Twilight Novels...Fan Base ...or CULT?

[Megotu]

Just asking. Discuss amongst yourselves.

[BlackKnight]

I dunno.
Doesn't anything that Has or Achieves a Huge Following,.. end up classified as a Cult Following ? .. I guess it would depend on the Fan Base Following,.. I suppose.

I think to a certain Degree,.. something has to be around for a Period of Time,.. before it gets Labeled as a Cult Following,.. I for one,.. have only recently Heard of this Nonsense,.. So I wouldn't really Know,.. I just thought the Question was interesting.

[MeerkatMego]

Is there really a difference? I don't understand what makes something a 'Cult' classic. According to the critics everything I like is a 'Cult' classic, yet movies like Twilight and Titanic don't get labeled as such. And their fans can be very cult like.

[Vortigern99]

It seems we're mixing up two distinct terms here. A "cult" in the religious sense, or a "cult hit" in the cinematic sense? Since Twilight (movie and books) are not religious and do not indoctrinate their followers via isolation and control, they do not meet the definition of a religious cult. Since the film and books have a huge, LOTR-like following, I suppose it's possible they meet the second term.

[toys2cool]

if it wasn't one it will be soon,their fan base is huge! and it'll only get bigger

[ctc]

Hmmmm....

I think you have to let some time pass and see if there are still fans for it to be a cult classic. Vanilla Ice was super-popular for a while too....

As for cult vs fan; it's all in the eye of the beholder. If you're a fan of this sort of thing then it's a fan base. If you don't get it, and it seems all weird and creepy you're gonna call it a cult.

If you're not freaked by Trekkies, this shouldn't throw you. Seriously, is ANY fan base more fanatical than a dirhard Trekkie?

Don C.

[Adam West]

I agree it's too early to tell.

It really isn't the movie...it's the book series. I don't see it as anything more than the Harry Potter craze.

There are 4 books altogether and they are super popular among mostly teenage girls but also some women.

My 11 year old wanted to read it so I decided to read it myself to make sure it was age appropriate and was ok by our family standards. I didn't see anything wrong with it and let her read it.

I then spoke with a female friend of mine who read all 4 books on it to get her take on it. It hit her in a completely different way then me. I just thought it was an ok teenage vampire book with a couple of good action scenes in it but other than that, it was just a relationship/love story. She is a psychologist and said it affects women differently. She thought that the protagonist, Edward strikes a chord with women. His character is a gentleman, a protector, passionately in love with the Bella...basically a perfect male but unrealistic. She really didn't see anything wrong per se with my daughter reading it (she's a psychologist) but said she wouldn't recommend the 4th book since it is a little more sexually explicit than the 1st three but also said that Edward the character is controlling and demanding (something that never occurred to me when I was reading it) and just sets unrealistic expectations for young women who are young and impressionable.

[BlackKnight]

I'd like to Add...

It seems as if most Movies that are Labled " a Cult Classic" Seem to have some sorta Dark Edge to them. Or atleast when I hear a Movie being refured to a "Cult Classic'', or having a "Cult Following" . Movies Like,..

The Crow with Brandon Lee,.. I don't think Many people gave a Crap about anything After.
Or
Blade Runner
Or
Road Warrior

Movies like these are Dubbed Having the ''Cult Following'' or ''Cult Classic''

You never see the Term used with something Like Friends, & or The Simpsons or even Star Trek. I personally have never hear, or read anywhere's where Star Trek has a Huge Cult Following with it's Cult Classic Material.

I guess it depends on the Mood or theme of the Movie, whether or Not it gets that Stamped phase on it.

[Werewolf]

Cult? No, just Harlequin Romance stories with Vampires thrown in for tweens and emo kids.

[Adam West]

Just to be clear, the whole Twilight thing has nothing to do with the movie...it has to do with the book series.

My daughter didn't really care for the movie that much but really likes the book series. She isn't going around wearing fangs or dressing like vampires.

It is very similar to the Harry Potter craze over the past few years. The big difference is that all the books have been written and released. It was only recently that the craze caught on even though the book Twilight has been out and published for a few years.

[LadyZod]

It seems we're mixing up two distinct terms here. A "cult" in the religious sense, or a "cult hit" in the cinematic sense? Since Twilight (movie and books) are not religious and do not indoctrinate their followers via isolation and control, they do not meet the definition of a religious cult.

Interesting to note, a google search of "Twilight" coupled with "Mormon" leads to quite a few links that would argue with your assessment of non-indoctrination.

The author of the book series is a Mormon, and that many of the characters display traits that are consistent with behavior normally associated with those of that faith. You know, if you get past the whole Vampire thing. It seems many bloggers have taken this to mean things that probably were never intended.

South Park Episode 1214, “The Ungroundable.”

******bag Vampire Wanna-Be - Clips - South Park Studios

If you haven't seen it, see it. It puts the whole Twilight thing into perspective

[Vortigern99]

I understand you're trying to be helpful, LadyZod, but just because the books' "characters display traits that are consistent with behavior normally associated with those of [Mormonism]" does not mean that the book is religious in content or intent, let alone a text of a religious cult. Religious cults indoctrinate via isolation and control, neither of which can be said about a book read and enjoyed of the reader's own volition.

[LadyZod]

Religious cults indoctrinate via isolation and control, neither of which can be said about a book read and enjoyed of the reader's own volition.

Religious cults usually start with literature BEFORE they hit you with indoctrination via isolation and control. Kind of hard to sell your cult to someone if you hit them with Kool-aid first. (JOKE!)

The last thing I want to do is steer this thread into forbidden territory:
"General Buzz General discussion. No religion or politics!" So I'll try as best I can to stay within those parameters and still keep the fun in fundamentist. (More jokes!)

The Twilight series of books, are just that. Books.

And yes, they can be enjoyed on their own at the reader's own volition. That's personally how I feel.

However, my point was that there are MANY out there that read much more into it. Googling this book series and it's controversy yields quite a few hits in that vein.

Much like the Chronicles of Narnia are seen to be an introductory dance with Christianity and Dianetics is viewed as Scientology for Dummies.

I just found it humorous that a conversation about Twilight's fan base and "Cult following" would be equated to a cult, considering the controversy it's kicked up.

Fan is short for fanatic. Religious fanatic, toy fanatic, sport fanatic, book fanatic...

We're all fans of something or another, aren't we?

Anna

[ctc]

>the whole Twilight thing has nothing to do with the movie...it has to do with the book series.

Well.... once the movies come out it all sorta becomes one big tangled thing....

>The author of the book series is a Mormon, and that many of the characters display traits that are consistent with behavior normally associated with those of that faith.

That sorta thing is gonna happen with ANY story to some degree. What you believe is part of what you are, and few authors don't write from their own perspective.

>It seems many bloggers have taken this to mean things that probably were never intended.

That happens ALL THE TIME! Especially if you don't like something and need a good justification for your dislike.:

The 6 Most Insane Moral Panics in American History | Cracked.com

It works the other way too, where people see what they like as being the most important and influential thing ever. Folks usually draw a conclusion and THEN add the reasoning behind it.

>South Park Episode 1214, “The Ungroundable.”

I'd never make it through my week without South Park.

Don C.