While most people will always remember where they were the moment that Kennedy was assassinated or the O.J. verdict came down, Twilighters can never forget a third event: Where they were when they bought their first Stephenie Meyer novel.
Somehow, the literary phenomenon had escaped me. Much like Pinkberry or Kelis’ “Milkshake” song, “Twilight” managed to capture the hearts and minds of millions while I was obliviously living a life without it. Then in January I interviewed Miss Kristen Stewart at Sundance as part of my job, and much like any day at the “office,” we discussed upcoming projects she was excited about. MTV News ran a brief item on her remarks, and it broke the Movies Blog record for reader comments!
That night, I found myself in a Barnes & Noble, determined to track down this girly novel that Kristen had spoken so highly of, and a few thousand of her soon-to-be-closest friends seemed to equally adore. A half-hour went by as I stumbled from the “Fiction” section to “Fantasy,” from “Romance” to “Sci-Fi,” looking under the T’s for “Twilight” and the M’s for Stephenie Meyer. Being a guy, I’d be damned if I was going to ask for help from some dude in a green apron.
My cell phone rang, and the wife asked what I was doing. I had enough time to explain that B&N must not carry this obscure book, when I suddenly came around the corner to a wall of black covers with hands holding an apple, staring back at me. It was surrounded by books aimed towards tween girls. Above the shelving read the words “Young Adult.”
One side of my brain yelled, “That’s the book!” while the other screamed, “You’re a 33-year-old man in the YA section! You look like Michael Jackson! Grab the book and get outta there!”
As I cracked the novel that evening, my shame turned to shock. I was digging the book – a lot – and found myself immersed in Bella’s Forks experience. It was unlike any vampire story I’d ever read and was refreshing in its determination not to fall into the stereotypical traps of teen romance. “Twilight” was completely unlike the work of my favorite authors (Vonnegut, Bukowski, Palahniuk), yet Meyer’s prose was similarly filled with a clarity of vision, cleverness and knack for dark humor.
Now I’ve read all three books, visited the set to make sure Catherine Hardwicke is on the right path (she is), and love talking “Twilight” with all the fans who visit MTV.com and the Movies Blog regularly. Mike Welch stopped by the studio Tuesday, and he was cooler than the other side of the pillow. A Twilight Mom who knows I have a baby on the way even sent me a plaque that reads “Twilight Dad,” which hangs in my office with great pride. Thanks, Julie!
I am a male Twilighter. I am the creepy old adult who hangs around the Young Adult section. I re-make the book cover in my spare time (see photo). And like so many others, I look forward to someday remembering where I was the first time I ever got to see “Twilight” the movie.
May 15th, 2008 at 11:25 am
You aren’t alone Larry. My husband loves the books as well.
May 15th, 2008 at 11:36 am
Sorry guys, I couldn’t resist taking a bite of the apple. It was actually quite tasty!
May 15th, 2008 at 11:36 am
Awesome article Larry! Thanks for a peek into your Twilight experience!
Congrats on the baby as well. How about Edward for a boy or Bella for a girl? Just a thought……
May 15th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
i am having the worst day and this article really cheered me up, thanks Larry!!
May 15th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
Don’t worry, Larry, you’re not the only one. I know of college guys (like the drunk, partying kind) who are totally obsessed. My son’s g/f got a call in the middle of the night b/c one of her guy friends from college read her book, and the the excerpt from the 2nd book, then had to call her in the middle of the night b/c he HAD to have the next two books immediately.
May 15th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
absolutely. I know of at least 5 guys I know who have read the books aged 16-20 and they all LOVE it. The first I got to read it was my brother (18, he was 17 at the time). Now he has also had several friends read it. I now have another friend who has started on it because of me and his girlfriend and we are convinced he too will love it. It’s definatly not just a book for girls…
May 15th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
Larry you are the coolest. I have been trying to get my husband to read it for the longest time and he likes the same authors you do. I will have to tell him about Twilight Moms favorite man and make him jealous…maybe then he will read it!!
May 15th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
Mike Welch/Newton finally got his long-awaited MTV interview, yay!
May 15th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Larry, you are awesome! And my husband loves the books too. It’s great having someone at home to talk to about it, and not just at TwilightMoms. Congrats on the new baby!
May 15th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Ooooooh Larry, you are so sweet.
But don’t worry, you are definitely not alone. But the other male twilighters aren’t as brave as you….yet ;-).
Sweet article!
Love you MTV!
May 15th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
We love you Larry! We’re glad you’re a fan too. That way those of us fans who are totally addicted to all things Twilight will continue to get our fixes while we wait for the latest book and movie. Maybe someday soon we’ll need a TwilightDads forum to go with our TwilightMoms site…
You’re the best!
May 15th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Larry, have I told you lately that you TOTALLY ROCK?! Well you do! Congrats on the baby, and good luck!
