Rape-Culture Award

[featherwizard]

Hello everyone! I just found this community and I'm thrilled to be here. Especially because I have so much to say!

Anyone who makes it all the way through Stephenie Meyer's series of glitter!vamp books knows that in the end,

Comments

[featherwizard]

I mostly made this post for the Rape Culture award. Edited for clarity, sorry for communication fail.

Re: Warning: Spoilers below.

[featherwizard]

Bella wakes up the next morning COVERED in bruises and that she ENJOYED the experience

I KNOW. SO SCARY. But that's a whole other award, I don't have time to make it right now.

Re: Warning: Spoilers below.

[jade_lightning]

I would argue that the biggest rape!fail in the book is Bella and Edward's first sexual encounter. [...] she BLATANTLY states that Bella wakes up the next morning COVERED in bruises and that she ENJOYED the experience. I was horrified, think that some thirteen year old girl is going to read that and think that violent sex is acceptable in a relationship if it's what her boyfriend "needs." If he can't "help himself."

Haven't read Twilight so I don't know how that scene goes, but how you said that kind of made it seem to me like you don't think that enjoying rough sex is a good thing to be shown. I mean, if the violence is because he "can't help himself" it's not such a good thing to show positively but if both people are into it then there's no reason for rough/violent sex shouldn't be shown in a good way.

[loststjude]

You really shouldn't make rape judgements on books if your reading comprehension skills are that bad.

[featherwizard]

Wait...taking away a character's control to force them into a sexual relationship is not rape. Oops. I think you just failed every rape-prevention class forever. Seriously, you are aware that forcing someone into a relationship is considered rape, right? That drugging people into compliance is considered assault, invasion of privacy and worth many years in prison?

I am now honestly afraid of you. You seriously don't see anything wrong with taking away someone's will so they get involved with a specific person?

[loststjude]

Except for the fact that she didn't make them have sex, and if you read the books with any understanding at all you would have caught that he isn't being forced into a sexual relationship at all. The "imprinting" as she calls it is more of a protector/partner. She deals with this specifically with other characters in the book, Quil ring a bell?

She does not force a character into a sexual relationship, and I take rape very seriously which is why I would not slap the word around on a blog talking about an author which doesn't support rape.

It isn't about liking the book or not, it isn't rape.

And please don't be afraid for me, I don't need your fears. And do remember, it's a book not a life or death situation that deserves this much attention, especially when you miss interperet the text.

[featherwizard]

No, the imprinting is specifically a sexual relationship. The fact that it's not sexual *yet* between Jacob and Renesmee doesn't change the fact that Jacob, and every other werewolf who imprints, get stuck with this all-consuming un-controllable imperative. They have to get with the person they imprint on for multiple reasons, including a normal lifespan, biological imperative that is apparently more akin to hunger than sex drive (since people can resist sex drive sucessfully, but werewolves once they imprint can't) - even characters in the book register disgust over the situation, only to be fine with it once they imprint, which was what first suggested the roofies/date-rape angle to me.

[featherwizard]

Jacob is a victim of mind-rape: He's subjected to a substance (magic-werefolf-ness, for lack of a better term) that takes away his choices, specifically his sexual choices, but also lessening his ability to determine the appropriateness of his actions when his will contradicts Bella's-Baby's will. This is a classic date-rape-drug scenario.

[featherwizard]

When I read the book I thought it was pretty clear that werewolves don't have a choice - they're in love whether they want it or not. Renesmee has a choice (I think), but Jacob doesn't.

[koboldmaki]

All else aside - a baster? Why? And what IS the other thing?

[50tonsofflax]

I think it's a stiletto, though I could easily be mistaken... Looks like there'll be something interesting for dinner tonight.

[featherwizard]

It's supposed to be a dagger.

[50tonsofflax]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stiletto

A stiletto is a type of dagger... Kind of like the one in the picture...