New Moon: Old Story?
by Special Correspondent Wendi Muse
Most people talk about the fans. They are typically teenage girls screaming, crying, fainting at the sight of the pallid Robert Pattinson (who plays the Byronic hero Edward Cullen, a vampire who strives to avoid his bloodthirsty desires for the sake of preserving humanity). Now with the post-pubescent buffing up of another of the film’s protagonists, Jacob Black, a werewolf of indigenous heritage whose newfound strengths provide him with the ability to preserve a treaty to quell violence between the werewolves and vampires (played by Taylor Lautner), there’s a new boy on the block for inducing total fan chaos. But with the onslaught of abs and a new love interest for Bella Swan (the pathetic protagonist and central female love interest played by Kristen Stewart), there is a recycling of roles for actors of color that are far from new.
If anything, the title itself adds an ironic twist to a tale that spirals into a stereotypical narrative to which we are all well-conditioned by now, both in films and other more readily-available media in our every day lives. Have you ever heard something along the lines of “dating someone who is [insert ethnic/racial group] ok, but you’d better not marry one!” or “Native Americans are so in touch with nature!”? Have you ever seen a film or tv show that relegated the person of color as the trusty sidekick, loyal friend, or temporary romantic plaything, only then to have the white hero enter in medias res and get all the praise and attention? Have you ever seen a piece from an ad campaign or historical policy discussions in which non-white people are portrayed as animalistic, in both their behavior, thought processes, and athletic ability? Have you, as a person of color, or if you are not, any of your POC friends, ever complained of feeling that their societal value was reduced to their physical appearance or a specific body part?
If you answered “yes” to any of the above, you have already seen New Moon.
I saw Twilight right before my return to the United States in July. My students had been chiming in on the constant refrain of “Teacher, you HAVE TO SEE IT!” that surrounded Twilight both in my classrooms and on blogs based in the States. I did not understand all the hype, but as a means of connecting with my students and not completely loosing my footing on the mountain that is American pop culture, I saw it (on my computer, for free, mind you) and actually enjoyed it. I was surprised by the fact that I, too, had been charmed by the allure of the glitter vamps and the romantic tale that unfolded from their presence in Forks (the northwestern town where all the magic happens). The movie was typical boy-meets-girl teenage fare, with the addition of mystery, rejection, and the little problem of the main love interests not being “right” for each other (in this case, because one of the parties is no longer human or alive in the technical sense).
In having seen Twilight, I felt the madness needed to continue. So on Monday night, with a little help from the internet and a pirate film site, I saw New Moon from the comfort of my home. Let’s just say I’m glad I didn’t drop the $12.50 and leave the house. The film was slow, the only action being choreographed quasi-violence and a lot of pining away for lost love. To summarize (spoiler alert!!!!!), Edward, as a means of aiding his family in their attempt at secrecy (people in Forks begin to put two and two together about Mr. Cullen’s seeming inability to age), moves away. With the email addresses, screen names, and cell phone numbers of her boyfriend and his family now defunct, Bella goes into a state of emotional catatonia, only to be awakened by occasional risky behavior (before which she always sees Edward’s hologram presence as a warning) and a motorcycle repair project with her trusty friend Jacob. In their growing closeness, and with the help of an amazing muscular growth spurt, Jacob becomes Bella’s back pocket boyfriend, except that there’s a tiny catch. Jacob and his family aren’t quite human in the technical sense either. They are shapeshifters with short tempers who turn into enormous wolves when provoked. Their main source of provocation? VAMPIRES! How fitting.
Edward later returns after a long period of hiatus (thanks to Bella who, despite having a caring, trustworthy, friendly, and ripped quasi-boyfriend Jacob, still goes after her old flame and his sister Alice, who had a clairvoyant vision of Bella cliff diving, and assuming it was suicide, told Edward she was dead) and Bella, now intent upon being turned into a vampire so she can be forever united with Edward without looking like a “cougar” as she grows old and he remains physically 17, basically dumps Jacob like a hot potato. Jacob, however, reminds Edward and Co. that if he or anyone bites a human, the treaty between vampires and werewolves in the region will be broken, and the vampire hunting werewolves with strike again to protect everyone.
How’s that for excitement?
