i just want to make one more comment on the subject and then i'll shut up. i don't *identify* as a feminist per se, but i think along the feminist lines and i care about the lives and identities of girls and women as well. if nothing else, i have a daughter to raise and it's in my utmost interest to guide her to become a strong independent woman. i think "twilight" does reinforce traditional gender roles, at times it does so forcibly [such as the marriage before sex for bella], BUT, to say that you're saddened by the idea of women now dreaming of a relationship like edward's and bella's does not acknowledge that a woman does not have to be a thoughtless vapid tool in order to dream of such a relationship. there are plenty of opinionated, thoughtful women [many of my friends for example] who want a man to take charge and take care of them. i'll never forget when an amazing female friend of mine was telling me about her relationship with a man she was seeing and stressing how much joy she drew from his stereotypically manly characteristics. she said something along the lines of "timeless image of a man on top of a woman" and it stuck with me ever since because it was the first time in my life that an incredibly liberated, intelligent, opinionated and confident woman was expressing her satisfaction in a way that might make a feminist cringe. to me, "feminism" doesn't deny recognizing that gender difference are real. it doesn't mean that men and women shouldn't be equal, but there's an inherent differences between the two genders and while those differences are affirmed by society, often to an unhealthy degree, they are not simply social construct. to deny gender differences is reverse discrimination of sorts. it rears girls who are afraid to tune into an inherently feminine aspect of themselves; afraid that other women will scream "you're a tool!" the drive to rid society of traditional femininity in the name of equality makes me just as sad and angry as the misogynistic stupidity i see on TV. there's a happy medium to be found somewhere. but this no longer has much to do with twilight. sorry for ranting.
Edited to correct my grammar because it's been bothering me for 2 hours now.
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2009-04-09 02:46 pm (UTC)i think "twilight" does reinforce traditional gender roles, at times it does so forcibly [such as the marriage before sex for bella], BUT, to say that you're saddened by the idea of women now dreaming of a relationship like edward's and bella's does not acknowledge that a woman does not have to be a thoughtless vapid tool in order to dream of such a relationship. there are plenty of opinionated, thoughtful women [many of my friends for example] who want a man to take charge and take care of them. i'll never forget when an amazing female friend of mine was telling me about her relationship with a man she was seeing and stressing how much joy she drew from his stereotypically manly characteristics. she said something along the lines of "timeless image of a man on top of a woman" and it stuck with me ever since because it was the first time in my life that an incredibly liberated, intelligent, opinionated and confident woman was expressing her satisfaction in a way that might make a feminist cringe. to me, "feminism" doesn't deny recognizing that gender difference are real. it doesn't mean that men and women shouldn't be equal, but there's an inherent differences between the two genders and while those differences are affirmed by society, often to an unhealthy degree, they are not simply social construct. to deny gender differences is reverse discrimination of sorts. it rears girls who are afraid to tune into an inherently feminine aspect of themselves; afraid that other women will scream "you're a tool!"
the drive to rid society of traditional femininity in the name of equality makes me just as sad and angry as the misogynistic stupidity i see on TV. there's a happy medium to be found somewhere. but this no longer has much to do with twilight. sorry for ranting.
Edited to correct my grammar because it's been bothering me for 2 hours now.