Monday Morning Mirth
. . . He absently ran his hand through his hair. Pandemonium ensued.
Chicago was recently one in a growing string of mall sites hosting signings by one Robert Pattinson, the star of Twilight.
Do thousands of ladies trilling their delight with his lusty hair and vampire ways know something we don’t?
What’s the fascination with VAMPIRES!??
No clue, but he is gorgeous! Maybe, it’s the gorgeousness and not the vampire thing?
I had this explained to me by the mom of two teenage girls, who are completely besotted (the mom is too, I think). The Twilight books that started this whole thing have this vampire who falls in love with a girl, and he can’t have sex with her because then she’ll be a vampire or something like that (someone who actually has a clue jump right in here). So there is endless cuddling and cooing and romance, but no actual sex. For a teenage girl this would be heaven – a gorgeous boy who wanted to hold her and whisper sweet nothings and wasn’t just trying to get her pants off. And of course the vampire thing adds that delicious little frisson of danger…
I’d say that these fans are
a) attributing the man with the character he plays, not willing to admit that said character is fiction.
b) hoping the movie will be the next Titanic.
c) think that he’s really a good looking guy. I admit, he has fantastic hair.
Also, part of it might be that Robert Pattison also played Cedric Diggory in the HP/Goblet of Fire movie….. I do think he’s cute. But vampires are very very hot right now, throughout all of fiction readerdom — one of my favorite longtime (I’m talking at least 20+ years here) authors has written a paperback with a vampire theme. And one of my former roommates has a big-time vampire book series.
I have no plans to see Twilight this weekend, as I really don’t do vampires and I really want to see the Disney movie BOLT, which was written by the guy who wrote my last favorite Disney animated movie, Lilo and Stitch. [the Pixar movies don’t count; I don’t comsider them Disney, they are their own special entity.]
When I was younger, I was really into the vampire books by Anne Rice. I think people just like vampires because they are mysterious and super cool (I mean, who wouldn’t want to live forever and look super hot the whole time?). I think that it’s sort of the same thing with the Harry Potter books, it’s something that you wish was real.
I get the attraction. Even with your “average” vampire (someone who looks more like Danny DeVito or Steve Bescemi), you get guaranteed tragic doomed love (that’s TDL to those in the know) AND you get to wear fabulous filmy clothing and not be called a slut.
That fills two spots on my bucket list.
It’s the books! Pattinson is adorable, no doubt, but it’s who he represents that makes him the mega-star. If you like romance novels, read the books. You will get it…
Super anti-heroes? Must be some twisted post-modern thing, I suspect.
Is it just me or do those gravity defying bangs of his look very 1980s?
The vampire thing is something of a mystery but it is super hot in fiction and has been for quite awhile. I suspect it’s a combination of immortal beauty, potential death and tragic love. If Shakespeare were writing now, I’m pretty sure Romeo would be a vampire and Juliet his human lover.
I’ve read that part of the appeal of the Twilight books is the chasteness. They’re something that moms and daughters can read together and nobody has to be embarrassed by the language or any possible horizontal activity. Whatever it is, the author certainly touched a lot of readers.
Practically every teen-age girl I know (including mine) has read the Twilight books. Guess I might have to join in ;-)
Personally, I think it’s some sort of tie that was made long ago to Incubii. The seduction, the danger, the thrill of the forbidden…you might die but what a way to go if they do it right! :D I personally prefer Sherilynn Kenyon’s Darkhunters, but she’s got a great sense of humor about her writing and quite a lot of it is pretty tongue-in-cheek.
I love reading vampire stories because there is usually some romance, with strong characters who are very sure of themselves (male and female). Enough of the characters are pure eye candy that you can just get lost in the imagery! I started with the Anne Rice novels and have read an unfortunate number of the Anita Blake series (which crosses well past the line of romance and into something much raunchier).
Now, I have read some really bad vampire stories as well. I used to do book reviews and the site wouldn’t post them if I couldn’t be at least a little complimentary, so I didn’t get much posted.
Vampires? Well . . . you have a gorgeous, charismatic man with courtly manners (opens doors for you, kisses your hand, etc.) and power who also has none of the appalling old school hang-ups (he’s ok with you earning a living, leading a real life that’s not an extension of HIM). He’s rich (miracle of compound interest, bay-be). He’s a Bad Boy (I mean, really–has to drink blood to live?) And bonus–he’ll always be good-looking. There are no fat, balding, wrinkled vampires.
Kind of like an immortal rock star. Great for a fantasy romance. And even better–there’s no chance that you’ll ever get to go backstage and have your illusion shattered when you actually meet the man behind the persona.
Oh my dear, LESTAT! Yes, I am a fan of Rice fiction. In fact, it was she who launched my passion for New Orleans. The first time I went there and was walking around the Quarter after dark after a little too much wine, my heart and mind were off to the Vampire Races, to be sure. WHAT was that I saw out of the corner of my eye…
(Not to mention, immortality, immense wealth, and That Hair!)
Twilight? Meh.
Give me the Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire books…and especially the HBO adatptation: “True Blood”
We’re talkin’ *grown folks* vampires, y’all.
Grown.Folks.
; )
My 13 yr. old grand daughter loves him and the books. Her 65 yr. old grandma (me) also thinks he is a “babe”. He was on our local talk show in San Francisco, and every time he ran his hands through his hair, I have to admit I got a little “jittery”. He has that Elvis, James Dean, bad boy look.
Hmmm, lusty hair. I like that–it does make you want to run your fingers through it and get a good hold. Even if that does make me feel a little like a dirty old lady.