But beyond all the drama, there is a story that we have seen played out countless times in every other movie, tv show, etc. that decides to employ a character of color, only to put them on time out when the fun really begins. Despite being abandoned by her (technically) dead boyfriend, Bella, in true masochistic form, continues to go after him, even though living and breathing Jacob is a better choice for a beau. Not only is he charismatic, attractive, and fun, he can protect Bella too, which seems to be at the crux of her very existence. Playing the damsel in distress is Bella’s forte, so Jacob could fit the bill as a boyfriend who would suit her most important need. Yet his big character flaw, beyond actually being interested in Bella, is the fact that he’s not white.
Yes, poor Jacob, as “beautiful” (Bella’s words) and awesome as he may be, is one of the Quileute, an indigenous group of the northern Pacific coast. While it’s not explicitly stated in the film that this is the reason Bella doesn’t continue the relationship with Jacob, any audience member who knows a little bit about American film already knows quite well that it’s a rare case when a main character of color, especially if surrounded by other main characters who are white, actually succeeds in the end and remains a romantic interest.
In terms of the other characters of color in the film…well…that’s a bit harder. The only other ones present are a) the other members of the Quileute, the main focus being the young boys going through the man-to-wolf initiation process, b) a black vampire named Laurent who is actually a villain and whom the werewolves later kill, and c) a few of Bella’s classmates who, in this film, are practically absent through the entire 2 hours.
I haven’t read the books of the Twilight series, and don’t intend to, but I am curious as to what happens next. I’m hoping that somewhere in the subsequent films, there will be a more positive and less-stereotypical outcome for the characters of color.
Carmen Van Kerckhove is co-founder and president of
laura wrote:
Considering the movies take place in a predominantly white part of the United States, I always wonder whether we should take into account the demographics of the area when casting the background extras I guess. The student body in Twilight were quite diverse, but not necessarily representative of the Olympic peninsula. I’m from Maine and if there was a movie that took place in a rural area there and a large ratio of extras were people of color, I know a lot of people would raise their eyebrows. I was just wondering what other people think about this..
Posted 26 Nov 2009 at 11:35 am ¶
Wendi Muse wrote:
hey laura, i definitely thought of that, though that’s not my gripe. my issue with the storyline is that it’s a tired and repetetive insult to characters of color who will never *quite* be winners in the end in terms of gaining victory and remaining a love interest. i have seen enough movies already about someone white liking someone of color only for the sake of playing with them and not really taking the relationship seriously, particularly if there is the prospect of being with another white person in the end. i think that it’s great to show intercultural/ethnic/racial relationships on film and tv, but the endings are often of this frustrating sort.
re: the high school classmates…i actually liked them and wish there had been more of their presence in new moon. they have more vivacious personalities than mopey bella, that’s for sure.
Posted 26 Nov 2009 at 11:45 am ¶
Karen wrote:
@laura movies usually dont take an account for demographics anyway since most of them are about middle class white people living in the: suburbs (if a romance), city (if a romantic comedy), and city or suburbs if an action or horror. then they throw a few minor Character of color to get NAACP and MANAA off their back. so should we care that there are more COC in this particular movie. probably not. especially because the main characters ae relagated to the same POC supporting and White actors the leading.
The book itself was rather puke inducing. When I found out that
1. Stephenie Meyers stole most of the plot and characters from the writer of Vampire Diaries
2. Stephenie Meyers is Mormon. (Lamanites…need I say more)
I kinda dropped any love I had for the series. The only reason why I saw New Moon was cuz the tickets were free. And also shirtless Taylor Lautner is very pleasing to the eye… Yes i’ll admit it. I saw the film for man-flesh only. As for the movie and it’s plot, I laughed at times I was supposed to be sad or awestruck and was awestruck at how incredible terrible the acting, writing, and CGI effects were.
No love for stalker Edward and the domestic abuse that Bella not only puts up with but WELCOMES. Watching someone sleep, breathe, etc is STALKING. And how unhealthy is being so comatose that you boyfriend broke up with you that you only become half functioning when you meet ANOTHER boy? this girl needs some serious help.
And seriously “You’re kinda beautiful?”. I flashbacked to beautiful, handsome, fierce, and warrior savages who white folks made up romantic stories about but ended up slaughtering them and devastating their culture.
GAAHHHH
Posted 26 Nov 2009 at 12:02 pm ¶
mk wrote:
…have you ever read a book where the author decided it would be cool to appropriate* the culture of some indigenous American nation as a plot device?
