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Question: How many people think Twilight is misogynistic!?
I have seen Twilight the movie and read the first book!. I work in a book store so I know how popular the books have become!. A number of the female staff members!.!.!. and male staff members also LOVE the books!.
However, i find the attitudes, not particularly the story but rather the MESSAGE of the books to be a bit disturbing, not to mention weak in terms of vampire folklore and symbolism!. Many people comment on hating Twilight but many many more people love it to bits!. I want to know why!?
I do not like it because a) the premiss of Bella and Edwards relationship comes across as misogynistic and the is also absolutely zero edge to their romance!.!.!. I thought people, teenage especially, liked edgy stories with characters who don't conform to the perfect ideal their parents would hope for them!? The film shows Edwards amazingly white, blonde family who are rich and perfect!. How monstrous!.!.!. Ultimately the story comes across as a tale of abstaining for teen sex and getting marriage and having babies! Wow!.!.!. how rebellious are youth these days!.
B) the movie just cements how NOT-vampirish these "bloodsuckers" are!. They don't kill people, and they don't even look like monsters or act that way!. They glitter for gods sake!. The vampire myth stems from ideas of plague, sexually transmitted decease and uncontrollable animal lust - for blood and sex!. they are suppose to frighten and at the same to seduce you, despite being monstrous and EVIL!. The story alludes to these ideas ever so gentally, but again, lacking any edge or horror aspect!.
So what we are left with is a story of two teens who meet, like each-other, and don't have sex until they are married and when they DO finally have sex, they have a baby (I could go into the pro-life ideas at this point but why bother)!. Did Bella ever state if she wanted to study, become a famous artist, become a brain surgeon, help starving kids in Africa or open her own bakery!? No!.!.!. i didn't think so!. She had a baby!. Good for her!.
So the story might move along at a good pace and kids might be able to identify with the (bland and boring) female lead!.!.!.!. but I wouldn't mind if some of these kids gave some thought to what the messages are and if you hold Bella and Edward up as their perfect couple!.!.!. maybe could you tell me why!?Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
No you are completely and totally right!. Twilight is incredibly anti-feminist and misogynistic!. Do a quick background search on Stephanie Meyer (whoops, obviously StephEnie Meyer, good grief) and you find she is a poster child for the uber mormon!. Mormonism is a patriarchal religion that gives women almost no agency of their own!. Twilight is disturbing because it illustrates so so many aspects of the mormon belief system!. (Chastity, women as Eve/sin, ever continuing education through many celestial/immortal lifetimes, demi gods and mysticism, etc!. etc!.) It gets worse and more obvious as the series progresses!. The biggest issue my wife took with it was the first book and the cover with the apple!. Why not just change the title to: "It started with Eve and now all women are sinners who ruin men and the world!." Maybe stick a go team edward in there or something!. I read an interview somewhere where SM actually says that yes, she based Bella on Eve--how original! I just shook my head!.
ps!. I should add that being completely angry/annoyed/aghast at the misogynistic core of this book doesn't stop me, my wife and our friends from loving Twilight!. We just laugh and point out all the obvious mormon and bible references later!. Good stuff!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
I havn't read the book!. I don't believe in reading books that everyone is freaking out over!. I read Harry Potter before it was cool to read lol
But now I must go read it, to see if it's exactly like this post :-)Www@QuestionHome@Com
Totally agree with you, hahaha, you probably put a huge question mark over Twilight lovers heads with misogynistic, cuz generally, they never move on to REAL literature afterwards, IN MOST cases
Hahahaha, see what I mean with JewelWww@QuestionHome@Com
if the writer make it just like an ordinary day like us
it would be so HIT selling :) beside those vampire things, edward bella make everything sounds so sweet and impossible, deathful, dangerous yet bit to die for :DWww@QuestionHome@Com
what do this word mean!?
misogynistic!?!?!?!!!Www@QuestionHome@Com
yea the message i think is wrong but could be misleading and they changed the movie too much compared to the bookWww@QuestionHome@Com
Yes, its true, Bella and Edward are modeled as the perfect couple, and they are in many ways!.!.!. But they are so not!.
For example, in one of the books (I cannot remember) but Bella started taking off her shirt, and she wanted to have sex with Edward!. But Edward refused to!.
also, because Edward's a vampire, there's always that hidden fear that Edward will slip and kill Bella!.
A lesson Twilight teaches is that with every change, no matter who's fault there is, there shall be a consequence, or just even a risk involved!. For example, in Twilight, when Bella moved to Forks (change), she gave up beeing with her mother more, her hometown, and her favorite weather (the risks!)
also, in the baseball field, when Laurent, Victoria, and James came in (change), While Laurent was talking to the Cullens, James noticed Bella was human!. James said "Oh you brought a snack!." to the Cullens when figuring this out!. Because they aren't "vegatarian" vampires, they drink human's blood, so the risk was Bella being killed!.
If you'd like more detail just ask!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
K, I'm changing my whole answer to this question!. No, they aren't the perfect couple but things aren't black and white!. Who is to say that they are all bad, because they wanted to have sex!? Duh, why would they get married if they weren't attracted to each other!? But they waited until they were married, and the way reviewers and commenter's talk about that aspect, it's like we're getting the wrong message that way!.
I never really saw a message in the story!. I saw two people who were in love and growing up!. They made decisions and dealt with the consequences!.
When it's all said and done it's just four books!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Yes it is misogynistic!. The books end with (spoiler) her settling down, getting married and having a baby!. This is the girl who loved school work and had a good future ahead of her, but her life (because Edward isn't a someone she loves; he's someone she can not live without) no longer leaves space for a fulfilling career!. She basically gave up her life to be with this guy!. If you read the online story (Breaking Dawn, I think)!. Edward continues to refer to the girl as "fragile" and speaks to her condescendingly!.!.!. It's all very annoying!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
I was at an author talk for a great ya author Laurie Halse Anderson!. On a bit of a tangent what she said is that the Twilight books lack an undercurrent message to carry them through!.
So you can argue that the problem is that they are all surface story!. There is really no depth to them at all!. Its the currents below the surface of the ocean that moves things; without that current, its stagnat water, and stagnat water gets stale and boring fast!.
I think Meyer did a better job with the Host, in that book I really felt that there was a question hidden under it!.
As far as misogynistic goes are you sure you want to use that word!? I double checked that word and it basically means hatred toward women!. Ya, I know Bella isn't the best represtation out there of women but I'm not sure if I would go that far!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
I hate Twilight for many reasons, especially the bad messages!. Bella Sue and Edward are in lust, not love!. The fans don't seem to realize that!.
The book is filled with blatant sexism!. Not one strong female character!. Every girl in the book is obsessed with her boyfriend!.
The worst message, in my opinion, is the abusive relationship!. It's glorified and seen as "true love"!. It's only a matter of time before some twihard gets in a relationship with a stalker, thinking abusive behavior is romantic!.
Wouldn't it be awesome if Oprah did a show about Twilight!? She'd tear it apart!. I'd love to see fans try to defend it after that!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
You obviusluy have no life first of all to write so much!. Twilight is one of the greatest books ever!. It is not about what you are saying!. Twilight is about the struggle between unforbidden love!. The struggle of knoing every momnet that your with the person you love you are risking your life just to be with that person!. To know that this person that you love could expose your secret at any given time!. Its about having so much trust in someone to trust them with your life!. Its about the love that every single girl dreams of!. Thats what the whole basis of the book is about!.
Hope this helps!.Www@QuestionHome@Com