The Twilight Renaissance
Content warning: mention of non-consensual kissing
When Stephenie Meyer released Midnight Sun in May 2020 as a pick-me-up for Twi-hards in lockdown, she triggered a full blown internet revival of the series. The Twilight Renaissance has been thriving for two years now, so to honour it I present you with three of my many hot takes.
Team Edward > Team Jacob
My tween bedroom was plastered with large posters of shirtless Taylor Lautner. I was Team Jacob through and through, and my loyalty knew no bounds. Every year since I was eleven, I wake up on 14 January and my first thought is “it's Jacob Black’s fictional birthday today.” When you’re young, you want a Jacob: a hot-headed hottie, with six-pack abs, a motorcycle, and a smile that feels like sunshine.
But as you get older, you find yourself wanting an Edward: an introspective intellectual who listens more than he talks, composes lullabies for you on his piano, and is wise beyond his years (probably because he’s 107 years old). It also doesn’t hurt that Edward is extremely rich and powerful.
Jacob would’ve kissed me when I was in the middle of a sentence, Edward is all about patience and consent.
Their differences are best exemplified in Eclipse, in the scene where Edward confronts Jacob after he forcefully kisses Bella. He’s enraged, not because he feels possessive or threatened, but because Jacob “touched her against her will.” And when Jacob insists Bella “doesn't know what she wants,” Edward tells him to “wait for her to say the words.” Those words live in my head rent free, and reflect how deeply Edward values personal choice. I’d like to think that sparkly vamp taught teenagers everywhere a little something about bodily autonomy.
Bella doesn’t deserve the hate she gets
Bella isn’t a character parents wanted their children to look up to, but protagonists shouldn’t have to be aspirational. She was kind and selfless and nurturing and normal. She moved to a depressing town halfway across the country for her mother’s happiness, and she spent her free time reading Wuthering Heights.
Bella also wasn’t pathetic or snivelly, she was a 17-year-old girl unconditionally and irrevocably in love. And in spite of all the supernatural fuckery happening around her, she managed to run a household and hand in all her assignments before they were due. Give her some credit.
Jacob imprinting on baby Rensesmee isn’t sexual
This is one of those “you need to read the books” moments. Jacob imprinting on Renesmee means that she is his soul mate. Jacob would “do anything, be anything” for Renesmee, depending on what she needs at her different stages of life; a protector, a best friend, a lover. Critics argue this robs Renesmee of choice, but they forget their souls have literally been cosmically paired together. If you can get on board with pre-destined ‘star crossed lovers,’ you should be able to get on board with imprinting. Suspend your damn disbelief.
This week’s Pop Culture Issue is here to save you from your end-of-trimester workload-from-hell. I know you’re stressed, sleep deprived, overwhelmed with uni, and counting down the days until the mid-year break.
So put down the lecture notes. Mute the Zoom call. Turn off your brain. Read this issue. No thoughts, just vibes.