Fans obsessed with their favorite television, movie or novel franchise is nothing new. But when it comes the obsession that some fans feel for the “Twilight” saga, it could be a perfect storm for a new type of obsession and addiction.
The Los Angeles Times has a story that talks about how the instant access to news on the books and movies, coupled with the classic symptoms of fandom are leading to a different kind of fan obsession.
Chrystal Johnson didn’t think there was anything unhealthy about her all-consuming fixation with “The Twilight Saga” — until she discovered it was sucking the life out of her marriage.
“I found poems my husband had written in his journal about how I had fallen for a ‘golden-eyed vampire,’ ” says Johnson, a 31-year-old accountant from Mesa, Ariz., who became so enthralled by the blockbuster series of young adult novels and movies that she found herself staying up all night, re-reading juicy chapters and chatting about casting news and the are-they-or-aren’t-they romance between the stars of the films, Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson.
” ‘Twilight’ was always on my mind, to the point where I couldn’t function,” Johnson says.
“I check the Internet all day long for ‘Twilight’ news, from the minute I wake up until I go to bed at midnight,” says Joyce Swiokla, 50, a former engineer who runs the website CullenBoysAnonymous.com. “If there is a chemical that’s released when you’re falling in love, your brain has it when you’re reading or watching ‘Twilight.’ You get that utopic feeling of first love and you want to experience it over and over again.”
“My husband finally came to me and said, ‘I think you love “Twilight” more than you love me,’ ” says Johnson, who had become especially attached to the community she’d found online. “I ended up moving out of the house and fought for my marriage for six weeks. I had to take a step back and detox myself from ‘Twilight.’ I was really angry that I had allowed it to suck me in. Now I meet women every single day where ‘Twilight’ has become a major issue in their marriage.”
By going cold turkey, Johnson managed to kick her habit. And, with some work, her relationship later rebounded. But for some people, the romance, intrigue and celebrity gossip that’s always just a mouse click away is too hard to resist.
“What you’re seeing with ‘Twilight’ has to do with the ramifications of our infinite access to pop culture,” says Kimberly Young, a professor at St. Bonaventure University in New York and psychologist who specializes in treating patients with Internet addiction. “Any addiction is about escape, and some of these women are using it to fill a void. This is their way of connecting. Instead of watching soap operas all day, they’re online following ‘Twilight.’ And now they can chat and it becomes an opportunity to have a connection with other fans.”
Of course, as fans of the genre, we know that obsessions with the fictional universes we enjoy is nothing new.
You can read the full article HERE.
I don’t get it. I really, honestly, cannot for the life of me, get it. There is NO romance in Twilight. None. Zip. Nadda. The characters have no reasons whatsoever to even like each other, beyond Bella finding Edward pwety. (And unless a man can love a steak, Edward doesn’t have anything for Bella either.)
I absolutely cannot understand how someone can get so sucked into it. What is there to get sucked into?! There are oodles of better romances out there, even ones with vampires. Even ones with vampires lovin’ humans. Is there something hypnotic about dull characters braindeadily staring at each other?
The romance is there, just not is a good way. Step back for a minute though and forget about the Vamp side. Here you have a young girl being worshiped by a hot guy. She can do no wrong in his eyes. Every other girl around her wants to be in her shoes. The lonely little wildflower becomes the most popular girl in school.
According to Darcy and her best friend, it’s every girls dream.
Where I, and a lot of us like yourself; have a issue with the books and the films. It sends the wrong messages. And the list of wrongs are a mile long.
You can only be happy if you are dated a older man, ect. Add to that a very lame Vampire story and, again as Darcy would say; “Your sailing a fail boat down a river heading for a cliff.”
Its a bad series, terribly written books, and I for one don;t get it either.
Tim
I tried to read the first book, just to see what all the hype was about, and I just couldn’t do it. My mom and I saw the movie for free and we just hated it–poorly acted, and what’s the deal with older/younger/any women staring at the guy that plays the vampire?? If I want someone staring creepily at me, I’ll enter a staring contest with my brother… I completely agree with Kayla–no romance in it whatsoever.
I can’t believe that this is an issue. Those books are TERRIBLE!!!!
I understand fannish obsession. I’ve certainly experienced enough of it in my own life as a SF/F geek, but I too am baffled by the Twihards. Granted, I haven’t read any of the books and I’ve only seen the first movie one time, but I do not understand how even the most naive of preteens could find Edward’s behavior in any way romantic. It’s creepy and stalkerish, full stop. And Bella is dull as a plank. Why is everyone so fascinated by her?
I think I’ll stick with my preferred response to this particular fandom: “And then Buffy staked Edward. The End.”
Its hard to fathom that this caught on and we couldn’t get a full season of The Dresden Files. *sigh*
Having just recently finished watching Dresden Files (Thank you Roku/Netflix), I concur with the sentiment; then again, not really the same kind of fan base.
Still, I think if Dresden had sparkled a bit, he might have caught the eye of non-thinkers, and we’d have multiple seasons by now.
My marriage was destroyed back in the 70’s because of my obsession with “Jason of Star Command.”