Cooties
El Ferret has a post up about Twilight (and Justin Bieber) hatred that spells out a lot of things I have never had the energy to say. Basically, even though Twilight is hugely problematic in its handling of sex and gender and relationships (and a bunch of other things) and also just not very good writing, a lot of the backlash against it is also misogynistic and icky, because it's part of a larger pattern of holding "girl fantasies" in contempt while "boy fantasies" get to be culturally significant archetypes.
I don't agree with everything he says, but I definitely think that in addition to the people going after Twilight because of the very real problems it presents, there are also people who attack it because on some level the idea of girls having the sort of tastemaking power to make this sparkly, sexy fantasy about a sparkly, sexy boy hyper popular really freaks them out. And there are a lot of people who don't know or care what actually happens in the book, they just know that as a designated girly book it is a socially acceptable punching bag.
I would also add that when criticism of a book reaches a certain level of vitriol, even the most well-meaning critiques frequently spill over from condemning Twilight to condemning all the girls who read Twilight.
Interesting things are happening in the comments thread, though a lot of the responses are somewhat defensive reiterations of "I don't hate on Twilight because I'm sexist, I hate on it because it's crappy," which I think kind of miss the point that this isn't just about Twilight and its crappiness, it's about the big picture phenomenon of how it's okay to thoughtlessly heap contempt on things teenage girls like, because things teenage girls like are dumb.
And another thing: I'm sure there are still sparkly vampire jokes to be made in the world, but at this point it's going to have to be a really good sparkly vampire joke to impress me. When you're shooting fish in a barrel, it won't be long before you run out of fish.
Anyway, here regurgitated in all its glory is my first comment in the discussion:
I mean, I have a lot of problems with Twilight in terms of both what is says and how it says it, but that means I end up in conversations like this:
Dudebro: That Twilight, it is really questionable!
Me: Very true! Would you mind if I shared my thoughts on the matter?
Dudebro: I mean, it's all about this GIRL, and she's not cool or anything but these guys LIKE her. EW.*
Me: I think you are hating on Twilight for all the wrong reasons...
Dudebro: And the vampires are PANSIES because they LIKE A GIRL, EW.
Me: ....
Dudebro: And while we're on the subject, HUNGER GAMES. It's also about GIRLS, who guys LIKE with their DUMB FEELINGS, and I haven't read it but it's only popular because girls are TOO STUPID to read Battle Royale.
Me: WHY MUST YOU HUUUURT MEEEEE.
*This would never happen in a male fantasy about a guy who is kind of a dweeb but keeps having hot chicks fall for him, like for example Spiderman, this would never happen to Spiderman.**
**That is a totally untrue statement.
I don't agree with everything he says, but I definitely think that in addition to the people going after Twilight because of the very real problems it presents, there are also people who attack it because on some level the idea of girls having the sort of tastemaking power to make this sparkly, sexy fantasy about a sparkly, sexy boy hyper popular really freaks them out. And there are a lot of people who don't know or care what actually happens in the book, they just know that as a designated girly book it is a socially acceptable punching bag.
I would also add that when criticism of a book reaches a certain level of vitriol, even the most well-meaning critiques frequently spill over from condemning Twilight to condemning all the girls who read Twilight.
Interesting things are happening in the comments thread, though a lot of the responses are somewhat defensive reiterations of "I don't hate on Twilight because I'm sexist, I hate on it because it's crappy," which I think kind of miss the point that this isn't just about Twilight and its crappiness, it's about the big picture phenomenon of how it's okay to thoughtlessly heap contempt on things teenage girls like, because things teenage girls like are dumb.
And another thing: I'm sure there are still sparkly vampire jokes to be made in the world, but at this point it's going to have to be a really good sparkly vampire joke to impress me. When you're shooting fish in a barrel, it won't be long before you run out of fish.
Anyway, here regurgitated in all its glory is my first comment in the discussion:
I mean, I have a lot of problems with Twilight in terms of both what is says and how it says it, but that means I end up in conversations like this:
Dudebro: That Twilight, it is really questionable!
Me: Very true! Would you mind if I shared my thoughts on the matter?
Dudebro: I mean, it's all about this GIRL, and she's not cool or anything but these guys LIKE her. EW.*
Me: I think you are hating on Twilight for all the wrong reasons...
Dudebro: And the vampires are PANSIES because they LIKE A GIRL, EW.
Me: ....
Dudebro: And while we're on the subject, HUNGER GAMES. It's also about GIRLS, who guys LIKE with their DUMB FEELINGS, and I haven't read it but it's only popular because girls are TOO STUPID to read Battle Royale.
Me: WHY MUST YOU HUUUURT MEEEEE.
*This would never happen in a male fantasy about a guy who is kind of a dweeb but keeps having hot chicks fall for him, like for example Spiderman, this would never happen to Spiderman.**
**That is a totally untrue statement.