tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post833649440864846834..comments2023-10-12T03:40:53.964-04:00Comments on These Gentlemen: Beware Codependent VampiresDavid Pratthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741107987673246357noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-30028688542470105862009-12-10T10:58:53.482-05:002009-12-10T10:58:53.482-05:00First off, hooray for a Lindeboom post.
I haven&#...First off, hooray for a Lindeboom post.<br /><br />I haven't read Twilight, so unfortunately I can't speak to the debate. I can say that I very much enjoyed the Harry Potter books (except for Book 5, where J.K. Rowling apparantly decided Harry needed to express nothing but adolesecent rage for 600 pages), and from what I understand, I don't think I would enjoy Twilight. <br /><br />That said, it very well could be because I don't associate with the subset of teenage/emo culture it appeals to.<br /><br />Now what we really need to see is a big budget Twilight/Blade crossover.David Pratthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09741107987673246357noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-77218685143579480232009-12-10T10:34:40.478-05:002009-12-10T10:34:40.478-05:00So avoiding the Twilight vs. Harry Potter debate (...So avoiding the Twilight vs. Harry Potter debate (I have not read either and have no interest in doing so, but hey, reading is good, right?)<br />I take issue with one specific statement -<br />"The books were so thinly written (I started Twilight and made it 100 pages) that they were basically graphic novels without the pictures"<br /><br />Graphic Novels are not thin novels that need pictures to round out weak writing - they're an entirely different medium blending elements of visual art, writing, and film structure to create an entirely different reading experience. Good writing or bad writing is still good or bad, regardless of the medium.Jason Heathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15411144857939292461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-80681652451898206752009-12-10T10:23:21.443-05:002009-12-10T10:23:21.443-05:00@dialectric - I completely, totally, and 100% disa...@dialectric - I completely, totally, and 100% disagree. Harry Potter is a complex, dark series of books with some brilliant commentary on race, politics, and growing up, whereas Twilight is (terribly written) justification for the author's own life choices.<br /><br />In other words, there are some things that are popular because they are good, and there are some things that are popular because they are popular. Don't judge a book by its movie.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14292773360697246224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-50707652806549059942009-12-10T10:10:27.494-05:002009-12-10T10:10:27.494-05:00Honestly, I don't really se the difference bet...Honestly, I don't really se the difference between the whole Twilight furor and (get ready to hear righteous indignation) the whole Harry Potter thing. YES, YES, I know that the HP series is supposed to present women in a wholly different light, BUT - as someone who has only seen the movies lately, but read the first three books, I happen to think that every one except the latter day Hermione and well, Maggie Smith comes off as ditzy eye-candy for the Teen Beat set) In fact, the only genuinely interesting woman in the whole thing was Helena Bonham-Carter. And I think she was supposed to be well, evil. (Yes, Jason, that MAY, in fact, explain alot about my life, but leave it alone today, K?)<br /><br />My point is that, at the root of it, it is just a hero worship cult of a mediocre set of calculatingly targeted "product" books turned into Hollywood mythology. The books were so thinly written (I started Twilight and made it 100 pages) that they were basically graphic novels without the pictures: so - Hollywood supplied them. I don't know if something can technically be called misogynist if the men aren't any more fully realized or positively conceived - how about condescending and misanthropic? Twilight is just NASCAR for Emo Goths. And HP is the same thing for Geeks. (Don't get me started on Glee.) I get it, young people need to feel conformist while "not conforming - we all need our rallying point. But I have to admit - I liked sex drugs and rock and roll better.TilderSmithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02225979684723660429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-34024432701075285432009-12-10T08:43:09.717-05:002009-12-10T08:43:09.717-05:00Forget all that misogyny stuff for a minute and fo...Forget all that misogyny stuff for a minute and focus on the real problem:<br /><br />Vampires sparkle in the daylight, and that's why they live in the PAC Northwest. That's just the worst piece of writing ever. EVER. Little girls are being taught that you can be the laziest and most uninteresting writer ever and still make millions of dollars. This book is breeding a generation of essentially professional fan fic writers. I'm scarred for the future.Jstonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07923543330983189211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-47128575727801839462009-12-10T01:16:30.808-05:002009-12-10T01:16:30.808-05:00I one billion trillion katillion percent agree wit...I one billion trillion katillion percent agree with you. In fact, I've had a half-written post on just that subject in my head for weeks. So thank you, Matt, for putting it down so very cleanly.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14292773360697246224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-5259998320860287052009-12-10T00:43:32.632-05:002009-12-10T00:43:32.632-05:00Yeah, it is really, really bad:
