Stephenie Meyer

{{bronze}}[[File:Stephenie Meyer by Gage Skidmore.jpg|right|thumb|165px|Stephenie Meyer in 2012.]]
{{cquote|Be warned: There are '''no''' great stories, characters, or profound life lessons to be had in ''Twilight''.|||[[George Takei]]}}
{{books|1}}
'''Stephenie'''<ref group=note>Yes, that's how her parents spelled it</ref> '''Meyer''' {{lived|1973}} is an [[United States|American]] [[author]] and film producer best known for the [[vampire]] romance novel series '''''The Twilight Saga'''''. The books, which have sold millions of copies and been adapted into equally popular Razzie Award-winning films,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2013/02/23/twilight-razzie-awards/1940141/|title=Final Twilight named worst of the worst|work=USA Today}}</ref> tell the tale of sparkly, stone-skinned, befanged stalker Edward Cullen and klutzy doormat/author surrogate Isabella "Bella" Swan.

==Pro ''something-or-other''==
===The taming of the Belle===
Critics have accused the ''Twilight'' series of sending a blatant [[Feminism|anti-feminist]] message. Bella has been perceived as being a weak character whose only defined personality traits are her extreme clumsiness (except when she's being "very graceful") and high level of maturity (except when she speaks, or acts),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/data.tumblr.com/tumblr_l8iltqzxM61qd0quuo1_1280.png|title=Bella's maturity|work=Reasoning With Vampires}}</ref> and whose hobbies, interests, and goals mainly revolve around the males in her life: cooking and cleaning for her father and pining after the impossibly perfect Edward Cullen.<ref name="halestern">{{cite web|url=https://gizmodo.com/twilights-hidden-morality-plays-5096310|title=Twilight's Hidden Morality Plays|work=Gizmodo}}</ref><ref>"Talking Back to ''Twilight''," ''Ms.'' (quoted on {{cite web|url=https://jezebel.com/twihard-with-a-vengeance-why-twilight-is-a-boon-for-yo-5413689|title=Twihard With A Vengeance: Why ''Twilight'' Is A Boon For Young Women|work=Jezebel}})</ref>

Edward's relationship with Bella has been seen as having [[Domestic violence|abusive]] overtones.<ref name="halestern"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://gizmodo.com/official-twilights-bella-edward-are-in-an-abusive-re-5413428|title=It's Official: Twilight's Bella & Edward Are In An Abusive Relationship|work=Gizmodo}}</ref> He exhibits creepy, stalker-ish behavior like sneaking into Bella's room to watch her sleep without her permission, and possessive, controlling behavior like disabling her car so she can't go see any of her friends (namely his romantic rival/[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kC2nJiKvJE secret lover] Jacob Black), not to mention that she is lusting after a significantly older man.

===Save the 
undead
 unborn===
''Breaking Dawn'', the final "book" in the ''Twilight'' series, could be described as a 750-page [[pro-life]], pro-[[abstinence]]-until-marriage allegory, with 18-year-old Bella unintentionally getting [[pregnant]] on her honeymoon (how '''dare''' she have guilt-free sex after marriage?), then declining to have an [[abortion]] even though the hybrid vampire-human [[fetus]] comes to full term in a matter of weeks and almost kills her with its rib-shattering kicks.<ref>[https://jezebel.com/5034213/breaking-dawn-what-to-expect-when-youre-expecting-a-vampire Breaking Dawn: What To Expect When You're Expecting... A Vampire], Jezebel</ref> Initially, Edward objects to Bella's apparent death wish and urges her to terminate the pregnancy, but then Edward discovers he can read the child's mind and upon touching Bella's stomach, while the child was still in the womb, he is able to read the thoughts using his mind reading ability from the soon to be named "Renesmee", and realizes that the child is not a demon as he earlier claimed, but a fully sapient being capable of emotion and feeling. After Edward reads the thoughts of Renesmee, he realizes she likes to hear the sound of her parents' voices and loves them very much. This event significantly changes Edward's outlook on the child and is soon on Bella's side in terms of keeping the child.

