Youth & Media

Twilight specifically, “became highly stigmatized because of the source of their fandom (the Twilight book series, a series that many other fandoms love to hate) and the actions of many of their fans, which were perceived to be extreme.” (Gonzalez sec. 2.3). There is a severe lack of support by other fandoms for the Twilight fandom because of the stereotyped beliefs they have regarding ‘Twihards’ and find themselves regularly avoiding the fandom. "The Twilight fan is interesting because of reports (however well substantiated) of a degree of extremism that goes beyond what is acceptable, even when considered from a perspective relative to standard fan obsession” (Pinkowitz sec. 1.1). The almost entirely female fanbase has been described by other fandoms as “frenzied and excessive” because they have been seen at book and movie releases eagerly screaming, hoping their favorite character actress will glance their way or even wave. Since they are females, society is seen to “dismiss such behavior because of where it falls on the cultural hierarchy, it tries hard to never comprehensively reject texts with predominantly female fandoms, nor all female fans in general” (Pinkowitz sec. 12.2). The severe exclusion from society is what pushes people to have such negative opinions about the fanbase. The terminology chosen by other fandoms is partly due to it’s mostly single- gendered fandom, where society is applying gender stereotypes to the entire fandom. It is through creating fan art and conversing with other fandom members about these struggles that bonds the fandom members together.

A specific community is imperative to any fandom. Communities are formed through active fans partaking in sharing their fan creations with one another to bond over their love for the fandom. For the twilight fandom, these ultimate fans are known as “Twihards''. Having a specific name for their fandom helps the fans in forming their own identity. The fans of Twilight are predominantly women ages ten to thirty who are dedicated Twilight fans and participate in the fandom community. Their level of devotion to the saga leaves them feeling marginalized from society. Through constant societal exclusion, the fandom community becomes a counter public within society. “Counter publics, the alternative networks of debate created by marginalized members of the public, thus have always played the important role of highlighting and legitimizing the experiences of those on the margins even as they push for integration and change in mainstream spaces” (Jackson, et al. p.xxxii).

The creation of digital and virtual spaces have provided fans with an even more widespread way to reach other fans to share their works and have open discussions. Fandom websites and fan social media accounts serve as a space for counter publics to form these communities on the margins of public spaces. The fandom community “creates a sense of bonding and community for emancipation from hegemony” (Alberto p. 21). The formation of the community comes for the fans feeling marginalized from society because of their dedication to their fandom. “Fan communities are shaped and structured by a tension between the communal expectations and individual desires, manifested in an individual’s socialization” (Davisson & Booth p. 37). It provides fandom members with a space to share their fan art with one another. These artworks can be fan fictions, videos, drawings, paintings, memes. Fan art can be defined as “an artwork whose subject is a character, scene, or setting from a science fiction text” (Gooch p. 17).

Fan fictions are the most popular form of fan art created by members of a fandom. The writings can be described as “fiction written by fans about pre existing plots, characters, and/or settings from their favorite media” (Black Adolescents and Online Fan Fiction p. 10). The writers of fan fiction rewrite new endings or change aspects of the story to fit a new narrative they have created. There are various ways fans create fan fictions, such as “extend storylines, create new narrative threads, develop romantic relationships between characters, and focus on the lives of undeveloped characters” (Black p.398). The fictions provide a new addition or take on the original storyline created by the author or film writer. They write the texts in a way that goes against the copyrighted work and recreates a new fiction that goes against what was first developed.

De Certeau describes fan writings “as a type of cultural bricolage through which readers fragment texts and reassemble the broken shards according to their own blueprints, salvaging bits and pieces of found material in making sense of their own social experiences” (Jenkins p. 471) . Women fan fiction writers specifically are known for rewriting female characters to be less subordinate to their male counterparts and stand true to their beliefs. The writings empower their authors and allow them to connect on a deeper level to their fandom and provide an alternative version of a plot relating to their fandom. “Fan fiction writers poach the text as a way to go against copyrighted material to reproduce and share with their community as a subconscious way to disrupt capitalist ventures” (Alberto p 24). Writing such stories furthers the fans ability to form relationships with one another based on their strong love for the saga. Attached below is a fan fiction I wrote about for the Twilight fandom with an alternative ending to the popular saga.

