Stuff
One of the things I did over break was reread the Twilight series. It may have only been five months since the last time I read them, but I appreciate Edward Cullen a little more with every overly-cheesy and somewhat poorly written word. I was also reminded of my irrational hatred for Jacob Black.
Okay, I don't think it's actually irrational, because I really don't care for the character and I have a lot of reasons for that. But there are lots of characters I hate. Seriously, for each beloved character in every book, movie or TV show, there are probably five that I can't stand. Sometimes it's as much fun to hate a character as it is to love on one.
But I can't even enjoy hating Jacob. And what fun is there in that?
So I tried to workout my Jacob anger so I could understand it and move on. I'm aiming for mild annoyance but anything less than this burning and intense loathing would be A-OK with me, too. But while I was rereading the three books, I've realized that my Jacob hate is approximately 38% 'Jacob does suck' and 62% 'Wow, Jacob's rabid, Edward bashing fans are fueling the flaaames.'
I think this means that approximately 38% of me will keep on hating Jacob regardless, because Jacob sucks. Now about the 62%? I think I might be a lot less annoyed if I didn't have to keep repeating myself in Edward's defense, and that might help lower that percentage to, say, 47%. IF I'M LUCKY.
Just to be clear, it's not the enthusiasm for the character or even the bashing of Edward that gets me. It's not even the constant same points being brought up, ad nauseum as if it were the gospel, about WHY Jacob is so much better that gets me. It's the holier-than-thou, Jacob/Bella shippers are wiser/more mature/less idealistic and whimsical silly girls attitude that is peppered throughout the fandom more often than not.
So this is more for myself than anyone else, because there's a lot of things I've been saying and I've wanted to say about these damn books for awhile now. Behind the cut is a bunch of stuff many of you probably don't care about because you've managed to stay away from these damn books. Good on you! Lucky bastards.
1.) Why I love Edward
Sure he's beautiful, smells really good, and is amazing at everything. But why do I love him so much? Is it because I have unrealistic expectations of men and he caters to my immature, girlish fantasies? Is it because I can't appreciate something 'real' over blinding perfection? Do I love Edward Cullen because I hate my vagina?
Perhaps.
Or maybe it's because Edward is actually pretty damn great. All angel smiles and blinding perfection aside.
Edward Cullen is intelligent
He can correctly identify each stage of mitosis with nary a glance into the microscope. Sexy! But he's been around for 90 years, so maybe all of his book smarts and different college degrees aren't as impressive as they would be under normal circumstances. Fine, fine. He's also smart about people, and not just because he can read their minds (which, granted, is a total bonus). You get the feeling from Edward that's he's an old soul, and not just because he's actually 106-years-old. He's very perceptive and very aware, and I really like that about characters in general. It is what it is, and Edward gets that. And as much as I mock her, Stephenie Meyer was able to write him in a way that makes you think he was always this awesome, prevamp and all.
Edward Cullen is funny and snarky
Well, as funny and snarky as SM's writing in a young adult series about vampires. But it's an attractive trait nonetheless. It's a kind of deadpan humor, which is my favorite. He can joke about what he is, he can tease Bella. Edward's got ~*personality*~. Even if I think his personality declines along with the quality of the books (but that may just be me!) Whatevs, Edward. I still love you.
Because...
Edward Cullen is a gentleman
He's romantic and sweet. He's protective. He always puts Bella above everything else.
But all of these things are used against him, too. Apparently, to some, it's too much. I get that and I don't. I can understand how Edward's seeming perfection could be annoying, but I don't get how he's accused of not being 'real' when he's NOT real. It's all fictional, dudes. I realized that early on, around the time I read the dust jacket and learned that he was a VAMPIRE.
Is he too fake even for a fictional character? I don't think so. Edward was born and raised in a different time, and that molded him significantly. I think that makes him more interesting, not less.
Also, dear fandom, one cannot be a Gary-Stu yet be accused of being mean, inconsiderate and hateful. That's a bit of an oxymoron. Seeing as Gary-Stus are without flaws and all.
Oh hey,you know who would fit the definition of a Gary-Stu better?
Jacob doesn’t have a tragic flaw.
- Stephenie Meyer
Hmm.
Which brings me to...
2.) Why I think Jacob sucks
He was barely there in Twilight, and that will always be my favorite book of the series. I didn't mind him in New Moon, even though I missed a certain charismatic vampire like the desert misses the rain. But I didn't like him at all in Eclipse. And that dislike, she has grown. Why?
Jacob Black is sixteen
He's young! Hey, weren't we all at one time? You can't fault someone for their age, right? Of course not, but I also don't think you can use it as an excuse for every. single. action. Jacob isn't just sixteen. He's an immature sixteen. Truth be told, that kind of depresses me, because I think SM could have made him more sympathetic and more interesting if she focused on the 'Jacob as a father to his father' angle that she could have tackled (which could have been an interesting parallel to Bella, for those J/B shippers) and made him a bit more mature. But she didn't. And instead, I was reminded constantly that Jacob was young. And that because he was young, anything that he did that others could construe as wrong should be brushed off and forgiven. So says his fans. So says Charlie when Bella expresses anger over an uninvited kiss. So says SM. Sorry, but I don't buy it. I know you don't have the privilege of 90 years experience on Earth, Jacob, but I don't find your enthusiastic youth to be innocent and sweet after you assault a girl (Bella's words, not mine, although I guess they're mine, too!) and pull the 'kiss me or I'll kill myself' card.