Meyer responded to the charge that Bella is an "anti-feminist heroine" with arguments that at face value seem [[pro-choice]]:

{{Cquote|''When I hear or read theories about Bella being an anti-feminist character, those theories are usually predicated on her choices. In the beginning, she chooses romantic love over everything else. Eventually, she chooses to marry at an early age and then chooses to keep an unexpected and dangerous baby. […]''

''In my own'' '''''opinion''''' (key word), ''the foundation of feminism is this: being able to choose. The core of anti-feminism is, conversely, telling a woman she can't do something solely because she's a woman—taking any choice away from her specifically because of her gender. […]''

''One of the weird things about modern feminism is that some feminists seem to be putting their own limits on women's choices. That feels backward to me. It's as if you can't choose a family on your own terms and still be considered a strong woman. How is that empowering? Are there rules about if, when, and how we love or marry and if, when, and how we have kids? Are there jobs we can and can't have in order to be a "real" feminist? To me, those limitations seem anti-feminist in basic principle.''<ref>[https://www.stepheniemeyer.com/bd_faq.html "Frequently Asked Questions: Breaking Dawn"], StephenieMeyer.com</ref>}}

Carrying an unplanned teenage pregnancy or a high-risk pregnancy to term are both valid choices within the pro-choice viewpoint (that is, after all, the very ''definition'' of choice). However, ''Breaking Dawn'' does '''''not''''' feature an average unplanned teenage pregnancy or an average high-risk pregnancy, and it is this portrayal that can be considered problematic. The ''extreme'' life-or-death nature of Bella's pregnancy arguably places her and her decision not to have an abortion on a high [[moral]] pedestal. Thus, she may not be depicted as simply exercising her right to choose, but as making a heroic [[sacrifice]] and doing something righteous, with the implicit message therein being, "no matter how dangerous it gets, abortion is ''never'' the solution." However, whether this really is pro-life rhetoric in pro-choice clothing is pretty much personal opinion. At least, it isn't ''the'' most objectionable part of the "book".

It's even arguable that Bella gets to enjoy her apparent pro-life [[martyr]]dom without actually having to experience any lasting consequences. When she's literally on the brink of death, Edward saves her by turning her into a vampire, imbuing her with [[magic]] vampire [[healing]] powers that conveniently un-break her spine and close her emergency fangsarean section.<ref group=note>Edward actually delivers the demon baby by ''biting open Bella's uterus''. Percentage of fangirls telling that to their parents = 0.</ref> Moreover, she'll never have to endure the typical hardships associated with teen motherhood, as the Cullens are insanely wealthy (owning, for instance, a private tropical island, on which Bella got knocked up).

The birth scene in ''Part 1'' of the two-part ''Breaking Dawn'' "film" adaptation is reported to have caused several viewers to suffer seizures due to "black, red, and white flashing lights."<ref name="slate">{{cite web|url=https://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/explainer/2011/11/twilight_breaking_dawn_seizures_whose_fault_are_they_.html|title=Shaking in Your Seat|work=Slate}}</ref>

===Book of a Mormon===
Meyer is a member of the [[Mormonism|Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (LDS). This has led to the perception of multiple Mormon elements and themes within the ''Twilight'' series:

*Bella's description of her relationship with Edward as "forever" has been linked to the Mormon practice of {{wpl|sealing (Mormonism)|"sealing."}}<ref name="aleiss">{{cite web|url=https://www.chron.com/life/houston-belief/article/Mormon-influence-imagery-run-deep-through-1550618.php|title=Mormon influence, imagery run deep through Twilight|work=Houston Chronicle}}</ref> Furthermore, the Cullen coven's existence as an [[immortality|immortal]] family unit has been compared to the Mormon concept of the eternal family,<ref name="rd">{{cite web|url=https://www.religiondispatches.org/archive/culture/2052/big_vampire_love%3A_what’s_so_mormon_about_twilight|title=Big Vampire Love: What's So Mormon about Twilight|work=Religious Dispatches}}</ref> which holds that sealed couples and their sealed children will dwell together for eternity in [[heaven]].

