Buffy vs Edward

In this re-imagined narrative, Edward Cullen from the Twilight Series meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It's an example of transformative storytelling serving as a pro-feminist visual critique of Edward's character and generally creepy behavior. Seen through Buffy's eyes, some of the more sexist gender roles and patriarchal Hollywood themes embedded in the Twilight saga are exposed - in hilarious ways. Ultimately this remix is about more than a decisive showdown between the slayer and the sparkly vampire. It also doubles as a metaphor for the ongoing battle between two opposing visions of gender roles in the 21ist century.

I read the first book in the Twilight saga - it didn't take long, I wanted to get it over with asap - and found it to be one of the worst written, Mary-Sue, Self-Insert pieces of shite I've ever read. And that was quite apart from the apalling gender stereotyping!

Not only is Bella the girliest girl of all girls that ever there were, she is also the stereotypical 'damsel in distress' and plays it up to staggering hieghts at all times. She's also (as far as I can tell, unintentionally on the part of Meyer) callous, selfish, bratty and arrogant. And for some reason, she's also the heart-throb of the new school she starts at, despite the fact that she dumps every suitor on the way-side the moment she realises Edward is 'cool'.

And, as if Meyer was fishing for some character flaw (that was intended, rather than accidental, and an apparent attempt to make Bella three-dimensional), she's also the clumsiest character I've ever read. Oh - and to top off the vampire 'romance', she's also so scared of blood, she faints at the mere thought of the sight of a pin-prick amount.

Edward is no better. He's downright creepy. He's 107 years old, for goodness sake! 107 and apparently lusting after a seventeen year old! So lusting after her, in fact, that he spends his nights - apparently vampires in Meyer's world don't sleep - watching her sleep. He's big and burly and oh so dreamy (blech) - I mean emotional, when he's not being terribly victorian and reserved. He's also possessive, aggressive and downright condescending.

What the hell, Meyer, were you thinking when you decided the vampires in your world glitter, by the way?

I tried to read the second book and literally gave up after about three pages. Bella had gone from bratty, self-absorbed, damsel-in-distress to suicidal, (I'm turning eighteen! I'm getting old! I'll look older than Edward! PLEASE BITE ME!) bratty, self-absorbed damsel-in-distress. Ugh.

This video just makes me insanely happy.


[Edit - an explanation of the video can be found here: WIMN's Voices ]