Oh? All the time? Right. Ugh. I have only read the Twilight books, so this may not be as much of an issue in the movies…but the werewolf legend thing is a central part of the plot, so I imagine the issue is there in the movies too.
*I don’t know if appropriate is even the right word for what Meyer does with the Quileute werewolf thing, since “appropriate” does imply a certain amount of accuracy in my mind (rather than flat out making shit up).
Posted 26 Nov 2009 at 12:18 pm ¶
Katie wrote:
One of my favorite things to do is critique Twilight. And I completely agree with your assessment of the movie-that Jacob, as a person of color, gets the short end of the deal, by not snuffed by Bella, and this is something that we’ve seen over and over again in the media. There are many reasons why the books are utterly messed up: stalker behaviors are romanticized, as are abusive and controlling tendencies (Edward and Jacob too [in the 3rd and 4th books especially] both control Bella’s decisions, making virtually all choices for her, always with her best interests in mind–to “protect” her, of course; plus, they could literally kill her at any second, if either of them loses it; and the fact that Emily stays with Sam after he permanently disfiguring her face is a testament to their love); (MINOR SPOILER) there’s a pretty disturbing pro-life message in the 4th book; (MINOR SPOILER) a justification for falling in love with infants (seriously, I don’t know how the 4th book is going to be made into a movie, because it is so messed up); plus, the book is quite racist at times (Edward’s absolute whiteness is described many times as the absolute height of beauty, and Jacob is often likened to a dog since he can become one, and there’s a line in the 4th book about how these Egyptian vampires “all look the same”). But throughout it all, the one thing that I have to give Meyers some props for is at least having a main character who is Native American, and who isn’t utterly a stereotype. Jacob, in fact, is not only a main character, but a character who in many ways is the most likable and most developed in the whole series. There’s really three main characters: Bella, Edward, and Jacob. Bella is basically a personality-less blank slate for the reader to insert him or herself on to, and Edward doesn’t really have much a personality except to be creepy, brooding, and overly protective/kind of a know-it-all (which is partially due to the fact that he’s able to read minds/109 or some odd years old). It is fucked up that Bella doesn’t go to Jacob, when he’s clearly more likable and, at least in the context of the 2nd book (he’s worse in the 3rd and 4th, doing many similar things as Edward does that are basically emotionally abusive, example: threatening to kill himself if Bella doesn’t be with him). But at the same time, while it’s true that he’s the only person of color in the books, he’s the most likable, most developed, and arguably most complex character in the entire series (Bella and Edward are kind of one-trick ponies: Bella is always being self-deprecating and Edward is always being mightier-than-thou). And the fact that Jacob is so well developed is something that’s actually pretty interesting and good about the series.
Posted 26 Nov 2009 at 12:39 pm ¶
Katie wrote:
Whoa, rereading my comment, it kind of sounds like I’m saying “Hey guys, stop dissing the movie, at least Meyer’s has a character of color!” And that’s messed up. I do not mean that! All I meant was to offer something I thought was interesting about the series: that there actually is a developed character of color (developed at least compared to the other characters, who are really not layered..at all). And I was wondering what others thought about that, if they agreed or if they thought differently.
Posted 26 Nov 2009 at 12:43 pm ¶
Jenny wrote:
Wendi, you make a good point with which I agree — the material itself is far more troublesome and worthy of critique than the masses of fans. Especially given the overtones of misogyny present in critiques/complaints about those fans.
The race and gender issues in the books are just too puke-worthy — I can’t get worked up over a 16-year-old (or 36-year-old) lusting over a particular actor.
Posted 26 Nov 2009 at 12:43 pm ¶
Lindz wrote:
While this analysis is spot on, I am giving the casting director one point for actually casting Native Americans as opposed to whites.
@mk
I’ve been thinking of it as co-opting. After I saw these movies with a friend (I haven’t read the books) I went to the Quileute Nation’s Web site. Their story can be found here http://www.quileutenation.org/history
Also, I found out the Nation hired a publicist to deal with all the attention they’ve been getting due to Twilight. I’m not sure what to think yet about the connections between a real life tribe and Meyer’s shape-shifting creations.
Posted 26 Nov 2009 at 1:09 pm ¶
malted_tea wrote:
Getting a bit CIA on you since I couldn’t stomach reading the rest of the post once you admitted to watching a bootleg version, Wendi.