*Immortal Edward's physical appearance is described as stunningly gorgeous and perfect (and ''sparkling'', as everyone well knows), which has been linked to Mormons' belief that after death their [[spirit]]s will be reunited with their "perfected physical bod[ies], which will never die again."<ref>[https://www.gothic.stir.ac.uk/guestblog/whats-wrong-with-sparkly-vampires/ What’s Wrong With Sparkly Vampires?], The Gothic Connection</ref>

*Meyer has been accused of portraying the {{wpl|Quileute}} community, a real [[Native American]] group that exists in the series as Jacob's [[werewolf]] clan, as "[[Noble savage|animalistic]]," in contrast to the "delightfully pale" Cullen coven.<ref name="wilson">{{cite book|author=Natalie Wilson|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=woskDAYWZVoC&pg=PA168|title=Seduced by Twilight: The Allure and Contradictory Messages of the Popular Saga}}</ref> (The University of [[Fun:Washington|Washington]]'s {{wpl|Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture|Burke Museum}} had to put up [https://www.burkemuseum.org/static/truth_vs_twilight/ an actual series of articles] explaining—among other things—that no, real Quileute people can't shapeshift.) This has been linked to the Mormon belief that Native Americans—or Lamanites, as they are called in the [[Book of Mormon]]—are descended from ancient [[Israel]]ites who were [[racism|cursed with dark skin as a result of their alleged wickedness]]. Many of Meyer's Quileute characters have Hebrew names (Jacob, Rachel, Ephraim, Susanah, etc.), as one might expect from a society descended from a [[antisemitism|wicked]] [[Judaism|Jewish]] tribe.

*Bella avoids [[alcohol]] and [[tobacco]], which isn't all that remarkable, especially for a teenager. However, she also avoids both [[coffee]] and [[tea]],<ref name="aleiss" /> which ''is'' unusual.<ref group=note>Anyone who's been in the American educational system can tell you that caffeine is practically a requirement.</ref> The "[[Word of Wisdom]]"—a section of the [[Doctrine and Covenants]], a part of the scriptural canon used by churches in the Latter Day Saint movement—prohibits the ingestion of alcohol, tobacco, and "hot drinks" (interpreted to mean coffee and tea by the modern LDS Church).

*Bella and Edward name their darling little [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVZUVeMtYXc chestburster] with the name Renesmee, an unwieldy amalgamation of the names of her grandmothers, Renee and Esme (her middle name, Carlie, comes from the names of her grandfathers, Carlisle and Charlie).<ref>[https://www.babynamewizard.com/archives/2009/12/the-name-of-the-year-2009-pt-3-the-winner?page=1 "The Name of the Year, 2009: pt. 3, The Winner!"]</ref> Mormons are reported to have a tradition of creating new names by "combining parents' or grandparents' first names."<ref>Jeanine Cox, [https://books.google.com/books?id=zbKYM5iHkEUC&pg=PA30&lpg=PA30#v=onepage&q&f=false ''The Perfect Name: A Step-by-Step Guide to Naming Your Baby'']</ref>

Meyer has said she is a "huge fan" of [[Orson Scott Card]].<ref>[https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/9FA6868D6CC441738975A4C8D11EA37A.aspx Stephenie Meyer interview], Hachette Book Group</ref> It is perhaps telling that, of all the [[Science fiction|sci-fi]] and [[fantasy]] writers, she singled out one of the only other Mormons in the room.

===Team cradle robber===
In the first three ''Twilight'' "books", Bella is torn between 
bestiality and necrophilia
 her two suitors Edward and Jacob, which caused the ''Twilight'' fandom to be split between "Team Jacob" and "Team Edward." After having Bella and Edward tie the knot in the last book, she threw an unbelievably bizarre consolation prize to members of "Team Jacob" by pairing off the oddly hairless werewolf with the chestburster ''[[Pedophilia|literally seconds after she is born]]''.<ref name="cracked">{{cite web|url=https://www.cracked.com/funny-36-twilight/|title=Twilight|work=Cracked.com}}</ref> In the ''Twilight'' universe, male werewolves involuntarily form lifelong magical bonds with their soulmates (an event known as "imprinting"),<ref name="cracked" /> and evidently aren't put off by such traits as wailing, lack of bladder control, and a still-attached umbilical cord.

