not reblogging because whew lad not touching that, but – “this book promotes creepy ideas” and “things young women like are often reflexively dismissed for misogynistic reasons” can both be true! they are not mutually exclusive!
let girls have strange, problematic, operatic fantasies 2k19. since when does “romantic”, in a literary context, have to imply “healthy” or even “realistic”?
It’s a lot to do with people assuming that Romantic=bad and creepy, a la Phantom of the Opera and Co (which is also a horror-bad creepy stalking murderer Romance in which the villain is kinda woobiefied). It’s also a lot to do with “we retroactively ADORE Twilight and its franchises because Girls Rule and What We Like is Not Terrible. Because Girls.” (the Duh and GFY Evil Manperson is heavily implied)
It’s less about its inherent “Problematicness” and much more the “we’re going to ignore all the creepy gross stuff in this book in favor of not policing what girls like. You know… like those evil men people do.” It’s completely fine to call out problematic bullshit in popular media. Even more ok than hounding people about their “problematic behavior” (Since we’re all only human and we fuck up sometimes. Shit happens.) Definitely preferable to hounding people about shit that happened more than a decade before that they’ve apologized for, explained, and done their best not to do again. *cough cough*
The problem isn’t the operatic, over the top, melodrama of it all. The problem is the overly idealized gross lead and the romanticization of a really… awful relationship plot. Christine at least ends up with Raoul, a much more human and compassionate character; if sort of wet-paper-bag in the personality department where Webber is concerned. Is it any wonder it birthed 50 Shades?
Also those sorts of storylines are intended for adults with discernment. Not 14 year olds without good sense. I’m in no way trying to be ageist here, but there IS a point at which the adults in your life definitely possess more emotional maturity and perception about what constitutes an abusive romantic entanglement disguised as the height of Romance and Passion.
Twilight isn’t just every bad romance novel trope come to life and plastered over the big screen for the 16 and under and 35 and over crowd. It’s specifically targeted at the under 16 demographic. It’s not just that it’s poorly written or that the prose leaves a lot to be desired, it’s the content.
Yes, girls can like whatever they wish. They shouldn’t; necessarily; be judged for it. But someone who stalks you and watches you in your sleep isn’t “romantic.” It’s not even Romantic in the gothic horror sense. It’s just creepy, and gross.
House Of Crows 