"Twilight" Sequel Sets New Opening-Day Record

[HerNibs 2,587]

Thank you for such a nice clarifying response Nibs!

I agree, the movies/books do promote abusive relationships and portray women as less than significant. Personally I have only browsed through chapters in the books, only read enough to realize they would not hold my interest. My only true emphasis is that things like this have been around for generations, well before any book or movie could portray such atrocities. Then books and movies come along and show these relationship issues in detail that for which in my opinion, is more along the lines of teaching life lessons. But then you get this new generation of teens that take these matters way to seriously.

Not only are the teens taking the books/movies too seriously there are millions of adults singing the praises of the books/movies. GROWN women who should know better. Women who should look at that relationship (Bella and Ed) and be appalled.

The main problem is proper parenting has become less of a real importance in a childs life, they let them grow up and learn what they will out of these less than appropriate books and movies, and even more that the parents are letting children read and watch these books and movies in the first place. Without proper parenting to set guidelines on such matters children could take on a fantasy life rather easily.

I agree. Too many parents are using books/tv/movies to raise their kids. Without examining the information being spewed from these sources they are gushing out bad advice.

Parents aren't paying attention to the correct things. It's sad.

Then again older children should know better on what should be accepted as whats good and whats bad. This new generation of children like to be different and use these fantasy books and movies as a scapegoat to escape reality. So again, I will personally say that it is not necessarily the writers and directors faults, as they are only producing what sells.

*LOL* You would think that older children and adults would know better about what is a healthy relationship and the crap between Bella/Edward/Jacob in the books but it doesn't seem to be that way.

Lazy parenting. I firmly believe that is the root of many problems with young people.

If a child is aware of the following -

1. It is not ok to control someone or restrict them from being with whomever they wish.

2. It is not ok to hurt or hit someone even if you SWEAR you're sorry and will never do it again.

3. It is not ok to use other people and take advantage of their feelings for you.

4. It is not ok to lie to your parents.

5. It is not ok for someone to force you into a preconcieved "role" based on your sex. Especially if this role is less than or subservient to the opposite sex.

Heck, I could go on and on....

If a young person knew these things then I wouldn't worry too terribly much about what they read as they had been prepared with a good honest background.

Shame is, too many people find the garbage between Bella/Ed/Jake to be so very wonderful.

Sad.

Nibs

[Drago 0]

So again, I will personally say that it is not necessarily the writers and directors faults, as they are only producing what sells.

Eh. To be honest I don't hold it against Meyer that she wrote these books. I don't really claim anything is 'her fault'. This mess isn't Meyer's fault any more than the racism against the Chinese was Bret Harte's fault in his day. She wrote what she found to be an entertaining story and couldn't help letting her own morals and views seep over into it. Every writer is guilty of that.

As most of us have already stated, were this book series aimed at adults, we'd just write it off as another bad read. But when it hit fad-level obsession and the marketing was aimed at preteens and young teens, a crapstorm started that I don't think anyone at all was prepared for, least of all those closest to the movie/book projects.

And now we have mothers telling daughters, "I hope you find an Edward," we have forty-year-old women throwing panties at underage actors, we have teenagers heckling and interfering with the work of people who just stated they didn't like the books, we have preteens looking at all of this and deciding that, judging by the ecstatic reaction of the world around them to it, Twilight's situations and such are acceptable as worldview material. It's an unfortunate fecal-matter-meets-rotary-air-impeller situation.

Ten years from now Twilight's going to be Pokemon. Huge fad, EVERYWHERE, blows over, quiet fanbase. Girls who read it probably won't even remember it in detail. It's not a pressing danger to life as we know it. But when fans take anything too far, it's rarely pretty, and these nation-sweeping uberfads result in a lot of fans taking it too far.

(And this is all on top of any objections to possible messages contained in the story.)

[Drago 0]

I agree. Too many parents are using books/tv/movies to raise their kids. Without examining the information being spewed from these sources they are gushing out bad advice.

I actually think not enough parents are using books to help in raising their children, they'd rather just wait for the movie.

[HerNibs 2,587]

I actually think not enough parents are using books to help in raising their children, they'd rather just wait for the movie.

Good point.

Nibs

[drakonwick 736]

Not only are the teens taking the books/movies too seriously there are millions of adults singing the praises of the books/movies. GROWN women who should know better. Women who should look at that relationship (Bella and Ed) and be appalled.

I agree. Too many parents are using books/tv/movies to raise their kids. Without examining the information being spewed from these sources they are gushing out bad advice.

Parents aren't paying attention to the correct things. It's sad.

*LOL* You would think that older children and adults would know better about what is a healthy relationship and the crap between Bella/Edward/Jacob in the books but it doesn't seem to be that way.

Lazy parenting. I firmly believe that is the root of many problems with young people.

If a child is aware of the following -

1. It is not ok to control someone or restrict them from being with whomever they wish.

2. It is not ok to hurt or hit someone even if you SWEAR you're sorry and will never do it again.

3. It is not ok to use other people and take advantage of their feelings for you.

4. It is not ok to lie to your parents.

5. It is not ok for someone to force you into a preconcieved "role" based on your sex. Especially if this role is less than or subservient to the opposite sex.

