Okay: via Robin's blog? The cast photos of the Cullens on Stephanie Meyer's site -- ARE WRONG. First, they look more anorexic and cold than gloriously beautiful and freeze-glowing. Second, it's just... Twilight, okay? That whole Edward-and-Bella thing that gives me hives. 'Nough said. And can someone tell me why Edward looks so darned annoyed? We're the ones who are supposed to be annoyed. They're supposed to be perfect and inhumanly beautiful. They just look hipshot, cold and pissed.
Speaking of pissed, I think this goes way beyond it, into Herr Horn Book's list of "You Are SO Going to Hell:" The NY Times ran a piece about Cathy's Book: If Found Call (650)266-8233, the YA mysteryesque novel we ranted about quite a while back, which dropped more brand names than a mall storefront. This article also discusses a new book series aimed at the marketing demographic of "tween" (which is a neologism for between and preteen, and covers the span between ages eight and twelve), which will contain massive product placement on various levels. The article quotes a head of children's publishing at HarperCollins who claims "corporate sponsorship or some sort of advertising is totally embedded in the world that tweens live in. It gives us another opportunity for authenticity.”
Authenticity?!
Adults in the United States are going bankrupt by the thousands per year and people, striving to find and have the best of the best of the best are going nuts trying to keep up with the newest techie gadget and living WELL beyond their means, but that's simply not enough, apparently. Let's roll with giving our readers aged 8-12 more authenticity. Every tween must self-identify as a consumer.... starting... NOW!As one of the myriad kids with parents who didn't have the money to keep me in Gap and Guess? this makes me sick -- with fear, actually. Does anyone really need to encourage a generation of self-loathing tweens? Why push kids faster down the slope toward being unhappy with what they have?
Oh, wait. I remember. Money.
I'm with Roger. I'm smelling sulphur.
Finally, via Anastasia@Ypulse, employers in Oz are SERIOUSLY seeing graduating teens using text-slang and gamer-speak in their job applications. I'd laugh -- this wud b such a gud joke ...u kno whut? its 2 sad 2b funny.
nywayz...
5 comments:
Well, some of the casting (looks-wise, anyway) seems to fit, but, I'm sorry, I just don't think Edward is sizzlin'-hot enough. He just looks like a sullen child version of Morrissey. Maybe there will be better photos later...We can hope.
And yup, smellin' sulfur over here, too. I tend to feel more favorably (or less UNfavorably) towards products that seem to appear naturally or have become embedded in our culture somehow--like Doritos or Kleenex. That's not necessarily product placement. But actually "embedding" brands under the guise of authenticity is icky.
Yes to the ick factor on the product embedding--give me a break. I'm with you TadMack--I didn't have money as a kid, and I certainly didn't and don't need anyone making me feel less than because of that. Anymore than I already did.
As for the Cullens, come on! They're very pretty! No one was ever going to look like the pictures in our heads. I like Emmett, Rosalie, Alice, and Carlisle in particular. They do the job for me.
Signed,
Tween at Heart
I agree, Robin--Rosalie and Alice definitely fit my mental image. I think I pictured Edward with more chiseled features, though...
Okay, now I'm kind of embarrassed that I've devoted so much thought to it.
OK, gave up trying to read Twilight. Hey, I know I will LISTEN to it. I like audiobooks and I got through The Way of All Flesh by Samuel Butler and enjoyed it very much in audio form so...downloaded Twiight from my public library and then settled in to listen while I waited for my daughter at her voice lesson on Friday. I'm knitting and listening...next thing I know..."Mom, wake up, I'm done."
I will be the ony kidlitosperian who has not read the series. Alas.
Twilight: read it. wasn't overwhelmed by it and am continually surprised by the fan reaction. That said, I'll probably see the movie because I think it'll leave out all the bits in the book I didn't like.
Cathy's Book: While I am all for leaving advertising out of kids books (or any books), and wish tv shows and movies were more upfront about the advertising deals they cut for their own shows, Cathy's Book was a great book and extremely inventive in its storytelling. I'm looking forward to the sequel.
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