Twilight

Yes I actually read this book. The whole thing. And while during the read I rolled my eyes so often they nearly fell out of my head, it's easy to see why this book has become all the rage within, & even outside, the tween crowd. What girl hasn't at one time dreamed about starting over in a new town where boys are suddenly fighting over her and the richest, most mysterious, most attractive guy falls instantly in love with her.

But Twilight is really no different than books with a shirtless Fabio on the cover, it's similar to reality shows like The Bachelor, and the same as romantic comedies starting actresses named Jennifer. All are in the business of selling the love fantasy. Essentially this fantasy involves an everyday girl meeting the perfect guy and they instantly have a connection. The outside world tries to tear them apart but the couple's love is so strong that they are able to overcome it all. The End.

Romantic entertainment is big business and some girls can't get enough of the stuff much in the same way there are guys who can't get enough adult entertainment. In fact the two genres are very much alike. The main different between Twilight and men's magazine is that one has pictures. Yes, I suppose there are other differences as well but the main thing they share is that they both objectify the very thing they are supposed to be portraying. Just as adult entertainment presents an unrealistic fantasy of sex, romantic entertainment presents an unrealistic fantasy of a platonic relationship.

Romantic entertainment teaches that love, true love, is something that once we obtain it we can treat it like a house plant, put it in the sun, give it some water, and watch it grow. Love is made into this object that's hidden from us, but once we find it we have it forever in flawless condition. Too often romantic entertainment shows people in love with love and not the work it takes to love another person. Real love takes work. Real love is about struggling through tough times and learning to abandon your pride for the betterment of the relationship.

Love isn't a Celine Dion song. It's not a rose ceremony, the use of the word loins, or a music montage. Love is finding someone you can fart in front of. It's morning breath. It's things that wouldn't make a very appealing romance novel and thus we see very little of true love in romantic entertainment.

So adult entertainment is a false representation of sex, and all a person needs in order to dive into a sea of this misrepresentation in today's day & age is a computer. But it's still taboo; it's not socially acceptable to look at during a lunch break at work or on a bench in the park. You won't find it on prime-time network television or in the racks of the supermarket. But romantic entertainment, this false representation of love, is everywhere and it's seen as no big deal. There aren't many conservative groups getting worked up over a Meg Ryan movie. And maybe that makes romance entertainment more dangerous. Maybe we've seen so many lies we forget what the truth is; we are searching for the fantasy instead of working with reality.

By no means will we be seeing people walking out of stores with Twilight books wrapped in brown paper bags any time soon. Nor will many high school girls be grounded after DVDs of Maid In Manhattan are found under their mattresses. But it's important to keep in mind that just as it is ridiculous for guys to assume every intimate moment will be pornographic paradise, it is foolish for girls to be disappointed when their lives fail to be fairy tales.