In defense of twilight

Disclaimer:
I wrote this months ago so it's not currently relevant, pero considering my great love for twilight I could not NOT post it on my own blog!

Today I read an article that told me that I couldn’t “marry a hot vampire.” And I was so glad someone finally had the courage to tell me the truth. :|.

I wonder if Twilight critics really think they’re saying something new every time they write an article about how Twilight promotes “unrealistic expectations about romance,” or about how it’s like “emotional pornography for women.” Sigh. First of all “emotional pornography for women?” Can we please move beyond the analogy that “romance novels are to women as porn is to men?" Can we do that please? It’s a very limited perspective. I guess I can only speak for this woman, but I have watched porn. And I’m sure I did it for similar reasons that men do and that it had a similar effect on me as it’s said to have on the collective male group—instant gratification. At some point both men and women are looking for that. And I think at some point both men and women deal with emotional longing and search for emotional fulfillment...So, let's cut the “emotional pornography for women” crap.

Now, I won’t deny that the critics of Twilight have some valid bones to pick. That Twilight is presenting something new romance wise, however, is one of their sillier complaints. In the article that completely destroyed my future plans, the author alleged that Stephenie Meyer “defined romance for an entire generation.”

Aaaaand false.

If the author meant that now every girl or young woman thinks that she is going to meet and fall in love with an actual brooding, sparkles in the sun, golden/black-eyed, white as snow, marble hard vampire...and be simultaneously pursued by a hot young man turned even hotter werewolf who will later find his soulmate in the half breed child said girl will bring into the world courtesy of her beautiful, devoted, obsessive vampire husband...then YES. Stephanie Meyer has TOTALLY screwed with our heads in a new way. But if he meant that Meyer introduced the idea that you can find a soul mate who'll love you more than he’ll love himself and be perfect in every way--kind, gentle, ridiculously handsome, eternally devoted, so much so that he won’t even want to live in a world where you don’t exist, would sacrifice his life for you, etc, etc...well, I think that narrative has been around for a while. And it has a lot of present day counterparts. I won’t insultingly mention Romeo and Juliet, and the countless romantic comedies, tv shows, ohmygosh DISNEY MOVIES, and classic stories that use this idea. Let's call this what it is--a case of “same shit, different day." Or as my friend King Solomon liked to say, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.”*

Is it a problematic idea? Sure, but critics might be taking their complaints to an unnecessary level. Especially the ones who haven’t even read the books. I don't understand this vehemently criticizing something you haven’t actually read thing. C’mon. C’mon...

C’mon.

I mean...that’s kind of arrogant. I have seen women not the LEAST bit inclined to sappiness or invested in romance stories surprise me by actually liking Twilight. It has happened so often that now I can’t help but think that it would be hard to legitimately like, dislike or critique something you haven’t yourself experienced. You might find after reading it that the real romantic message of the series is “ultimately the only way you will have a “perfect” relationship is if you’re willing to give up your life and become a vampire.” The person willing to accept that message has problems that go way beyond having been swayed by twilight.

Or.

They might just be a tween. Hopefully parents aren’t slacking on their jobs—“Start children off on the way they should go,and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”** ...Yes parents and future parents the onus is still on YOU to be active in your child’s life and to help ground them in reality about love and life (whatever you believe that to be). If you plan on doing that then don’t go blaming Stephenie Meyer for filling the kiddies’ heads. It’s really not Twilight’s fault... (Have you ever, do you now, or do you have any future plans to dress your little girls in princess clothes and buy them princess paraphernalia?).

Finally...I think that we are erring on the side of telling young girls, those disillusioned thirty year olds in their “Team Edward” shirts, and gals like me to not expect anything grand from their current or future boyfriends, lovers, partners, spouses etc. To not expect him to sacrifice for you, to love you a whole lot, to listen to you, to be there for you, to want to protect you from danger, to be willing to go through trouble for you, to want to spend a lot of time around you, to be willing to lay down his life for you, to sparkle in the sun. B/c all of that is JUST too much and really, so unrealistic...

The EFF it is! (future hubby you better sparkle).

Why? I'm especially annoyed by hearing it repeatedly from folks like Mr. man telling me I can't marry a vampire--the Bible believers out there...Hello Jacob and Rachel, Hosea and Gomer...And all the other examples of showing "unrealistic" love and the charges to do so in scripture.

No, I think I've found the real problem...I’m on to some of you fellahs...Are you annoyed with Twilight because you’re afraid that all of a sudden women will have these unrealistic expectations about you that you won’t be able to meet? Take a moment to consider what/whose standards you're using to define "unrealistic" and to what behaviors you're assigning that label. If after all that contemplation, your feelings are legit then don’t worry about that...if Twilight will make a woman expect just completely ridiculous things from you then, any silly love story will have the same effect on her (and probably already has). She might not be the gal for you.
She might also actually still be a tween (awk-ward).

Critics--professional and laypersons alike--I can guarantee you that you’re not saying anything new. Yes we know— “ugh, no quality,” “bad for impressionable young girls,” “harry potter is better,” “vampires and werewolves are demonic,” “you’re actually never going to marry a vampire y'know,” “its emotional porn,” “the acting is so bad” “our culture is deteriorating”...yes, yes, yes...

...
...

Team Edward.

*Ecclesiastes 1:9
**Proverbs 22:6 NIV