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Response: "The Harsh Bigotry of Twilight-Haters"

11/21/2011

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I received a link this morning to an opinion piece titled, “The Harsh Bigotry of Twilight-Haters: Why is it that female fantasy is so derided and feared?” with a request to write a response on my blog.  Given I had already said my piece about Twilight at the New Sensuality, I thought to discard the link.  Unfortunately, the title already had me hooked. 

What irony that the article’s author, Erika Christakis, uses the very argument people make against Twilight to condemn them.  She writes,

The negative reactions fall in two camps: The dismissive camp simply mocks Twilight’s incorporation of silly, “moony” elements like undying love and the surprisingly authentic portrayal of wedding ritual, honeymoon jitters and the shock of unintended pregnancy; the topics are apparently too boring and unrelatable for most reviewers. The deluded camp, conversely, takes Twilight far too seriously, faulting it for leading young girls to mistake fantasy for reality in dangerous, disempowering ways.

Here, the author suggests that those who disapprove of Twilight are either dismissive or deluded, offering a ridiculous list of “elements” we “haters” find too “moony.”  (Could someone please define “moony” for me?  My vocabulary is unsophisticated.)  Apparently, I mock undying love, realistic weddings, honeymoon jitters, and the shock of unintended pregnancy.  Ms. Christakis, if you would like to read about a truly shocking unintended pregnancy, please read my erotic horror, The Darkness and the Night: Blood and Coffee—and perhaps you might hold Karen’s hand at the abortion clinic while she contemplates terminating the monster she is sure to give birth to.

Christakis describes those of us who disagree with the dynamics between Bella and Edward as “deluded,” adding,

Maybe part of the reason critics deplore these movies is not only because they are so unfamiliar with kooky heterosexual female fantasies but also because they don’t really like what these fantasies say about men.

What people like this author don’t seem to get is the problem is not with kooky heterosexual fantasies (fantasies are good); it’s about characters that are so despicably misogynistic that one can’t help but cringe when made to think about them.  The problem isn’t with “undying love, realistic weddings, honeymoon jitters, and the shock of unintended pregnancy;” the problem is with Edward’s violent temper (very reminiscent of a spouse abuser), with Bella’s utter dependence upon a male figure in her life for safety and purpose.  Author Kathryn Sirls wrote this thoughtful opinion piece on the references to spousal abuse in Twilight.

In closing, I would like to make it clear for the last time: “Twilight-haters” have a problem with abusive Edward, defenseless and dependent Bella, and all of the other messed up dynamics Meyers somehow makes okay.  That’s it.  End of story.

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Win a Copy of WORLD-MART through Goodreads!

11/19/2011

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Now through December 1--winners chosen randomly by Goodreads:

Goodreads Book Giveaway

World-Mart by Leigh M. Lane

World-Mart

by Leigh M. Lane

Giveaway ends December 01, 2011.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win
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Response: "'American Horror Story' Goes Too Far'

11/13/2011

19 Comments

 
I was surprised today to read Yahoo News’ headline, “‘American Horror Story’ Goes Too Far’”.  The gripe?  Tate’s back-story.

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For those who missed it, the episode offered every gory detail about his massacring several classmates before committing suicide by cop.  What the article’s author found to be going too far, however, I found to be a thoughtful and creepy commentary on the dynamics involved in such heartbreaking and ghastly events.  Any murder/suicide—let alone teenage murder/suicide—is a tragedy.  It is horrific.  That’s precisely why last week’s episode of American Horror Story  was so powerful.  It’s obvious why viewer response has been so strong.

What makes the series so good is its willingness to take chances, to show the ugly along with the artful, and the mesh the fantastic with gritty realism.  To me, that’s what makes good horror.  What do you think?  Is it still “too soon” to cover a Columbine-type storyline?  Did AHS go too far?


19 Comments

Review: THE DEAN'S LIST by Jimmy Petrosino

11/10/2011

0 Comments

 
Dean Perrasani excitedly follows in his older brother’s footsteps when he is invited to take over the fraternity Phi Beta Regnum—which we learn early on is an interesting mesh between Mafia and Skull and Bones.  As Regnum’s new “Don,” Dean finds himself a “made man” in a world of thugs, greed, double-crossers, and wanna-be gangsters, and he learns quickly that power and danger go hand in hand.

The Dean’s List is a fast-paced, contemporary suspense novel that is as thoughtful as it is well-written.  The prose is fragmented, but with purpose, creating a striking marriage of style and content.  The story is tight, the characters detailed and believable, and the dialogue sharp.  Keep an eye out for this author, as he is definitely up and coming!


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The Class Divide and Class Warfare

11/4/2011

1 Comment

 
The divide between the rich and the poor spans the length of history.  Why both can sometimes treat the other as if enemies from foreign nations is difficult to dissect, but it is evident from current and historical events that humanity continuously seeks out ways to segregate.  We’ve seen people divide over race, color, language, religion, gender, and wealth.  No matter which side one is on, there exists rhetoric that dehumanizes, de-intellectualizes, and points angry blame at the other.

Right now, the prevalent rhetoric is widening the class divide: the wealthy are soulless bastards who pathologically hoard money and material items; the working class is comprised of lazy freeloaders who feel entitled to regular handouts.  Is either of these universally correct?  Correct to any degree or not, does it justify the level of divide being felt right now between the upper and lower classes?

In my new release World-Mart, the class divide among the majority is separated by those who work among the masses, those born to work in manual labor, and the 1% who own them all.  The story follows one family’s struggle to hold together when the class boundaries between them suddenly change.

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