Jacob Black is selfish
I guess this could fit with the above, but I think there's so many acts of selfishness, especially in Eclipse, that I can't just write it off as an age thing.
Jacob is selfish. Jacob is selfish and he hates that Edward isn't. I think a whole ego and werewolves vs. vampires thing, completely independent of Bella, is also a factor there, but that aside, I feel like Jacob just wants Edward to mess up, even if it hurts the hell out of Bella, so that he can finally one up him. That, to me, was all I got from him in the final chapters of Eclipse. And it wasn't a matter of feeling that Jacob wanted Edward to mess up for Bella's own good (so she could stay human, so she could be with Jacob, whatever). It was very much about beating him.
"No, no, Jake! I'm fine. Too fine, really. Of course he wasn't mean. I wish!"
His eyes widened in what looked like horror. "What?"
"He wasn't even mad at me- he wasn't even mad at you! He's so unselfish it makes me feel even worse. I wish he would have yelled at me or something. It's not like I don't deserve...well, much worse than getting yelled at. But he doesn't care. He just wants me to be happy."
"He wasn't mad?" Jacob asked, incredulous.
...
"He's not playing any game, Jake," I said quietly.
"You bet he is. He's playing every bit as hard as I am, only he knows what he's doing and I don't. Don't blame me because he's a better manipulator than I am-- I haven't been around long enough to learn all his tricks."
Eclipse, page 593-594.
So you've lost the heart of the girl you claim to love, as she's chosen another. And she's told you this repeatedly. In fact, she just reiterated it again a few minutes ago. What do you do? Well, if you're Jacob Black, you do the unselfish thing. It's kind of like you're Jesus. Or that guy in one of the other stories in the Bible.
"You know that story in the Bible?" Jacob asked suddenly, still reading the blank ceiling. "The one with the king and the two women fighting over the baby?"
LOLZ. But at least even Bella can see through him this time around.
And one more thing: Jacob is very likely going to imprint (lol imprinting) on someone else. Even Edward brought this up. Jacob knows the score, saw himself what happened with Leah/Sam/Emily, and yet he's promising himself to Bella if she gives up on Edward. I've ranted about this before, but I think it's just another thing that shows how selfish Jacob can be.
But so what, right? He's young.
Okay, a couple more things I've read time and time again so I'm just typing it up here and now so it's done with. I guess this will be my very own LINK IT for a lot of future discussions.
They say Jacob is better than Edward because...
Jacob makes Bella feel good about herself, while Edward makes her feel bad about herself
First, Edward doesn't make Bella feel bad about herself. Bella makes Bella feel bad about herself. She's insecure, and that's her issue. Edward does nothing but try to reassure her. Does he tease her about her clumsiness? Sure. But is it a calculated insult intended to make Bella feel like less of a person? Hell no. It's teasing, and it's a thing a lot of boyfriends do. Contrary to popular opinion, some good-natured ribbing does not equal verbal abuse.
Secondly, Bella might not feel as insecure around Jacob (and I actually think her insecurity around Edward isn't such an issue at the end of Eclipse, when she finally gets that he loves her like she loves him), but I don't see how anyone could say Jacob doesn't make her feel bad about herself. When Jacob gave her his "Kiss me or I'll kill myself" ultimatum, she knew she was betraying Edward. And she felt so bad about that she actually wished she was dead. Jacob made her do something that compromised her character and made her hate herself. And that was Jacob's doing, and he was counting on Edward's reaction being a negative one, without really giving much thought to how all of this would make Bella feel. Not to mention all of the guilt trips he imposed because Bella loved Edward more.
All of that, to me, far outweighs any warm fuzzies she might have experienced while biking with him in La Push.
Jacob is real and normal and Edward is a stonecoldfox, hard rock.
To which I say WEREWOLVES aren't the 'normal' choice, okay?. If Edward is dangerous to Bella because of what he is, then Jacob is dangerous to Bella for what he is. Emily's mangled face is proof that werewolves lose control (more on Emily later). Just like Edward, Jacob won't age (as long as he's phasing, and who is to say he'll stop phasing?) which isn't exactly doing Bella any favors. So she can go on living her life and seeing her family and friends and have children of her own one day? With an eternally sixteen year-old boy? Oh okay. That wouldn't be at all awkward.
Truth be told, if Bella wanted normal, she'd be with Mike Newton.
Also, again, Jacob is as real as Edward, which is to say THEY ARE BOTH FICTIONAL.
Edward is just the easy choice
This comes up a lot, and for the life of me I can't figure out why Edward, a vampire for whom Bella would have to give up her friends, family and life for in order to be with for forever, is the easy choice. But apparently it comes down to this: Bella loves Edward the most, so being with him would be the easy thing. Okay? I think the point here is that there's a natural aversion on the part of some J/B shippers to anything that seems like fated love. If only because it's Edward as the fated love and not Jacob. I guess you could argue that it's boring and predictable, this idea of destiny and true love, but if it annoys you so much, I have to ask what you're doing obsessing over these books about vampires, werewolves and romance.
