I also tend to think that a lot of the popularity is a subconscious response to the fact that, in a lot of ways, it could be boiled down to "Woman wants something. Man tells her she can't have it. Man's pals jump in and tell her she can't have it unless he says she can. Other man (and his pals) jumps in and tells her what she wants is dirtybadwrongnotinfunways. Woman gets what she wants despite men and their pals saying she can't have it and shouldn't want it."
This! There are a ton of things that I think are unfortunate about the series, and like you say, it has some terrible external messages. But internally, Bella gets everything she wants, much of which is stuff that the boys in her life do not want her to have ~for her own good. So yeah, I don't think there is much redeeming about the series, really, but my feelings on it as a phenomenon are somewhat complicated. I also have a lot of thoughts on how all post-Twilight heroines are billed by audiences who like it as, like, the anti-Bella; I'm thinking of Katniss in particular. Who does NOT get everything she wants, and in fact, pretty much gets terrible things at all times. I'm not sure I have a point, but it's kind of troubling that it isn't shameful to love the YA heroine kicked around by the world, but the one who gets everything she wanted is mockable?
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branchandroot
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Date: 2012-12-31 07:13 pm (UTC)This! There are a ton of things that I think are unfortunate about the series, and like you say, it has some terrible external messages. But internally, Bella gets everything she wants, much of which is stuff that the boys in her life do not want her to have ~for her own good. So yeah, I don't think there is much redeeming about the series, really, but my feelings on it as a phenomenon are somewhat complicated. I also have a lot of thoughts on how all post-Twilight heroines are billed by audiences who like it as, like, the anti-Bella; I'm thinking of Katniss in particular. Who does NOT get everything she wants, and in fact, pretty much gets terrible things at all times. I'm not sure I have a point, but it's kind of troubling that it isn't shameful to love the YA heroine kicked around by the world, but the one who gets everything she wanted is mockable?