The Twilight fandom has grown tremendously since the beginning of the release of the first book and is still thriving today. Members of the fandom who have been there from the start have had the privilege of growing up with the fandom and characters. Even if their dedication has lessened than when they were at the height of their fandom, they still have an intense connection to the series. “The desire to understand why Twilight is the way it is, the nostalgia for some truly wonderful aspects of the films, and a growing love has kept Twilight popular for thirteen years and will keep it popular for decades to come as a relic of the 2000s” (Radillo). It reminds them of their youth and the culture that surrounds what it means to be young. Frith describes youth as “aspects of people’s social position which are an effect of their biological age but not completely determined by it” (Frith p. 2). A time of nostalgia and vulnerability. The term youth emphasizes aspects of people’s social position which are an effect of their biological age but not completely determined by it. Generations are determined by a social construct and formed by society in an effort to define a particular group of people.

When writing Bella’s Betrayal, it was crucial to format the story in a way that appealed to the youth. The story contains romance and heartbreak, which are feelings this generation faces often. The Twilight fandom turns to fan fictions as such to seek comfort and to bring them to a place of when they were young. “It is every few months or so, when I am hit with a longing for simpler times and younger years, I put on the movie (I watch the first film the most), or get one of the books from my shelf, or open my journals or the Twilight Archive just to look back at those times” (Prestridge). I wanted to write a story that contained content for the generation of Twilight fandom members that have grown with the story. They are older now, just as Bella, Edward, and Jacob are by the end of the saga. Together, the trio faces an“adult” problem: a child. In the beginning of the series, the characters were in their first years of high school and by the end had graduated. Bella getting pregnant at still such a young age, blurs the lines between what is considered youth and adulthood. Generationally speaking, an important differentiating factor between the two is having children of their own. It was crucial for me to include this aspect from the originally written saga to connect with all the fandom’s ages along with understanding generational differences.

By taking certain pieces of the written plot by Stephanie Meyers and altering it to fit my story line, I am practicing textual poaching. Textual "poaching," an impertinent raid on the literary preserve that takes away only those things that seem useful or pleasurable to the reader” (Jenkins p. 471). The concept is fans engage in being active consumers by taking what they need from a text- latching onto concepts that are most valuable or relevant to what is being written. Fans are able to use their power they have regarding the original story and alter it to where the concepts still align with the likes of the fandom. “Not only are they poachers but they become the socially strong as they subconsciously liberate themselves from capitalism. This is done by recreating and disseminating those new forms of the original copyrighted texts” (Alberto p. 30). In recreating a new ending where Bella has Jacob’s child instead of Edward, the original plot is altered while still keeping the same aspects of the original writing. The extensive logic on the characters I have allowed me to add new aspects to the script that still aligned with the specific character developments and plot lines.

"At school, I was known as the ‘Twilight girl '."

Women who are a part of fandoms are more likely to turn to creating fan fictions, especially for the Twilight fandom where their fandom in general is predominantly women. Women are excluded from participating in the public sphere because of societal gender roles, which leads them to partake in fandoms more frequently than males. They use their creations to create a story that rebels against the male submissive role the original writer had placed a female character in and “oppose producer goals” (Alberto p. 21). Women see the writing as a feminist exercise and want to include their viewpoint, which are usually excluded from these works traditionally. Women fan fiction “recreate the text in their own fan fiction to emancipate the female character from male subordination” in an effort to emancipate themselves in a resistance to patriarchy” (Alberto p. 21). Women Twilight fans have been known to feel a severe dissatisfaction with the way Bella was portrayed as a woman. She is completely submissive to Edward consistently throughout their relationship.

