PASADENA, California– The blue filter. The superior soundtrack. The horrendous special effects. All these are found in one of the most polarizing movies of the 2010s, Twilight. A simple Google search proves that many people mock Twilight’s bad acting and cliche script but others devote all their time to the world created by Stephanie Myers. Ever since the movies were released, teen girls have faced criticism for being obsessed with the cheesy romance films. It’s time to stop judging girls for liking Twilight and instead join them in their fangirl ways. 

Even within the fandom, division grows between Team Jacob and Team Edward. Whether you love the movies or despise them, one thing is for certain, Twilight will forever be one of the most iconic films of our generation. Like newly-bitten Bella Swan in Breaking Dawn, the Twilight series was reborn this past year as Generation-Z gained obsessions with the vampire movies. Since the first Twilight film sunk its teeth into fangirls worldwide in 2008, supporters dwindled in numbers. But, proving immortal itself, “The Twilight Renaissance” gave life to Twi-hards once more and with it, judgement emerged from the shadows. 

Girls dream of being Bella Swan and living in a world where a stunning vampire vies for their love. Little do they realize, high school girls are more similar to Bella than they think. Bella is not a manic pixie dream girl nor is she the homecoming queen. She is a normal girl who is swept into a whirlwind romance with a hundred-year-old vampire. Ignoring her extremely unrealistic boyfriend, Bella is modeled after your average high school girl. She’s shy, awkward, and smart. In the movies, Bella’s character is seen as boring because compared to a literal vampire, the average girl is just plain average. Bella represents teen girls’ normalcy and desire to fit in. Seeing a character on screen who also deals with heartbreak, loneliness, and family struggles helps teen girls navigate through their own messy lives. 

Mocking girls for finding comfort in the Twilight movies perpetuates the idea that girls’ interests are laughable. Our society invalidates subjects just because they are liked by girls. Twilight screenwriter, Melissa Rosenberg , explains in an interview, “… because it’s female it’s worthy of contempt… it is less than.” 

Many girls have found solace in the vampire saga amidst the stress and chaos of the pandemic, school work, and busy social lives. The calming blue filter and nostalgic soundtrack makes one reminisce about rainy days of their youth and forget their troubles just for a moment. Let’s leave the Twilight hate in 2008 and stop ridiculing girls for seeking consolation during hard times. Instead, admit that you secretly want a vampire boyfriend too.