sources. I'm very sure you'll love these interviews, because these people have been some of the most influential Twilighters ever! Stay tuned!

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written by twilightcovenph, April 19, 2008

Hello! Cool feature! Hope you can include our group in the fanlisting - we're a Twilight fan community from the Philippines. Thanks a lot!

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written by fiona, July 09, 2008

like some others have stated, just because it is a 'teenage novel' doesn't mean that it isn't a good book!
as i am under 25, i am not permitted to be a part of the twilight moms forum, but instead my favourite twilight site is twilight teens!
i go on it everyday to discuss many things, from things to do with the movie, the books, to what music we listen to!
it feels fantastic to be a part of such a large twilight community, to be able to express my opinion about these books so freely.
we love to discuss about the actors, and also have a section where we can submit our twilight related graphics.

my point here is to people who are bashing the book and haven't read it:
if this is one site out of hundreds, how many fans are there?
and then, you need to remember that not all fanpires express their love online!

if you counted the amount of online twilight fans, you would be astounded.
also, if anyone wants to bash spunk ransom (robert pattinson) i'm sure they have a death wish.

obviously, some people are oblivious to the mind-boggling amount of fans.

...
written by fiona, July 09, 2008

another point:
do not bash a book that has so many followers.
it HAS to be a good book to have such a large fanbase.

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