Defending Twilight

My friend Marty posted this quote on FB:

‎"The Harry Potter books teach the importance of honesty, friendship and striving to do good even if it might cost you your life. The Twilight series, on the other hand, teaches the importance of having a boyfriend."

Not only do I think that's totally unfair, but it annoys me on several levels. And not just because I like the Twilight books myself. They are very different series, designed to appeal to very different audiences. Why do they have to be compared at all? More to the point, why is a series that appeals mostly to girls somehow automatically inferior? Because that's the bottom line in this comment.

In addition, I doubt the person who said this actually read the Twilight series, because, of course, their dismissive summary is untrue. The Twilight books might not be as complicated or as deep as the Harry Potter books, but the series has plenty of "messages" that are fine and positive, such as overcoming your fears and fighting for what you believe in. Plus Bella and many other characters are loyal, unselfish, caring, principled and determined. All good qualities. And what's wrong with a book for young people that suggests that love matters? I don't think that's a bad lesson at all.

I think if someone were to watch the movies and judge the books based on them, they might greatly underestimate the series. The movies are fun, but they leave out a lot of the substance of the stories, and a great deal of the character development. So it would be a lot easier to be dismissive (like the quote above) if you didn't bother to read the books.