In Defense of Twilight

Photo: Summit Entertainment

Have you noticed Twilight gets attacked a lot? It gets attacked by men & feminists all the time & also by other fandoms. The latest thing I've heard is how Twilight romanticizes "domestic violence" & supports "inequality." What a downer!

Just yesterday I was reading a well thought out & nice article on HYPABLE, by Andrew Sims, talking about not bashing each others fandoms. It was great! But then low & behold in the reader comments was a bashing "constructive criticism" of Twilight by someone who shall remain nameless:

The thing is...Twilight promotes a lot of the values that Harry Potter is strongly against: mainly inequality and unhealthy obsession. Is it a good thing for these Middle and High School girls to be reading a story where the "heroine" does nothing worthwhile and just stands there worshiping her man? She even jumps off a cliff just because he is gone...because apparently as a woman she has nothing of interest in her life besides her male companion. Anyway, I really feel that Twilight's core values are harmful to these girls, and I really hope that someone can just take a closer look at what they are actually learning from this popular series.

To be honest, it wounds me when I read comments like that because it takes what is good about Twilight & twists it into something dangerous & ugly. So what a breath of fresh air it was today to be reading an interview on WOMEN 24, with critically acclaimed, South African author, Sally Partridge, where this issue is addressed & Ms Partridge defends Twilight:

7. Over the last few weeks there have been severe attacks against the YA fiction genre because many are claiming that it's becoming too dark and violent -some even going as far as to claim that books like Twilight romanticize domestic violence.. What are your thoughts on this?

....Now as for Twilight… I enjoyed the series, and I don’t believe it romanticizes domestic violence. Bella Swan is a selfless character that puts the needs of others before her own. She even puts her own life in danger to save her mother. It’s this selflessness that attracts Edward to her and makes him want to protect her at all costs. It’s a love story and nothing more.

You can read the full answer & interview here on Women 24.

Thank you Ms Partridge!!! I couldn't agree with you more!

Comment by Sandra B. on August 30, 2011 at 9:52am: OMG!! that´s so fuc*king b*******^^ This Women had no sense of romantic... I´m not reading the books and think "OMG I have to kill myself because my men left me" B*******!

Comment by The Mockingjay on August 30, 2011 at 10:00am: I agree. You can see that this Andrew Sims doesn't know much about it, considering Bella does not jump off a cliff to kill herself. She wanted to see Edward - or at least something that's like a ghost of him - by doing something bold and extreme. She had no intentions of killing herself at all!

Twilight does take a lot of heat, more than deserved heat, too. Up to a degree that it is just pure ignorance, arrogance, and strong disliking. It is just a love story - a dark love story but nothing majorly dark. Bella isn't selfish, she risks her own life in each novel to save someone else. People complain of that being a "Mary Sue". What the hell? Aren't heroes/heroines supposed to save the day and do the good? It'd be pretty weird to see the enemy save the day!

I think people just dislike/hate it because it threatens other fandoms, or people just can't stand the fact that it has revamped the entire idea and/or doings of vampires/immortals. Or some just hate the popularity. Edward doesn't lay a hand on Bella, and if he did he'd probably make himself suffer. Edward is very protective and thus that can come across as threatening or violent. Like when he took the engine out of Bella's truck so she couldn't go see Jacob. He didn't trust them, and he felt better with all that was going on Bella being home. It's not like he had her by the throat screaming at her not to go.

Bella knows what she wants. While her heart sometimes wishes for a normal life - one with Jacob where she wouldn' be put in harm's way - she knows that she wants Edward for eternity. Even if that means breakin some hearts Bella got what she wanted no matter what the situation. That isn't being perfect or selfish, that's determination. Bella saves everyone in Breaking Dawn with the help of her sheild. Bella is strong-willed in the books, headstrong, and doesn't take no for an answer in some cases. Even if that isn't shown on-screen.

Comment by Perla Flores on August 30, 2011 at 10:07am: I agree with Sandra B. Come on is just a love story. as simple of that. Bella was always in the stories heroic putting everyone else first. And for the thought of her killing her self was never in the question. she wanted to fell the rush and Edward's presents she will never killed herself when she knew Edward was still alive. Twilight is the best book in our generation. They can but it down all they want but The twilight Phenomena will always be in history. They can report and study the book all they want and find negative things to say but they will never understand the Love and dedication that a True Twilight Fan has.

Comment by Kim on August 30, 2011 at 10:12am: Actually @TheMockingjay, Andrew Simms wrote the article about not bashing twilight or any fandom, it was a reader who left that comment I quoted. Just wanted to clarify that. I agree with the rest of your comment though. :)

Comment by BB Cullen on August 30, 2011 at 10:36am: How the bloody hell does it "romanticizes domestic violence"?? I mean really?? Are you guys that desperate to tear apart just because your jealous that it's better than your thing tha your obsessed about?? I mean really people need to stop going so deep into the storie!! Stop analyzing every move!! "Oh Bella grabbed the Tomato Sauce Bottle with her left hand that means that she's going to jump in front of a truck later" I mean seriously?? I see it as a Love storie and that's it!! In New Moon I don't see Bella jumping of a cliff as She's going to kill herself and that promotes anorexia!! ( being sarcastic) I see it as she misses Edward soo much and was in Love with him soo much that she was desperate to see/hear him!! And besides she was going to jump off with Jake does that mean that Jake wants to kill himself too?? I don't think so!! I think people need to stop over analyzing everything in the book and just take it as it is which is a love story between a human and a vampire who beat the odds and stay together!! And besides you wouldn't like it if we all came and bashed your obsession!! If you don't like Twilight then leave it alone!! You know if I don't like something I stay away from it and I mean this chick mustn't think Twilight is that bad cause she knows some details like I don't know?? Bella jumping off a cliff!! You don't know details like that unless you've watched the movie!! So if you hate it stay away from it!! Easy as that!!

Comment by BB Cullen on August 30, 2011 at 10:41am: And also the haters are making it more popular!! If a hater says something then it's in the headlines!! Doesn't matter if it's good or bad you still just put Twilight in the headlines more!! So really your just helping it get even more noticed!! So :p
Ok I'm done now!!

Comment by Twilighter76 on August 30, 2011 at 10:42am: I don't care for this BS ! I love Twilight it's fiction and WHO DOESN'T love that ? Twilight for me took the story to a new level and I appreciate reading a book that wasn't a normal boring romance. I don't read to learn things I read to get away from this world.

Comment by Twilighter76 on August 30, 2011 at 10:43am: Yes reading makes your smarter blah blah blah but I love leaving this world for how long and Stephenie Meyer obviously did her job and other authors can learn a thing or two from her.

Comment by BB Cullen on August 30, 2011 at 10:44am: And that chick is soo lucky that no one knows her name (yet) cause she'd get one major TwilightCyber Bashing!!
Ok I'm defiantly done now!! I Promise!! (for now)