Posted 26 Nov 2009 at 1:24 pm ¶
me and not you wrote:
I didn’t really see it as the person of color gets screwed over, more of the nice guy finishes last trope-i.e. I think that’s probably what Myers was thinking. (though when it’s pointed out, it’s definitely an O yeaaaaah kind of thing)
However, like mk, the whole “lets appropriate the cosmology of another culture” thing kind of made me wig out through the whole book. I think that when the whole “werewolf” bs popped up was the first time I threw the book across the room (vampires vs. werewolves, o my!).
While Jacob is a significantly better potential boyfriend, he still has some pitfalls; however, I also felt like he was a much more real person, and his minor control issues (in comparison to Edward) could be chalked up to his niavete, which would hopefully be grown out of. I was always Team Jacob, even though I knew she had to end up with Edward.
Posted 26 Nov 2009 at 1:41 pm ¶
js wrote:
Am I the only one bothered by the casual mention of illegally downloading the movie from a pirate internet site?
The author was pretty clear – she didn’t feel like paying $12.50 for the movie, but she still wanted to see it, so she stole a “free” copy.
Maybe I have misunderstood, and if I have I apologize. But if it is as it looks, that really isn’t OK.
Posted 26 Nov 2009 at 1:51 pm ¶
mieko wrote:
I am going to come out and admit it: ” Hi, I’m Mieko, and I used to be a teenage Twilight addict.” I’ve been clean for 3 years though, mostly due to the abusive controlling relationship thing and the Jacob-Bella thing, but also due to the all-around bad writing.
But, just to point something out- Jacob and the Quileutes are the only PoCs in the book. At least the only ones mentioned, anyway. Bella’s friends were made PoCs only to make the movie less lily-white. Notice, for instance that HER friends are pretty much the ONLY non-white people in the school.
Posted 26 Nov 2009 at 3:50 pm ¶
mieko wrote:
Support for my earlier statement: If I remember correctly, Stephanie Meyer never makes explicit the skin colors of Bella’s friends, but the amount of time she spends emphasizing and other-ing Jacob leads me to believe she would have put in at least a little more description about Bella’s friends had they been anything other than white.
Posted 26 Nov 2009 at 4:22 pm ¶
dmarks wrote:
Katte said:
“(MINOR SPOILER) there’s a pretty disturbing pro-life message in the 4th book; ”
How does this work?
Posted 26 Nov 2009 at 6:20 pm ¶
Latoya Peterson wrote:
@laura -
Don’t worry about it – there are no POC outside of the folks on La Push in the books. The casting choices they made for the movie are different.
Posted 26 Nov 2009 at 7:25 pm ¶
Katie wrote:
@dmarks, what do you mean? If you’re confused by the Minor Spoiler message warning, I wanted to mention the pro-life message in the 4th book without going all out into what actually happens, just in case someone doesn’t want it surprised that REAL SPOILER: Bella gets pregnant with a half-vampire, half-human infant that she refuses to abort even though it literally kills her.
Posted 26 Nov 2009 at 7:29 pm ¶
Keith wrote:
Kind of sounds like a ripoff of Inuyasha.
Posted 26 Nov 2009 at 7:34 pm ¶
Latoya Peterson wrote:
@Keith –
Kagome would never go out like that.
Posted 26 Nov 2009 at 7:38 pm ¶
dmarks wrote:
Latoya said: “Don’t worry about it – there are no POC outside of the folks on La Push in the books. The casting choices they made for the movie are different.”
Actually, in the fourth book, some South American vampires (probably Indians) do show up.
Posted 26 Nov 2009 at 8:42 pm ¶
mieko wrote:
@Latoya-
Word.
P.S. Can someone PLEASE write an article on Inuyasha?
Posted 26 Nov 2009 at 9:25 pm ¶
Nissa wrote:
I have to admit that when I first read Twilight I got sucked into feeling 16 again, but that is because I was a huge LJ Smith fan as a teen and it reminded me of that, I have also always loved supernatural tales esp. vampires and werewolves…..but there is sooo much wrong with the series.
New Moon on the other hand was awesome for eye candy. The Wolf Pack are all super hot and I won’t complain that they were shirtless for most of the time.
It just bothers me that younger girls can get so swept up into these stories and forget that in reality a controlling possessive boyfriend is not a good thing and girls like Bella should NEVER be emulated!