Meyer apparently had ''trouble'' understanding why reaction to Jacob falling in love with a newborn baby included words like "creepy" and "pedophilic." Her response? "Yeah, people get a little weird about it, and think there's something wrong there."<ref name="ew">{{cite web|url=https://popwatch.ew.com/2008/08/12/stephenie-meyer/|title=Stephenie Meyer talks Breaking Dawn|work=Entertainment Weekly}}</ref> According to her, there's nothing amiss about the situation, as Pedowolf's feelings for Renesmee will remain those of a "very dedicated father or older brother" until she grows up and "[[Sex|needs something else]]."<ref name="ew" />

Critics have contended that an adult man taking the role of a trusted guardian in a child's life in the expectation that his relationship with said child will later develop into something sexual is akin to child-grooming.<ref name="arzim">{{cite web|url=https://tsdcv3.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=twilightlit&action=display&thread=64|title=Arzim's Rebuttals|work=TwilightSucks.com}}</ref> Jacob's imprinting, viewed in this light, means that Renesmee's future choices are being made for her. The trust she places in Jacob, as well as in her family, who fully expect her to live happily ever after with her predestined mate, will make it difficult, if not impossible, for her to refuse him.<ref>[https://twilightsaga.fandom.com/wiki/Imprinting Imprinting] on the ''Twilight'' wiki. We're sorry.</ref>

To fix this, Meyer made it out that Renesmee, though still a child, has the maturity and intelligence of an adult, is growing up super fast and will stop once she reaches the age of 17. The big problem with this is that it makes ''Renesmee'' into the abuser in the relationship. Yes, ''RENESMEE.'' See, throughout her interactions with Jacob, she is constantly manipulating him and acting as a normal child, basically getting her way the whole time, with Jacob unable to say no because of that whole imprinting nonsense, which he actually hated until it happened to him. Basically, Renesmee has her entire life gift wrapped for her, with her own ultra hot hubby to boot, who will do whatever she wants, no matter what because he is unable to say no.

===Moral relativism or absolutism?===
Meyer seems to believe that there are situations where [[moral relativism|relativism]] applies and others where [[moral absolutism|absolutism]] applies. For example, [[premarital sex]] and abortion are always evil but people should be free to choose whether or not to commit [[murder]]. Indeed, Carlisle, a vampire presented as compassionate and [[saint]]ly, repeatedly stresses that he respects the freedom of other vampires to kill and eat humans. After all, he believes in free choice. Edward, the obnoxious stalker who used to captain the [[Harry Potter|Hufflepuff Quidditch]] team (a ''big'' step downward from his beginnings), states that Benjamin, a being who goes out to kill and eat humans every weekend, has "always had a good moral compass."

==Fan fiction==
{{cquote|My inner goddess fist pumps the air above her chaise lounge.|||E. L. James, ''Fifty Shades of Grey''}}
Like all popular works of fiction, Meyer's ''Twilight'' series has attracted enough amateur [[Internet]]-based "writers" to fill [[Noah's Ark]], with nearly 215,000 individual entries in fanfiction.net's ''Twilight'' category.<ref>[https://www.fanfiction.net/communities/book/Twilight/ Twilight] on Fanfiction.net</ref> Some have even been praised as (allegedly) better than the original in all dimensions, particularly in terms of characterization.<ref>[https://ppc.fandom.com/wiki/Twilight#Twilight_Goodfic Twilight Goodfic], PPC Wiki</ref><ref group=note>In particular, check out Alicorn's ''[https://luminous.elcenia.com/ Luminosity]'', a re-imagining of ''Twilight'' in the vein of [[Eliezer Yudkowsky]]'s ''Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality'', minus the sexism and racism, and with a healthy addition of character depth.</ref>

The most infamous is E.L. James' [[BDSM]]-themed ''Fifty Shades of Grey''.<ref>[https://en.uncyclopedia.co/wiki/Fifty_shades_of_grey A short summary (SFW)]</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K1RcKJVbHA A more NSFW summary, but you'll need at least 10 minutes to recuperate from hearing Pumbaa talk dirty]</ref> It began as a ''Twilight'' fan-fiction entitled ''Master of the Universe'', but following a hasty alteration of the characters' names for [[Copyright|obvious legal reasons]] (the vacuous characterization remains, however), was published and inexplicably became a best-seller.<ref>[https://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/fifty-shades-of-grey-wayback-machine_b49124 The Lost History of Fifty Shades of Grey], Mediabistro.com</ref> Meyer herself claims not to have read it, but seems supportive of James and her success.<ref>[https://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1685954/fifty-shades-of-grey-stephenie-meyer.jhtml Meyer on 50 Shades of Grey] ''MTV''</ref>