May 15th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Yeah….good for you to want to read them without your wife pressuring you into it. I basically made my husband read them, and he really enjoyed them, even more than Harry Potter. I think there needs to be a website called Twilightdads.com! Thanks for the laugh this morning.
May 15th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
See Larry, this is exactly why we Twilighters haunt the MTV Blog page. You provide us with witty articles, and juicy video updates, knowing exactly what we want to see or hear because you are a Twilighter, too! We Stephenie Meyer/Twilight fans have been so blessed regarding the making of this movie: The actors, director, producers, and screen writers all seem to really care about the story and the characters. And now we have our own personal MTV writer who cares, too.
Thanks, glad you enjoyed the books. It gives me faith that I will be able to talk my sweet hubby into reading them soon, too. After all, if MTV’s Larry was comfortable enough with his manhood to read them…..
Thanks again, and congrats on your new little one on the way.
May 15th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
My husband loves to read. I am one of the many Twilight fans who bought and read the first book within a DAY and of course ran to Target and bought the other two and scarfed those down in the two days that followed. My DH loves LOTR, HP; but I cannot, for the life of me, get him to read these books! Honestly, until 2 weeks ago I had never even HEARD of Twilight and now I’m beyond hooked. I have to say, I live in Washington State and it took all the will power I have in me not to ditch work and go hunt down the film crew they day I learned they were filming. I digress! HOW do I get him to READ these so I have someone to obsess with??
May 15th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
You should totally do a report on the twilight guym…check out his website twilightguy.com
May 15th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
Larry, are those your manly arms on that book cover?
Thank you again for participating in our Twilight Guy Salute!
All our Love,
The Lexicon Admin Staff
May 15th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
And for that reason Larry is why ALL of us fan know you ROCK. You are married male adult who as read all the books, loves them and reports/gives us what as fans well all need. We are truly blessed to have you as our inside guy to the movie, and you will me the most memorable male Twlight fan. Thanks for this awsome and personal article and love ur version of the book cover. Again thanks for all that you give us and Congrats on the baby on the way.
May 15th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Fantastic article! I actually know only one male twilighter personnally! i think the film may appeal to boys more than the book though, it looks like it has a lot more action.
May 15th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
You’re made of awesome Larry
May 15th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Hey Larry,
you are not alone.. A friend of mine just started reading the book and has already admitted that he likes it.. (he is 37 and the father of my sweet godchild (6 month old)) so don’t worry..
btw great article and great picture..
May 15th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
I don’t personally know any guys who love Twilight, which I think is kind of sad, really. I think that a guy being into Twilight is pretty sexy. The story has a lot of subtle romance, and a whole lot of passion, and any guy who can appreciate those things pretty much rocks. So Twilight guys…keep on loving the books!
May 15th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
You are so cute and awesome, Larry! We are so thankful to have you!!
May 15th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
I’m glad that you’re the man on the job, Larry. The Twilight fandom loves you! Yay, you!
May 15th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
I loved the Michael Jackson comment
but in all honesty i don’t get why guys automatically
assume that just because it’s a Young Adult Novel and
has a love story that it is just girly…anyone can see the action
I think that it’s just that the girls are more involved in the fandom
Guys should hype it up!
May 15th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
Aww, no Larry, it’s perfectly alright to be a male Twilighter!
They are the precious gems among the masses of female fans! And let me tell you, 33 is NOT old! You can start calling yourself an “old man” when you hit the age of 90. 
I just hope I can finally shove the book into the hands of my father XD He said he wants to read it but has been to busy… but that is no excuse anymore
May 15th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Yay for Larry! Since the stars will probably go on TRL, I think you should be the one to interview them live. That would be awesome since you’re a star in the Twilight world now too.
May 15th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
I’m so glad to find out that there are male fans out there. My boyfriend won’t read it so he just takes guesses on why i love the series. He never actually gets it. But he knows how important they are to me. He got me the Bella Bracelet when I thought he had forgotten the pic I showed him! I guess I’ll just have to live with that! lol…no, i can’t believe he did that for me!!! its easy to live with that bracelet!!!
May 15th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
yay! good for you, larry! twilight isn’t just for women!
May 15th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
I love you Larry. You are beyond awesome. MTV - give this guy a raise!
That was a really great article, I’m kaing my boyfriend read it.
May 15th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Hi Larry!
We love you you know..^^
I sometimes wonder why I was born in Norway when I’m sutch a big Twilight fan..this really sucks you know..
Thanks anyway ^__^
May 15th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Aww Larry! We love you!
May 15th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
your not alone and im TRYING to get my boyfriend who i call my Edward to read it and hes never seen me so freaked out about a movie or a book and i saw the trailer and i was on the phn squealing and going absoultly crazy and he was like wow now ill have to read it! i told him he HAS to! i think guys become more of a man if they read a book thats specailly from a girls point of view. i think every guy will be glad when midnight sun comes out! finally we’ll all no wat Edward was thinking and going on when he wasnt with Bella!
