Twilight Zone: The "Good Bad Boy"
By Pamela, age 25, South Africa
It's official - with the release of New Moon, the Twilight phenomenon has reached fever pitch. Teens and adults alike can't get enough of the vampire saga, and devour every tidbit about the movies and the actors, including the supposed romance between Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, who play Edward and Bella.
Girls all over the world feel like they know Edward and Bella. They think it's the most romantic story ever. If they're not watching the movies, they're talking about them. They wish they were Bella so that they could be with Edward. You get the picture. According to celeb gossip, Robert Pattinson is constantly mobbed by throngs of girls screaming for "Edward". So why is Edward the first love of teenage girls (and some boys) everywhere? He is a bloodthirsty vampire with a penchant for eating teenage girls, after all. This isn't a particularly desirable quality in a potential boyfriend.
Girls are attracted to Edward for the same reason that Bella is attracted to him: he's a "good bad boy". There seems to be something about the bad boy who is drop dead (excuse the pun) gorgeous, yet extremely sensitive, caring, and has impeccable manners. Edward practically stalks Bella, yet girls find it sweet that he's so protective and worried about her. Bella herself is willing to become a vampire and live for eternity to be with him. Now that's love!
There are loads of movies where guys have stalked girls they were obsessed with, and female viewers in turn obsess over these bad boys. It has to do with the dangerous quality of these characters. It's that excitement and mystery bad boy characters exude, and in turn ignite in female viewers. We all love a taste of drama. One of my favourite movies is a little known gem from the nineties called Fear. It stars Reese Witherspoon as an innocent 16 year old girl who is stalked by a shirtless Mark Wahlberg in the best shape of his life (enough said). I must confess that I still want to be Reese Witherspoon in the movie, even though he kills her dog and holds her family hostage. Now, I know this sounds irrational, but there's something about Mark Wahlberg that draws me like a magnet. In fact, I am drawn to him, not in spite of him being dangerous, but because of it. I am actually so drawn to him that over a year ago I created a Facebook group called "I Love Fear with Mark Wahlberg!" Yes, I know creating a Facebook group devoted to Mark Wahlberg is a little obsessive, but I couldn't help myself.
It is this bad boy quality that attracts girls to Edward. We want the drama of being in danger, then being saved, and then doing it all over again. Girls feed on fairytale romances with a dark side. Twilight wouldn't be the same if Edward were like Prince Charming. That would be rather dull and boring. We want to feel those extreme emotions of love, passion, and the fear for our lives. We want to be Bella because Edward is the ultimate bad boy - a vampire. Only Edward is a sensitive, caring, romantic vampire who looks like a young Brad Pitt (in Interview with the Vampire, of course). He's a "good bad boy".
Now, if only I could find a way to get rid of Bella, because I know if Edward knew me he would totally fall in love with me!