The aim of the fan fiction was to break this unhealthy role for Bella when creating Bella’s Betrayal by portraying her to rebel against Edward. In the story, Bella chooses to go against her role of following Edward at all costs and goes with what her heart wants. She is able to break free from the hold of Edward and be with Jacob, which goes against what she thought she should be doing with her entire life. She was going to change and become a vampire for Edward, but for Jacob she is able to be her authentic self. Edward had a hold on her and she was inevitably going to have to turn into a vampire, aka die, to fully be with Edward. She does not have to change for Edward just like no woman should be with a man that she has to change anything about herself for. This is the message that should be given to the young girls who are turning to the saga for comfort or audience in their romantic lives. Rewriting the story this way gave Bella the control and showed any woman reading she has the strength to break away from any controlling relationship if it was she desires.

"Just the idea of how important Twilight still is – is so empowering."

As a woman writing this story, it gave me a sense of gratitude, empowerment, and freedom. Textual poaching often gives writers enjoyment out of creating a text, even if they are not aligned with their identity. This is referred to as the gratification theory and is something I was able to experience by writing the story even though I cannot personally relate to the exact experiences Bella is going through. By writing new texts, “audiences learn to control the text rather than passively view it. This, in turn, empowers the fan as they are stimulated to communicate with the fictional character for a real social relationship rather than parasocial” (Alberto p. 22). Other Twilight fans who have partook in writing fiction have reported on the topic explaining how they have experienced these feelings of empowerment as well.

Being able to control the story and alter it into something I would have been interested to see when I was a part of the twilight fandom. It gave me a way to use my deep love and opinions for the saga to spin the original writing in a different way to give other fandom viewers an alternative ending some were hoping for. A way to go against what the dominant culture expects from a writer. “The pleasure that the fans receive from recreating texts to satisfy their own cravings for the vampire love story are being freed from what Fiske referred to as “the instrumental rationalities and order of patriarchal capitalism” (Lewis, p.227)” (Alberto p. 30). The pleasure the fans feel making and sharing these works comes from the participatory culture that forms from this. According to Jenkins,“A participatory culture is a culture with relatively low barriers to artistic expression and civic engagement, strong support for creating and sharing one’s creations, and some type of information mentorship whereby what is known by the most experienced is passed along to novices. A participatory culture is also one in which members believe their contributions matter, and feel some degree of social connection with one another (at the least they care what other people think about what they have created)” (Jenkins, et al p. 3).

“Twilight fan culture extracts meaning from the text to empower itself and fan’s self-identity”

While the Twilight fandom saga evolved more overtime , a sub-competitive fandom within the entire fandom came to be. A “competitive fandom is rooted in comprehensive domain knowledge acquired through fan cultural practices, which include the consumption of franchise media as well as the consumption and production of fan-based media (Lemke, 2006)” (Halverson p. 291). The two sub fandom’s that have formed a competitive relationship within Twilight are referred to as "Team Edward" and "Team Jacob''. Fans were the driving force behind the “rivalry over which of the two characters (and the two actors) was the best ideal romantic partner for Bella” (Bedoya p. 2). The fans shared their ideas and opinions regarding whether or not they believed Edward or Jacob should be the man Bella ends up with. Their deep level of dedication and commitment to either male character created a divide within the fandom. Each “team” created their own platforms to share their thoughts with one another without having the other team interfering with their conversations. Through the niche websites, “fans could join the official “Team Edward” or the official “Team Jacob” and chat with other fans, write fan fiction and participate with their favorite characters in other ways” (Martens p. 718).

I wrote the fan fiction to alter the romantic story originally written by Meyers where Edward gets Bella pregnant and they, in a lack of better words, live happily ever after as a family. That line of writing appeals to the “Team Edward” fandom ecstatic and overjoyed because he is who they wanted Bella to end up with. In Bella’s Betrayal, Jacob is the one who impregnated Bella and they end up running away together. This story would be a win in “Team Jacob”’s eyes where it finally put Bella with the romantic partner they feel she should be with. Oftentimes this competitive fandom is viewed as the less satisfied and it was empowering to provide this fandom. Writing Bella and Jacob as romantic partners in the fan fiction can be known as 'shipping'. According to Jenna Wortham, shipping can be defined as “the wholesale invention, by viewers, of a romance between fictional characters who are not romantically linked on-screen”. This alters the plot of the original writing, while still including important characteristics about the characters.

