Twilight Saga: Eclipse trailer

Comment:  This trailer contains a few shots of Jacob (Taylor Lautner) and the CGI wolves, but no actual Indians. Once again we see why the Jacob role should've gone to an Indian.

For more on the subject, see How New Moon Robbed Natives and Quileute Werewolves in Twilight.

Hollywood's cultural conservatism

Hollywood & History

War is heaven; Life today is complex. The studios' solution: the simplistic epic.

By Manohla Dargis"Cold Mountain" features no substantive speaking parts for black actors. I'm not sure what Minghella was thinking here, but because he adapted Frazier's novel himself, he knows that the book is filled with black characters--slaves and runaways, the children of black-white unions, even an enslaved woman sought by a desperate white lover. And because Minghella is smart, he must also have known that these black characters are essential to the meaning of the novel, which tracks two white Southerners struggling through the sort of everyday barbarism that had been visited upon enslaved blacks for generations. Minghella has said that the film "is not a history lesson" and clearly he didn't want history, and by extension black people, to get in the way of his love story.

The whitewash in "Cold Mountain" is remarkable even by Hollywood standards, but it's typical of the industry's cultural conservatism, which dictates that no potential audience member be offended by unpleasant truths. If Minghella included as many black characters in his story as Frazier put in his, the director would have to deal with the fact that his white lovers are racist. Products of their very specific time and place, Frazier's white Southerners don't transcend their historical context because such a thing would be impossible. By contrast, Minghella advances the canard that war is reducible to individual struggle without regard to ideology, power or the political violence that human beings are forced to perpetuate on behalf of power. In Hollywood, every hero is innocent, especially if a star plays him.

The idea that Hollywood is a hotbed of liberalism is a convenient smokescreen for conservative critics who are likely more enraged that Sony offers health benefits to its gay employees' domestic partners than by the stabs at "political correctness" in the Sony release "The Missing." The liberal rap is also a nice illusion for those Hollywood movers and shakers who don't see a contradiction between, say, raising money for Bill Clinton and selling entertaining violence and depoliticized warfare in their movies. Indeed, the feminized image of Clinton--who didn't fight in Vietnam, didn't inhale and has a wife who wears pantsuits--and the crisis in liberalism that defined his presidency and returned conservatives to power, may actually have inspired a kind of butch backlash in Hollywood. Who's afraid of war? Not the Industry.

Today, Hollywood moviemakers are waging war against one another in a struggle for box-office domination--they've become the ultimate weekend warriors. The casualties of this battle include the multitudes of dead characters strewn across screens, but there are other more important losses being incurred. Notwithstanding "Cold Mountain," war stories mean fewer juicy roles for women in an industry already dominated by men. And because Hollywood history is usually told from the point of view of the vanquishers, the Great Man theory of history writ cinematically, there's no need for the "balanced" racial casting that constitutes Hollywood's idea of affirmative action. Even in "The Last Samurai," a studio film filled with an unusual number of nonwhite actors, the last man standing isn't named Ken Watanabe.Comment:  This article provides a useful list of code words to excuse the lack of minority characters and storylines in Hollywood. "Not a history lesson"..."transcending the historical context"..."the hero's individual struggle"..."the point of view of the vanquishers"..."the Great Man theory of history"..."balanced racial casting" (i.e., mostly whites). Hence we get a movie like Avatar, which focuses on the white man's role and depicts the natives as generic savages. Or The Last Airbender, which decides that an "ambiguous" message is more important than the story's Asian characters and setting.

We see this all the time in Native-themed productions. In movies such as Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee...TV shows such as Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman...books such as Karl May's Winnetou series...games such as King Philip's War...etc. They give us only a small slice of history, denuded of any context. Even when the conflict is good Indians vs. bad white men, people don't learn the whole story.

Consider a typical Dr. Quinn plot: "Bad men threaten Indians; Dr. Quinn and Sully stop them." Sounds good, but meanwhile, long-term trends are ending the Indians' way of life. The government continues to break treaties, starve Indians into submission, corral them onto reservations, force them to start farming, and convert them to Christianity.

None of this makes it into the episode because it would be too upsetting. It would overturn our noble self-image as heroes and saints. So viewers learn that bad men were responsible for everything, that good men opposed them, that good men helped the Indians, and that good triumphed over bad in the end. It's superficially an anti-colonialist story, but it winds up minimizing and excusing America's crimes.

"Cultural conservatism" = racism

This "cultural conservatism" is a form of racism. It's not the harsh kind where a person dislikes minorities and thinks they're inferior. It's the gentle kind where a person says, "I'm not familiar with minorities and their stories. Maybe they're good and maybe they're not; I just don't know. I prefer to stay within my comfort zone."

