New Moon, new blog recap

In the matter of one night I went from having zero knowledge of the hit book series and movie “Twilight” to having seen both movies and understanding the reason for all the hype and hysteria. Sitting here the morning after in Barne’s and Noble sipping on some lukewarm coffee, the Twilight bookmarks, chocolate bars, calendars, lunch boxes and “Scene It” games all make a whole lot more sense.

The crowds last night were insane, with all 12 screens at the local Carmike full of people viewing the midnight showing, ages ranging from young middle schoolers to retired married couples. I probably recognized over 50 students in the lobby after the show, all full of smiles, giggles, and passionate cries of “I’m team Jacob” or “I am so on team Edward.” (personally I’m undecided)

I genuinely enjoyed both “Twilight” and “New Moon,” despite dozing off for a few minutes toward the end of the sequel. I chose to overlook some blatantly cheezy moments that resulted in crowds of teener boppers squeeling and gasping for air. I took these scenes as comic relief, rather than judging them as ridiculous & over-the-top (which they pretty much were). There are several redemptive things in the story as I see it so far – Edward (main vampire) consistently demonstrates self-control over selfish ambition, there is an ongoing emphasis on man’s role to serve and protect the lady, and every other scene is not overly sexual and crass, which can be rare in these types of movies.

Several scenes blatantly objectified the male characters (i.e. Jacob ripping off his shirt to care for Bella’s head wound, and Edward frolicking in the meadow), and fueled the fire for most of the women in the theater who were already bonkers for these guys.

On one hand, it was refreshing that the main female character (Bella) was not dressed scantily or portrayed in a sexually provocative way. As a guy seeking a pure heart and mind, it was nice to not constantly have to look away from the screen just to avoid half-naked women. However, was the New Moon experience quite the opposite for many of the women (and girls) in attendance?

The male characters developed in these stories tap into the female heart, (understatement) but I wonder if it’s not at least partially wrapped up in an unhealthy, unrealistic lust after an ideal that no real man will ever fulfill. I’m not saying the longing for the perfect protector is twisted, but the idea that this longing can be satisfied solely in one great guy (Edward), or even the combination of several (Edward + Jacob), does nothing but leaves the ladies frustrated because at the end of the day no human guy(s) can be everything their heart is longing for.

Do movies like “Twilight” and “New Moon” only perpetuate a cycle of disappointment and frustration? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so share them. Peace on ya,

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