The Problem With Twilight
- Thread starter MovieBob
- Start date
You've summed up very well what's so, so wrong with these books and films. Thank you.
It's a shame most young girls interested in Twilight won't read this or, worse, will claim that you "don't get it" as they defend their beloved fandom.
It's a shame most young girls interested in Twilight won't read this or, worse, will claim that you "don't get it" as they defend their beloved fandom.
Silly Bob! The Middle ages didn't have wars fought over a single woman. That is the stone age we are talking about! Hit girl with club and she is yours to drag to your cave! Get your history right.MovieBob said:
I'm so glad someone else sees the problems with this series that I do.MovieBob said:
Although I worry much more about teaching girls that their lives should revolve around a guy (or two), then brainwashing them into thinking they have to stay virgins. An entire generation of girls who can't think for themselves just scares me, thats all there is to say.
There are SOOO many better books for teenage girls with MUCH better messages . . . not to mention better writing. Although I'm pretty sure I've read elementary school book reports with better writing than this series
Well said, Bob. I've drawn much the same conclusions in my interpretations of the films, and the underlying metaphor of these books and movies troubles me quite deeply. I'm not sure whether it's better or worse that this franchise is aimed at young girls. On the plus side, I'd say overwhelmingly the (pre) teens watching and reading probably aren't picking up on the underlying message (at least not in any explicit way), but at the same time, how can anyone make that claim that the characters interactions aren't still informing their world-view?
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Actually watched the films and got just extremely bored. Its like endless soap opera with fancy pants effects. Nothing more. Nobody takes real action to move things foreward.
Two best videos of twilight:
Why its popular:
How it should have ended:
Two best videos of twilight:
Why its popular:
How it should have ended:
For those that don't know. Stephanie Meyer is a Mormon. She went to BYU and grew up in a conservative culture where abstinence until marriage is the norm. These books were never supposed to go with the norm and I as much as anybody else is surprised that anybody outside of Utah even read these books. Don't get me wrong, I hate Twilight (I'm a fan of "Nymphos of Rocky Flats" and the other vampire books that follow Felix Gomez...if you want vampire fiction about sex...there you go!).
So within the conservative culture that is was written in the books make sense and follow values that quite honestly many people find quite fulfilling (no matter how unfathomable it is to normal people). However, MovieBob is right, these books really don't make sense in the mainstream world and smacks a lot of long accepted beliefs in vampires and modern life in general in the face. But I fault movie makers and publishers for trying to sell this story to those outside of the intended market.
So yeah in my opinion MovieBob is right as far as "mainstream" goes. For the audience the author had in mind when writing these books, I don't think they are so bad.
So within the conservative culture that is was written in the books make sense and follow values that quite honestly many people find quite fulfilling (no matter how unfathomable it is to normal people). However, MovieBob is right, these books really don't make sense in the mainstream world and smacks a lot of long accepted beliefs in vampires and modern life in general in the face. But I fault movie makers and publishers for trying to sell this story to those outside of the intended market.
So yeah in my opinion MovieBob is right as far as "mainstream" goes. For the audience the author had in mind when writing these books, I don't think they are so bad.
I'm glad you mention what's always been my opinion; it's the bad writing and not the bad morals that make Twilight bad. But unfortunately, that kind of "morals" is very easy to make some people buy; remember the old adage: If it's fun, it's sinful.
For perspective's sake, though, is the "your life revolves around your life interest" any different from any romantic comedy? I mean, a review of even some of Gaiman's work would have some very similar undertones of female vulnerability, male heroism, ect.Ridergurl10 said:I'm so glad someone else sees the problems with this series that I do.MovieBob said:
Although I worry much more about teaching girls that their lives should revolve around a guy (or two), then brainwashing them into thinking they have to stay virgins. An entire generation of girls who can't think for themselves just scares me, thats all there is to say.
There are SOOO many better books for teenage girls with MUCH better messages . . . not to mention better writing. Although I'm pretty sure I've read elementary school book reports with better writing than this series
Every form of media focused on romance is based in large part on the premise that "my life revolves around my love". I mean, come on, from D.N Angel and Full Metal Panic to Stardust, to John Cusack's extended resume, it's all about obsession (perhaps love) being the driving force in someone's life.
True, the male-centric stories tend more toward the deed of daring do, but even that's tinged by the "manipulative *****" aspect; and if we assume that young men are just as empty-headed as young women, then the entire catalog of tropes in that genre are doing just as much harm.
How about we count it all as escapist fantasy, and assume that the readers (male and female) can distinguish between fiction and reality.
On the issue of Bella's self, sacrifice, though, it does raise an interesting question. If the roles were significantly reversed, and a guy had to harm himself/endanger his life in order to protect or aid his love interest, would we bat an eye? When Richard in the Sword of Truth series does stupid shit in order to protect Kahlan, do we consider it wrong? When Harry Dresden becomes self-destructive and retarded after the loss of his girlfriend (and, arguably, the love of his life), do we view it as self-indulgent crap, or as legitimate character development?
Maybe I'm spending too much time defending a series I don't have any actual affection for (and I have defended the mythological "everyone makes shit up" aspect of vampire stories), but it seems like the same behavior we deride in Bella (and consider antediluvian) we would praise in a male character.
I can talk about the "virginity/honor killing" thing another time, it just feels like we're not being entirely fair.
I had absolutely no idea that this series embodied that much evil.
In all seriousness, there is no way that Meyer thought of all that when she wrote it. I mean, I can't imagine why she would. If Bobs analysis is on the ball(And it usually is, he's pretty damn good), then it's taking a step back to when women wouldn't have been able to write a book in the first place. I think it's all pretty well coincidental, though that doesn't make the impact any less real. However, I think the saving grace to this are the fangirls. The utterly moronic fangirls that are just showing up for fan service and NOT reading into this at all. They're just there to see pretty boys and that's it.
In all seriousness, there is no way that Meyer thought of all that when she wrote it. I mean, I can't imagine why she would. If Bobs analysis is on the ball(And it usually is, he's pretty damn good), then it's taking a step back to when women wouldn't have been able to write a book in the first place. I think it's all pretty well coincidental, though that doesn't make the impact any less real. However, I think the saving grace to this are the fangirls. The utterly moronic fangirls that are just showing up for fan service and NOT reading into this at all. They're just there to see pretty boys and that's it.
The scariest part of this to me is that no one, or very few, see the underlying scariness. The media touts Twilight as a good role-model book for girls, but really? I don't want my hypothetical daughter to think she has to be a satellite to a man and that her soul worth is derived and defined by who she's with.MovieBob said:
I understand the draw of the teen fantasy, but sometimes at that age it's also hard to objectively step back and say this is a fun man to fantasize about, but in real life he would be on Cops.
The movie is good because every girl has a crush for every guy in the cast and the other audiencies think that is just another story about a good-looking guy who loves a good-looking girl the only difference that this movie has,is that the guy is a vampire.
