@Rumors: I'm not very familiar with Twilight past the first movie (never read the book), thought I've also watched snipped of the second one. I can see the similarities though --Ariel wants to become human, Bella wants to become a vampire; the whole "part of your world" thing. XD

I suspect that "Twilight" is popular because it can relate to the feelings of an adolescent girl, which is the audience range the series is directed towards. I don't mean to insult them, but when you're young, love is more simplistic (a sort of puppy love and "together is forever" mentality) which I think appropriately describes the level of relational maturity and attitude that Edward and Bella portray towards each other. That there's also Jacob offers a sort of second guy makes it seem like Bella is a very desirable young lady --someone who, uh, "extraordinary" men tend to recognize and value. Young girls, of course, are drawn to this aspect and probably fantasize themselves as Bella the same way that some middle-aged women do with those Fabio books. XD

Twilight, like Justin Bieber, isn't good or bad per se --if a person can't relate to it, then it's probably because they're not the audience that whatever bit of pop culture is intended for. I feel like older people dissing on these issues is something similar to high schoolers dissing on Barney. XD


@Nuke: You're right; Disney's villains tend to be less villainous elsewhere --I was bothered by the inaccuracy of it all in Hercules, but the same case occurs with some of their other films as well. I think the movies would be more interesting if the focus of these tales were more in tune to their original versions -- Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast, Black Beauty (okay, now I'm just being silly.)

Huh, I can understand that homosexual bit. In RP ad threads, I see a lot of "I want to be the uke" posts, the same way I see a lot of "I want to be the girl." XD I guess that as a supposed male character (in the physical sense, in any case) women would feel less in competition with them, though I feel like I've grown somewhat out of tolerance with "uke." The stereotypes they portray are weak and demeaning regardless of what gender said character is. However, again, this is only my personal preference and feelings on the subject; I don't much mind if people like the "seme/uke" roles, as it is something they might be able to relate to, as opposed to myself not being able to relate to it at all.

*waves*

I'm not dead! Just sick. And worn out from work. T__T

Er...adding to discussion...yes...

Twilight doesn't bother me as much from the "damsel in distress" angle as much as it does with its strong religious undertones. Sort of like how I can never really appreciate Card's Ender's Game series of books because all I can pick up when reading it is religion religion religion. That and Ender is a terrible character...but I digress.

The whole seme/uke business bothers me too...but not enough to stop reading yaoi. I actually don't mind yuri either...it's just het that drives me up the wall. I think it's because it's easier for me to turn off the part of my head that's constantly raging about the patriarchy and other feminist topics when that male/female element isn't present in a story. That's why the whole seme/uke thing bothers me...it's just an example of how male/female sociological dynamics have been so imprinted on the (mostly) female authors that they can't escape the trap of it even when they take the females out of their writing.

You know that dissapointing feeling you get when you start reading a book and, only a chapter in, you already know it's gonna be bad? I hate that feeling. I really need to find some more good books to read in my tiny amounts of down-time...otherwise I'm going to go nuts. Er. Even more so.

@Meme: *pats back* Welcome back!

I never caught Twilight's religious undertones (aha, well, having never read the book...) Would you mind elaborating?

Aha, there's a thread in the books section that has a few recommendations, and I don't mind offering a few of my own, if you're interested. :) What kind of books do you like to read?


@Alice: Aha, I remember we were discussing something like that, yes. Uh, I don't remember asking though, but sure, I don't mind if you'd like to share. XD

Aha, nice. Very firey.

XD Oh man, I wish I had time for my to-do list; it's not even close to going anywhere.

Huh, I think yours is in the closet. :X

Huh, I didn't know that. What other religious undertones were there?

Nah, I've never heard of the book. XD; Have you read The Neverending Story? It's pretty similar to the old movie... er, somewhat. XD Whenever I feel like fantasy, I think I just pick up something by Robin McKinley or Diana Wynne Jones. Tamora Pierce's works was what I read through most of high school

Oh. Uh, then I don't think I would be bothered by those types of things in Twilight; I don't think I'd even notice it much. XD I don't think there's anything wrong with abstinence being promoted, and pro-life when it was really her and Edwards decision to get pregnant. In any case, aren't authors usually a little influenced by things they believe in? Those don't seem very religious to me; more of a personal belief sort of thing, since other religions and cultures also believe in those things.

"Howl's Moving Castle" is a definite must-read by Diana Wynne Jones, and I liked Tamora Pierce's "Alanna." For Robin McKinley, I don't quite remember the title, but there was a retelling of Sleeping Beauty that I liked.

Yeah, there was the abstinence thing, and then there was all the subtle symbolical references...like Eddie being a sparkle-pire is related to the Mormon concept of what angels are and the whole idea of it being possible for humans to become divine. It plays out like the vampires are some sort of middle stage between humans and divinity...which really bothers me, if only because I really like the more old-school concept of the deformed, shunned vampire. I dunno. I sorta did a bit of a stint in lit. criticism in university, so I'm pretty sensitive to symbols and undertones and what have you.

I keep meaning to fill out that membership form...do I post it here, or do I PM the filled out form to someone?