Twilight
Top 10 reason why I hate Twilight (Scandalicious)
New Moon’s trailer was released May 31st, and already it has taken millions of people..... ahem, sorry, girls by storm. Torn between the dilemma of being in “Team Edward” or “Team Taylor”, girls all around the world literally, cannot wait for New Moon. And me? Well, Actually I am not waiting at all. Why’s that? Because I didn’t like Twilight. I can just hear the collective intake of breath from everyone reading this. Why don’t I like it? I watched the movie in December.
On December 18th to be precise. First day, first show and all that jazz. I went with my friends who were die-hard Twilight fans and watching a movie with someone squealing every five seconds is sort of... frustrating. It was not limited to my company alone. The entire theatre burst into little yelps and shrieks every now and then I also tried to read the book after the movie. It was a genuine and honest try.
It was so difficult to focus on and concentrate. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not one of those people who have to be forced to read anything. I’d rather read a book than go out and party into the wee hours of the morning. I stared at it in distaste, sneering at it, wondering what the matter was. But I can finish reading my Geography textbook faster than this piece of “so-called” literature. I can’t say whether the movie was better, or the book, because I couldn’t finish the book to compare. From what I read, the movie was quite close to the original... but it had to be, or Catherine Hardwicke would have a throng of teenage girls after her in no time. With blowtorches and swords and other dangerous weaponry.
So why don’t I like Twilight? Let me count the ways:
1) I found myself drifting off while reading the cafeteria scene between Bella when he’s meant to be “dazzling” her. Nobody “dazzles” anyone anymore. Bella doesn’t have to faint every time she sees Edward’s face now, does she? No matter how romantic the scenario, it’s a bit hard to... digest.
2) If Edward Cullen is meant to be out-of-this-world-beautiful, then why did they choose Robert Pattinson? There are so many other better looking guys around who would be more appropriate for the role! Stuart Townsend, or Gaspard Ulliel, James Franco, Ben Whishaw etc.
3) Everything was so awkward. Edward Cullen was wearing MANSTICK. Trust me, he WAS. How could anyone’s lips be that red without the aid of makeup? And the sparkling scene was just so fake! Speaking of fake and awkward, remember the Biology class, where Bella sits next to him for the first time?
4) And why does Bella not mind that her would-be boyfriend is a stalker who “likes to watch her sleep”? I’m really surprised that Bella only smiles when he says that. I would’ve expected her to slap him on the face. Twice.
5) Also, I’m a little confused about the age issues. If he’s been seventeen years old for a while, then he must be over 80 years old! Why is he lusting over a high school chick?
6) Um, Kristen Stewart? We need to talk. I know you’ve done some really edgy stuff way back when you were little, but please, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, take some acting lessons! I’m so sorry, but it’s the voice! The squinty eyes! The lack of emotion! And stop hitting on Robert Pattinson.
7) I always thought vampires were human bloodsucking creatures, which couldn’t go out into the sunlight, hated the crucifix, holy water, garlic, sunlight etc! I know Stephanie Meyer wanted to do this her own way, BUT WE GREW UP WITH THIS! You cannot take it away from us, and romanticize monsters! Do you have any idea what would happen if someone decided to completely change Frankenstein’s monster?
8) Vampires should not sparkle. What would have happened if Dracula sparkled? He would’ve been allowed to go out during the daytime. Think of how many people he would’ve killed by dazzling them!
9) Why does everyone in school like Bella so much? When new students come to our school, we treat them to a little curiosity, but not full on crushes! You don’t even know them! And I still don’t get the “shiny new toy” rubbish.
10) And lastly, why do I hate Twilight? Because it’s dangerous for our health. Because there cannot be someone as good looking as Edward Cullen in this world. Because vampires do not exist. Because Stephanie Meyer wrote this from a stupid dream. Because we want our novels to be written by real writers, not pretend ones.
Now, for the stuff I liked (which isn’t a lot, I’m afraid). I liked when all the vampires and Bella played baseball... although that may only be because of the awesome Muse song that was playing in the background. Speaking of which, the soundtrack wasn’t half bad (Iron and Wine, Mutemath, The Black Ghosts...impressive in terms of movie soundtracks), however my only irritation is that now little 12 year olds are listening to Muse and not appreciating it properly. I thought that the actor who was Jasper should’ve gotten more screen time too. However, regardless, what’s been written, will still be loved by millions of girls (and some boys) around the world, and nothing I say, or do will change that. Kudos to Meyer for having that kind of effect on teenage girls. Not. So that is why I won’t go watch New Moon.
