Are 'Twilight' Fans "Twums" or "Mothersuckers"?
Filed under: Romance, Fandom, Movie Marketing
The craziness about the romance between a high school girl and a beautiful vampire has stretched across the Atlantic into some very strange territory. Blogging for The Guardian UK, Lisa Marks claims that Twilight has spawned a "rather interesting hybrid demographic who are getting their knickers in a twist" about the film's upcoming release (November 21 in the US, December 19 in the UK).
She defines the demographic as "teenage girls, young female adults and their mums" and says the demographic needs a name. She prefers "Twums," though she also suggests "Vampults," "Fantaseenagers," and "Mothersuckers." I finally made time to read the first novel in the Twilight series this summer, though I haven't delved into the many fan sites that have blossomed since the book's publication. But if you need a name to refer to Twilight fans -- besides, I don't know, "Twilight fans" -- what's wrong with "Twilighters"?
The larger question, though, and one that might have broader implications, is whether this "hybrid demographic" is actually new and will support films other than Twilight. Odd designations aside, that's the claim of Marks' blog post, but she doesn't point to any other possibilities down the road.
What other movies could spark interest among teenage girls, young female adults, and slightly older women (a press release from Fandango claims 42% of respondents to their online survey about Twilight are 25 or older) to this degree? The Guardian thinks romance is the driving force behind the "new" demographic, but doesn't the book (and series) tap into a wider array of issues, beyond the love story, that makes it appealing to so many people?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-06-2008 @ 6:07PM
Camperton said...
How about Twixies
Reply
11-06-2008 @ 6:56PM
MCW said...
I think Twihards is the best description. I first heard that on "Imprint" the Twilight podcast.
I also think it's more than just the love story that is appealing. The action scenes, though limited, are there, the characters are very well-rounded, and you get to know and love them after 4 books, and you really want to see how they translate it all to the big screen. That's all that matters to me, is that the film does the book justice.
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11-06-2008 @ 10:59PM
Claudia said...
Twilight fans who think the books are good are "Twihards." The sector of those who are mothers are "Twimoms."
And the fans who read the books because they think they're hilariously awful are "lolfans." There are a *lot* of lolfans.
Reply
11-06-2008 @ 8:14PM
Erin said...
I vote for "Fanpires".
Reply
11-07-2008 @ 2:23PM
SizzlingPopcorn said...
Do I think this "hybrid demographic" could support films other than 'Twilight'? Hmm...definitely some potential there, but we'll have to see. It will support the remainder of the 'Twilight' films, whether they only adapt one more or if they produce the whole saga.
If I was making film for this demographic, I would shoot a romantic fantasy/sci-fi because females love to fantasize. Look at all the money the celebrity gossip sector is making! Females are the biggest consumer from this sector of the entertainment industry. They dream of having the same looks as the stars or even being hooked up with one of them. A film about a woman's fantasies coming true would be a big hit with this demographic, but it would have to stray away from the cheesiness and bland look that most of today's romantic comedies have.
Cheers!
Jean Brunet
http://www.sizzlingpopcorn.com
Reply
12-18-2008 @ 4:41PM
Diane said...
There's a great article in this months Atlantic Monthly on the series and the appeal that spans teenagers to adults. Also, a post on http://seattlegeurts.wordpress.com/2008/12/18/what-girls-want-vampires/
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