This Whole "Twilight" Thing

So here I am, blogging at 3:53 a.m.  I am feeling body-weary, but my mind is awake, due, in part, I'm sure to the coffee with a shot of espresso that I chugged at 9 tonight.  The reason for doing this to myself is simple.  A Midnight showing of "Eclipse" (Twilight part 3) with my girlfriends, Angel, Dawn and Emily.  They bought my ticket for my birthday.  We had seen "New Moon" last year (Twilight part 2) and had a blast, "hoboing" it outside the theater for 3 hours in order to be among the first to see the movie. 

Now, this whole "Twilight" thing seems to upset people, mostly guys.  When my hubby saw the latest preview, he remarked that it looked like "90210 with vampires."  I told him that the main reason I was going was to be with my girlfriends, but I have to admit, there is a serious attraction to this "true love" stuff. I know it is not realistic or fair, but as long as we can go home and appreciate how good we have it with our mortals, what's the problem?

I listened to the audiobooks of all 4 books a few years ago.  I was drawn into the idea of loving someone and being loved so intensely that I would be willing to give up everything I knew and loved to be with them.  Now, I will be the first to tell you that the Twilight novels are simplified and over the top.  Bella never has bad breath or eye boogers.  Edward has the perfect balance between angst and heroism going on.  The attraction to the supernatural that many of us have perhaps reflects our inner desire to be more than we feel we are.  And that whole devoted family thing that the Cullen family does so perfectly, well who wouldn't want that?

We all like to live vicariously from time to time.  Women (especially) find themselves buying into the whole "I would die for you" love story.  I thought I had outgrown that kind of lit., but no, guess not.  Good vs. evil.  Righteous blood-letting vs. wanton blood lust.  Steamy physical attraction between gorgeous people.  The myth (?) that there is "The One" for everyone.  Sacrificing oneself for the betterment of another, which is even more enthralling when it is their soul that you want to save.  Lots of ideals are touched on with these stories. 

Yes, we know they are stories and that this kind of love doesn't exist on this plane in our lives or in the lives of anyone we know.  But for an hour and a half, one can slip into an alternate reality, where love and devotion is sparkly and all consuming.  Even as I watch, a part of me feels a bit "dumbed down" but the storyline touched me and I want to see how they render it on screen.  Edward isn't nearly as handsome as my mind pictures him, but Jacob's torso?  No complaints from me. 

Book 4 (Breaking Dawn) was my favorite of the series.  You can bet that I'll be out at midnight, amped up on coffee, just to see how they do with the plot and characters.  Why not? I will put up with any snide remarks that come my way and ignore the eye-rolling.  I want to witness Bella become a vampire while giving birth to her half-vampire baby.  You don't have to come along.  But if you want to, let me know.  You're welcome to meet up on our voyeuristic journey into fantasyland.