Posted 26 Nov 2009 at 9:37 pm ¶
Whitney wrote:
I just always loved Jacob because he’s a genuinely good person who makes Bella happy. He DOES get the short end of the stick, and after I read the book and saw the movie, I was left with an aching stomach (ok, maybe not literally) because it totally follows the “nice guys finish last.” He’s just the perfect guy, he’s nice, charming, makes her feel good about herself, and is there for her.
Jacob is an incredible friend to her, and loves her so much, and yet she basically does the same thing Edward did to her at the beginning of the book: leave.
What’s worse is what happens to his character in Breaking Dawn, I won’t post it here, but just go on the Amazon book review and you’ll find out. It’s quite sickening.
But Stephenie Meyer is pathetic and boring, no wonder Bella is too. The Twilight series is her personal fantasy, so no wonder why a pathetic and boring woman would want a pathetic and boring man.
Posted 26 Nov 2009 at 10:06 pm ¶
Latoya Peterson wrote:
@dmarks – Yeah, and folks from the Amazon and folks from Egypt. See the wild women quote above. Also see Meyer referencing blacks, Latinos, and Asians dying in a vamp killing spree in book 3. But that’s still about 2100 pages with no one marked as a POC that’s not Quileute. And when she does start marking, you realize it’s better this way.
They did make the cast of the movie more racially diverse than the book – it appears that Angela and Ben are Asian (though Angela could also be read as potentially Latino or mixed race), and Laurent is black when I am 99% sure he was described as white in the books (too lazy to figure out where I stashed Twilight). And early on too – like I said, it took Meyer 2100 pages to acknowledge PoCs – the movie includes them from the jump.
The movie pwns the book, now I totally get this franchise. More on that later.
Posted 27 Nov 2009 at 12:31 am ¶
ashlynn wrote:
@Keith,
1000 points to you for the Inuyasha mention..when staying up late on a school night was totally worth it.
Posted 27 Nov 2009 at 2:37 am ¶
Roxie wrote:
The werewolves are really only “quick to anger” when they enter the transition of becoming a wolf. This also accompanies the onset of a fever (that never really goes away) Paul, the one Bella punches in the movie, is described in the book as having always been a hot head. However, the rest of them, having completed their transition into werewolf-hood learn how to deal & are not quick to anger. The anger is supposed to be tied to their desire to protect the people from vamps.
Katte: I disagree that Bella’s decision to keep her half vampire killer baby (I am a fan, but ugh, that book!) is pro-life. Like you said, people attempt to persuade her to get rid of the baby (AS IT IS KILLING HER), but she decides to keep it. B/c she wants it. For some reason.
I say that b/c prior to the surprise pregnancy, Bella doesn’t really care that if she were to be made vampire that she’d never have children (which is something I liked about her). This can be seen as BABIES>ALL THINGS, but still it was Bella’s choice to make.
Nissa: I think young girls are smarter than you’re giving them credit for.
Posted 28 Nov 2009 at 4:06 am ¶
Nissa wrote:
@Roxie
I am sure most young young girls are smarter than I give them credit for! But since almost every pop culture figure or celebrity thrown at women these days is as one note as Bella, I just worry about the feminine ideals being forced on young girls who are still trying to figure out who they are…
I really wish people would get as excited over Sabriel as they do Twilight…its so much better!
Posted 29 Nov 2009 at 9:13 am ¶
kendra wrote:
I’m with Nissa, the Sabriel trilogy kicks ass. One of the best book series ever compared to this tripe.
Posted 29 Nov 2009 at 4:58 pm ¶
Roxie wrote:
I don’t think you need to worry much Nissa. It is a bit of a rare thing to come across a fan who actually likes Bella. Most fans I know find her to be boring, whiny & flat.
However, what they DO like (especially in the movies) that she is appears to be just your average girl. She’s not SUPERtalented, SUPERbeautiful or SUPERsexy or SUPERcool with language (like Juno). She wears jeans & tshirts just like them. I cannot recall a movie who’s female protagonist seemed just very normal. Who wore layers of shirts & jeans and was OKAY with that–was not punished for it–or coaxed into having a make over or something.
Posted 29 Nov 2009 at 7:48 pm ¶
beka wrote:
@mk:
See: Cast, P.C., and Cast, Kristin; and the whole “House of Night” series.