Also, didn't SM herself say that Jacob is the easy choice? Because he is? How could he not be? The only con, for Bella, in the Jacob column would be losing Edward. I guess that goes in line with the thinking that leaving Edward for Jacob would be the hard choice because she is so in love with Edward. Which...duh. But c'mon, Jacob Black practically has "Convenient and Simple" tattooed across his often bare chest.
Oh, oh, oh, can I just add that to my Jacob sucks because... list? I know he rips his clothes when he transforms and yadda, yadda, but dammit if Jacob's sans shirt doesn't remind me of Matthew McConaughey and his chemically induced spiritual connections with nature. Ugh again.
Where was I? Oh yeah. Jacob is the easy choice. Sorry, I don't see how this one can be argued.
Speaking of choices...
Jacob makes Bella think and choose, while Edward decides everything for her
Say wha? I'm sorry, where is it that Jacob is so pliable in regards to Bella? When he's forcing her to kiss him? Or maybe it's that other time, when he's FORCING HER TO KISS HIM? Versus, say, Edward? Bella herself states that Edward always gives her a choice.
That follows this...
Edward is overprotective and controlling while Jacob is just. like. Jesus
Yes, Edward is overprotective. He overreacts. It's his ~*tragic flaw*~ (Stephenie Meyer™). He's pretty annoying in the first part of Eclipse. But I don't see how Jacob is any better. Isn't his determination to keep Bella from being with Edward a way for him to protect her? Doesn't he show Charlie the motorcycles in order to get her in trouble so she can't see Edward? Isn't that a bit like disabling her car to keep her from driving to see someone he is convinced could hurt her?
Sidenote #23: Considering that SM is well aware that Edward is overreacting and that Edward even mocks Charlie doing something similar with the battery cables in Twilight, ("He left an hour ago--after reattaching your battery cables, I might add. I have to admit I was disappointed. Is that really all it would take to stop you, if you were determined to go?" Twilight, p. 313) I think it's supposed to show that Edward is being crazy.
My point is that they're both controlling and overprotective. I don't see how one is better than the other here.
Also:
Edward is SO cheesy and sappy YUCK
Oh hey, I KNOW RIGHT? There are some parts where I could choke on the saccharine. But it's not as if SM's writing becomes infintely better when she's writing for Jacob. Jacob "I AM THE SUN" Black, with his honey Bella and lame pickup lines like "Your lips are still blue. Want me to warm those up for you, too?" At least Edward's disgustingly romantic overtures are an obvious byproduct of his time. What's Jacob's excuse for his cheese? Too many viewings of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air?
Okay, I have to start winding this up before it becomes a two-parter. My apologies. No, seriously, I'm just as sorry that you're reading this as I am for writing this.
Edward is a whiny little emo boy and Jacob is a real man
Which I think comes down to Edward's suicide attempt vs. Jacob's suicide threat. Oh hell's bells, that entire thing was annoying as hell. I thought the whole Romeo & Juliet aspect in New Moon was cheesy and predictable. Edward wanting to kill himself because he thought Bella was dead is stupid, but it's also in character (see: "tragic flaw"). I can understand making fun of this, but I don't get it when some people hold this against Edward but excuse Jacob's threat to die in battle if Bella doesn't bend. At least, and I do mean least, Edward's actions were sincere. Jacob's actions were manipulative.
Edward Cullen could be a rapist
Oh yes, this has been said on more than one occassion. Mostly in reference to pg. 618 and on in Eclipse and in defense of Jacob's earlier assault loving kisses. Because if Edward hadn't stopped when Bella asked him to stop ("It took a great deal of effort just to force my hands to free themselves from his hair, to move them to his chest. But I did it. And then I shoved against him, trying to push him away. I could not succeed alone, but he responded as I knew he would." ), it would have been rape.
But he DID stop, even as Bella's internal dialogue was liking what he was doing. Jacob? Did not stop kissing her, even as Bella's internal dialogue was not having it.
Hate Edward and love Jacob all you want, but dammit if I don't think this is all ridiculous.
Even still, I could just ignore the hate and mocking and move on. I'm all for having negative opinions and being able to express them. And when negative opinions interfere with my positive opinions, it's my place to just scroll on by and ignore it.
There's something I won't ignore though. And that's the idea that your preference reflects your character, and that liking something or not liking something somehow defines you as a person. I didn't buy this bullshit with any of my other fandoms, and I'm not buying it now. Which leads to my conclusion (FINALLY, amirite?):
Edward and Edward/Bella is ANTI-FEMINIST
I'm not fourteen. And I haven't been fourteen for a very long time. And even if I was fourteen, so what? Like I said before, you can't hold someone's age against them.
I'm not idyllic. I don't have unrealistic expectations. I have had a boyfriend (and continue to. He is not a vampire).
I don't hate women. I am one. And I'm not naive enough to think that just being a woman makes you a feminist. But I am a feminist.