Thus we get the Quileute werewolves in Twilight. As one professor described Jacob Black:He's muscular, hotheaded, passionate and often dressed in cutoff-style jeans or shorts. That's in contrast to the very white vampire Edward, who is well-groomed, elegant and rational.So Stephenie Meyer Googled for 15 minutes and decided that was enough to write about Natives. Her unconscious racism produced fictional Indians that were almost real people, but not quite.

For the sake of comparison, the nonracist version of the "gentle" statement above would be: "I'm not familiar with minorities and their stories. But people are the same everywhere, so I'm not worried. Our audiences are 30% minority, so we need more minority characters and stories. Find me people who can tell these stories so we can tap into this market segment. We should be making money from it rather than ignoring it."

And once again note: No one is claiming Hollywood whitewashed Cold Mountain, The Last Samurai, or The Last Airbender for economic reasons. The producers may be thinking about economics, but they're talking about artistic license. They're claiming that only white characters and stories "transcend history," which is essentially a racist position.

For more on the subject, see Indians Hold Steady at 0.3% and Roscoe Pond or a Big-Name Actor?.

Twilight site sells Quileute items

Quileute tribe starts Twilight-inspired items onlineThe Quileute tribe has launched a Web site to sell Twilight-themed merchandise handcrafted by tribal artisans.

Cedar wolf rattles and paddles, woven cedar baskets and hats, canned smoked salmon and other goods are available at www.twilight-quileute.com.

"Traveling across our great country and observing other native tribes commercially marketing their wares in a successful and respectful manner motivated us to explore the concept of promoting culturally appropriate authentic Quileute items online," said Chairwoman Anna Rose Counsell-Geyer.

"Though we began this exploration prior to the Twilight phenomenon, I am delighted for the artisans in the village who have a global audience interested in owning a part of authentic Quileute culture, and thrilled we can share our art with fans and collectors who are unable to visit LaPush personally."

Students at the Quileute Tribal School made hand-cut cedar paddle necklaces which are modeled after the ones worn by the character Emily in the movie, "The Twilight Saga: New Moon," which was based on the second book in the Twilight series, New Moon.
Comment:  For more on the subject, see Quileutes Embrace Twilight Tourism and Quileute Werewolves in Twilight.

Below:  "This paddle necklace is one of the items Quileute Tribal School children are making for the tribe's e-commerce site inspired by the Twilight books and movies."

The people behind Shift the Power

Twilight Saga's Chaske Spencer Shifts The PowerChaske Spencer, from Twilight Saga's New Moon (DVD released March 20, 2010) and the upcoming Twilight Eclipse (to be released June 30, 2010) is using his time in the spotlight to shine a light on an issue of great importance to him. Having grown up on reservations, Chaske knows intimately the already difficult existence, with 85% unemployment rates, and drug and alcohol use running rampant.

In his words "Given how I grew up, I should be dead or in jail right now, it is really a miracle that I am where I am and I am so grateful, I just want to give something back."

On February 1st, 2010 Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe declared a state of emergency after a severe ice storm devastated the reservation. The storm toppled more than 3000 power poles and left more than 13,000 people without power, heat and water.

In response to these events, Chaske and the non-profit he has been working with United Global Shift, created a project called Shift the Power to The People, whose mission is to empower people to create sustainable, lasting change in their communities and countries through:

Creating Awareness of the current issues and conditions

Creating Alternatives that promote Dignity, Justice, Unity, and Accountability

Taking Action that supports the creation of these alternatives

Fellow native and non-native actors united to create public service announcements to create awareness of what is happening and inspire people to take action immediately. The people involved included Alex Meraz, Julia Jones, Gil Birmingham, Justin Chon, Boo Boo Stewart, Q'orianka, Raoul Trujillo, Taro McArthur, Jaisey Bates, Larissa Fasthorse, Elizabeth Sage, Natalia McArthur, Sharlyse McArthur, Fivel Stewart, Darryl Redleaf, Montano Rain and Joannelle Nadine Romero.Comment:  This posting implies Spencer was instrumental in creating Shift the Power. But since it's a press release, it may contain some hype.

For more on the subject, see Twilight Actors in Shift the Power PSA and PSA for Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe.

Twilight actors in Shift the Power PSA

Twilight Cast Members Shift The Power PSA | Julia Joneshttp://shiftthepowertothepeople.org

Join Twilight cast members Julia Jones, Chaske Spencer, Alex Meraz, Boo Boo Stewart and more. Be the Shift.

Click this link to send a letter to Congress, it will take two minutes and impact generations to come:

http://bit.ly/avYfB3

Comment:  The "more" includes Gil Birmingham. I don't know why they're billing Boo Boo Stewart over him.

This is another video asking people to contact their representatives about the reservations devastated by winter storms. Some of the footage seems the same as the footage in the first PSA. I wouldn't be surprised if they simply re-edited the footage to show only Twilight stars so they could call it a Twilight video.

