The Twilight Renaissance

It’s 2019. We live in a time which is full of change and turbulence. Donald Trump is President of the United States. Brexit is somehow, maybe, happening. Climate change is being ignored by politicians globally. However, it turns out there is one thing we can always rely on; Twilight (2008). In these crazy times, Twilight has made a comeback since the film’s release in 2008. Also known as the ‘Twilight Renaissance’. It’s the movement we didn’t know we needed. If you were ever shamed or mocked for being a ‘Twihard’, now is the time to get your team Edward (or Jacob) shirts from wherever you hid them, and wear them again with pride. It’s time to remember, critique, and relive the cultural zeitgeist of 2008.

Twilight had its 10th anniversary in 2018 and of course the Internet didn’t forget. Twilight memes were created on Tumblr, Twitter, and Instagram, and the film was trending on Tumblr for a whole day. For the first time in a long time, Twilight fans are unapologetically expressing their love for a film that is often criticised and hated on. This revival of the fandom has been dubbed the ‘Twilight Renaissance’.

Tumblr has become one of the homes of the Twilight Renaissance, with many new blogs being created dedicated to Twilight. People are creating memes, having discussions, and producing new theories (with not a lot of evidence) about the films and characters within this new community.

This resurgence of Twilight in our public sphere has allowed the films and books to be looked at and discussed in new and different ways. However, experiencing the phenomenon of the Twilight Fandom in 2019 might be different to how it felt in 2008. Acknowledging the issues that were present in the series is a central element of the Twilight Renaissance. This includes questioning the treatment of Native American characters and the portrayal of rape culture. By acknowledging these issues, Twilight fans can gain more credibility from the greater fandom community online. It also provides the opportunity to generate more discussions within the Twilight Fandom and hold the movie and books to the standards of today, where we recognise the struggles of marginalised groups and have witnessed the power of the Me Too movement.

By reclaiming Twilight from so-called ‘cringe culture’, the act of embarrassing people for enjoying things which some might describe as childish, embarrassing or inferior, is liberating. Many of the fans taking part in the Twilight Renaissance were young teenagers when they first got into Twilight, and have experienced shaming for doing so. This was true for the creators of HMT Fandoms who were all Twilight fans.

The Twilight Renaissance has reignited an old community online, and has allowed the fandom to openly discuss and participate without being embarrassed or shamed online. People are experiencing Twilight through the new lens of 2019 and acknowledging parts of the series that are problematic. This comeback does not appear to be dying down anytime soon. It’s finally time to enjoy what you want and not be ridiculed. It’s time we embrace our inner Twihard, and the tween we were back in 2008, with a more critical outlook and less pressure on ourselves. We are Twihards… and we’re also team Edward if anyone was asking.