When I wrote the first post on the last year titled The Stephenie Meyer Effect attempting to get to the bottom of why writers seemed so up in arms about the writing in the Twilight books, I never expected to uncover issues with the content.
It was the comment from Jasmin Elliot (a Tweep, writer and English Lit grad student) that got me mulling over the ethical responsibilities of how authors portray YA characters.
So, in honor of Jasmin’s kick-it-off-etness I’ve decided to use her comment on the original post as our opener.
I'd encourage you to give real consideration to her thoughts, tell us what you think in the comments, then tune in tomorrow for the first contributing viewpoint.
November 28, 2010 @ 1:49pm - Jasmin said...
I've read the entire Twilight series several times over. I am a writer and an English Literature graduate student.
And I hate this series. I hate it with a consuming passion that has become the focus of my academia. I've spoken on Twilight at three conferences now and I don't intend to slow down.
I hate the saga not because it's badly written and popular. Plenty of things qualify under that umbrella.
I hate it because it is marketed to young women and has extremely backwards and damaging messages about how teenaged girls should expect (and want!) to be treated by men. I hate it because so many uninformed adults -- and mothers -- don't seek to interrogate these notions with adolescents, because they're just so glad they're reading, and they either don't know or gloss over the worse implications of the text because they are pleased with its message of abstinence.
What I hate about Twilight is that its level of media saturation means there are a lot of girls who to varying extents look at Bella as a role model, and I think Bella is an extremely dangerous role model to have if a girl is meant to develop a healthy sense of self-worth in her interpersonal relationships.
So. Is it as easy to read as it is to eat a potato chip? Yes, and I will admit to often enjoying novels that are that simple. But I reserve my right to hate a narrative that wants us to adore a guy who rips the engine out of his girlfriend's truck so she can't go to see her best friend.
Jasmin Elliot
http://twitter.com/#!/JasmineElliott
Jasmin raises some interesting issues. What do you think? Comment here and come back tomorrow for the next contribution!
It was the comment from Jasmin Elliot (a Tweep, writer and English Lit grad student) that got me mulling over the ethical responsibilities of how authors portray YA characters.
So, in honor of Jasmin’s kick-it-off-etness I’ve decided to use her comment on the original post as our opener.
I'd encourage you to give real consideration to her thoughts, tell us what you think in the comments, then tune in tomorrow for the first contributing viewpoint.
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Disclaimer: In a genuine effort to open a dialogue around the ethics and responsibilities of writing fiction for teens, I’m allowing guest contributors to express their views without interference or moderation. Therefore, the thoughts and opinions expressed in this blog post do not necessarily represent my views and opinions. If you’re not sure – ask. I’ll tell you.
November 28, 2010 @ 1:49pm - Jasmin said...
I've read the entire Twilight series several times over. I am a writer and an English Literature graduate student.
And I hate this series. I hate it with a consuming passion that has become the focus of my academia. I've spoken on Twilight at three conferences now and I don't intend to slow down.
I hate the saga not because it's badly written and popular. Plenty of things qualify under that umbrella.
I hate it because it is marketed to young women and has extremely backwards and damaging messages about how teenaged girls should expect (and want!) to be treated by men. I hate it because so many uninformed adults -- and mothers -- don't seek to interrogate these notions with adolescents, because they're just so glad they're reading, and they either don't know or gloss over the worse implications of the text because they are pleased with its message of abstinence.
What I hate about Twilight is that its level of media saturation means there are a lot of girls who to varying extents look at Bella as a role model, and I think Bella is an extremely dangerous role model to have if a girl is meant to develop a healthy sense of self-worth in her interpersonal relationships.
So. Is it as easy to read as it is to eat a potato chip? Yes, and I will admit to often enjoying novels that are that simple. But I reserve my right to hate a narrative that wants us to adore a guy who rips the engine out of his girlfriend's truck so she can't go to see her best friend.
Jasmin Elliot
http://twitter.com/#!/JasmineElliott
Jasmin raises some interesting issues. What do you think? Comment here and come back tomorrow for the next contribution!