I gather the organization is emphasizing "Shift the Power" over "Be the Shift" as its slogan. This is probably wise, since "Be the Shift" isn't as clear or compelling.

For more on the subject, see PSA for Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and Quileute Werewolves in Twilight.

Twilight-Quileute.com

The Quileute Nation's website alludes only indirectly to the Twilight phenomenon. No doubt this is for the best, since the tribe has existed for ages before Twilight and will exist for ages after it.

But the tribe was missing a bet by not providing anything for fans searching for "Twilight" and "Quileute." Now it's rectified that with a few dedicated websites.

The main one, Twilight-Quileute.com, offers the following sections:

Our Story:  A window summarizing the tribe's genuine history and culture.

"Authentic Quileute" Store

Quileute Nation fan blog

Visit Our Photo Gallery:  Photos of the Twilight actors visiting the reservation and posing with tribal members.

Latest News at Quileute Nation:  Links to stories about Twilight and the Quileute Nation.

Comment:  No doubt thanks to publicist Jackie Jacobs, the Quileute Nation is getting more media-savvy all the time. This site is a good way to benefit from the fans' interest without tainting the tribe's official website.

You still can find all sorts of fan sites: Quileutes.com, QuileuteLegend.com, QuileuteLegend.net, QuileuteWolfPack.com, etc. Eventually these sites will fall by the wayside as the fans grow up and get a life. And the tribe's site will remain.

For more on the subject, see Quileute Name Used Without Approval and Quileute Werewolves in Twilight.

No Indians at the 2010 Oscars

Unlike the 2009 Oscars, which had a few minor references to Indians, the 2010 ceremony was almost a complete blank. The only "Native" presence I saw was Indian wannabe Taylor Lautner, with his bit of Potawatomi and Ottawa ancestry.

The cameras showed him in the audience once, when he and Zac Efron were the subject of a Steve Martin joke. He presented an award with Kristen Stewart. And a film clip showed him playing girly-boy Jacob Black, the Quileute werewolf in Twilight.

Once again we see how Twilight and New Moon robbed Natives of a chance at fame. Up to a billion people around the world watch each Oscar ceremony. Lautner was on-screen several times. It could be the most people ever to watch a pseudo-Indian at the same time.

(If not this broadcast, then what? A Super Bowl or World Cup game with a Native player? A Rose or Macy's Parade? A previous Oscar broadcast?)

What could've been

Instead of a real Indian on stage, dressed in a tuxedo, talking to the world, we got pretty-boy Lautner. How many people who aren't Twilight fans even recognized him? How many non-Twilight fans know he's famous for playing an Indian. Zero?

With a real Indian, the writers might've written something about his heritage. He might've said something like, "I'm happy to be at the Oscars without getting shot at by John Wayne." It would've been a great reminder to everyone that Indians are alive and kicking. But as it stands, it's another missed opportunity.

For more on the subject, see Indians at the 2009 Oscars.

Below:  Lautner about as he appeared in a brief film clip on the Oscar broadcast.

Summing up New Moon

Indian Comics Irregular #190:  New Moon Shines on Wolf Pack

For more on the subject, see Quileute Werewolves in Twilight.

Twilight's Indians at RES 2010

A video filmed at the RES 2010 business conference at Las Vegas today.



Starting just past the 1:00 mark, Jackie Jacobs, publicist, talks about her work with the Quileute Nation. Then rapper Litefoot introduces Margo Gray-Proctor, Chairwoman, NCAIED Board of Directors. And they introduce Chaske Spencer, Kiowa Gordon, and Gil Birmingham from Twilight and New Moon.

They talk about the entertainment business and the power of pop culture to change perceptions about Indians worldwide. This panel continues for about half an hour.

Also, some photos from the conference:

Michelle R. Shining Elk's Photos--RES 2010
Shaunya Manus's Photos--RES 2010
NCAIED--RES 2010

For more on the subject, see Quileute Werewolves in Twilight and The Best Indian Movies.

Below:  Kiowa Gordon, Chaske Spencer, Stacey Thunder, and Gil Birmingham.

Quileute name used without approval

Sucking the Quileute Dry

By Angela R. Riley“Twilight” has made all things Quileute wildly popular: Nordstrom.com sells items from Quileute hoodies to charms bearing a supposed Quileute werewolf tattoo. And a tour company hauls busloads of fans onto the Quileute reservation daily. Yet the tribe has received no payment for this commercial activity. Meanwhile, half of Quileute families still live in poverty.

