Two interesting articles on vampires came across my sights today.
The first one is an interview with Neil Gaiman (we aren’t worthy!). He talks about the evolution of the vampire motif and what it has meant to fiction during different parts of history. It is brilliant and lovely as only Neil Himself can be.
The second article is one that Mr. Rochester sent to me. It is from the Today Show website and before you click on the link, I should warn you. Their website is so full of social software gunk, pop-ups, and MySpacesque formatting that I almost threw up when it loaded. Who the hell designed that piece of garbage? Tiny icons at the bottom of the article are much preferable to the huge bar taking up all my browser space. But I digress. Sorry.
I can basically sum up the article with a Smart Bitches phrase, TSTL. Bella Swan is Too Stupid To Live. It is a term given to especially annoying and whiny heroines that under any other circumstances (other than a romance novel) would have been killed because of ridiculous choices they make. That or the other characters get so fed up with the TSTL heroine’s antics that they kill her themselves.
Mr. R asked me why women would like that kind of character. I responded with this: Yes, we hate the TSTL ladies of fiction but they represent the fact that (warning broad generalization coming) most women want to things: 1) for someone to think they are special and 2) to be rescued by the said person in above phrase. The TSTL ladies are a perfect foil to the never wrong knight in shining armor (or shiny diamond skin).
Yes, it is archaic. Yes, it is a bit dumb. But the story of the “knight in shinning armor” has appeal for a reason and I think the two statements above are the underlying reasons.
That being said. I prefer heroines who want to be special and rescued, but who also do some rescuing of their own. We can not let the boys have all the fun.
–Jane, hopes she is not TSTL