It is almost impossible to go anywhere and not be bombarded by Twilight. It’s an infection sweeping the nation and an international phenomenon that spawned the cult of twi-hards.
Stephenie Meyer, author of the Twilight series of books, is slowly but surely taking over the world. While Meyer tries to dazzle the reader with images of sparkly heroes, the heroine of her quartet of top-selling novels is a shallow, insecure, clumsy, whiney pushover. This is the girl that millions of young ladies around the world now aspire to be like.
Twilight is teaching young women that, to be happy, you need a man to control your every action, a man who clearly has issues with jealousy and a woman’s independence.
According to the National Center for Domestic Violence, overly controlling jealousy is one of the indicators of domestic violence. Yet Meyer makes it seem all right that Edward the vampire sneaks into Bella’s bedroom most nights and “watches her sleep” or tries to kill himself because they are not together.
It completely does away with the ideals of equality and feminism that so many have fought for. Bella is more than happy to let Edward, her father, Jacob, the vampire high council and Edward’s family all run her life and tell her what to do and when to do it in the name of protecting her and the world. Then, when left alone, all she can do about the situation is fall into a deep and debilitating depression that causes her to act out in impulsive, dangerous and life-threatening ways.
Bella wants only one thing that goes against everyone else. She wants her completely not-gay, sparkly, 104-year-old boyfriend to kill her while she still is young and turn her into a vampire so they can be together forever. She forsakes her own independence, her family and a chance for a college education, all in the name of so-called love. She is incapable of being her own person; her character is molded by those around her.
Seriously, that is what this entire series is about. It is a miracle that it managed to sell one copy, let alone 85 million worldwide and in 38 languages. Worst of all, the final book in the series has Bella’s wish coming true and she and Edward procreating a hybrid human-vampire baby who already is in love with its mother’s former love interest. How screwed up is the entire Twilight universe that its followers want to live the same life as Bella?
Young women need positive, assertive role models who can, and will, stand up for themselves whether or not they find love. In the end, women need to be able to stand up for themselves. They need to set good examples for their daughters of the type of women they should grow up to be.
Bella Swan is none of those things. Edward Cullen is not Prince Charming. He is a PhotoShopped collage of everything women find attractive put in a sparkly, obsessive package. In reality, that is not what women need; it’s what they think they want. But like in all situations, the way something is imagined is way better than what it really is. Let’s be honest: Who really wants a cold, super-old guy constantly telling you what to do?
It is almost impossible to go anywhere and not be bombarded by Twilight. It’s an infection sweeping the nation and an international phenomenon that spawned the cult of twi-hards.
Stephenie Meyer, author of the Twilight series of books, is slowly but surely taking over the world. While Meyer tries to dazzle the reader with images of sparkly heroes, the heroine of her quartet of top-selling novels is a shallow, insecure, clumsy, whiney pushover. This is the girl that millions of young ladies around the world now aspire to be like.
Twilight is teaching young women that, to be happy, you need a man to control your every action, a man who clearly has issues with jealousy and a woman’s independence.
According to the National Center for Domestic Violence, overly controlling jealousy is one of the indicators of domestic violence. Yet Meyer makes it seem all right that Edward the vampire sneaks into Bella’s bedroom most nights and “watches her sleep” or tries to kill himself because they are not together.
It completely does away with the ideals of equality and feminism that so many have fought for. Bella is more than happy to let Edward, her father, Jacob, the vampire high council and Edward’s family all run her life and tell her what to do and when to do it in the name of protecting her and the world. Then, when left alone, all she can do about the situation is fall into a deep and debilitating depression that causes her to act out in impulsive, dangerous and life-threatening ways...
Twilight series promotes anti-feminism
Published: Thursday, March 4, 2010
Updated: Thursday, March 4, 2010
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