May 15th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Did you really just compare Meyer’s “clarity of vision” and “dark humor” to Palahniuk and Vonnegut? Come on now. Even Meyer’s has suggested her style is more like that of a fan fiction author than, say, Kurt Vonnegut.
May 15th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
Larry, thank you for sharing and congrats on the baby! Is your wife a TwilightMOM yet?
You have far more company than you think. I have men friends & relatives aged 49 to 92 who are reading it or have just finished it. The 70 year old loved it. The others are liking it but not yet finished.
We love you Larry! Keep up the good work!
May 15th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
That’s so true about the things you remember… except for the younger crowd, I think it’s more like you know where you were when the O.J. verdict was passed (I was in my high school biology class, and there was actually a TV in the room…), and you know where you were during 9/11 (I was working for Earthlink, and wondering as I sat down to take my usually slammed 6am calls, that none were coming on from the East Coast and thinging “what the–” when my roommate and cooworker told me to look at cnn.com, just as the second plane hit…) And I bought Twlight on March 25, this year, on my 28th birthday, after having a HUGE sushi dinner with my husband and going out to the movie “Juno”. It was a spur of the moment choice, because I’d just finished all of “The Dresden Files” and was looking for something new, and I love vampires.
Yeah. Been hooked ever since.
Oh… and Larry… I’ve coaxed my husband into reading it, now. He’s told me as of last night, he was just starting on the Port Angeles scene as Bella wanders off to find the bookstore. I just grinned and said: “And this is where it gets *GOOD*.” So far, he’s loving it, too. I’m hoping he’ll be as addicted as I am.
~Jenni
May 15th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
My 30yr old husband read the books BEFORE I did!! lol!
Thanks for all your Twilight coverage!! You’re awesome!
Angie
Age 35
May 15th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Larry,
It takes a true man to admit what you just admitted to the world in print. Thanks for sharing your wisdom and your tidbits with us. You’re a great advocate. Now I can link your article and share it with my brothers–”See! A guy can read Twilight and like it. Maybe you should too!”
Thanks for everything you do, Larry.
-Laurel
May 15th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
AMAZING article, Larry :D. It’s great to see that all people can enjoy this series, not just teenage girls.
Thanks for everything you do. You rock my world :P.
May 15th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
haha - love the article, Larry.
May 15th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
OME!!!! Your re-make of the Twilight cover has me screaming…”my eyes, my eyes!!!” I’m literally in tears at my work desk! I love you Larry and congrats again on the upcoming baby! Bless you for lovin’ Twilight!
May 15th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
Larry, you are too cool! We are so lucky to have you. And hey, no worries mate, Palahniuk is one of my faves too! But I am still addicted to Steph’s stuff.
May 15th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
Larry you are the coolest guy I don’t know! Thanks for giving us TwilightMoms our fix and for admitting that it’s a good book! I loved your article and your picture! Congrats on the baby!
May 15th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
i love this, larry.
and i love what you wrote.
its just so.. awesome.
no better word.
“You’re a 33-year-old man in the YA section! You look like Michael Jackson! Grab the book and get outta there!”
best line, ever.
May 15th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
OME!!! Your Twilight cover had me screaming…”my eyes, my eyes”! No seriously, I’m sitting at work laughing so hard there are tears forming! Thank you for all your Twilight efforts and congrats again on your up-coming baby!
May 15th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
aww! your story is so cute!
congratulations on the baby :))
May 15th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Larry! Ahh I love your story! Haha and I love the cover also. Congrats on your soon to be baby (:
May 15th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
No worries Larry, you’re not alone and you’re certainly not Micheal Jackson XD lol I know a bunch of guys who’ve read twilight (hell, ive even converted 3 guys into twilighters) they were really shocked when they finish reading it, b/c they thought it would be a total chick book ;P
anyways, Love Ya Larry, thanks for always keeping us posted!!!!
and again, congrats on (soon) being a twilight dad!
May 15th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
You’re not alone! My husband just finished the 3rd book, can’t wait for the 4th, and got chills watching the teaser trailer.
May 15th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Larry
While the fans have incited you to read the books, you have in turn, incited the fandom to seek out MTV. Something I haven’t done in a…well, it’s been a while, because MTV doesn’t exactly show music anymore, doesn’t really cover the bands I love, (Bloc Party, Arctic Monkeys, Strokes, Spoon, Rakes, of course Muse etc…,etc…) But I have become a fan of the site, thanks to you and the staff who realized before ET or E! News, or any of the others, that this phenomenon wasn’t a “Snakes on the Plane” web fluke. I not only read the articles, I actually COMMENT ON THEM! I never do that!
Also, my son, is a huge fan of the books and has the adoration of every girl in his class as a result. So, hopefully through your coverage and TWILIGHT guys finally coming out of the crypt…I mean closet…I think December could see an equal mix of male and female viewers. I hope so, anyway.
And if you get the chance to read this, where do we send the baby gifts? Seriously!!!
As always Larry, you ROCK!!!
Now, about the music….