Since when does a rapist and murderer make a good romantic leading man?
So I just finished the first season of True Blood and the first couple of episodes from Season 2 and I'm pretty shocked. I have a degree in screen writing and one of the number one rules of script writing is that your protagonist has to be likable. A man who does not understand that when a woman says no to sex act that no means no is not likable by any stretch of the imagination. Neither is a boyfriend who murders his girlfriend's uncle behind her back.
The second time Sookie and her vampire boyfriend have sex she asks him NOT to bite her this time. He does anyway. I guess a 100 or so years did not teach him that a woman's body is sacred and you don't enter her body in any way without her permission. She said no, he did it anyway. Sookie also demonstrated over and over that she could handle herself and her own personal conflicts with people and didn't want others interfering. Sookie's conflict with her uncle was LONG over years ago. She banished him from the family and he was an old, alone wheel chair bound cripple who was no threat to anyone now. But vampire Bill decides that he should murder her uncle anyway.
I just want to be clear about something, in Twilight Bella and Edward's relationship was obviously unhealthy. But the difference between unhealthy and abusive is boundaries. Vampire Bill crosses Sookie's boundaries by forcing a sex act on her she said no to and by murdering her uncle. When Edward caught Bella kissing Jacob he did not get upset or do anything. He just decided to let Bell make what ever choice made her the happiest. When vampire Bill caught Sookie kissing his romantic rival he went all crazy and violent on the rival. See the difference?
Thank you HBO for producing a show that glorifies abuse and the violation of personal boundaries in relationships. Like we don't see enough of that in real life already.
The second time Sookie and her vampire boyfriend have sex she asks him NOT to bite her this time. He does anyway. I guess a 100 or so years did not teach him that a woman's body is sacred and you don't enter her body in any way without her permission. She said no, he did it anyway. Sookie also demonstrated over and over that she could handle herself and her own personal conflicts with people and didn't want others interfering. Sookie's conflict with her uncle was LONG over years ago. She banished him from the family and he was an old, alone wheel chair bound cripple who was no threat to anyone now. But vampire Bill decides that he should murder her uncle anyway.
I just want to be clear about something, in Twilight Bella and Edward's relationship was obviously unhealthy. But the difference between unhealthy and abusive is boundaries. Vampire Bill crosses Sookie's boundaries by forcing a sex act on her she said no to and by murdering her uncle. When Edward caught Bella kissing Jacob he did not get upset or do anything. He just decided to let Bell make what ever choice made her the happiest. When vampire Bill caught Sookie kissing his romantic rival he went all crazy and violent on the rival. See the difference?
Thank you HBO for producing a show that glorifies abuse and the violation of personal boundaries in relationships. Like we don't see enough of that in real life already.
Second, despite the recent trend... vampires = EVIL.
It was a long lesson to learn that that's just not how the real world works (and I'm bitter about the costs endured learning this).
A lot of women, perhaps without even realizing it, deep down are still conditioned by society to the idea that they would be sluts or Promiscuous unless they mount some appearance of token resistance to having the sex that they want to have. (And that being a slut is a bad thing). Also, some seem to feel that the guy isn't into them enough if he doesn't present a sufficiently forceful desire to overcome at least some resistance. It's infuriating.
From what I hear, goth boys generally don't do anything without clear indications of consent (which I suspect contributes to some girls seeing them as spineless), but I'll bet there is a solid connection between this behaviour and the goth girls being slutty. Each attitude is made possible by the other.
Sorry, but I kinda think True Blood's a bit more realistic (well, as realistic as we can get with vampires) than Twilight when it comes to emotions and reactions. Vampires are 'bad' and driven by their desire for blood...specifically Sookie's blood. Also, most of the vampires in True Blood were made and lived in times when women weren't equal to men and when they were still in the closet, rape and murder was...easier. Most take what they want from humans, period.
I also think Twilight is more geared toward teenagers whereas True Blood is very much an adult only series.
HBO isn't trying to send any messages of boundary pushing and they aren't trying to glorify rape...they're trying to tell a sexy story. Besides, the writers are just basing the plot off of the books written by Charlaine Harris.
After all, how many people thought that "The Sopranos" was one of the best tv shows ever? And how is "The Godfather" doing in overall earnings again? ;)