What, you ask, has finally caused me to snap?
Now the obvious Photoshop fail aside; this picture epitomises the problems I have with Twilight, and more specifically, with Twilight being handed to an entire generation of young women (those of you old enough to know better... well; you should know better :p).
He is restraining her arms - and that's supposed to be sexy. Or something. Every single poster for these films involves the character of Bella being held/restrained possessively by either Edward or Jacob in what I can only presume is supposed to be a romantic 'embrace'.
That this is handed to young girls as a role model is something that fundamentally disturbs me. I never got very far with the books - about 60 pages of Bella simpering and falling down was too much for me - and while the films are definitely hilariously entertaining, they consistently make me uncomfortable. They say to young women; you need to define yourself by your relationships with the men around you and wander around swooning after them until they tell you what to do.
I have no problem with perspectives other than my own, I have no problem with the portrayal of characters whose genuine desire in life is to have a family and children (although there are not enough alternatives in popular media), I do have a problem with the consistent portrayal of women as victims, idiots, pawns, posessions... surely, surely we are past this, as a society?
While they are not the sum total reason for my being who I am; I grew up with Scully, with Sam Carter, with Captain Janeway... women who knew how to smack a bitch/negotiate with some serious aliens and still had time for a tumultuous love life on the side. Smart, independent, free-thinking women.
Without intending to sound totally condescending, I am incredibly sad for a generation of women that grow up with Bella as their primary representation in popular culture.
Who were your heroines when you were growing up? Does Twilight enrage you or bring out your inner fangirl squee?
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