You may find the above "Onion News Network" clip hilarious or tasteless — or both. Either way, "Al-Qaeda Calls Off Attack On Nation’s Capital To Spare Life Of ‘Twilight’ Author" shows the cultural impact of the Twilight phenomenon in these early years of the 21st century.
Directed by David Slade, and starring Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, the third installment in the Twilight Saga franchise, has been doing excellent business the world over.
The Onion has some fun with the Twilight madness by announcing that an al-Qaeda terror plot was foiled by the presence of author Stephenie Meyer at a Washington, D.C., mall.
In the clip, we get to hear a Muslim terrorist/Twilight Saga aficionado thrilled because Robert Pattinson or Kristen Stewart may be present at Meyer’s D.C. book signing. (He is snatched right before Meyer signs his copy of Breaking Dawn.) We also learn that "al-Qaeda simply could not risk harming the woman who captured the alienation and sexual tension of adolescents so beautifully in her book series." And that Osama bin Laden himself is an avid Team Jacob member (see bin Laden’s T-shirt in the clip).
We’ve always heard of infighting among radical groups, but I, for one, had no idea that "there have always been factions [within al-Qaeda]; certain people believe Stephenie Meyer should be stoned to death for encumbering Jacob Black with so much heartache." Others are die-hard Meyer fans.
While poking fun at Muslim fanatics, Twilight naysayers, and the Twihards themselves, this Onion New Network satire clearly demonstrates the worldwide cultural importance of the Twilight books and the fervor of their devotees. And how the passion for Edward and Bella and Jacob and Pattinson and Stewart and Lautner has crossed all sorts of cultural barriers
In this particular case, Twilight fervor is so strong it eclipses all other lofty causes, in the process saving lives instead of destroying them.