Unless you’ve been living under a very, very secluded rock for about the past 18 months, you have probably heard the word “Twilight”. The Twilight series, originally written by Stephanie Meyer and adapted into films by Summit Entertainment is the constant topic of conversation for millions of loyal fans. This possibly unprecedented pop-culture phenomenon has had a major presence everywhere from entertainment news, fashion, music, and yes even social media. The number of super-fans of the books and movies (also know as “Twi-hards”) is astounding when you look at their overwhelming presence on digital platforms. The Twilight books and films have used technology and social media to grow a fan-base whose obsession has even been compared to The Beatles. This made me wonder, “Is Twilight really one of the greatest pop-culture movements to date, or is the introduction of social media fueling this beast?”
There is no question that social media has aided in creating such an enormous following for the Twilight Saga. Fans have been able to follow blogs, Like multiple fan pages on Facebook, and see the latest news on Twitter. These constant updates about vampires, werewolves and the actors who play them keep Twilight top-of-mind for millions of Twi-hards. The Twilight Saga Facebook Like page has nearly 7 million fans. Below is an example of a post on the page (notice the near 10,000 responses). Twilight blogs are also seeing huge followings. The Twilight Superfan blog is even featured on the MSN movies page. Not only are people viewing these sites, but fans are interacting with them . Fans are finding places where it’s ok to be obsessed with these fictional characters. It’s like a wordwide Comic Con, that all fans can attend…all the time.
I admit; I am an extreme Twi-hard. I read the entire series in about a week and never looked back. Despite my personal obsession with vampires, I do think the degree of loyalty displayed from fans since the premiere of the first Twilight film has a lot to do with the introduction of social media. Fans can see photos, clips and interviews with their favorite stars, be the first to see the latest trailers, preview soundtracks and view music videos, sign up for viewing parties, win free Twilight tickets and apparel and much more. Fans were able to watch the red carpet premiere of Eclipse live on UStream last week. The New Moon premiere was also broadcast on UStream last November, with a record shattering 2 million unique visitors. The Eclipse movie website even has mobile apps available for download, so you can stay up to date on Twilight wherever you go! When you’re consistently flooded with information you’re fairly passionate about, you’re bound to become a little obsessed, right?
The premiere of Eclipse, the third film in the saga, is tonight at midnight. See you there! I’ll be the one walking around with an Edward Cullen life-size cutout.
TweetTags: Comic Con, Eclipse, Edward Cullen, Facebook, pop-culture, Social Media, Stephanie Meyer, Summit Entertainment, Twi-hards, Twilight, Twilight Superfans, Twitter, UStream
