In short, some blogger in need/want of attention questioned Katniss's honor, so I flared up like a mama bear and took a few swipes at Bella. Poor girl, I doubt if the character would even consider putting Role Model on her resume...she was just living out a fascinating story...one that happened to capture the imaginations of many, many, many readers and movie goers.
I, too, read Twilight...way back when we lived in Michigan...in the first year or two it came out. At the time, I didn't spare more than a fleeting, motherly thought to Edward's stalker-ish ways until other critics started going on about it...then I read the other books...then screaming crowds of Team Edward fans showed up for the movies, and I got seriously worried. We already have enough girls out there attracted to the "bad boy"...might this character, Edward, and Bella's blind, sometimes self-destructive devotion to him lead even more girls into potentially harmful/abusive relationships?
So, yes, I'd only considered Bella as a dangerous role model...albeit to only a small portion of the books'/movies' fans who would see Bella's "anything for love" attitude as something to pursue in their own lives.
Then Hunger Games arrived, and people's Team Gale/Team Peeta debate sort of surprised me...Who cares? There are children starving and dying in these books because of an oppressive government. That was what mattered to me, and what mattered most to Katniss...Okay, so maybe that's part sour grapes since I've always been team Gale...poor guy, never stood a chance.
AND, how amazing was Suzanne Collins to create this imaginary world that said so much about us and what we value/overvalue (consumer gluttony, violence, celebrities)...and where that might lead us if the wrong people someday took control.
Genius. Pure genius.
So, sorry Bella, I shouldn't have been so snarky, but vampire/werewolf worlds...fascinating as they might be...just can't compare.
What about you? What do you think?
I thoroughly enjoyed both book series, but without a doubt Hunger Games has much more depth. The Hunger Games movie was done very well too. Unfortunately, the Twilight movies, from with the awful white makeup jobs where you can see where the makeup artists left lines and never mastered the art of blending, to the weird "fast motion" scenes (the Six-Million Dollar Man TV series filmmakers had it right to show "fast action" in slow motion), have been lacking. The most recent Twilight movie was better than the last however.
ReplyDeleteI only read the first book in the Twilight series. I tried reading more, but...
ReplyDeleteI guess I never really thought of either character as a role model. If I had to choose one, it would be Katniss for sure. Family loyalty, bravery...awesome.
Katniss all the way!
ReplyDeleteExactly. Great way of summing this all up. I just think the messages of THE HUNGER GAMES are so much more potent than those in TWILIGHT. Team Katniss all the way. :)
ReplyDeleteKatniss rules. You should check out the What Would (Insert YA Heroine) Do? chart on Book Riot. It's pretty accurate.
ReplyDeleteAGREED. I'm still riled too. And have fun at BEA!
ReplyDeleteI shouldn't enter the debate, because I haven't read Twilight! (Bad YA writer, I know.) But it seems like apples to oranges--the worlds of both books are so incredibly different. That said, from what I know, the relationship dynamic between Bella and Edward really freaks me out.
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