I also read these books and I like Edward Cullen.
You might be interested in reading this if you haven't yet:
Mamas, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Read Stephenie Meyer. It's a very intelligent review of the books, and she makes some good points. I'm not sure how something can be thoughtful and dismissive at the same time, but I feel like this is. I agree and disagree with her on a lot of different things. Like this:
I correctly anticipated the overwrought romanticism and anachronistic tropes that seem to be part and parcel of vampire stories; what I didn't expect was an allegory for abusive relationships and the Stockholm Syndrome. Bella's defining characteristics are that she can't seem to walk more than ten feet without hurting herself, and that she completely loses all sense of self when she's around Edward -- and does so with glee. Edward exerts control over Bella under the guise of wanting to protect her, but his brand of protection only serves to isolate Bella from other humans. When Edward deserts Bella in New Moon (once again hurting her to protect her), she becomes so bereft that she begins acting out and engaging in self-destructive behavior just so she can continue to hear Edward's voice in her head. Bella routinely compares Edward to a drug, and drama queens her way through the novels about how important(!) their love is.
And this:
Not that Edward's the only bad guy, mind you. In Eclipse, Jacob forces himself on Bella and kisses her against her will, leading Bella to take a swing at him and break her hand. This is significant because Jacob vouches that he would never hurt Bella like Edward does, that he would always leave her intact, as Bella always ends up injured when she's being "rescued" by Edward. Jacob explains it away by saying that technically, Bella hit him, but he's not without blame. Whereas the scars Edward leaves behind are mostly physical ones, Jacob wreaks emotional damage and routinely manipulates Bella's emotions to his advantage. Jacob knows Bella feels terrible about choosing Edward over him and takes every opportunity to play the "wounded pup" card, twisting the knife and further destabilizing an already unstable young woman. Where Edward is too careful, Jacob is too careless and encourages Bella's destructive behavior, but only to a point. He is determined to fight for Bella, to fight for her humanity, and to keep her in Forks down on the Rez, and turn her into a wolf girl who prepares massive spreads for the pack.
She exerts that Bella exhibits a lot of characteristics of woman in an abusive relationship, and that this book is dangerous for young girls to read. A lot of the comments drive home a lot of my earlier complaints; there's mocking of the young girls who love Edward because he's so 'sexay!' and are too immature to see how ridiculous these books are.
I don't think Stephenie Meyer is an amazing writer. I don't think she's awful either (how could she be, when she's created characters that gets people so excited and passionate, regardless of who you are rooting for?). But I don't think she had any hidden agendas when writing this. In fact, I don't think she gives much thought at all to how others might perceive some of her writing. It's so straightforward to her that she doesn't understand how anyone could not see what she sees. How could anyone not get that Jacob was just doing those things for Bella's own good, and it's not at all offensive. How could anyone not get that Jacob was right, and Bella did love him, despite all earlier declarations that her love for him was like that of a sister's love for her brother.
How could anyone not get that, in her own way, Stephenie is empowering Bella through Edward. That Edward isn't annoyingly perfect. He just sets the bar high, and that all girls should hold out for a great guy who will put them above all else. How could anyone not get that SM is saying that Bella shouldn't settle, and that her references to their love being like a drug isn't supposed to convey something negative and unhealthy; it's just a way for her to explain the incredible connection between them. That supernatural bond that is stronger than anything else.
Oh, Stephenie, I get how people could not get it. There was a lot I didn't get and a lot I was disturbed by (I think, far more so than any situation with Bella, the section on Emily and her getting accidentally injured by Sam but he was sorry and he really, really loves her felt far more like the description of an abuse victim than anything else). Also, Bella is not always written very well, and even though she is telling all of these stories, I often feel like her mind is as closed off to me as it is to Edward. Bella is a very poor heroine, and a lot of the reviewer's claims are very real concerns. Maybe it IS a poor choice of reading material for young and impressionable girls.
My point (if I even have one)? If anything, it's this SERIES and not a certain character. And if one is antifeminist, than the other is JUST as antifeminist.
Also, this is a FANTASY romance series. This is not the latest works from Gloria Steinem.
So, dear reviewer or anyone else who claims that Bella's love for Edward is antifeminist, I have to tell you that I think you're reading far too much into the books. Reviewer, that was kind of your point, being a review and all. Anyone else, you might want to pick up some other reading material. Preferably something not in the Young Adult, Sci-Fi, or Romance sections of your local Barnes & Noble. I mean, if it means so much to you.
Or you can keep on reading and keep on complaining when things don't go your way. Hey, I've been there and done just that. That's fine. But don't take it beyond that. Don't pat yourself on the back because you think your thoughts make you a better fan/woman/human being. Because that implies, indirectly or directly (and there have been direct statements on the matter) that my thoughts and opinions, which are opposite of yours, makes me less of a fan/woman/human being.
And really, I'm just here for the eventual vampire sex.
P.S I still hate Jacob Black
Seriously, TL;DR doesn't even begin to cover it.