The Twilight Saga is one of the most monumental moments in pop and media history. In the release of the books and films, fans from across the world came together to discuss their love and devotion for the saga. It attracted young girls because of the romantic relationships between the characters and their similarity in age between the fanbase and them. Through connecting over their love for the saga, a strong tight-knit community is formed. Fan art gives the fans a way to mix their creativity and dedication to the series with the extensive knowledge they have regarding it. The creative freedom I felt in creating the fan fiction is a specifically empowering feeling. The gratification I felt encourages me to share the writing with the fandom community. I would not consider myself an avid 'Twihard' member, but I think my young self would, which aids my belief the fiction would be well received by the fandom. Having competitive fandom within the overall fandom separates the fandom from other fandoms of its kind. Fans are able to connect deeper to characters and find encouragement from other fandom members for their knowledge and care for the series. This fandom provides a space for fans, especially young girls to connect with others like them and escape from the everyday societal struggles they are facing within their lives.

Sources

• Alberto, Patricia. “Love and Lust for FANg Culture: The Fandom behind the Twilight Phenomenon.” Colloquy. Volume 8, Fall 2012. 16-35.

• Bedoya, Paola. “Team Edward or Team Jacob? the Portrayal of Two Versions of the ‘Ideal’ Male Romantic Partner in the Twilight Film Series.” Thesis / Dissertation ETD, ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University, 2011.

• Black, Rebecca W.. Adolescents and Online Fan Fiction. Austria, Peter Lang, 2008.

• ---.“Online Fan Fiction, Global Identities, and Imagination.” Research in the Teaching of English, vol. 43, no. 4, National Council of Teachers of English, 2009, pp. 397–425, http://www.jstor.org/stable/27784341.

• Davisson, A., & Booth, P. (2007). Reconceptualizing communication and agency in fan activity: A proposal for a projectedinteractivity model for fan studies. Texas Speech Communication Journal, 32(1), 33-43.

• Frith, Simon. The Sociology of Youth. Cornwall: Causeway Press, Ltd., 1986.

• Gonzalez, Victoria M. 2016. "Swan Queen, Shipping, and Boundary Regulation in Fandom." Transformative Works and Cultures, no. 22. http://dx.doi.org/10.3983/twc.2016.0669.

• Halverson, Erica and Richard Halverson. “Fantasy Baseball.” Games and Culture, vol. 3, no. 3-4, 2008, pp. 286–308., https://doi.org/10.1177/1555412008317310.

• Jackson, et al. #HashtagActivism: Networks of Race and Gender Justice. United Kingdom, MIT Press, 2020.

• Jenkins, Henry. “Star Trekrerun, Reread, Rewritten: Fan Writing as Textual Poaching.” Critical Studies in Mass Communication, vol. 5, no. 2, 1988, pp. 85–107., https://doi.org/10.1080/15295038809366691.

• Martens, Marianne. “Team Edward or Team Jacob? How User-Generated Content Is Transforming Young Adult Literature.” Proceedings of the 2011 iConference, 2011, https://doi.org/10.1145/1940761.1940882.

• Pinkowitz, Jacqueline Marie. “Rabid Fans That Take [Twilight] Much Too Seriously’: The Construction and Rejection of Excess in Twilight Antifandom.” Transformative Works and Cultures, vol. 7, 2011, https://doi.org/10.3983/twc.2011.0247.

• Prestridge, James. “Twilight Turns 10: Superfans Share Their Stories.” Close-up Culture, 3 Nov. 2018, https://closeupculture.com/2018/11/02/twilight-turns-10-superfans-share-their-stories/.

• Radillo, Rebecca. “The 'Twilight Saga's Legacy': The Good, the Bad, and the Sparkly.” The Daily Fandom, 14 Sept. 2021, https://thedailyfandom.org/twilight-saga-legacy/.