Episode 167: Ms. Cope

Twilight chapter 5/Midnight Sun chapter 5 We're back! After a week's break, it's time to check back in with the money fandom again, now that the new Fantastic Beasts has been in theaters for nearly a month. More importantly, we've got a new pair of Twilight/Midnight Sun chapters to discuss! This week we see some of the most recognizable moments and traits of the series on display; for better and for much, much worse. Edward is finally starting to behave the way all the memes, jokes, and critics in 2005 pointed out--does it hold up? Were their assessments fair? We chat about the ins and outs of romance tropes, book marketing, and the odd intersection of pop culture and cultural critique that Twilight generated. Slapping a pretty broad but firm content warning on this one!! This chapter sees Edward becoming the domineering, possessive leading man he's (in)famous for being. The book is obviously very corny and we keep the discussion light and fun, but there's no getting around the fact that, all discussion about presentation, context, and romantic fantasy aside, the behavior we're discussing is pretty upsetting.