Twilight Fans Beware: It Seems There are Haters Everywhere!
Fans of Twilight, I have some sad news. As you all know, the world of our beloved characters exist in many forms, one of the most popular are internet fan sites. I paid a visit to one of my favorites recently, and I was saddened to see that there were a number of posts addressed to fans calling them "stupid" and "childish" and worst of all "just plain retarded". Seeing as how they felt the need to come into our territory, I felt compelled to respond.
The late John Hughes, in his classic coming of age film "The Breakfast Club," wrote a line for actress Ally Sheedy that is as timeless as it is true: "When you grow up, your heart dies." Aging is a vicious creature. It can rob you of your dreams, force you to live in a bleak reality, and take away all means of imagination. How sad it must be to live in a world where you can no longer dream, can no longer have fantasies, and can no longer open your mind to possibilities, no matter how ridiculous or outrageous they might be. Sadly, for those who love the Twilight experience, the concept of imagination seems to be making its way to extinction.
Religion must rely on imagination. Certainly you must have it to simply have faith in the non-tangible, and that should suffice as a model way of life. Oh but let's not forget, there is ample evidence to support such beliefs. History is only taught because the written word is all we have to rely on. There are books, written by the hands of man, that people are made to think were formed by visions and dreams, words that make immaculate conception a firm belief, or deities speaking to the living, telling them that they will not go on to their rewards, unless said rules are followed. But have faith; if you live a certain way, you absolutely will! To say nothing of the fact that more lives have been taken during religious wars than other tragic events in history. But, it's all right when innocent lives are taken in the name of those we worship; it's all so we will enter into peaceful eternal life. Or so we've read.
Then there are those who picked up a copy of Twilight one day, and through the concept of imagination, got so caught up in the story, that they had the audacity to become a fan. And it didn't stop there! A second book was written, then a third and a fourth, until one day, money hungry executives decided to turn it into a movie franchise. And don't get me started on the Internet. Top fan fiction sites are just flooded with people so overcome with ideas, using their imagination, that they had no choice but to share it with others having the same ideas. And to top it all off, the cast consisted of a few no names, and a slightly famous actress to portray the characters fans had fallen in love with. Good lord, if they don't stop now, entertainment may lose its footing as a serious money-making industry. How they got away with Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter is beyond me.
Bottom line, everyone is entitled to their opinion. Everyone is entitled to a way of life. So why is it, when you decide what kind of life you want to lead, there are those who feel they must tell you that your decision is wrong, misguided or just plain stupid? Why do these people feel the need to infiltrate communities of thought with their own negativity? It could be that these are the same people who once felt the need to live vicariously as well. The problem is, they just couldn't hold on to that way of life. To vent this frustration, they must now pick on the people who can. Congratulations to them; they have become what they used to hate.
It is staggering, however, that it must all boil down to jealousy. Oh sure, there are those who will say no; they are merely trying to save these "misguided" individuals from the reality that it is all just a sham. The entertainment industry wants nothing more than our money. I find it revolting to believe that anyone would be so presumptuous as to assume we needed to be told. Are there those out there who actually believe that we spend our money on books, DVD's and other paraphernalia for any other reason than our own enjoyment? I guess our money would be better spent in the ever- solid stock market, or aid to foreign countries that will never be able to return the favor. Perhaps we should spend it on newspapers that report the latest political sex scandal, or save for college to enter a receding job market that much quicker. At least it would be the real world.
I wish I knew where the human race lost the concept of imagination to reality. When did the world of fiction become something to be criticized? And how exactly does it become stupid? Scrutiny should be reserved for the real world. The genre of fiction has no rules, which is why you can get lost in it. I didn't have to become a Twilight fan to realize that. Fiction was created because imagination exists.
Anyone who prides themselves on being a "hater" should really wise up. It has to be the most useless title in the world. It's really nothing to be proud of or to brag about. The only thing it says about them is that they have nothing better to do than disparage people who have found a pleasant way to pass the time. While they are entitled to their own opinions, I don't believe we asked to hear them.
Twi-hard haters of the world, I implore you: If you want to be heard, write something. Publish it on your own website. Write a book, or a skit, or maybe even a joke. Call other haters and ask them what they think. Indulge all you want. But be careful; you may just get creative and begin to use your imagination. With great imagination, comes absolutely no responsibility. Have at it… and with our blessing. We'll be in a dark corner, immersed in our own world where there is no room for hate.