Or I might, and then make another Top 10 reasons why I hated New Moon.
Did The Twilight Saga Ruin Literature? (Book Worm)
I've been the Book Worm columnist for a couple of months now, and because of all the Twilight hype I decided to keep a fair distance. I didn't want to get into the tug of war. But as I was researching for this weeks Literature News, I came across a blog entry that I simply couldn't ignore.
"Twilight" Crushes Literature Lovers' Souls
I was in shock. Twilight has taken it too far...
I'm a huge literature fan, and believe that the true heroes and heroines lie in the pages of a Bronte and Austen classic. What happened? Why are we now adapting the classics to suit a passing whim? Okay, breathe. Calm down. But how can I be calm? Not only are the books being made popular by a fictional girl, but now Bronte and Austen will be adapted into Twilight inspired films. Think I'm joking? Think again.
Many argue that Twilight inspires a love for reading and that it should be seen as positive rather than negative. I get that. I'm not saying that tweens and teens shouldn't read. But are they reading for the right reasons? If they were reading Pride and Prejudice, they would appreciate the eloquent word use, the enticing chapters filled with romance and betrayal, the tongue in cheek humour and the endearing yet real characters. Reading Twilight, the only endearing element was, of course, Edward and his glittery skin. You cannot feel Meyer's inner struggles between the lines. You can read over a thousand essays on the character growth of Jane Eyre, but you can't even tell me how Bella evolved throughout the books.
Has Twilight ruined literature? I hope not. I hope that both can exist in the same world. Twilight can replace Sweet Valley High and The Babysitters Club. It can act as a starting point for girls who don't like reading. But Twilight will never, ever come close to the true greats in literature. If you disagree with me, feel free to submit your comments and criticism. I'd love to hear from you. But until someone can prove me wrong, Twilight will never sit on the shelf next to Wuthering Heights and Sense & Sensibility.
So, the million dollar question: Team Edward or Team Jacob?
Hmmm. Team Austen.
Tags: twilight, book worm, reading, literature, news, twilight saga
Kristen Stewart Look (Style Files)
An interview of Twilight Series Star, Kristen Stewart with Nylon TV Magazine!
Her Look
Kristen Stewart incorporates this punk-rock and roll look in her outfits. Black and white are an essential color palette, among other dark and neutral colors. You can also find lots of studs in her look!
Nothing yells more punk and rock than skinny jeans. White and black work fine, but you can also incorporate fun colors like yellow, red and bright blue!
A key aspect in this look is hardcore boots and a heavy shoulder-padded jacket. A fun thing to do is incorporate fun tights, like this punk style skeleton leggings.
Where Do I Get This Look?
Cheap Monday Jeans have a large variety of unique and colorful pants, despite being a little expensive it wouldn't hurt to have a pair of them in your closet.
Wet Seal has a great selection of studded shoes and boots for great prices!
Forever21 has great prices on their trendy colorful bags that can add a special touch to your outfit.
Click on the images to shop!
Tags: style files, twilight, kristen stewart, fashion, rock, punk, bags, boots, studded, new moon
Twilight The Anti-Feminist: Love or Control? (Book Worm)
As I was researching for my previous Twilight article, I came across a few articles that interested me. These articles discussed whether the Twilight Series is anti-feminist. I thought it would be of value to my readers if we discussed this, because if these claims ring true, it could have a big impact on today's youth.
On The One Hand...
The main reason that critics believe Twilight is anti-feminist is due to the fact that Bella is willing to give up a huge part of her life to become a vampire. She plans her life around Edward, makes but a few plans for college and alienates her friends.
The Princess Diaries author Meg Cabot, known for her best-selling teen novels, describes her personal view as such: "I didn't take my husband's last NAME when we got married. Do you honestly think I'd like a story about a girl considering changing SPECIES for a guy? No offense to any of you, but as a feminist, I just can't go there... "
Not only have these claims been made on the books, but the new Twilight film, New Moon is also under scrutiny. In an article by http://www.telegraph.co.uk, Carmen Siering, assistant professor of English and women's studies at Ball State University, said: "With just a moment of critical analysis, feminists can't be too happy about how the latest episode in the Twilight series, adapted from Stephenie Meyer's popular books, represents a young woman and her place in the modern world. In fact, the New film is really just more of the same, only worse."
Bella is a passive character who remains in thrall to the "overbearing" Edward even after he dumps her, Siering said." (Read the rest here)
Other Side of The Fence...
