The Perils of Popularity

[Openhome]

Once there was this little known series about a sparkling vampire and a girl, and I loved it. Then, it got popular, and that ruined it for me...

I have heard this stated on the threads, and said it myself, many times.

Do you feel that the popularity of the series made it hard for you to like it? Are you suffering from overexposure to something you once loved? Come and share your thoughts here.

This is NOT a movie / actor / author bashing thread, and no bashing will be tolerated. This is a thread to talk out our frustrations and discuss our disappointments at what the hyper-popularity of Twilight has done to the series and even the fandom. This is a safe place to discuss how the movies have changed the message and feel of the books. We may also discuss what popularity has done to other series we love.

As a serious conversations thread, I expect everyone to post politely and thoughtfully. Everyone has a right to kindly state their views.

First question: How has the overexposure of all things Twilight changed the way you view the books?

[dazzel21]

How has the overexposure of all things Twilight changed the way you view the books?
Popularity of books never really bothers me. If anything it just makes me love it more, there are more people who could relate to what I'm talking about and more people who I could discuss, dissect, spazz, etc. It opens up a whole new world (or thread) were everyone can gather around and just talk about the series. The only frustration I felt with the popularity of the series is the numerous sprouting of haters. But I have long ago accepted that its sort of a package deal that comes with the popularity...

[PetiteSageHibou]

I agree word-for-word with dazzel21's comment

In addition, if it weren't for the overt popularity Twilight has gained, I (and, presumabley, many other Twilight fans!) would never have read the series at all! 'Didn't read Twilight until earlier 2008, because so many people had been talking about it, and recommending it for lovers of Harry potter

It's a shame that the sudden popularity has had so many negative effects, but there have also been many, many positives ^_^

♥

[Melody]

If the books hadn't become so popular, I may not have known they existed!
After becoming totally obsessed with the saga - along with so many others- my only issues are the haters. Then again, the haters have also publicised the books/movies and this has helped to expand the Twilight Universe :/
Maybe you cant have one without the other
It also kind of annoyed when people started on the whole, " OH EM GEE! EDWARD IS SOO TOTALLY HOT! AHHH! " when the movie came out. I'm worried that people aren't seeing the beauty inside the characters like we do in the books because they are only going on the movies and the actors portraying them.
Over all though, I quite enjoy the popularity of the saga and I am happy that such an amazing series is getting all of this recognition

[Beautifultragedyx21]

I said this before on another thread, but I kind of hate it and I kind of don't. I hate it because it's very wraped to fit popular demand. For example, during New Moon Press if I had to hear one more time about how many pounds Taylor Lautner gained I was going to kill somebody. And it was because that is what the media cares about-that is what fits popular demand. All I really hear about in Twilight is how hot was he and how action-y (I know that's not a word) was this. Nobody cares about the point of Twilight except for people who have read the books. I just feel like a lot of people are loosing a girp on what Twilight really is. It is getting harder and harder for people to get it. I can't blame people for hating it because if I hadn't read it before the movies came out I would probably hate it too.

The postives though are the fanbase (again...you rock), the constant access to it (It's like an alcohol having an endless liqour cabnet), and the big fun movie premiers. There is more, of course. All-in-all, I don't really care but sometimes I get a little frustrated. In my head it will always be a little indie series.

[dazzel21]

I'm worried that people aren't seeing the beauty inside the characters like we do in the books because they are only going on the movies and the actors portraying them.
Over all though, I quite enjoy the popularity of the saga and I am happy that such an amazing series is getting all of this recognition

I totally agree! I have no problem with people who are just fans of the movie. But there is so much more to know about the characters that only the book could portray. For example, Kristen Stewart has portrayed Bella fantastically in New Moon but there would be no comparison to the Bella in the book about how she truly feels throughout New Moon...

[Openhome]

The changes in the characters is also my main problem with popular culture's interpretation of and obsession with the books and the movies. The dark side of vampirism, the part that Edward tried to warn Bella about, doesn't really come out, even in Eclipse.
What it has become is a parody of High School Musical...
Edward is just this gorgeous guy that sparkles. Being a vamp is totally cool. The wolf pack is hawt. Bella is super lucky for getting to choose between two totally awesome dudes.
And when I try to talk about the beautiful emotions that the book instilled in us, people look at me like I'm nuts.

[marielle]

Wow....
you know without the movies I would have never found out about twilight...when the first movie can out nobody in Holland knew about the exsistence of twilight...
I think I was one of the few who read all the books immediately after Twilight hit the bigscreen...
so in that way I'm very thankfull that it got the attention...(and I think the movies deserve the attention)...

But I can see how the fandom has changed after it became a popculture and to be honest I think they have taken it a bit too far....Vampires used to be an occult...but now it's a tweenstatement, which I really don't like because I like the mystery behind vampires...

The dark side of vampirism, the part that Edward tried to warn Bella about, doesn't really come out, even in Eclipse.
What it has become is a parody of High School Musical...

yeah that's exactly what I meant...I wonder how long it will take before the whole sexy vampire hype will slow down...

And when I try to talk about the beautiful emotions that the book instilled in us, people look at me like I'm nuts.

hihi... I'm glad I'm not the only one....because that's why I like this saga...the emotional side of it, specially Edwards battle with himself.

[madness_falls]

It hasn't changed the way I view the books, I still love them as much as I did the first time I read them. My opinion of fandom has changed so much though. Thank Jasper for places like the Lex where its pretty much safe to fangirl all over the place without being judged or harrassed, or being labelled as a dellusional, illiterate screaming eleven year old. Never before have I seen so much hatred towards someone--or a group of people-- because of a book they like. That has really changed my opinion of the fandom. I'm not really comfortable anymore with saying that I love Twilight because it seems like everyone bashes it, more so once they find out you like it.

[HopelessRomantic]

I would have to say that I don't like what it has done to the image of those of us who like the books, if you're a girl- most everyone assumes that you're overly obsessed and half-crazed; if you're a guy- I've heard plenty of guys get tons of crap and have their orientation questioned. So as far as popularity goes, I don't think I'm sick of overexposure to Twilight itself, I'm sick of people who constantly judge with their nose in the air and girls who can do nothing but talk of how hot Edward is- not saying I disagree that he is a rather good-looking individual but Twilight is not a picture of Edward to drool at, there's so more to these books than that.