Are the stars of “Twilight” overexposed–or at least ridiculing Stephenie Meyer’s smash hit beyond the tolerable? I’m starting to think so.
What makes the “Twilight Saga” so much fun, so utterly appealing, is the over-the-top star-crossed love between Edward Cullen and Bella Swan, and the subsequent love triangle Meyer creates when Jacob enters the picture in “New Moon.” If you can let yourself go to that place where you can set aside the need for too much greater meaning, the series is one of the best reads around. And I know that any phenomenon that grows as big as “Twilight” has–“Harry Potter” would be another case in point–eventually gets merchandised to death by anyone and everyone who wants to make a buck. But is it possible for merchandise to ruin something altogether? Or at least make it so ridiculous that you can’t enjoy it anymore?
I’m one of those people who enjoys conjuring my own images of the heroes and heroines of favorite stories–something that is typically ruined once a movie is made. Though, I suppose, as far as looks go (though not demeanor), Robert Pattinson is about as Edward-like as I can hope for (I also have to admit: I am getting tired of seeing his face everywhere I go on just about everything I can imagine).

But Jacob Black is another story. Taylor Lautner is about as far from my own idea of Jacob as can be–and then there is the problem (or what I consider a problem!) that Lautner certainly does not have long hair, and Stephenie Meyer’s Jacob does. It’s one of his most distinguishing features in “New Moon.” Which brings me back to the merchandise issue: just the other day, I was in a Barnes & Noble, and I saw that they were selling Twilight puzzles (puzzles!!!) of all the stars–including one of Taylor Lautner with long, flowing hair photoshopped to the ends of his spiky hairdo. Gag! The puzzle bit is the first thing that made me sneer: I mean, come on–a puzzle? How unromantic can you get? But Taylor Lautner with photoshopped long, flowing hair? He may as well be Fabio. It’s one of the most hilarious things I’ve ever seen and I don’t know that I can get the image out of my head.
I think the stars of “Twilight” might be overexposed–especially Lautner since there has been so much controversy around whether or not he makes a good Jacob. People are trying too hard now, to make him into the Jacob Black Meyer first imagined. Do you agree?