Sunday, July 25, 2010

Link of Interest: On the Twilight Craze

The Twilight Phenomenon: The Kids Are All Right
by John Nolte @ Big Hollywood

As weak as these films have been in the storytelling department, they’ve become money machines because a majority of young girls don’t want to be Lady Gaga, they don’t want to monologue about their vagina with Jane Fonda, and they simply don’t understand why the very same adults charged with protecting them use classroom time to roll Trojans on cucumbers.

Young girls confused and frustrated by the pop culture and media institutions constantly pressuring them into the counter-intuitive idea that the road to virtue is through the loss of their dignity — young girls who long to find their own Edward, a selfless, strong and tender man who will protect and cherish and love them, are told by “Twilight” that they’re not weird or alone. “Twilight” is a billion dollar film and publishing franchise because it serves a role more important than entertainment. The romance between Edward and Bella validates the better nature of millions of young souls yearning not to be lost.

Because I like to stay at least a little up-to-date on the teen scene, I read Twilight after it started to appear in the hands of virtually all of my female students. I ultimately decided the novel wasn't for me and therefore didn't bother to read the other three books in the series; as a general rule, I'm not a big fan of paranormal romance. However, after reading the above article, I've decided I need to catch up on Stephenie Meyer's insanely popular quartet after all. If nothing else, it will be an interesting exploration of the secret desires of the female lizard brain.

(Then, once I've finished with Meyer's sparkly vampires, I'll read John Ringo's Ghost series for balance. Heh.)

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