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Here’s conclusive proof that Holly and I don’t just podcast about things we like. Here, we take a look at the phenomenon that has grown out of the “Twilight” series, including whether we’d let our hypothetical daughters read it. And it starts with a really embarrassing story about yours truly, followed by a defense of “Twilight” that may surprise you.
The “Twilight” book series gets its fair share of heat around here: We’ve wondered if protagonists Edward and Bella are in an abusive relationship, scrutinized Edward’s abstinence and even pondered whether the story was even worth taking seriously. Now, a report from the American Library Association has shed some new light on the popular saga — and the news isn’t good for the vampire crew.
Academia and pop culture have been making strange bedfellows for decades now. The University of Washington offers a comparative history class on the work of rapper Tupac Shakur, Syracuse University made headlines for its course analyzing Lil’ Kim’s lyrics, and the TV series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” became academic fodder almost the second it left the airwaves. If that wasn’t enough, you can go to Liverpool Hope University in the U.K. and earn a master’s degree in Beatles Studies.
Now, the Brits have taken the pop-culture graduate degree idea and run with it: This fall, the University of Hertfordshire will offer what may be the world’s first master’s degree in Vampire Studies. Yes, really.
I’m probably not the best person to be giving advice on how to find a good boyfriend. I’m much better at spotting a bad boyfriend once somebody’s gotten hold of one. When it comes to heartthrobs who make tween girls swoon, Edward Cullen of “Twilight” fame is at the very top of my list of bad boyfriends … and his heart doesn’t even throb.
Unlike Angel and Edward Cullen, the whining, self-loathing days of Bill Compton are mercifully behind him. While the “True Blood” vamp certainly — spoiler spoiler spoiler — wallowed in guilt over being a monster, even to the point of threatening to stake himself, he got over it. His era of brooding martyrdom ended well before the synthetic vampire food known as Tru Blood hit the market.
Top 5 Abstinent Vampires: No. 5 — Angel and Edward Cullen (Tie)
by Tracy V. Wilson | October 26, 2009
When I was in elementary school, after years of trick-or-treating in a Wicked Witch of the West costume, I decided to be a vampire for Halloween. With the very silly exceptions of Bunnicula and Grandpa and Lily Munster, vampires were monsters back then, and monsters were what Halloween was for. I ran around in a cape, plastic fangs and a drawn-on widow’s peak, hollering, “I van to suck your blood.” Because that’s what vampires do.
Rather, that’s what vampires did. Now it seems like the average vampire has, for one reason or another, decided to abstain from drinking blood. Monsters are still what Halloween is for, though, so I’m going to spend this week looking at these abstinent vampires (and whether they’re still at all monstrous).
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock lately, you’ve probably noticed that there’s a vampire craze afoot, especially among women. Why? Tune in as Molly, Cristen and a very special guest weigh in on vampire fiction and women’s attraction to vampires.
A Different Take on Sex and Vampires: Vampire as Gay Boyfriend
by Tracy V. Wilson | October 15, 2009
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the connection between sex and vampires. This morning, I ran across a link to a different take on the topic in Salon’s Broadsheet blog. There, Tracy Clark-Flory writes about an article in Esquire that equates vampires with gay men. “Vampires have overwhelmed pop culture,” says Stephen Marche, “because young straight women want to have sex with gay men.”
Why is it so difficult to separate ‘vampire’ from ‘sex’?
by Tracy V. Wilson | October 1, 2009
October is one of my favorite months. The temperature drops, leaves turn, and suddenly it becomes way more socially acceptable for adults to show up in public places wearing costumes. On top of that, the impending arrival of Halloween gives me a great excuse to spend my working hours researching zombies, werewolves and ghosts. It serves up food for thought for my colleagues, too. Earlier this week, one co-worker posed a question: Why are vampires and sex so inextricably linked?
New New Moon: What do you do when a trailer needs a spoiler warning?
by Tracy V. Wilson | September 15, 2009
We’re all familiar with the phenomenon of trailers that show off every great part of the movie they’re promoting, making the movie itself ultimately disappointing. “Meet the Robinsons” is a good example — the T. rex and its big head/little arms dilemma was the star of the show, and it was all over the previews. And then there are the trailers that just don’t capture the sense of the movie, which I hope is what’s going on in the ones I’ve seen for the forthcoming “The Road,” based on Cormac McCarthy’s Pulitzer-prize winning novel.
What I don’t see as often are the trailers that give everything away — like the newest one for “New Moon,” which debuted during MTV’s Video Music Awards. Barring major departures from the book, it more or less has the whole plot covered.
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