Heck, I could go on and on....

If a young person knew these things then I wouldn't worry too terribly much about what they read as they had been prepared with a good honest background.

Shame is, too many people find the garbage between Bella/Ed/Jake to be so very wonderful.

Sad.

Nibs

I suppose I only have one thing to say really... whatever happened to the good ole' parent to child buttkicking? OOOH I know, parents have also become lost in all this fantasy drivel.

Eh. To be honest I don't hold it against Meyer that she wrote these books. I don't really claim anything is 'her fault'. This mess isn't Meyer's fault any more than the racism against the Chinese was Bret Harte's fault in his day. She wrote what she found to be an entertaining story and couldn't help letting her own morals and views seep over into it. Every writer is guilty of that.

As most of us have already stated, were this book series aimed at adults, we'd just write it off as another bad read. But when it hit fad-level obsession and the marketing was aimed at preteens and young teens, a crapstorm started that I don't think anyone at all was prepared for, least of all those closest to the movie/book projects.

And now we have mothers telling daughters, "I hope you find an Edward," we have forty-year-old women throwing panties at underage actors, we have teenagers heckling and interfering with the work of people who just stated they didn't like the books, we have preteens looking at all of this and deciding that, judging by the ecstatic reaction of the world around them to it, Twilight's situations and such are acceptable as worldview material. It's an unfortunate fecal-matter-meets-rotary-air-impeller situation.

Ten years from now Twilight's going to be Pokemon. Huge fad, EVERYWHERE, blows over, quiet fanbase. Girls who read it probably won't even remember it in detail. It's not a pressing danger to life as we know it. But when fans take anything too far, it's rarely pretty, and these nation-sweeping uberfads result in a lot of fans taking it too far.

(And this is all on top of any objections to possible messages contained in the story.)

I guess that I am just to old to keep up with all this newage hype crapola.

I just know one thing for sure, and that is my daughters will never go a day without the understanding that these books and movies are fantasy and to not take them literally.

[HerNibs 2,587]

I suppose I only have one thing to say really... whatever happened to the good ole' parent to child buttkicking? OOOH I know, parents have also become lost in all this fantasy drivel.

I guess that I am just to old to keep up with all this newage hype crapola.

I just know one thing for sure, and that is my daughters will never go a day without the understanding that these books and movies are fantasy and to not take them literally.

Good for you.

Nibs

[Drago 0]

I suppose I only have one thing to say really... whatever happened to the good ole' parent to child buttkicking?

When I was a kid, if you did something really bad in school, you went to the principal's office, leaned forward, and a nice hard paddle informed you in a matter-of-fact, no-nonsense manner that you screwed up big, don't do it again.

It seemed to work.

Now, when you do something really bad in school, you go to the counselor's office where you act like a smartass towards an adult who's nominally just there to help, but can't actually ever say what they want to about the kids because they're scared negative comments might be discovered and turned into lawsuit material, so you walk away with no serious or realistic repercussions for any of your actions.

It just doesn't seem to be effectively communicating that message of 'You screwed up big, don't do it again, you know?

But of course after sending children to this system for 70% of their waking day five out of seven of the week, why would their attitudes towards authority figures change just because they're home and not there?

Eh. I'll let it go there. Today's schools are screwed up and everybody already knows it. >_>

I just know one thing for sure, and that is my daughters will never go a day without the understanding that these books and movies are fantasy and to not take them literally.

Good for you - better for them.

Edited December 17, 2009 by Drago

[HerNibs 2,587]

When I was a kid, if you did something really bad in school, you went to the principal's office, leaned forward, and a nice hard paddle informed you in a matter-of-fact, no-nonsense manner that you screwed up big, don't do it again.

It seemed to work.

LOL. Yeah, we had that as well.

Now, when you do something really bad in school, you go to the counselor's office where you act like a smartass towards an adult who's nominally just there to help, but can't actually ever say what they want to about the kids because they're scared negative comments might be discovered and turned into lawsuit material, so you walk away with no serious or realistic repercussions for any of your actions.

It just doesn't seem to be effectively communicating that message of 'You screwed up big, don't do it again, you know?

Eh. I'll let it go there. Today's schools are screwed up and everybody already knows it. >_>

Good for you - better for them.

I never hit any of my kids. I was a creative parent. I had set in stone rules and expectations with consistent consequences for disobeying me.

But I do agree, parents don't raise their kids any more. They are their friends and enablers.

I have good kids/adults today. Not perfect but good. My little girl is a strong young woman who would have eaten Edward alive (so to speak).

Nibs

[Drago 0]

I have two nephews, 11/12. I'm pretty sure one of them is going to be the aggressor in an assault case before 16. He can't just get mad, he has no lower settings on anger. Even something little - if it makes him mad, he skips over the whole system and goes straight to violent seething rage. He starts controller-throwing knockdowndragouts with his brother if his brother so much as thinks about doing something 'cheap' in a video game. And he decides what's cheap.

His brother actually uses him as a weapon, I kid you not. He's figured out how to push his buttons and turn him loose on other kids. It's freaking scary.

Edited December 17, 2009 by Drago