to wonder about the Twilight obsession

[crashingwaves]

I have read the books: not quite my cup of tea but I quite enjoyed the first one. But anyway - can someone explain to me what it is about Edward/Jacob that sends grown women into a flurry? Really don't understand it too well!

"and call me a grumpy socks but I don't understand what the fuss is about with him as he's bland and boring as hell."

Totally agree Yukana. Another grumpy old socks here then

I hate Twilight. I read them and had to finish the series and the whole time I was thinking "what the actual fuck!?". The whole series is one gorl's choice between necrophilia and bestiality and the underlying message of "ugly you have sex outside of marriage you will die a horrible death an be damned forever" gets a bit much.

I'm also creeped out by grown women lusting over the actors, especially that Taylor kid who was something like 15 when he made the first film. Not to mention that one of the central characters is a 100 year old man lusting after a 16 year old girl. And another is a 17 year old boy in love with a newborn baby. Twilight: the acceptable face of paedophilia.

I was incredibly creeped out by the final book where he chews a baby out of her. Seriously.

And as a final note: men who are reluctant to date you, have good hair, and wear glitter aren't vampires. They're gay.

Arghhh, it truly is a saga. I've only seem one of the films and that with my nineteen year old niece who is a fan so can't comment on the rest but how depressing! Can see the appeal for over-emotional teenage girls but grown women? Surely not?
Also why are adults reading fiction aimed at children/teenagers? Application enclosed for full membership of the grumpy socks club.

When DD starting reading the books, I thought (was worried) she'd like them. I didn't comment, but when she'd finished reading, asked her what she thought. Her reply: "Edward's creepy and controlling, no way would I go out with anyone like that."

I can't see the attraction to a sulky, sparkly vampire.

Hugh, I salute you for the excellent job you've done with your DD

My 16yo cousin felt the same, I was so proud.

Until reading this I never realised how bad twilight actually is. I did enjoy the books (the last one went on a bit, however) and I quite liked the films but what someone said further up is interesting and makes you think (about the abusive tendancies of both main characters that just go over-looked). Something that didn't sit well with me was the whole "inprinting" thing, I think the question of "does the other person get any say in it?" is asked in the book but never really answered implying that no, they don't! The whole thing about being in love with a baby and one of the werewolf women's faces being almost tore off by her husband etc - You could put a lot of the film down to domestic violence, abuse and paedophilia!!

I know on my facebook 30+ year old women get really excited over vampire diaries and post status updates like "only 10 minutes till vampire diaries is on!!! xxx"

Stillfrazzled thanks I'm glad your cousin's got the same opinion on it.

CBear6 he chews the baby out of her? Seriously? And this is marketed at young teenage girls?

I don't find RPattz attractive at all either, wouldn't touch him with a stolen one.

Would you deconstruct an episode of, say, Sex and the City in the same way?(equally trashy and damaging, IMHO)

Twilight is a badly written piece of glorified chick-lit and you give it more importance than it deserves. Having said that, for those of us whose lives are not good enough to brag about, but not bad enough to feel we can complain, it is an enjoyable, escapist read. As another poster said, it brought me back to those days when I was able to feel intense longings for boys I barely knew. And honestly, is waiting until you get married a worse message to send than "shag everything that moves, and have your most meaningful relationship with a pair of shoes" message that seems to be the point of the SATC girls.

As a teenager, I used to devour Mills&Boon every so often and I think this is in the same vein. Lots of women lust over fictional men who never heard of feminism and silence their silly female nonsense with a swoon-inducing kiss. I still managed to grow up and find myself a thoroughly enlightened partner who in no way resembles my M&B heros.

You may not like it, but it's harmless.

Yes, I would and have deconstruct SATC. Agree it is 'equally trashy and damaging' and also directly responsible for the fecking cupcake obsession that gets on my tits something chronic.

So I am at least consistent

That's 'deconstructED', obviously. Gaaah.

I don't think it is necessary to deconstruct it that much. The relationship is obviously weird, creepy and abusive. I have a DD and have sat through pretty much every teen movie including the supernatural stuff, so it isn't as if I'm comparing it to 'Woman on the Edge of Time' in order to think of it as a negative book for teens to be reading.

Consistency is good It irritates me when e.g. a woman of my acquaintance (who will buy the booker shortlist annually; she's a serious reader, dontcha know) said it was dreadful but was when I told her she couldn't borrow the sequels from me because I re-read them occasionally. And would refuse to answer the phone because SATC was on. With no sense of irony.

HeidiKat, yup. She starts to break or die or something because of the pregnancy (can't remember the exact details) so he performs an impromptu caesarean. With his teeth. And then the wolf boy wants to kill the baby but falls in love with it instead but will wait until she's old enough before making his move (grooming, anyone?).

It is mentioned about imprinting that what if the person being imprinted on isn't into it - the answer is along the lines that it's hard to resist that level of devotion and love from someone, seems a bit obsessive/stalkerish to me.

I personally think that Twilight sends an awful message to young girls and that Bella Swan is a terrible role model. She can't function without a man, will happily sacrifice university/a career/her life in order to stay with her man, and falls to pieces if he leaves her. Not to mention the message that it doesn't matter if your boyfriend is far too old for you, controlling, manipulative, uses emotional blackmail, and encourages you to lie to your parents and friends, none of it matters so long as he's hot and you're not single.

"The relationship is obviously weird, creepy and abusive."

I don't think that it is obvious, though, to your average teenage girl and a large number of adult women as well. Just look at the huge amounts of fan sites etc around dedicated to "finding your Edward". Hopefully most of the older readers will see it for what it is, and the young girls reading it will look back and see that as well, but having been in an abusive relationship, I just think it's a horrible horrible message to be giving out that not only is this way of being treated okay, it's desirable. I'd be appalled if it was a little-known book, but the fact it's so popular just horrifies me.

i actually love these books, they remind me of a badly written modern day romeo and juliet.
they give me an escapism. personally i cant see anything wrong with that.
im a hopeless romantic and these books are super romantic.
lines like......"look after my heart i have left it with you" do something pathetic to me.
and bty edward is my favourite!!!

Ahem. I stand corrected...

Agreed Edward may be percieved as being stalkerish ...but as for disecting the whole film on Moral grounds!.. no its not everyones cup of tea.. but each to thier own. Can nothing be fiction.. escapism or just a bit of fun?.. why does everything have to be questioned for its values?
In interview with a vampire Brad and Toms Characters lavish gifts upon the young girl who changed to a vampire.. Brad sleeps in a coffin with her...is this morally wrong?.... hmmm not all works of fiction need to be anything but that and with all of the problems most of us face why not!!!