“New Moon,” the second film in “The Twilight Saga,” recently opened in theaters worldwide and has been setting new records in terms of grossing at the box-office. Fans know that the films deal with the extremely romantic love story between a vampire and a mortal girl but, according to a report that has just hours gone viral, there could be more to their relationship.
Blogger kar3ning of
Captain’s Log took “New Moon” and compared it against the tips offered by the National Domestic Violence hotline, only to find out that the love story bears close resemblance to an abusive one. Edward is not only stifling of Bella’s personality, but he’s also doing his best to have her do only as he bids. Because of this, the blogger believes Hollywood and fans should not idealize this type of abusive behavior masked as romanticism. Others, including
The Frisky, agree.
“According to the
National Domestic Violence hotline, these are some signs that you may be in an emotionally or physically abusive relationship. Does your partner:
* Look at you or act in ways that scare you?
Check.
* Control what you do, who you see or talk to or where you go?
‘Stay away from the werewolves. I love you.’
* Make all of the decisions?
Check.
* Act like the abuse is no big deal, it’s your fault, or even deny doing it?
‘If I wasn’t so attracted to you, I wouldn’t have to break up with you.’
* Threaten to commit suicide?
‘I just can’t live without you. In fact, I’ll run to Italy and try suicide by vampire if anything happens to you.’
* Threaten to kill you?
On their first date.”
As it happens, the Bella and Edward couple check all 15 questions, which means signs indicate what we’re dealing with is an abusive relationship.
The idea with this comparison is, according to the blogger, that this is Hollywood’s way of glamorizing abuse. “Domestic violence is not romantic. […] And this movie is the one that made $140 million bucks in one weekend. Bigger than Dark Knight. Maybe it’s just that I’m older and (hopefully) wiser than the characters and thus out of this movie’s target demographic, or maybe I’m a humorless feminist, but knowing that zillions of girls are seeing this getting the idea that a seriously unhealthy relationship is somehow the equivalent of true love – that is profoundly disturbing. Far scarier than a werewolf,” the report says.
The blogger, a self-titled feminist, admits to not being a “Twilight” fan, but says that she’s not a hater either. She believes – and, judging from the reaction the report generated on the Internet, so do many others – that romanticism should not mean abuse. Then again, one of the greatest love stories of all times, that of Romeo and Juliet, ends in double suicide, others say.
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