In the FAQ section of her website, Stephanie Meyer addresses her fans and foes:
"When I hear or read theories about Bella being an anti-feminist character, those theories are usually predicated on her choices. In the beginning, she chooses romantic love over everything else. Eventually, she chooses to marry at an early age and then chooses to keep an unexpected and dangerous baby. I never meant for her fictional choices to be a model for anyone else's real life choices.
In my own opinion (key word), the foundation of feminism is this: being able to choose. The core of anti-feminism is, conversely, telling a woman she can't do something solely because she's a woman—taking any choice away from her specifically because of her gender. "You can't be an astronaut, because you're a woman. You can't be president because you're a woman. You can't run a company because you're a woman." All of those oppressive "can't"s. One of the weird things about modern feminism is that some feminists seem to be putting their own limits on women's choices. That feels backward to me. It's as if you can't choose a family on your own terms and still be considered a strong woman. How is that empowering? Are there rules about if, when, and how we love or marry and if, when, and how we have kids? Are there jobs we can and can't have in order to be a "real" feminist?" (Excerpt; read the rest here)
Conclusion...
So, does Twilight send an anti-feminist signal out to the reader? It seems to be up to interpretation. In my personal opinion, I don't think Stephanie Meyer intentionally wrote the Twilight series in an anti-feminist tone. However, Bella does not seem like a very strong character to me, and I don't believe her impulsive choices in love are a good example for girls. But we've all been there - you meet a guy and fall so hard it's hard to get up, you let go of friends and let your grades slip - until reality snaps you out of it.
The main issue this brings to light, in my opinion, is how teen literature affect the life choices and self-esteem of girls. Like movies, music and magazines all play a part, books also have a firm hand in the message sent to young woman. We need to ask ourselves these questions: How healthy are your relationships? How aware are your parents of your choices? How important is school to you?
And lastly.. How far are you willing to go for love?
Tags: twilight, book worm, reading, bella swan, teen love, anti-feminist
Inspiring Dreams: Stephenie Meyer (Sweet Dreams)
Embarr, 22 from Arizona writes...
Over the next few weeks or so we will be doing a series of articles on dreams that inspire. I'm sure all of us have had a dream of this kind at some point -- maybe many times -- in our lives. Something in your dream sparks a flame in you and you're creating a piece of artwork, solving a problem that's been on your brain for weeks, or inventing something new. Believe me when I say that many of today's creations, wonderful and surprising, all started as a dream somewhere.
Stephenie Meyer and Twilight
To start off our series, we are going to go over a more recent and well known creation that was inspired by a dream. Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series. According to Stephenie Meyer, on June 2nd she "woke up from a very vivid dream". This dream may be familiar to Twilight readers or to anyone who has seen the first movie of the series. The scene where Bella and Edward are in the meadow? That part of the story was most directly inspired by the dream Stephenie Meyer had.
"...two people were having an intense conversation in a meadow in the woods. One of these people was just your average girl. The other person was fantastically beautiful, sparkly, and a vampire. They were discussing the difficulties inherent in the facts that A) they were falling in love with each other while B) the vampire was particularly attracted to the scent of her blood, and was having a difficult time restraining himself from killing her immediately. For what is essentially a transcript of my dream, please see Chapter 13 ("Confessions") of the book."
Waking up from this dream on June 2nd, in 2003, Meyer got to work on what would be one of the most popular teen books of America and continue on to be the most popular teen movies as well. Team Jacob? Team Edward? That and more all took root and grew from a dream. Amazing, right? It makes you wonder if one day one of your own dreams will result in a bestseller.
So, the main question I have about this dream is... sparkly vampires? It's the first question I really had when I first heard of the vampires of this popular teen series. When it was revealed that this was actually inspired by a dream, I became immediately interested. What sort of meaning could be behind the dream that Stephenie Meyer described? Well, this isn't a science but let's see what the possibilities are. Vampires are sexual creatures. It's not surprising that the vampire would be beautiful if it was depicting a sexually attractive being. The fact that he sparkles could mean a number of things. It's certainly changing the status of the vampire in this dream though. It makes him seem more precious, god-like, or awe-worthy. At the same time, there is the conflict of this character falling in love with what is essentially its prey. He is drawn to this "average girl" by an emotion that is different from the typical lust that is characteristic of vampires but at the same time wants to give into this lust for blood. Is what Stephenie Meyer's described a conflict of simple lust and a higher, purer love?
What do you think?
Tags: twilight, dreaming, inspired, stephenie meyer