Here's a hot steaming cup of what the fuck.

[rubberbutton]

I found this gem in the Washington Post (the same rag that assured us men are smarter than women): "'Twilight' Sinks Its Teeth Into Feminism"

This is my favorite part:

"Yet on some level, it seems that children may know human nature better than grown-ups do. Consider: The fascination that romance holds for many girls is not a mere social construct; it derives from something deeper. In my research on youth and gender issues, I have found that despite all the indoctrination they've received to the contrary, most of the hundreds of teenage girls I have interviewed in the United States, Australia and New Zealand nevertheless believe that human nature is gendered to the core. They are hungry for books that reflect that sensibility. Three decades of adults pretending that gender doesn't matter haven't created a generation of feminists who don't need men; they have instead created a horde of girls who adore the traditional male and female roles and relationships in the "Twilight" saga. Likewise, ignoring gender differences hasn't created a generation of boys who muse about their feelings while they work on their scrapbooks. Instead, a growing number of boys in this country spend much of their free time absorbed in the masculine mayhem of video games such as Grand Theft Auto and Halo or surfing the Internet for pornography."

I love the "indoctrination" bit. One of the examples of indoctrination the article's author lists? Dora the Explorer. No, I'm not kidding.

I haven't read Twilight -- I started it, but it didn't really appeal to me (guess it's all that indoctrination) -- I'd love or people who have read it to weigh in.

---

In other news, I was reading a book on writing the other day and was perversely amused by this author's note on the acknowledgments page:

"Women usually outnumber men among my students, readers, and friends. I trust they will forgive me for using a male pronoun to stand for both genders. Saying "he or she" repeatedly is a distraction for both writer and reader."

God forbid you alienate those few males in your audience by using the female pronoun. Or even by alternating male and female from example to example.

Oy to the vey.

Comments

[purridot.livejournal.com]

I have Twilight but I haven't read it yet! I saw the movie trailer last weekend though. I like vampires, but only if they are flawed and angsty.

"Indoctrination" is a funny word choice. I doubt any of the girls who read Twilight think that it would be a good idea to pay women less for equal work, etc. At least, I hope not!

I think part of what the author may be missing is that things that are rebellious or outré are often very appealing -- the way slash pushes the envelope in that it focuses on the unusual (being allowing themselves to be emotionally vulnerable!)

I do feel strongly that *if* girls/women are statistically more interested in sensibilities and such, why should that be a bad thing? I was talking to my mother the other day about how true equality is allowing each person be whomever they want to be, not making everyone be the same.

And... the author of your writing book is an ignoramus. Why can't he alternate the pronouns, as you say? That's just laziness.

[rubberbutton.livejournal.com]

"Indoctrination" is a funny word choice. I doubt any of the girls who read Twilight think that it would be a good idea to pay women less for equal work, etc. At least, I hope not!

I just don't buy his "girls have been indoctrinated with we're-strong-we-don't-need-a-man rhetoric" argument. When I think back to the books/movies/cartoons I consumed as a kid, most of them portrayed women and girls as secondary romantic interests or protagonists in search of a boyfriend/husband. And, sure, I heard the "you can be anything you want to be" message quite a bit too, it tended to take a backseat to "happiness is romantic fulfillment". Thank you, Disney.

I think part of what the author may be missing is that things that are rebellious or outré are often very appealing -- the way slash pushes the envelope in that it focuses on the unusual (being allowing themselves to be emotionally vulnerable!)

I would dearly know what the author would think of slash.

I do feel strongly that *if* girls/women are statistically more interested in sensibilities and such, why should that be a bad thing?

I don't think it's a bad thing at all -- I myself am far more interested in the subtext of a fight scene then the action itself -- but I do have a problem with the conclusion that women therefore are destined for staying at home and taking care of the menfolk. Which is what I think the article was trying to get at.