Classes start on Tuesday. I have a lot of stuff to do, but I'm also getting the urge to write some VM fic. It's been just over a year since I wrote my first and only one. I have about five different unfinished stories to choose from on my desktop. Decisions, decisions.
Okay, I don't think it's actually irrational, because I really don't care for the character and I have a lot of reasons for that. But there are lots of characters I hate. Seriously, for each beloved character in every book, movie or TV show, there are probably five that I can't stand. Sometimes it's as much fun to hate a character as it is to love on one.
But I can't even enjoy hating Jacob. And what fun is there in that?
So I tried to workout my Jacob anger so I could understand it and move on. I'm aiming for mild annoyance but anything less than this burning and intense loathing would be A-OK with me, too. But while I was rereading the three books, I've realized that my Jacob hate is approximately 38% 'Jacob does suck' and 62% 'Wow, Jacob's rabid, Edward bashing fans are fueling the flaaames.'
I think this means that approximately 38% of me will keep on hating Jacob regardless, because Jacob sucks. Now about the 62%? I think I might be a lot less annoyed if I didn't have to keep repeating myself in Edward's defense, and that might help lower that percentage to, say, 47%. IF I'M LUCKY.
Just to be clear, it's not the enthusiasm for the character or even the bashing of Edward that gets me. It's not even the constant same points being brought up, ad nauseum as if it were the gospel, about WHY Jacob is so much better that gets me. It's the holier-than-thou, Jacob/Bella shippers are wiser/more mature/less idealistic and whimsical silly girls attitude that is peppered throughout the fandom more often than not.
So this is more for myself than anyone else, because there's a lot of things I've been saying and I've wanted to say about these damn books for awhile now. Behind the cut is a bunch of stuff many of you probably don't care about because you've managed to stay away from these damn books. Good on you! Lucky bastards.
1.) Why I love Edward
Sure he's beautiful, smells really good, and is amazing at everything. But why do I love him so much? Is it because I have unrealistic expectations of men and he caters to my immature, girlish fantasies? Is it because I can't appreciate something 'real' over blinding perfection? Do I love Edward Cullen because I hate my vagina?
Perhaps.
Or maybe it's because Edward is actually pretty damn great. All angel smiles and blinding perfection aside.
Edward Cullen is intelligent
He can correctly identify each stage of mitosis with nary a glance into the microscope. Sexy! But he's been around for 90 years, so maybe all of his book smarts and different college degrees aren't as impressive as they would be under normal circumstances. Fine, fine. He's also smart about people, and not just because he can read their minds (which, granted, is a total bonus). You get the feeling from Edward that's he's an old soul, and not just because he's actually 106-years-old. He's very perceptive and very aware, and I really like that about characters in general. It is what it is, and Edward gets that. And as much as I mock her, Stephenie Meyer was able to write him in a way that makes you think he was always this awesome, prevamp and all.
Edward Cullen is funny and snarky
Well, as funny and snarky as SM's writing in a young adult series about vampires. But it's an attractive trait nonetheless. It's a kind of deadpan humor, which is my favorite. He can joke about what he is, he can tease Bella. Edward's got ~*personality*~. Even if I think his personality declines along with the quality of the books (but that may just be me!) Whatevs, Edward. I still love you.
Because...
Edward Cullen is a gentleman
He's romantic and sweet. He's protective. He always puts Bella above everything else.
But all of these things are used against him, too. Apparently, to some, it's too much. I get that and I don't. I can understand how Edward's seeming perfection could be annoying, but I don't get how he's accused of not being 'real' when he's NOT real. It's all fictional, dudes. I realized that early on, around the time I read the dust jacket and learned that he was a VAMPIRE.
Is he too fake even for a fictional character? I don't think so. Edward was born and raised in a different time, and that molded him significantly. I think that makes him more interesting, not less.
Also, dear fandom, one cannot be a Gary-Stu yet be accused of being mean, inconsiderate and hateful. That's a bit of an oxymoron. Seeing as Gary-Stus are without flaws and all.
Oh hey,you know who would fit the definition of a Gary-Stu better?
Jacob doesn’t have a tragic flaw.
- Stephenie Meyer
Hmm.
Which brings me to...
2.) Why I think Jacob sucks
He was barely there in Twilight, and that will always be my favorite book of the series. I didn't mind him in New Moon, even though I missed a certain charismatic vampire like the desert misses the rain. But I didn't like him at all in Eclipse. And that dislike, she has grown. Why?
Jacob Black is sixteen
He's young! Hey, weren't we all at one time? You can't fault someone for their age, right? Of course not, but I also don't think you can use it as an excuse for every. single. action. Jacob isn't just sixteen. He's an immature sixteen. Truth be told, that kind of depresses me, because I think SM could have made him more sympathetic and more interesting if she focused on the 'Jacob as a father to his father' angle that she could have tackled (which could have been an interesting parallel to Bella, for those J/B shippers) and made him a bit more mature. But she didn't. And instead, I was reminded constantly that Jacob was young. And that because he was young, anything that he did that others could construe as wrong should be brushed off and forgiven. So says his fans. So says Charlie when Bella expresses anger over an uninvited kiss. So says SM. Sorry, but I don't buy it. I know you don't have the privilege of 90 years experience on Earth, Jacob, but I don't find your enthusiastic youth to be innocent and sweet after you assault a girl (Bella's words, not mine, although I guess they're mine, too!) and pull the 'kiss me or I'll kill myself' card.