*sobs*
Posted 30 Nov 2009 at 3:56 am ¶
Winn wrote:
Love ya, Wendi, but I’ve gotta co-sign with js and malted-tea on this one: as a former actress with many friends employed as everything from gaffers to best boys to craft services staff, I can’t get behind the illegal downloading. Just because some actors and movie studios get big paydays doesn’t mean the hundreds of people it takes to actually create a movie are making bank. They’re working stiffs like the rest of us, and illegal downloading is taking money out of their pockets for work legitimately performed. Simple: if you don’t want to pay for it upfront, wait til the movie comes out on cable.
Posted 30 Nov 2009 at 12:50 pm ¶
Westerly wrote:
I’ve read half of the “Twilight” series (because I had to) and I agree that the films trump the dreary, clunky, torturously crap prose of Meyers.
But even if you hadn’t read a single book, I think that anyone with an iota of sense could *see* that an American film with a white damsel caught between a suitor so white that he literally sparkles in the sun and a russet-coloured, if ‘beautiful’ American-Indian is ONLY going to have one conclusion…
There *is* no real suspense or dilemma in terms of who is going to end up with who (which is why the notion of shipping wars amongst the Twilight fan-base surprises. Is there anybody who really didn’t see this coming?)
Add the creepy-as-hell LDS fixation on the Cullens (Nephites) and the Quiletes (Lamanites) and well…yeah. Exactly.
It’s nice to come across posts that deal with race in “Twilight” since most of the furor dissects the series lamentably twisted, if obvious gender politics.
@ Nissa:
“I really wish people would get as excited over Sabriel as they do Twilight…its so much better!”
You could throw Lirael in there too as another capable female protagonist who doesn’t stand around all day doing absolutely nothing – and Pullman’s Lyra for good measure – but that that’s not the direction popular culture is going in I’m afraid.
Bland is in.
People often (inexplicably_ bring up Harry Potter as a positive contrast to “Twilight” but as far as I’m concerned he’s every bit as passive, reactive, bland, 2-dimensional, inexplicably ‘gifted’ by the narrative yet hollow as Bella and is.
And he’s always being propped by somebody else (namely Hermione). But since he’s male, people somehow manage not to notice it. (And it has it’s own glaring problems regarding race as well.)
But I agree that Bella does seem to draw the ire, scorn or indifference of even people who actually like franchise. I’ve encountered very few people who like Bella – it’s either all about Edward or Jacob – or even Alice or Rosalie because she is such a nonentity.
Posted 01 Dec 2009 at 3:37 am ¶
Nissa wrote:
I love Lirael too…I meant I wish there was as much hype over the Old Kingdom Trilogy as there is Twilight, it really deserves more attention!
I have to disagree with you about Harry Potter though! Harry is a reluctant hero, and no doubt Ron and Hermione do prop him up but that is part of the point, the dynamics of those three is something that sold the books for me….He is generous, brave, smart but also reckless and and a bit cocky at times..I think he is a well rounded character. I think all the characters in HP add to each other, its not like Twilight where the whole premise is to hero worship Edward.
Posted 01 Dec 2009 at 5:45 am ¶
Nell wrote:
I haven’t seen the movie but if it is the usual, hollywood tends to add messages with their images that are not necessarily read in the text of books. It would be interesting to have a detailed analysis of the images in the film as opposed to the books.
Secondly, I have read all four books, as a librarian it is important to be up on teen popular trends. The books were enjoyable reads, and the above author asked what happens to the character in the next books. The Jacob character remains a prominent person in the plot of every book and in the very end the connection with Bella is explained as a supernatural connection to her half vampire daughter.
I found the last book the strangest and most disturbing while simultaneously gripping and entertaining. It does however, seem like a cop out and very noble savage liketo add Jacobs supernatural attachment to her child. He isn’t good enough to date but he can be the protector of her child. It is very noble savage and I could have enjoyed the books more if she just really had a love triagle or a moral dilemma about who to date rather than the feeling that she loved him but “not that way”.
Science Fiction often parallels societies views on social constructs. It isn’t so strange that the popular literature of today wressles with those issues. What is strange is when it re-inforces old stereotypes that have or should have been worked through long ago.
I suggest reading Octavia Butler if you want something new and different in terms of social commentary with very weird and off the wall science fiction imagery.
Posted 01 Dec 2009 at 3:53 pm ¶
Lauren wrote:
While I love reading this blog, I have to say I was disappointed reading that the author felt she needed to steal a copy of the movie. I’m sure that if her work was used without her permission and to circumvent any revenue she could generate, it would be upsetting to her.
