Does Twilight Send Teen Girls a Bad Message?

Hello! I have got some news for you all...FANTASY!

You people worry too much. These are the reasons why society is falling...too much stress over the little things like books. How about you all take a moment to consider the troubles the world itself faces? Anyone ever heard of global warming? Slaughter of baby seals? Wars? I think there are bigger things to concern ourselves with than the Twilight series.

I, myself, am a huge fan of Twilight. I have been reading for one year and have converted many of my friends into fans. And I have to say, this book is not a corruption. I am an A student, on the principal's list, have a wide variety of friends, involved in extra-curricular activities, plus I manage to have a wonderful relationship with my parents and happen to have a guy I'm in love with. Has Twilight corrupted me? NOT AT ALL. I am probably better because I have a book I can relate to. I've been through a lot of things that the characters have been through in Twilight, and I have to say it puts things in perspective.

As for the whole feminist argument...Bella GROWS UP in time. She's only seventeen at the start, not in her twenties or thirties. At this age, she's still trying to figure out who she is and what she wants to be. So, quite technically, you cannot sit there and assume that a teenage girl will automatically become a perfected feminist role model. And honestly, she handles herself fairly well considering her position. I think most people would have lost their minds.

I've got to say, these books are better than you give them credit for. As parents, you should be thankful that your children are reading. Bella is not a bad role model. Sure, I would not have made every same choice as she has, but who would? Besides, it's all called FICTION for a reason. Let's enjoy the fantasy world and focus on issues of the real world such as the economy or wars or our planet's health instead of a book. (By the way, these are all words from the mouth of a sixteen-year-old)

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Edward exhibits five out of the six most prominent warning signs of a budding abusive relationship. He won't let Bella visit Jacob and goes so far as to hire Alice to kidnap Bella and hold her hostage so that she can't see him. Edward never lets Bella do simple tasks, such as driving, even when she wants to. Edward forces Bella to do things she doesn't want to, like going to prom with him. Teen girls reading the books will believe the repetitive description that Edward Cullen is "perfect." If they ever experience a situation where a boyfriend is borderline abusive, they may not be able to identify a problem within their relationship because Twilight has told them that what Edward does to Bella throughout the books is okay. It's not.

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The heart of why many girls relate to it is because many tween and teen girls can be obsessed when it comes to boys. Bella as a charactor they can relate to, feeling less pretty, not good enough, ect. Not to spoil it but by book 4 Bella does become the hero of sorts. Edward is that "perfect" standard of what they want, which will mature as they get older.
My 13 year old daughter relates more with the Emmet char then with Bella. When I asked her why, because he lets his female counterpart be herself, unconditionally. And she also says she can relate to not having a family by birth but one of choosing.

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I am not one of those who believes any book or movie or tv show a teenager might be exposed to will somehow dramatically change his or her attitude and actions for the worse. We all read stories; they do not necessarily tell us what to do or who to be. But that's not the reason I decided to comment. I thought that, in fairness to Ms Meyer, I should point out that the movie portrays the first of four installments in the series. Bella's character goes through an arc throughout the series and is given much time to grow in independence and capability with and without Edward, and, in the end, saves him and all those that she loves.

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Ok seriously people.. This takes me back to the old saying of "don't judge a book by it's cover".. Until you've read ALL the books you shouldn't be judging them.. I've read them all atleast 5 times, and yes, there are points in the story where Bella, the heroine of the story, needs rescuing. But what you don't seem to realize is that she in turn is saving Edward to. She's giving him the strength to be a good person. To help him fight for what he believes is right. After you've read all four books go to Stephenie Meyer's website and read what she has written of Midnight Sun, the story from Edward's perspective, and you will see what I'm talking about. It also teaches values, like waiting until after you're married for sex. And **spoiler allert* when you get to Breaking Dawn Bella is the one who is the hero of the whole story.. I mean come on people are we so closed minded now days that we wont even give things like this a chance??? I mean I have a nine year neice and if she could understand the rather large words in the books I would entirely trust these books for her.. Not to put a religous note on this, and I do NOT descriminate because I have alot of friends who are, but Stephenie Meyer is I believe a mormon. There not exactly immoral people. I love the books and I am a VERY Independant woman who has taken care of herself for the last 25 years.. The only think you should worry about letting you're daughters read these books is that she wont decide whether she wants to be Team Edward or Team Jacob!! So give it a rest if you're not even going to read the books for yourself and keep an open mind. Don't listen to what every closed minded person on the internet thinks!! Plus the movie isn't really that much like the book so if you say "well the movie didn't seem right" then read the book.. You see a very much stronger side to Bella.