Jacob Black is selfish
I guess this could fit with the above, but I think there's so many acts of selfishness, especially in Eclipse, that I can't just write it off as an age thing.
Jacob is selfish. Jacob is selfish and he hates that Edward isn't. I think a whole ego and werewolves vs. vampires thing, completely independent of Bella, is also a factor there, but that aside, I feel like Jacob just wants Edward to mess up, even if it hurts the hell out of Bella, so that he can finally one up him. That, to me, was all I got from him in the final chapters of Eclipse. And it wasn't a matter of feeling that Jacob wanted Edward to mess up for Bella's own good (so she could stay human, so she could be with Jacob, whatever). It was very much about beating him.
"No, no, Jake! I'm fine. Too fine, really. Of course he wasn't mean. I wish!"
His eyes widened in what looked like horror. "What?"
"He wasn't even mad at me- he wasn't even mad at you! He's so unselfish it makes me feel even worse. I wish he would have yelled at me or something. It's not like I don't deserve...well, much worse than getting yelled at. But he doesn't care. He just wants me to be happy."
"He wasn't mad?" Jacob asked, incredulous.
...
"He's not playing any game, Jake," I said quietly.
"You bet he is. He's playing every bit as hard as I am, only he knows what he's doing and I don't. Don't blame me because he's a better manipulator than I am-- I haven't been around long enough to learn all his tricks."
Eclipse, page 593-594.
So you've lost the heart of the girl you claim to love, as she's chosen another. And she's told you this repeatedly. In fact, she just reiterated it again a few minutes ago. What do you do? Well, if you're Jacob Black, you do the unselfish thing. It's kind of like you're Jesus. Or that guy in one of the other stories in the Bible.
"You know that story in the Bible?" Jacob asked suddenly, still reading the blank ceiling. "The one with the king and the two women fighting over the baby?"
LOLZ. But at least even Bella can see through him this time around.
And one more thing: Jacob is very likely going to imprint (lol imprinting) on someone else. Even Edward brought this up. Jacob knows the score, saw himself what happened with Leah/Sam/Emily, and yet he's promising himself to Bella if she gives up on Edward. I've ranted about this before, but I think it's just another thing that shows how selfish Jacob can be.
But so what, right? He's young.
Okay, a couple more things I've read time and time again so I'm just typing it up here and now so it's done with. I guess this will be my very own LINK IT for a lot of future discussions.
They say Jacob is better than Edward because...
Jacob makes Bella feel good about herself, while Edward makes her feel bad about herself
First, Edward doesn't make Bella feel bad about herself. Bella makes Bella feel bad about herself. She's insecure, and that's her issue. Edward does nothing but try to reassure her. Does he tease her about her clumsiness? Sure. But is it a calculated insult intended to make Bella feel like less of a person? Hell no. It's teasing, and it's a thing a lot of boyfriends do. Contrary to popular opinion, some good-natured ribbing does not equal verbal abuse.
Secondly, Bella might not feel as insecure around Jacob (and I actually think her insecurity around Edward isn't such an issue at the end of Eclipse, when she finally gets that he loves her like she loves him), but I don't see how anyone could say Jacob doesn't make her feel bad about herself. When Jacob gave her his "Kiss me or I'll kill myself" ultimatum, she knew she was betraying Edward. And she felt so bad about that she actually wished she was dead. Jacob made her do something that compromised her character and made her hate herself. And that was Jacob's doing, and he was counting on Edward's reaction being a negative one, without really giving much thought to how all of this would make Bella feel. Not to mention all of the guilt trips he imposed because Bella loved Edward more.
All of that, to me, far outweighs any warm fuzzies she might have experienced while biking with him in La Push.
Jacob is real and normal and Edward is a stonecoldfox, hard rock.
To which I say WEREWOLVES aren't the 'normal' choice, okay?. If Edward is dangerous to Bella because of what he is, then Jacob is dangerous to Bella for what he is. Emily's mangled face is proof that werewolves lose control (more on Emily later). Just like Edward, Jacob won't age (as long as he's phasing, and who is to say he'll stop phasing?) which isn't exactly doing Bella any favors. So she can go on living her life and seeing her family and friends and have children of her own one day? With an eternally sixteen year-old boy? Oh okay. That wouldn't be at all awkward.
Truth be told, if Bella wanted normal, she'd be with Mike Newton.
Also, again, Jacob is as real as Edward, which is to say THEY ARE BOTH FICTIONAL.
Edward is just the easy choice
This comes up a lot, and for the life of me I can't figure out why Edward, a vampire for whom Bella would have to give up her friends, family and life for in order to be with for forever, is the easy choice. But apparently it comes down to this: Bella loves Edward the most, so being with him would be the easy thing. Okay? I think the point here is that there's a natural aversion on the part of some J/B shippers to anything that seems like fated love. If only because it's Edward as the fated love and not Jacob. I guess you could argue that it's boring and predictable, this idea of destiny and true love, but if it annoys you so much, I have to ask what you're doing obsessing over these books about vampires, werewolves and romance.