Posted 01 Dec 2009 at 4:09 pm ¶
bdsista wrote:
Co-sign Roxie, as a middle school media specialist-read librarian, of course I buy the twilight series and had to buy more when the movies came out and yes boys and girls are reading the series together and having book discussions at lunch, in the library, everywhere….. a librarians dream! But seeing the pressure young girls have to be prematurely sexy, thin, pretty and all that other stuff especially from magazines and TV, I do agree that one of the reasons that the girls like to identify with Bella is that she is a plain, regular, normal girl who doesn’t want to get dressed up, but just wants to be herself and by being herself she gets the two handsomest guys in La Push. Both think she’s beautiful and she doesn’t have to try, she’s just being herself. That is a really powerful positive message for girls. They also skip right on past all the controlling stuff btw. They realize the hero stuff and rescues are part of the story and story is fantasy, but they seriously dig the aspect that the heroine is not amazingly pretty and is someone who is just like them.
I am Team Jacob but I do like the fact that the Cullens read a lot. Except Emmett.
Am I the only one who is pissed that in the films there are NO Black girls?
Posted 01 Dec 2009 at 4:54 pm ¶
Greg wrote:
Bad watching booted copy
Bella, Bad I would run really really fast away from…
Edward…. I want to show you what we are really like … and then he glitters in the Sun? Caused this Black man to do the Spock thing with the eyebrow.
So, what are some good books for the younger folk boys and girls with a positive racial Point Of View? (beyond the vamp stuff?)
Posted 01 Dec 2009 at 5:35 pm ¶
Noel Hawke wrote:
Regarding characters of color in Hollywood films who have more than a couple of lines, when they appear on screen my instant thought is, “This one’s going to die/lose/get fired/be eaten by the monster/give his or her life for the white one(s).” I’m a white one and even I see that. Tiresome. Pre-dick-tuh-ble.
Posted 01 Dec 2009 at 6:46 pm ¶
Rita wrote:
I usually love this blog. But I simply couldn’t get beyond the bragging about watching a bootleg version of the movie….would you have written about it if you snuck in the back door and cheated the theater owner out of the price of admission? Watching a bootleg version is not much different….
Posted 01 Dec 2009 at 7:32 pm ¶
fishgul69 wrote:
I was initially going to state what Karen and Katie were going to say in regards to SMeyers and her puke-tastic books, but won’t because its to repetitive.
I will say that I’m glad that this group seems to have their heads screwed on straight and recognize these books for what they are: utterly horrible pieces of drivel that no one except for a masochistic dip would like.
Concerning the question of racial minorities being marginalized in romance movies, no one has it worse than Indian and Asian men. If you notice in Western movies, unless the guy is hella rich, he’s not getting any play outside of his own race, and even that is rare to see. Perfect example is Jackie Chan, he’s never had a real romantic interest in any of his Western movies. He is always on the sidelines of it though or being teased (and even then he never goes all the way…romantically or otherwise). Romance movies in the West are chiefly Eurocentric, even when dealing with interracial relationships: apparently if its not with a white person, its not interracial (with the exception of movies like Mississippi Masala with Denzel Washington, and even then those are few and in between). I would like to see a change in this, greatly.
Posted 01 Dec 2009 at 8:18 pm ¶
Boon wrote:
Im wondering how productive it is to try and magnify any potential racial/ethnic underlying statement or notion about anything about pop culture. I suppose sometimes there are interesting observations in how the dominant or mainstream culture percieves “PoC” or minorities but I hate it when the minority complex type alarms are sounded without other important perspectives.
““Native Americans are so in touch with nature!”?
- Is this something that is that far off from some of the actual values Natives maintain themselves.
I thought the wolf thing was kinda cool and lets not forget the other side are vampires to begin with. Its not just “lets pick out some PoC” and portray them as animals, shall we?
As another pointed out, it could just as easily have been pointed out that “nice guys always finish second” or something. Jacob ws also portrayed as muscular tough ass in New Moon – you can also argue thats an image of “empowerment.”
Between the physical confrontations, if i recall, Edward was not physically superior to Jacob. Now would someone like Carmen have said if Edward did beat up Jacob?
Yes, it would be nice for the colored guy (non black/latino) get the chick but does this particular story really perpetuate this stereotype? Im not so sure. But of course, if we really reach and maintain this sensitive complex, yes.
Maybe we should just leave PoC out of mainsteam media entirely? Its never good enough when anything ethnic is touched upon.
