Twilight: New Moon came out in theaters two weeks ago and once again the Twilight phenomenon is upon us. I haven’t read any of the Twilight books or seen the first film. All I know about this franchise is through my wife who has read all the books and saw both films in the theater.My wife is an avid reader, and by avid reader I mean she can read a novel that takes me a month in a week. She caught the Twilight buzz a couple months ago and read through all four books. Diana thinks that Stephanie Meyers sets a great premise, has interesting and engaging story ideas however her storytelling, pacing and dialog is sometimes mediocre.
Everyone, especially guys seem to be hating on Twilight. My negative feelings about Twilight are centered on a couple things. First off the cast inability to present them as professionals in press photos (i.e. shave, and wear appropriate clothing) bugs me (I’m beginning to think this is actually a calculated attempt at connecting with a certain demographic).
And well, honestly I can't think of any other reason that I dislike Twilight but that hasn't stopped me from making fun of the franchise.Is it fair for me to judge Twilight and hold negative feelings towards it without examining the art itself? No. Am I going to spend the time the read the book? Probably not, so instead I’m decided to watch the first film.
After watching the first part of the film, I posted this on my Facebook.com page.
Facebook Status update:
Kingsley Tang k people I got through 45 minutes of the Twilight movie. . I need to take a break. . i mean geez . . it's not a good sign that Diana and I blurted out laughing when Edward said: "I don't have the strength to stay away from you anymore." the things I do to be culturally literate.
Friends comments:
K: Tootsie, don't be mean. Edward is my future husband
S: God does that movie look like dogs&%$
C: The best line is: Your scent is my drug. Oops. I hope I didn't ruin it for you.
E: no one said it was a good movie. it is, in the right mindset, incredibly entertaining though
A: Does that mindset involve a fifth of burbon?
H: wait, Twilight is culture?
Wow. . . lots of people jumping on the Twilight hating here . . .
After watching 45 minutes of Twilight, my initial conclusion is that this film could be a lot better. I believe that there is a good movie in the material and the script. Yes, the dialog in clunky but not any worse than Star Wars. The major detractor here is the actors lack of chemistry with each other and there's a feeling that these actors are trying to act. Robert Pattison seems to be trying really hard to be a vampire as opposed to just being one.
The next day I sat down with my wife and we watched the rest of the film, and I actually enjoyed the rest of the film. Stephanie Meyers has set up an interesting amalgamation of horror with teenage romance with a touch Shakespearian tragedy ala Romeo and Juliet. And frankly it works.
No, it’s a great film, but it has great scenery, some interesting drama and a fantastic story. There's something about the characters and the story that makes you want to see how it all ends. Twilight is not a film that will appeal outside of its target audience but for it’s crowd it does the job.
If you’ve read Twilight or seen the film go ahead and have a ball saying whatever you want about it, but if you haven’t read the book of the seen the film, you really need cut out bashing Twilight. People do not have the right to criticize a piece of art they haven’t experiences as much as they do not have the right to be critical of a person they do not know.
As much fun as it is to hate on Twilight, it’s pointless. You think that some teenage girl who loves Twilight will hear some guy irrationally bash it and then realize how bad the book really is and how stupid they are for enjoying it?
I can’t help but think that gender has something to do with it. Girls as young as thirteen all the through their forties have gotten into Twilight. Many think of it as a guilty pleasure but there’s a lot of people loving these books and watching the films and they are almost all woman.
Female centric art is often referred to with pejorative terms like: "chick-lit" or "chick-flics." That's not really fair, yes there is bad art directed towards woman but there's also bad stuff aimed at men too. The bottom is line that the vast majority of art created in our culture is created for and marketed towards men. So while it's normal for guys to have cultural milestones like the Super Bowl or a summer action film, it's unusual for a book or film to successfully inspire similar fandom in woman.
Look, Twilight: New Moon made $142 million dollars in its opening weekend. To be generous, $15 tickets, maybe 1/3 of the those people say it twice, that leaves 6 million people who saw that film in one weekend, which were almost all woman by most accounts. Stephanie Meyers has created a significant shared cultural experience beyond her books. Anything that brings 6 million people together through art in one weekend and provides them with a meaningful artistic experience.
Yes popularity does not equal quality, but popularity does create connections between people and adds to our shared cultural identity which has far reaching effects not only in our art but in our lives.
Guys, you may not like Twilight or hearing groups of woman arguing about who’s better, Jacob or Edward. If you don't want to see the film or read the book, that's fine, whatever, but think about what you are saying. What does making fun of Twilight really say about ourselves? Are we just jealous or simply annoyed that the ladies have something to talk about that we simply don't understand?
If you don’t get why it’s annoying and immature to bash on Twilight just wait until someone complains about something you love in our culture and you’ll understand.
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