Also, didn't SM herself say that Jacob is the easy choice? Because he is? How could he not be? The only con, for Bella, in the Jacob column would be losing Edward. I guess that goes in line with the thinking that leaving Edward for Jacob would be the hard choice because she is so in love with Edward. Which...duh. But c'mon, Jacob Black practically has "Convenient and Simple" tattooed across his often bare chest.
Oh, oh, oh, can I just add that to my Jacob sucks because... list? I know he rips his clothes when he transforms and yadda, yadda, but dammit if Jacob's sans shirt doesn't remind me of Matthew McConaughey and his chemically induced spiritual connections with nature. Ugh again.
Where was I? Oh yeah. Jacob is the easy choice. Sorry, I don't see how this one can be argued.
Speaking of choices...
Jacob makes Bella think and choose, while Edward decides everything for her
Say wha? I'm sorry, where is it that Jacob is so pliable in regards to Bella? When he's forcing her to kiss him? Or maybe it's that other time, when he's FORCING HER TO KISS HIM? Versus, say, Edward? Bella herself states that Edward always gives her a choice.
That follows this...
Edward is overprotective and controlling while Jacob is just. like. Jesus
Yes, Edward is overprotective. He overreacts. It's his ~*tragic flaw*~ (Stephenie Meyer™). He's pretty annoying in the first part of Eclipse. But I don't see how Jacob is any better. Isn't his determination to keep Bella from being with Edward a way for him to protect her? Doesn't he show Charlie the motorcycles in order to get her in trouble so she can't see Edward? Isn't that a bit like disabling her car to keep her from driving to see someone he is convinced could hurt her?
Sidenote #23: Considering that SM is well aware that Edward is overreacting and that Edward even mocks Charlie doing something similar with the battery cables in Twilight, ("He left an hour ago--after reattaching your battery cables, I might add. I have to admit I was disappointed. Is that really all it would take to stop you, if you were determined to go?" Twilight, p. 313) I think it's supposed to show that Edward is being crazy.
My point is that they're both controlling and overprotective. I don't see how one is better than the other here.
Also:
Edward is SO cheesy and sappy YUCK
Oh hey, I KNOW RIGHT? There are some parts where I could choke on the saccharine. But it's not as if SM's writing becomes infintely better when she's writing for Jacob. Jacob "I AM THE SUN" Black, with his honey Bella and lame pickup lines like "Your lips are still blue. Want me to warm those up for you, too?" At least Edward's disgustingly romantic overtures are an obvious byproduct of his time. What's Jacob's excuse for his cheese? Too many viewings of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air?
Okay, I have to start winding this up before it becomes a two-parter. My apologies. No, seriously, I'm just as sorry that you're reading this as I am for writing this.
Edward is a whiny little emo boy and Jacob is a real man
Which I think comes down to Edward's suicide attempt vs. Jacob's suicide threat. Oh hell's bells, that entire thing was annoying as hell. I thought the whole Romeo & Juliet aspect in New Moon was cheesy and predictable. Edward wanting to kill himself because he thought Bella was dead is stupid, but it's also in character (see: "tragic flaw"). I can understand making fun of this, but I don't get it when some people hold this against Edward but excuse Jacob's threat to die in battle if Bella doesn't bend. At least, and I do mean least, Edward's actions were sincere. Jacob's actions were manipulative.
Edward Cullen could be a rapist
Oh yes, this has been said on more than one occassion. Mostly in reference to pg. 618 and on in Eclipse and in defense of Jacob's earlier assault loving kisses. Because if Edward hadn't stopped when Bella asked him to stop ("It took a great deal of effort just to force my hands to free themselves from his hair, to move them to his chest. But I did it. And then I shoved against him, trying to push him away. I could not succeed alone, but he responded as I knew he would." ), it would have been rape.
But he DID stop, even as Bella's internal dialogue was liking what he was doing. Jacob? Did not stop kissing her, even as Bella's internal dialogue was not having it.
Hate Edward and love Jacob all you want, but dammit if I don't think this is all ridiculous.
Even still, I could just ignore the hate and mocking and move on. I'm all for having negative opinions and being able to express them. And when negative opinions interfere with my positive opinions, it's my place to just scroll on by and ignore it.
There's something I won't ignore though. And that's the idea that your preference reflects your character, and that liking something or not liking something somehow defines you as a person. I didn't buy this bullshit with any of my other fandoms, and I'm not buying it now. Which leads to my conclusion (FINALLY, amirite?):
Edward and Edward/Bella is ANTI-FEMINIST
I'm not fourteen. And I haven't been fourteen for a very long time. And even if I was fourteen, so what? Like I said before, you can't hold someone's age against them.
I'm not idyllic. I don't have unrealistic expectations. I have had a boyfriend (and continue to. He is not a vampire).
I don't hate women. I am one. And I'm not naive enough to think that just being a woman makes you a feminist. But I am a feminist.
I also read these books and I like Edward Cullen.
