Twilight
I’ve been fretting about whether to post this or not. I’m not a Twilight fan, but, as frequently observed, I’m a cow of a reader, and that I don’t like something doesn’t mean anything but that I don’t like something. I don’t like Shakespeare, right? I’m totally not to be trusted. Also there’s Pollyanna, or my reasons behind Pollyanna: I don’t want snarky comment vibes hanging around my blog. To this professional public writer this feels like inviting bad karma.
But . . . I’ve also made my career on Girls Who Do Things. About how us girls–of any age–are just as capable of adventures as the boys are. I think it’s important that both genders feel that they can do anything: kill dragons, rescue sweethearts, be president*. I’ve told this story before: that when I started out with BEAUTY thirty [sic] years ago, I assumed that my generation of writers would have righted the literary balance against girls doing things by now. This hasn’t happened. And it’s not happening in the subsequent generation(s) of writers either. Us Buffy cult members exist, but we’re far from an overwhelming majority of the reading and/or evil-ass-kicking public.
I am bothered by Twilight, because of the message it’s sending to young women. (And young men, for that matter.) I am bothered by the fact that, given the message, it is as fantastically popular as it is. I haven’t read a lot about it, beyond that it’s a phenomenon, and I’m sure these arguments have been made elsewhere. But I thought this was a good clear-eyed cogent discussion of them–and worth posting. Despite Pollyanna. There’s a point, for me, where being Pollyanna becomes not standing up for what I believe in. And I believe–passionately–in the autonomy of women.
I hope you’ll read this essay. I have no difficulty saying I agree with it. But I am not starting a discussion. It would be way too easy for any discussion to disintegrate into a slanging match. To any mod on duty: Please do not post a thread for this entry. And to any of you Twilight fans out there who are bursting to defend it . . . sorry about that. But . . . well . . . it’s my blog.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2008/dec/04/twilight-film-vampire
* or secretary of state
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