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I read each of these books in 2 days. I LOVED all of them. It is kinda creppy when Edward , but come on it is a fantasy book!!!! All of the books rock!!!!

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I was just reading through this and thought I'd put something in. I am 16, so part of the 'Twilight' lovers group, except that I hate Twilight. The series revolves around female dependancy on males. FULL STOP.

In sixteen year old girls:
There are those who know this and detest the books (like me).
There are those who know this and like the books despite this.
There are those who are not quite deep enough to realize this (meaning their views on female dependancy don't change) and love the books.
- these top three I have no problem with
But ...
There are those who are easily shaken and misinterpret the book to mean that female dependancy on males is a GOOD thing.
For instance, there was a girl my age who took up motorcycling lessons and cliff diving when her boyfriend broke up with her for the sole reason to try and 'hear his voice again'. Creeped? Haven't started.
Another girl is still waiting for her boyfriend to come back to her. They broke up three years ago.
A boy is abusing his girlfriend emotionally because 'Edward did it'.
And lastly, definitely the sadest, is the inspiration Twilight has given to women of your age. There are abused women all over North America who are trying to go back to their husbands because they think it is not abuse because it is what Edward does. Equally, there are divorces all over North America happening because the women believe their husbands are NOT Edward.

Hardly all readers of Twilight are influenced at all by it. But those who are take it badly. Very badly.

In short, my children are not going to be allowed to read Twilight.

And Twilight is SO not the next Harry Potter. Worst Harry Potter did was get someone to carve a lightning bolt scar on their forehead.

Twilight has done so much worse.

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There is a lot to dislike about the saga. It is poorly written as half the book is adjectives and adverbs. However, I like how it establishes the natural order of things where women need to think about their man constantly. My main problem with the series however, is that it is written by a woman, who really should have been making a sandwich for her husband.

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Many of the people her argue a few things.

1.) If you haven't read the book, don't bother commenting. It doesn't matter how many critiques, footnotes or quotes you've read. Yet I've also seen some Twihards come up with the arguement asking why someone who didn't like the book finnished. So, people with negative oppinions are invalidated, simply because they didn't like the book, which is wrong. Which make some people feel that they shouldn't even bother to read the book

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Oh my God! People get a grip.. Its a book! There are way to many people trying to censor the world. Get a grip. You can't say what you want anymore, you can't act how you want anymore. You can't even pray in public if someone else has a problem with it. People please stop trying to censor the world. Stop apologizing for how you feel and what you think. Stop trying to be politically correct all the time. Live your life the way you want. If you don't like what someone else is doing or how they are living don't be apart of there life. Don't look at them. Don't interact with them.. but don't push your views onto everyone else. Live your life your way and let everyone else live theirs. If you don't want your children to watch something, or read something or even play a particular game then say NO!. It's called being a parent. It's not up to the world to parent your child. It's up to you! Just stop with the non-sense already!

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Let's start with the fact that the writing and the characters are silly and one dimensional. Let's continue with the ridiculous treatment of mythological creatures who have histories and format, and to redefine them to fit a story line is a writing strategy found in Scooby Doo cartoons and Disney kid movies. The story line appeals to anxty teens, and its weird sense of abstinence allows little girls to fantasize without delving into uncomfortable, big-girl things (which more than likely is what appeals to attention starved housewives wishing for romance).
All of this, though commercially lucrative, is relatively harmless. What isn't harmless is the message that those same anxty teens are picking up from these books. Let's see...falling immediately for aself-admitted, dangerous person who sneaks through her window to watch her sleep at night? How about defining your entire world by a boyfriend? Or maybe the whole concept that a teen should be obsessed with death for a guy.

Okay, book two: 'My boyfriend left me, and I don't want to go on.' or this one: 'I'll engage in risky little stunts until my boyfriend notices and comes back to me.' How about the whole idea that this chick lives an entire life behind her blind, stupid parents' backs(would you want her father to be the police chief of your town)? I love that she doesn't want to get married because it's too big of a commitment, but she wants to be turned into a member of the undead family because she wants to be with this guy forever.

As a high school English teacher, I have girls telling me about these books and writing book reports about them all the time. The stories are exciting for them because they are brainless IQ-sucking silliness with good hair and golden eyes. For well-adjusted, secure kids who read this nonsense, it's just a waste of their time. When isolated, vulnerable, possibly vicitmized girls read the same stuff and identify with stupid little Bella and her dumb ideas, it's a different issue altogether.
Ray Bradbury said (paraphrased) that good writers carress a subject, mediocre writers run a hand over her, but bad writers ravage her and leave her for the flies. Do you hear the buzzing?

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