Dad and Mom bloggers react to "New Moon" & "Twilight" series

Courtesy of Cinemink

The long awaited New Moon is finally here, and with the release there has been a huge build up and sense of anticipation. Many dedicated fans, right this very hour, are going to midnight screenings. People have been camping out, tickets in hand, waiting to see the theatrical sequel to “Twilight.” While many await the new movie and have read and reread the books there are those that aren’t thrilled with the either. Capturing the pulse of internet dads, Dad Blogs has launched a group effort called the Twilight Dad Bloggers Experiment.

With a small sampling of dads and a mom, we can get a sense for what many other dads and moms are thinking.

First up is Ron Mattocks of Clark Kent’s Lunchbox. Ron, has two stepdaughters ages 7 and 6 and feels the (Twilight) movies:

Given the girls' ages, the movie version is a bit scary. Seen as how Coraline made them leery of tiny doors, talking cats and large men with thick accents, vampires and werewolves most likely will send them into therapy.  

On the flip side, Ron isn’t opposed to the books:

…if we are talking about the book version on which the movie is (loosely) based on, then I have no problem once they are old enough. Why the change? For one, it means the girls are reading, and as long as it's not smut, then I'm all for them keeping their nose in a book.  

Another dad blogger, Justin Howefitz of Howefitz blog, points to the tradition of vampires and teens that spawns generations. From Teen Wolf (1985) to Lost Boys (1987); from Interview with a Vampire (1994) to Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV from 1997-2003) Justin says, “…vampires for teens is not such a new thing.”

Justin, a father to a teenage girl, continues:

What it boils down to story wise is a forbidden love, which we all can identify with from some part of our lives, which explains the fascination in my eyes. Am I worried that it’s inappropriate for my teen? Not hardly. Only in the sense that she is far more sophisticated than to fall head over heels for this hyped up fad. She liked the book well enough, but is already growing out of it faster than she did Harry Potter.  

So, not only does Justin see the book and movie as a non-threat, but he has proof to back it up.

Next up is Adam Kellogg of Kellogg’s Korner. Adam, a former high school goth, read the books and had a different take on the topic of “New Moon” and the message it sends.

This illustrates one of the key complaints that most parents have about the books. It shows how obsessed Bella is with Edward. She basically spends the next four months in a depressive state; separating herself from the world…I was thinking “Where is her father for all this?”  

Adam writes that he enjoys the fact that the book addresses the fact that Bella comes from a broken home as he says, “This is an aspect that I like about the story, but may be one that is putting off many of the other parents.”

He also expresses concerns about the main character Bella’s decision making:

Once she discovers that Jacob is a werewolf, their relationship picks up better than before. But she finds herself forcibly separated from him while he protects her. During this time…she jumps off a cliff into the ocean, almost killing herself. This is one point here I would hope that my children have better sense that do what they see others doing.    

Next up is Ciara, a mom blogger at Ciara’s Ramblings and What not, and her point of view once again is different as she begins by saying, “I don't censor a lot of what my kids hear, watch, or read.” She continues to say, “I was obsessed with the books and movie for a short while…but I FINALLY thought about the subject matter.”

Bella feels like she can never live without Edward. She's whiny. She's not emotionally strong. She's needy and clingy. Her whole life has become Edward. In other words, she's a hot mess. I have spent all of my girls' lives, since they could understand that their happiness is dependent upon them. Their happiness is not dependent on a man.  

Strangely, I expected the mom blogger to have less concerns with the movie and the dads to have more, but that wasn’t what I found. The dads overall had concerns about age appropriateness and some specific content in the movie and the books, but Ciara had a more holistic philosophy surrounding the theme carried throughout the books.

I myself have written something on the topic, and I share my thoughts on what a stay-at-home dad to three daughters thinks about the “Twilight” craze at my blog Joeprah.  What are your thoughts? Is the series safe? Would you let your daughters read the books? At what age? How about the movies?