tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264581077330970620.post1232249699376063217..comments2023-09-26T05:14:02.611-04:00Comments on o filthy grandeur!: Presentations of violence and gender in the Twilight novelsFilthyGrandeurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08939478425921080818noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264581077330970620.post-77284477374092493452009-12-05T22:09:47.491-05:002009-12-05T22:09:47.491-05:00Read or watch Let the Right One In if you need/wan...Read or watch <i>Let the Right One In</i> if you need/want any proper "vampire romance".<br /><br />At times touching, melancholy, tender, sweet, chilling, and tragic, it is everything Twilight is not, and never could be.vromancenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264581077330970620.post-58429233729402630632009-11-23T21:32:22.183-05:002009-11-23T21:32:22.183-05:00Very well said. All of this. I agree with everythi...Very well said. All of this. I agree with everything, and I had very similar thoughts when reading these books. (I'm reading the 4th book right now. I needed a break from good books, I guess). Some more thoughts:<br /><br />- I was also really disapointed with Jacob turning into a douchebag. I got extremely pissed when he sexually assaluted Bella. (The forced kiss). He was my favorite character until that part. Her dad approving of it was even more disgusting, and I'm glad you pointed it out. It was probably the most disapointing part of the books for me.<br /><br />- As many other critisisms have pointed out: the books are basically just like bad fan fiction. Bella is a Mary-Sue. Every other character is madly in love with her even though she has no idea why. (As a reader, I have no idea why either.) She never developes as a character throughout the entire series. (but I still need to finish the last book, so maybe I'm being unfair). The only character who developes is Jacob. As already stated, he turns into a douchebag. <br /><br />- The things I do like about this book kind of make me more angry about it. It feels like wasted potential of a good idea. Like you said, the story is decent. I also like the idea of vampires trying to live like normal people. (Like all of them playing baseball. That was amusing to me). But her writing is so bad that it ruins it.<br /><br />-The 4th book...what I've read so far...WTF?!?! I didn't plan to read this book, but then I read spoilers for it. The spoilers seemed so outrageous and unbelievable that I had to read it for myself. Yeah...they were all true. WTF?!?!<br /><br />As for links, have you watched the "Buffy vs Edward" video on youtube? I highly recommend you do.<br />You should also check out the explanation from the creator of the video: http://www.wimnonline.org/WIMNsVoicesBlog/?p=1272 <br /><br />(Sorry if you've read this already!)stufflikemikanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08100198581699698113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264581077330970620.post-66142369327147085302009-11-22T22:53:04.164-05:002009-11-22T22:53:04.164-05:00thanks! and i notice also in regards to the fan si...thanks! and i notice also in regards to the fan sites that any criticism of the novel is misconstrued, and the twilight fans work themselves into a frothing frenzy to defend it (here's a post which you might find amusing: http://jezebel.com/5343390/the-twilighters-are-mad-and-theyre-not-going-to-take-our-crap-anymore).FilthyGrandeurhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08939478425921080818noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264581077330970620.post-2576855546487897572009-11-22T22:26:23.386-05:002009-11-22T22:26:23.386-05:00love this post! i'm actually writing a paper f...love this post! i'm actually writing a paper for grad school right now on violence against women in the twilight saga. it's encouraging to find critical reactions to the books - most of the major fan sites out there hardly mention some of the problems you mentioned, let alone discuss them intelligently.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264581077330970620.post-12059405478383537282009-11-22T21:33:29.667-05:002009-11-22T21:33:29.667-05:00interesting points. however you'll notice that...interesting points. however you'll notice that all i did was point out the differences between the masculine characters being masculine, and the feminine characters being feminine. men being stereotypically aggressive and portraying even powerful women as graceful are over used cliches. <br /><br />also, i find it interesting that you were able to parse the gender roles and relationship of Bella vs. Charlie, but not those of the vampires.FilthyGrandeurhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08939478425921080818noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264581077330970620.post-57179281914112410212009-11-22T21:24:58.263-05:002009-11-22T21:24:58.263-05:00Well, you mention in the beginning of the blog abo...Well, you mention in the beginning of the blog about femininity and how the female vampires are portrayed as graceful, while the males are portrayed as agressive. I find nothing at all wrong with that. It seems that you don't equate femininity with stregnth, but in my opinion, femininity is equal with masculinity. Although there are differences between the male and female sexes, there is equality. There is nothing wrong with being graceful, and the female vampires are portrayed as having an equal amount of stregnth as the males. As long as both sexes are portrayed as equally strong, there is nothing wrong with females being more graceful, and males being more aggressive. But I completely agree with you on your other points, such as the fact that Edward is stalkerish and frequently threatens her. Also, another point you can add to your analysis is the traditional gender role of Bella cooking and cleaning for her dad. He goes hunting and fishing, while she cooks and cleans for her. That traditional role I find oppressive and horrible, but I don't find that being feminine is in any way being weak.Shiftingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264581077330970620.post-78974650346257138642009-11-21T23:38:27.744-05:002009-11-21T23:38:27.744-05:00absolutely. i was very upset by that, and the othe...absolutely. i was very upset by that, and the other examples of his controlling behavior.FilthyGrandeurhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08939478425921080818noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264581077330970620.post-58021568755172093092009-11-21T22:51:39.280-05:002009-11-21T22:51:39.280-05:00Also under "Violence is Romance", I thin...Also under "Violence is Romance", I think him taking the engine out of her car just to keep her from talking to someone else is veeeery problematic. It's basically an abusive behavior.DalalNnoreply@blogger.com