''Fifty Shades'' had a film adaptation in 2015. Reviews were... mixed, to say the least.<ref>[https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/fifty_shades_of_grey/ Fifty Shades of Grey] ''Rotten Tomatoes''</ref><ref>[https://www.metacritic.com/movie/fifty-shades-of-grey Fifty Shades of Grey] ''Metacritic''</ref><ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2322441/ Fifty Shades of Grey] ''IMDB''</ref> Some saw it as a legitimate depiction of BDSM, while others, particularly those who actively engage in BDSM themselves, saw it as a film glorifying domestic violence and rape, with much the same double standards as Twilight. [[Fox News|You decide]]!
The book's sequel, ''Fifty Shades Darker'', received a film adaptation in 2017. Reviews were scathing, with a paltry 11% on Rotten Tomatoes.<ref>[https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/fifty_shades_darker/ Fifty Shades Darker] ''Rotten Tomatoes''</ref> And then the threequel, ''Fifty Shades Freed'', had its release in 2018 to another 11%.<ref>[https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/fifty_shades_freed Fifty Shades Freed] ''Rotten Tomatoes''</ref>

Oh yeah, the writing is really, really shit, as the quote above shows. What the fuck is an "inner goddess" supposed to mean?

''Fifty Shades'' would in turn inspire ''365 Days'', a series of books written by Blanka Lipinska, a [[Poland|Polish]] author who felt that ''Fifty Shades'' did not go far enough in its depiction of sex. ''365 Days'' would receive two film adaptations, both of which got a rare '''0%''' on Rotten Tomatoes.<ref>[https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/365_days_2020 365 Days], ''Rotten Tomatoes''</ref><ref>[https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/365_days_this_day_2022 365 Days: This Day], ''Rotten Tomatoes''</ref> The book series and film have been criticized for being even more rapey than ''Fifty Shades''.<ref>{{cite web|author=Bethony Butler|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2020/07/09/365-days-netflix-controversy/|title=Unpacking the controversy around ‘365 Days,’ the erotic thriller with scathing reviews and a huge following|work=Washington Post|date=9 July 2020}}</ref>

==Other works==
Meyer is also the author of the [[science fiction]] novel ''The Host'' published May 6, 2008 , an ''Animorphs'' ripoff she intends to be a trilogy. It reached #1 on the ''[[New York Times]]'' bestseller list in 2008 and was rated lukewarmly. The movie adaptation, on the other hand, was hated by everybody and flopped in theaters.<ref group=note> In the words of ''PopMatters'', [https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_host_2013/ resistance is futile.]</ref>

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20200930220947/https://applesparkles.fandom.com/wiki/Frozen_Apples Frozen Apples] - a wiki about ''Twilight''.
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2L253VLwH3w&feature=list_related&playnext=1&list=SP7CCC01B887254707 Alex Reads ''Twilight''] - Watch a YouTube vlogger suffer through every single chapter of the first book.
*[https://reasoningwithvampires.tumblr.com/ Reasoning with Vampires] - a critical look at Meyer's writing style.
*[https://stoney321.livejournal.com/317176.html A detailed summing up] of all the ways ''Twilight'' works as Mormon [[propaganda]].
*[https://www.hypable.com/2013/02/28/every-single-twilight-stare-video/ Every single stare in all 5 ''Twilight'' films in one super-cut]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rA80LD8MEys ''Twilight'' in 
25
 5 seconds]
*[https://popculturedetective.agency/2009/buffy-vs-edward-twilight-remixed Buffy vs. Edward] - What ''would'' Buffy do?
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nqvg0C90FhM How ''Twilight''] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21Pjiaxz914 Should Have Ended] 
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gugBiEkLwU Honest Trailers: ''Twilight''], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoLXRErjzco&list=SP86F4D497FD3CACCE ''New Moon''], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnYPqippKVw&list=SP86F4D497FD3CACCE ''Eclipse''] and [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvo5_Zi-Yxs ''Breaking Dawn'']
*[https://www.cracked.com/article_20218_if-twilight-5-was-10-times-shorter-100-times-more-honest.html If ''Twilight'' 5 Was 10 Times Shorter and 100 Times More Honest]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20160307185837/https://www.korsgaardscommentary.com/2010/09/korsgaard-v-twilight.html Korsgaard v. ''Twilight''] - one critic's brutal dissection of Meyer, ''Twilight'', and its affiliated works. Now has a [https://web.archive.org/web/20160307185837/https://www.korsgaardscommentary.com/2012/02/korsgaard-v-twilight-2-stakes-and-silver-bullets.html sequel.]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note|2}}

==References==
{{reflist|2}}
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