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Bite me: The wrong messages Twilight sends to its fans

The Twilight Saga has been a box office success, with tween girls swooning left, right and centre over this inter-species romance. Apparently having a boyfriend who wants to eat you is completely fine when you’re a young girl, just as long as he is, like, totally hawt.

Some people even go so far as to compare Twilight to Romeo & Juliet. (Shakespeare, I’m so sorry my generation has let you down.) While I agree it is one hell of a love story, I have to wonder if it’s sending out the right messages. After all, do I really want the females in my life thinking this all-consuming infatuation is a normal romance? There is nothing normal going on here.

When Bella and Edward can’t be together in New Moon they both try to commit suicide. Geez guys, dramatic much? You’ve only known one another for a year, give it a few months, you’ll get over it. In any other movie, this kind of co-dependent obsessive relationship would be considered unhealthy, but Twilight posits it as something girls should aspire to. I mean, Bella chooses to end her 'human' life for crying out loud. Her love for Edward quite literally kills her. Is that what counts as romance these days?

Bella is willing to give up her life, her friends and her family, while Ed gets to keep everything that is dear to him. Well, that’s not fair. Way to go on empowering your female lead, Stephenie Meyer. Bella is completely isolated and solely dependent on Edward. Isn’t isolation the first sign you’re in an abusive relationship? Edward even cuts her car wires when she tries to visit Jacob. Ah those youngsters, they’re so in love.

Light S&M?

Meyer romanticizes things that are just plain creepy. Need another example? Why is it that when Edward watches Bella sleep it’s cute, but when Beyonce's husband is the target in Obsessed, Ali Larter has to die because she is a crazy psycho? Not only that, but Edward only hurts her because he luuuuuurves her so much and he can’t control himself when she’s around.

After they have sex, Bella discovers bruises on her body (light S&M anybody?) and he throws her into a table in New Moon. While the latter was because he was trying to protect her, it’s a bit of an overkill wouldn’t you say? Yes girls, he’s hitting you because you are his everything.

Bella’s mediocrity as a heroine is not the only thing that has raised red flags - there’s that whole age thing. Let’s face it, it’s a little creepy. Would you want your 16-year-old daughter dating an old man, because essentially that’s what Edward is? Bella is 16 and irritating. So why would someone who is over 100 years old want anything to do with her?

Intellectually, they can have nothing in common. Sure, they’re both ridiculously good looking, but you can’t spend eternity with someone based on their looks can you? Of course Twihards say that Edward is frozen at 17 so it’s actually not such a big deal. Being physically 17 is different to being mentally 17 and there is no way he has lived for over 100 years without learning a thing or two. And please, don’t even get me started on Jacob and their freak spawn Renesmee…

Twilight is a story that romanticizes abuse and makes a mockery out of true love. The heroine is so disempowered; feminists must be burning their bras in protest as we speak. As for selling this to tweens as a great romance: Shame on you, Stephenie Meyer.

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