Guess what, you guys? This coming Wednesday is my ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF BLOGGING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :O Whoa! How did I not notice that earlier?? What should I do? You tell me! I'd love some ideas of what you'd like to see :)
So, today I got a hair cut :D Y'all know how I looked before...
Some common complaints about the Twilight series are:
1. It portrays vampires as the "good guys".
2. It contains sexuality.
3. It encourages girls to go for the "bad boys".
4. It portrays effeminate guys as being hot.
5. It is completely unchristian.
The "Twilight" series is not an incredibly complex story when one tries to explain it briefly. The entire plot line can be summed up in one sentence: "It's about a girl who falls in love with a vampire."
Whoo hoo.
It's actually much more complex and intriguing when you get into it, though. The main character, Bella, and her vampire "boyfriend", Edward, have to fight the constant battle of their two worlds. Edward and his family are "vegetarians", meaning they do not drink the blood of humans, but animals only. However, the call of Bella's blood to Edward is uncannily strong, making for an interesting relationship.
The first accusation to examined, that vampires are portrayed as "good guys" does have some merit. Yes, the vampires ARE portrayed as the good guys. Some of them are.
Oh, you mean how there are good and bad people?
Yes.
There are good and bad vampires in the story, just as there are good and bad humans. Being a vampire does not immediate classify someone as being "evil" or the "bad guy". What you are doesn't make you good or evil, it's your choices. The "good" vampires make good choices. They make the best with what they have. They were turned into vampires against their wills, and are now struggling to be the best they can be under the circumstances. The "bad" vampires make bad choices. They embrace their blood lust instead of fighting it, and think of humans as nothing but snacks.
I've heard the idea of a "good vampire" compared to a "good homosexual". (This post is not about homosexuality. If you want to see my thoughts on that, go to Carpe Noctem. I am just speaking about this subject from a Christian point of view because that's where most of the complaints are coming from.)
That comparison does not computer at all. Homosexuals CHOOSE to be what they are; vampires are "born" that way. Calling all vampires "evil" is like calling all Americans selfish, all African-Americans rude, or all Asians smart, for that matter!
The second complaint about the Twilight series, that the books are full of sexuality, is not true. There are a few pages in the third book, "Eclipse" that have some suggestive behavior, but Edward quickly puts a stop to it. While Bella has no problem giving herself away, Edward has firm principles governing abstinence and makes it clear to Bella that if they were ever to have a physical relationship, they would have to get married FIRST.
Another commonly-made accusation is that the books encourage girls to go for the "bad boys". Edward is not a "bad boy". In fact, at some points he is so good that I turned away in disgust. (Bella did, too, lol!) As I said before, Edward refuses to sleep with Bella (a good thing, not a bad thing), upholds his principles, tries to be the best he can be under the circumstances, respects parental authorities, and tries to do what's best for Bella.
If there is a bad boy in the series at all, it is Jacob Black (my favorite, of course :D). Jacob helps Bella to deceive her father, aids her in dangerous activity, swears (mildly), is the Innuendo King, and tries to break up Bella and Edward.
I don't know about you, but Jacob definitely seems to err on the side of "bad boy" MUCH more than Edward.
Accusation #4: The Twilight books portray effeminate guys as hot. It doesn't, really. I mean, I guess I can see how Robert Pattinson looks girly, but I think the casting of Twilight was TERRIBLE anyway. Edward is the picture of masculinity if you read the books; it's why I fell in love with him the first time through the books. I mean...wow, honestly, he is not girly. Not at all.
The complaint that Twilight is completely unchristian comes from people who have not read the books. For the record, the Bible says nothing about vampires or werewolves. Twilight mentions God several times and all in a positive light. Edward and his family are Christians. Edward's father's father was a medieval priest. The values of good and evil, right and wrong are clearly mapped out through the book in a most Christian manner. I mean, even abstinence is there, y'all! Like I said, complaints of the books being unchristian clearly come from people who have not read the book, or who are determined not to like it.
And that's my rant for the day :) Maybe I'll publish this to Carpe Noctem later...
Thoughts, questions, opinions, arguments welcome, as always! Oh, and don't forget to vote on the serial poll, and don't forget to give me ideas for my ONE YEAR BLOGGING ANNIVERSARY!!
~Kendra