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New Moon Sexist, Say Critics

Do needy Bella and the big, strong men in her life reinforce stereotypes?

By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff

Posted Nov 24, 2009 11:13 AM CST
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(Newser) – New Moon is basking in the glow of its success, but the second Twilight film, and even the headlines about its box office records, are sexist, some say. Vampire love interest Edward is “overbearing,” and heroine Bella “quite literally lies down and takes it,” write Carmen D. Siering and Katherine Spillar in Ms. “This is a film full of gender stereotypes—testosterone-driven male aggression, females who pine away over lost loves, boys who fix motorcycles, and the girls who watch them.”

And the media attention paid to the film isn’t much better, writes Rachel Simmons on her website. Headlines like “OMG New Moon Has $140 Million Opening!” use teen-girl-speak to talk about the film’s success, but Simmons doesn’t find it cute. It “feels like an attempt to both mock girl culture and detract from the very butch success of this women and girl-driven phenomenon,” signaling that Hollywood may be intimidated by a “guy-proof” film franchise.

In this film publicity image released by Summit Entertainment, Robert Pattinson, background left, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner, right, are shown in a scene from The Twilight Saga: New Moon.
In this film publicity image released by Summit Entertainment, Robert Pattinson, background left, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner, right, are shown in a scene from "The Twilight Saga: New Moon."   (AP Photo/Summit Entertainment, Kimberley French)
In this film publicity image released by Summit Entertainment, Robert Pattinson portrays Edward Cullen, left, and Kristen Stewart portrays Bella Swan in a scene from The Twilight Saga: New Moon.
In this film publicity image released by Summit Entertainment, Robert Pattinson portrays Edward Cullen, left, and Kristen Stewart portrays Bella Swan in a scene from "The Twilight Saga: New Moon."   (AP Photo/Summit Entertainment, Kimberley French)
In this film publicity image released by Summit Entertainment, Kristen Stewart, left, and Robert Pattinson are shown in a scene from The Twilight Saga: New Moon.
In this film publicity image released by Summit Entertainment, Kristen Stewart, left, and Robert Pattinson are shown in a scene from "The Twilight Saga: New Moon."   (AP Photo/Summit Entertainment, Kimberley French)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 11 comments
opheliaglass
Nov 25, 2009 2:23 AM CST
Haha.... do they use one angle for the main actress for this whole film? Does she always have that same expression? Oh, and, Stephanie Meyer's a Mormon. My experience with Christianity is that they loooooooooooooove gender roles, and they have some weird take on feminism that actually enforces these stereotypes. Btw her beliefs also mean she couldn't write a REAL vampire story :)
Fiskebolle
Nov 25, 2009 2:20 AM CST
This is a brilliant ploy. Who's going to argue with them, no men saw these movies any way.
Jes
Nov 25, 2009 2:03 AM CST
Sphinx - That's what I would have guessed, since Bella always calls herself plain (and is demonstrably boring) but the average girl thing is hard to buy when within a week of her moving to the town half the school is chasing after her.

Do Twilight fans get flak because they're girls?
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entertainment • Twilight • New Moon • The Twilight Saga: New Moon • Twilight sexist • Twilight anti-feminist

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