BEWARE EDWARD LOVERS -- EDWARD BASHING AHEAD!
There is a lot of hoopla right now over the new Twilight movie, New Moon. While I haven’t seen it, I anticipate seeing it over Thanksgiving break with my guy friend. It made me think about, why, Kelsey, at 24, are you still crazed over this series of books as if you were a thirteen year-old girl?
First, I am going to discuss the series itself and my thoughts about the books and movies. I read all the books before I saw the movie, so I can say that I was a Twilight fan before Robert Pattinson. I have very pleasant memories of sitting in my ex-boyfriend’s dorm room, reading the books together. Regardless of the things that split us apart, one thing that Ross and I enjoyed together was literature, movies, and discussing them. English majors do that. And the Twilight books? They are relatively easy to read (a few big words), take you into another world, and really draw you into the conflict of good and evil and Bella and Edward.
Honestly, I don’t actually think vampires and werewolves (ok shapeshifters) exist, but I have always liked movies with a bit of supernatural in with the romance. And before you ask, I am on Team Jacob. I think occurences in my life have led me to think, it is better to have a guy who will stick by you through anything than a guy who dominates your life and makes choices (like Edward leaving) without consulting you.
I have discussed this with some people, and we’ve decided that Bella seems kind of an anti-feminist. And though inside some of us women we wish we could be swept off our feet by an Edward character (I think that’s the attraction of him besides the hunky Robert Pattinson), although a Jacob character would love us no matter what and for who we really are.
However, in spite of the inner yearnings of some women (and yes myself sometimes) for an epic romance, I don’t want to be like Bella. Crushed when left by one guy and using another in order to try to fill the hole that the other one left. I am the one who determines what I do, who I date, and for what reasons.
In New Moon, Bella seems powerless. And we modern women, in spite of heartbreak we may experience, are far from that. We let society and our own insecurities convince us we are. I think the book would have been much more interesting and less pathetic if Bella could just have found Edward, kicked him around a bit (hence the Edward bashing), and determined that Jacob was a safer choice and been happy the rest of her earthy life. But no, she whined and used Jacob for comfort, and then left him the second she found out where Edward was. Jacob in the later books is angry, because he does love Bella, but he’ll never be the “right type of monster” for her. Hey Jacob, I’m here, I can give you my address…
And I certainly don’t want to be like Bella at the end: (spoiler alert Breaking Dawn) married, knocked up, and turned into a vampire. I believe in eternal life but that’s certainly not the type I want.
Next, I am going to talk about my fangirl tendencies…or why liking books and movies appeals to me. It all started with Leonardo DiCaprio in Titanic at age 11. I saw the 3 hour movie 3 times in the theater and devoted the better part of 3 or 4 years worshipping the story of Jack and Rose. Yes, I did fan fic, I bought the books, the dolls…etc etc. And it led me to meet Leanne, my penpal from London, England! (I miss ‘Livin’ La Vida Loca’ with you! Hi dear!) My passions for stories moved on to include Moulin Rouge (yay Ewan), Phantom of the Opera, and nearly every literature-based, historical, romantic, and maybe even Spanish-speaking movie/book/story that exists. I will save my ever-growing list of those for another post.
I think no matter how old I get, some stories (whether on paper or on the screen) will always appeal to me. I was going to say old and boring but I have no plan on becoming boring…I am going to be the best world-traveling, college-teaching, Latin-dancing awesome me I can be! But why do these stories appeal to me?
I guess I am a hopeless romantic, but a feminist one who thinks that I can make a love story happen for myself rather than waiting by for Prince Charming to come. Interesting story, huh? “And then Princess Charming held out the glass sneaker that she wondered how he could have dropped because it was made of glass. In fact, she wondered how it could have gotten on his foot in the first place… And he fawned over her, scooped her up into a passionate embrace, and they lived happily ever after.” Movies need to start telling those stories, because I certainly believe they exist! And there's one out there for me!
New Moon:
ResponderEliminarJacob was gorgeous, Edward was absent for most of it, but it was pretty nice. I liked getting more of Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper. Want to go to Italy now!
It was worth going to in the theater. I know not everyone likes it but something about the story appeals to me. Glad I am not a Bella in all senses of the word, although I can understand some of the actions/situations.
Some of the shots made me a little dizzy....the ¨waiting by the window¨ scene and Bella in the woods one primarily.