On Sept. 27, 2005, Stephenie Meyer redefined the meaning of “cult classic” when she published the novel “Twilight.” This novel and its subsequent sequels laid the foundational outline for the young adult vampire genre. The epic love story between Bella Swan and Edward Cullen has evolved into a universe of five books, five movies and a monstrous social media presence that has kept fans engaged for decades. 

University of Utah student Kelly Loverso is steadfast in her love for the franchise and has enveloped herself in the books and movies many times.

“I think the entire concept and material overall is timeless because it has inspired so much media like ‘The Vampire Diaries’ and ‘Teen Wolf,'” Loverso said. “It’s really had such an impact on teen media.”

In recent months, “Twilight” has reemerged as a focal point of media interest and fans are bringing its memorandum back from the dead in many ways. 

Where Have You Been, Loca?

“The Twilight Saga” has definitely made its mark on the world of social media as it has inspired too many memes to count.

“They are obviously a little cringe now, and you can definitely tell that they were made in the early 2000s,” Loverso said.

Some of the most iconic lines from the franchise like “Bella, where the hell have you been, loca?” have been turned into humorous TikTok staples.

When Edward reveals his immortality to Bella, he shows her that his skin glitters like diamonds in the sun, to which she responds in admiration much to Edward’s dismay.

 “This is the skin of a killer, Bella,” he said, which is allegedly the fandom’s idea of peak comedy because they have evolved it into a full scale trend.

They are recording anything and everything they can find that sparkles, including cars and snow,  and using that quote as the corresponding caption. Some fans have gone as far as to stick craft gems to their faces in order to recreate the movie scene. 

While the franchise’s soundtrack features an array of popular songs across all genres, “Eyes on Fire,” a song by Blue Foundation has left a lasting impression on fans. The introductory ad-lib to the song has been likened to sounding like “hoa hoa hoa,” thus fueling the idea of “hoa hoa hoa season” on social media.

The novel says that Forks, Washington is “under a near-constant cover of clouds.”

“Hoa hoa hoa season” refers to the time of year that fans feel most tempted to binge-read or watch the series, which is usually when the weather resembles that of Forks. 

“Hold on Tight, Spider-Monkey”

Megaplex Theaters have created a nationwide event called “$5 Reel Deals” where movie enthusiasts can relive the theatrical experience of viewing iconic family films and timeless classics for just $5 a ticket and the “Twilight” saga made the cut. In January, fans were able to watch all five of the films individually or in marathon sequence at select Megaplex locations. The Megaplex at Valley Fair Mall even had photo booths set up to look like scenes from the movie including a faux baseball diamond backdrop and baseball bat. 

Surprise! Not only is the city of Forks, Washington home to a crew of sultry vampires and werewolves, it is also a very real place to go on vacation. A stay in Forks offers the opportunity for a guided tour around all of the most memorable scenes from the saga called “The Twilight Tour.” It includes the beautiful woods, Jacob Black’s house, a photo op next to Bella’s rusty pick-up truck and even a jaunt across La Push Beach.

As Meyer says, “It’s La Push baby, La Push.”

Whether through a movie marathon, book club mantra or a trip to Forks itself, fans are reviving “The Twilight Saga” and regardless of its cringe-factor, are loving it once again.

“They aren’t critically acclaimed or the best movies, but they are such a fun watch and they are almost so bad that they are good,” Loverso said. “As media consumers we need movies that are just to watch and not have to think too much about.

Meyer’s fictional world that highlights the intricacies of the undead has truly redefined what immortality in the media industry looks like because her stories just keep coming back to life.

j.thornblad@dailyutahchronicle.com

@thornrosejayy