http://www.tumblr...Yeah, it is really, really bad:<br /><br />http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/Twimom<br /><br />http://www.twilightmoms.com/Missie, The Unread Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10548256640926555361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-55895738490587755212009-12-10T00:20:17.968-05:002009-12-10T00:20:17.968-05:00Oh friends. You have no idea how bad it really is:...Oh friends. You have no idea how bad it really is:<br /><br />http://www.mylifeistwilight.com/ali dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07315380273775485622noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-45625998320148723382009-12-10T00:12:40.485-05:002009-12-10T00:12:40.485-05:00Awesome links Brett. The FML ones are scary, but I...Awesome links Brett. The FML ones are scary, but I never know whether to trust them. Kissing the window to see what it would be like to kiss Edward? Oy.Matt Lindeboomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08369802348011688039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-61390911936947053862009-12-09T23:52:52.789-05:002009-12-09T23:52:52.789-05:00@FarDareisMai - Agreed. Been saying that for a whi...@FarDareisMai - Agreed. Been saying that for a while now. I read that guardian article back when it was originally published and I always have it in mind. Given, I haven't actually read the books, but from what I hear (and from their representation in film) it's fairly spot on.Ozkirbashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17058172749734459717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-62096877800156685512009-12-09T23:49:46.800-05:002009-12-09T23:49:46.800-05:00http://www.fmylife.com/search/result/?texte=4989de...http://www.fmylife.com/search/result/?texte=4989de7c752ea&article=1<br /><br />The last one of the above is the scary one, assuming it is true.<br /><br />http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2009/04/14/tales-of-twilight-violence-flood-the-web-whats-yours/<br /><br />As referenced above, there are also tales - not all of which are true, but most likely not all of which are false, either - of violent reactions from Twilight fans to expressions of Twilight-dislike.Bretthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13313409866529435512noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-11373725398181304622009-12-09T23:42:12.049-05:002009-12-09T23:42:12.049-05:00@ FarDareisMai, thanks for your thoughtful comment...@ FarDareisMai, thanks for your thoughtful comment. I haven't read the books all the way through so I can't conclude on whether there are any female characters of any value, but it's a complaint I've read about and heard again and again about Twilight. <br /><br />It raises the question in situations like this: do books and movies like Twilight have a responsibility to be anything different (or better) than what they are?Matt Lindeboomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08369802348011688039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-62033794708161170412009-12-09T23:25:46.962-05:002009-12-09T23:25:46.962-05:00I've been saying this for a while now! My frie...I've been saying this for a while now! My friends with tween and teen daughters have to make sure the girls understand that the book is replete with horrible examples of relationships.<br /><br />Bella is defined by every male: she is a traditional caretaker for Charlie, she pines for Edward, who by the way is completely controlling and, if he was human would have a stalker restraining order against him. Edward leaves and she is only brought back to life by, you guessed it, another male: Jacob. <br /><br />There is not a single female character of redeeming value. Sure, Esme is very motherly and Rose and Alice are devoted, but their characters are given such short shrift as to be meaningless.<br /><br />Furthermore, we also learn that men can damage you physically, but that's okay if they really, really love you. The story of Sam and Emily is a perfect example: he loses control, nearly kills her, scars her horribly, but all is forgiven because he loves her, but he can't promise it won't happen again. It's like the script to a movie about domestic abuse.<br /><br />For adults the books are still a fun romp, and a reminder of a time when love was fresh and all consuming, and we swooned for the love of a man who would cease to exist if you did.<br /><br />But for young women and girls, the messages are confusing and dangerous.FarDareisMaihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13245841113208580492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-70171341827136667532009-12-09T23:15:08.174-05:002009-12-09T23:15:08.174-05:00@ ali - i'm trying to decide how less attracti...@ ali - i'm trying to decide how less attractive that guy would be without the accent, and it's extremely tough.neviehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08519661291471302542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-45311681558845728852009-12-09T22:37:50.857-05:002009-12-09T22:37:50.857-05:00Alex Reads Twilight:
http://bit.ly/8xzL9l
He'...Alex Reads Twilight:<br /><br />http://bit.ly/8xzL9l<br /><br />He's only up through Ch. 4, but it's hilarious, and he has a very nice accent. Well worth 15 minutes.ali dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07315380273775485622noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-4147187917216070062009-12-09T22:36:20.298-05:002009-12-09T22:36:20.298-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.ali dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07315380273775485622noreply@blogger.com