You might be interested in reading this if you haven't yet:
Mamas, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Read Stephenie Meyer. It's a very intelligent review of the books, and she makes some good points. I'm not sure how something can be thoughtful and dismissive at the same time, but I feel like this is. I agree and disagree with her on a lot of different things. Like this:
I correctly anticipated the overwrought romanticism and anachronistic tropes that seem to be part and parcel of vampire stories; what I didn't expect was an allegory for abusive relationships and the Stockholm Syndrome. Bella's defining characteristics are that she can't seem to walk more than ten feet without hurting herself, and that she completely loses all sense of self when she's around Edward -- and does so with glee. Edward exerts control over Bella under the guise of wanting to protect her, but his brand of protection only serves to isolate Bella from other humans. When Edward deserts Bella in New Moon (once again hurting her to protect her), she becomes so bereft that she begins acting out and engaging in self-destructive behavior just so she can continue to hear Edward's voice in her head. Bella routinely compares Edward to a drug, and drama queens her way through the novels about how important(!) their love is.
And this:
Not that Edward's the only bad guy, mind you. In Eclipse, Jacob forces himself on Bella and kisses her against her will, leading Bella to take a swing at him and break her hand. This is significant because Jacob vouches that he would never hurt Bella like Edward does, that he would always leave her intact, as Bella always ends up injured when she's being "rescued" by Edward. Jacob explains it away by saying that technically, Bella hit him, but he's not without blame. Whereas the scars Edward leaves behind are mostly physical ones, Jacob wreaks emotional damage and routinely manipulates Bella's emotions to his advantage. Jacob knows Bella feels terrible about choosing Edward over him and takes every opportunity to play the "wounded pup" card, twisting the knife and further destabilizing an already unstable young woman. Where Edward is too careful, Jacob is too careless and encourages Bella's destructive behavior, but only to a point. He is determined to fight for Bella, to fight for her humanity, and to keep her in Forks down on the Rez, and turn her into a wolf girl who prepares massive spreads for the pack.
She exerts that Bella exhibits a lot of characteristics of woman in an abusive relationship, and that this book is dangerous for young girls to read. A lot of the comments drive home a lot of my earlier complaints; there's mocking of the young girls who love Edward because he's so 'sexay!' and are too immature to see how ridiculous these books are.
I don't think Stephenie Meyer is an amazing writer. I don't think she's awful either (how could she be, when she's created characters that gets people so excited and passionate, regardless of who you are rooting for?). But I don't think she had any hidden agendas when writing this. In fact, I don't think she gives much thought at all to how others might perceive some of her writing. It's so straightforward to her that she doesn't understand how anyone could not see what she sees. How could anyone not get that Jacob was just doing those things for Bella's own good, and it's not at all offensive. How could anyone not get that Jacob was right, and Bella did love him, despite all earlier declarations that her love for him was like that of a sister's love for her brother.
How could anyone not get that, in her own way, Stephenie is empowering Bella through Edward. That Edward isn't annoyingly perfect. He just sets the bar high, and that all girls should hold out for a great guy who will put them above all else. How could anyone not get that SM is saying that Bella shouldn't settle, and that her references to their love being like a drug isn't supposed to convey something negative and unhealthy; it's just a way for her to explain the incredible connection between them. That supernatural bond that is stronger than anything else.
Oh, Stephenie, I get how people could not get it. There was a lot I didn't get and a lot I was disturbed by (I think, far more so than any situation with Bella, the section on Emily and her getting accidentally injured by Sam but he was sorry and he really, really loves her felt far more like the description of an abuse victim than anything else). Also, Bella is not always written very well, and even though she is telling all of these stories, I often feel like her mind is as closed off to me as it is to Edward. Bella is a very poor heroine, and a lot of the reviewer's claims are very real concerns. Maybe it IS a poor choice of reading material for young and impressionable girls.
My point (if I even have one)? If anything, it's this SERIES and not a certain character. And if one is antifeminist, than the other is JUST as antifeminist.
Also, this is a FANTASY romance series. This is not the latest works from Gloria Steinem.
So, dear reviewer or anyone else who claims that Bella's love for Edward is antifeminist, I have to tell you that I think you're reading far too much into the books. Reviewer, that was kind of your point, being a review and all. Anyone else, you might want to pick up some other reading material. Preferably something not in the Young Adult, Sci-Fi, or Romance sections of your local Barnes & Noble. I mean, if it means so much to you.
Or you can keep on reading and keep on complaining when things don't go your way. Hey, I've been there and done just that. That's fine. But don't take it beyond that. Don't pat yourself on the back because you think your thoughts make you a better fan/woman/human being. Because that implies, indirectly or directly (and there have been direct statements on the matter) that my thoughts and opinions, which are opposite of yours, makes me less of a fan/woman/human being.
And really, I'm just here for the eventual vampire sex.
P.S I still hate Jacob Black
Seriously, TL;DR doesn't even begin to cover it.
Classes start on Tuesday. I have a lot of stuff to do, but I'm also getting the urge to write some VM fic. It's been just over a year since I wrote my first and only one. I have about five different unfinished stories to choose from on my desktop. Decisions, decisions.