Hollywood never gets its right and whitewashes everyone, including white people culture and stuff. I think this is the kind of thing that can be pointed out in addition to the “poor us victim” kinda mentality.
I like Carmen’s observations are a lot better than many of the ethnic media but i think this kinda thing ends up perpetuating our own insecurities and inferiority complex too.
Posted 01 Dec 2009 at 10:31 pm ¶
John wrote:
You shouldn’t watch/download films illegally. At least, please don’t promote the fact that you do.
Posted 01 Dec 2009 at 11:14 pm ¶
Kristen wrote:
I fail to see how the message is ProLife.
Being ProCHOICE means exactly that… CHOICE. BELLA, the person who was pregnant, makes the CHOICE that she wants to make regardless of what everyone else is telling her. That is most definitely a woman making her own decision.
Posted 02 Dec 2009 at 1:36 am ¶
Wendi Muse wrote:
so i felt like i needed to comment on this bc so many people had things to say about it…
a) my using the internet as a means to see films/tv shows is not reflective of the site, our mission, etc…nor is it officially condoned by the editor or publisher by their including my article here as a special corespondent…
b) i am not religious, but one of the most important messages i took away from the bible is the idea of “let he who is without fault/sin throw the first stone.” while i appreciate and understand the concern of many of you who expressed disappointment or refused to read the rest of the piece because i watched the film online instead of paying $12.50 (yes, that’s the price for movies in nyc…aka grocery money), i ask (rhetorically) have you ever…
a) downloaded from napster/limewire/or any other illegal music site that was popular back in the day?
b) bought clothes are forever 21 or h&m, both of whom steal direcly from designers (to the point where it’s been up for lawsuit re: intellectual property violations)?
c) printed or copied non-work related materials at work?
d) have watched a bootleg film with someone else?
e) used someone’s wireless internet if they hadn’t had a chance to password protect it?
???
i am not saying any of this is right, but just food for thought
so hopefully, for those of you who did continue to read the piece, guilt tripping aside, i hope you enjoyed or identified with some aspect of it.
in terms of commenting, i would respecfully ask that now that i have address this, that further comments be geared toward the race-related analysis of the piece and not derailed by comments about my downloading habits.
Posted 02 Dec 2009 at 10:42 am ¶
Holly wrote:
Hey Wendi, this is a really interesting article with plenty of food for thought on race stereotypes in movies, not to mention the romanticization of stalkers. It is important to point these things out, especially as these books are aimed at early teens and they have been so popular. Another major flaw is the play on gender stereotypes and the very weak, passive role model Bella presents to young girls. You, and your readers might also be interested in this feminist critique in Ms. Magazine: http://www.msmagazine.com/Fall2009/newmoon.asp
Posted 02 Dec 2009 at 6:49 pm ¶
mellowyel wrote:
Kate (#5) said all I wanted to say. Props to Meyer for having a well-developed character of color, but really? why does the POC always lose in the end? the film follows the book, so i place most of the blame on the author. i will say that i was pleased to see a completely native american cast for the quileute tribe. usually they just get people who “look” native from any other race (including white) and call it a day.
i’m actually surprised that stephanie meyer can write up such an awesome character in Jacob (or steal it… whatever) and still have him not get the girl. it baffles me to this day. so if anyone asks, I’m Team Jacob
Posted 02 Dec 2009 at 10:07 pm ¶
Kristen wrote:
Honestly.
Bella uses Jake and treats him like crap. I think he wins by NOT getting her in the end.
Posted 03 Dec 2009 at 1:19 pm ¶
monniep wrote:
I get where everyone is coming from based on the first 2 books/movies. Good guy/POC does get the shaft at the end. So she’s not in love with him and Edwards a total stalker and Bella is a way too whiny/wimpy. All I have to say is some of this gets better by the 4th installment. I’m not saying it’s perfect or that there still aren’t the same problems, but Jacob doesn’t completely get kicked to the curb and he doesn’t totally lose out. Bella finally grows a spine and doesn’t totally embarrass the female sex with the submissive persona. It’s definitely not the ideal but I think Meyer makes some effort to work on it. The writing isn’t very good, but hey, it’s her first book. Cut it some slack there. I doubt she expected the series to be half as successful as it is now. But the main point of your article is right on. The story centers around white characters. That I completely agree with.
Posted 04 Dec 2009 at 1:46 am ¶