It’s important to point out that the outside uses of the Quileute name, from the “Twilight” books to the tattoo jewelry, are quite likely legal. American intellectual property laws, except in very specific circumstances, do not protect indigenous peoples’ collective cultural property.But:At the same time, like indigenous peoples around the globe, the Quileute want to be meaningful participants in the treatment of their own cultural property. This means, first and foremost, having their sovereignty and their culture respected by outsiders. The Quileute’s Web site tells visitors about the tribal laws that govern Quileute territory. One of these laws specifies that burial grounds and religious ceremonies are “sacred and not to be entered.” Had MSN acknowledged the tribe as a sovereign government, it might not have broken that rule. The Quileute believe that respect for Indian tribal sovereignty could likewise bridge cultural gaps between other Indian communities and outsiders.

Going forward, the Quileute should be engaged in the “Twilight” phenomenon. They should be able, first, to welcome Ms. Meyer to the reservation and introduce her to the Tribal Council and all the Quileute people. They should be consulted on projects where the Quileute name and culture are used to market products. And Quileute elders should be able to share with the world the true Quileute creation story, in which tribal members were transformed into humans from wolves (not vampire-fighting wolves).Comment:  I haven't heard about Stephenie Meyer or the Twilight people consulting with the Quileutes before using their name. I'm guessing it isn't happening.

For more on the subject, see Quileute Werewolves in Twilight.

Below:  "Get your genuine Quileute tanning lotion here! Look like a real dark-brown Indian!"

Indians hold steady at 0.3%

Native Americans Still at the Bottom in Hollywood

By Roscoe PondThe "screen actors guild" (SAG) diversity "report card" has been around for ten years (1998-2008). The last report was October of 2009. It tracks the shared acting roles for theatrical films and television. Caucasians have dominated all roles from 79.1% in 1998 to 72.5% in 2008. African American roles went from 13.4% to 13.3%. Native Americans shared fewer supporting roles plus background extra work from 0.20% to 0.30%. They peaked in 2005 to 0.40%. By the end of 2008 SAG reported that, "American Indians held steady at 0.3% of all roles for each of the last two years. While the feature film, low budget and episodic television categories all dropped in proportion to total roles."

Those statistics are not good. It is now 2010 and still there are no lead acting roles for native men or women on primetime television. The same can be said of no lead characters in major studio films.

Movie executives care only about money and top box office receipts. Network TV cares only about top ratings. Where would the Native American fit in on all of this? They don't. They have never had a chance to be "tested" in any lead roles on TV. Sponsors would never buy advertising of a TV show with a lead native actor or actress. The reason is clear. The public only wants to see Native Americans in "buckskins" and "loincloths." That's why the mini-series, "Into the West" (2005) and "Comanche Moon" (2008) produced good TV ratings. Both are westerns.Comment:  Natives make up 1-1.5% of the US population but get only 0.3% of the roles. That means they're getting about a fourth of the roles they should be getting.

I think Pond's analysis is correct as far as it goes. But let's discuss it further.

If movie executives care only about money, why aren't they rushing to do movies with Native themes or actors? The biggest hits of the last year are Avatar and New Moon. Why isn't some exec saying, "Let's combine Avatar and New Moon! A wolfish Native soldier fights blue-skinned alien vampires...it's a guaranteed hit!"

Answer: Because Hollywood, like much of America, is culturally conservative. Which is another way of saying it's prejudiced against minorities. Minorities such as, say, Barack Obama, whom a significant number of Americans believe is a Kenyan and a Muslim.

As Pond said, people want to see stereotypical Indians. (Or think they do until movies like Avatar and New Moon prove them wrong.) Indians like the ones in countless old Westerns, sports logos, statues and paintings, and on and on.

They get angry when someone tells them the reality contradicts their fantasies. That Indians are doctors, lawyers, and teachers, not half-naked warriors on horseback. They insist they're "honoring" Indians by asserting their stupid and stereotypical beliefs are more important than the facts.

So Hollywood cares only about money, but ignores the fact that Natives make money when given half a chance. So money can't be what's holding Native actors back. What's holding them back is the racist attitudes shared by studio execs and other Americans.

Racism, not profits

No other explanation makes sense. And why would anyone even look for another explanation? Studio execs come from the same population that worships stereotypical mascots and gets angry at modern museums. They love their racist beliefs about Indians.

These Americans aren't championing stereotypes because it's profitable. They're championing stereotypes because they've been brainwashed since childhood to believe our foundational myth. Columbus, Pilgrims, and Founding Fathers good! Indians, blacks, and immigrants bad! Taming the wild frontier! Progress and civilization! God bless America!

With that cultural mindset, the idea of a movie or TV show starring modern-day Indians causes cognitive dissonance. Most executives can't imagine it, and they can't imagine audiences imagining it. So they trot out their money-making excuses--e.g., the fallacy of the big-name actor--to avoid greenlighting Native projects. So no Twilight until Stephenie Meyer forces the issue and no Avatar until James Cameron forces the issue.

Translating from Hollywood-speak to English, what these execs are really saying is, "When I grew up, Indians were savages. My parents and teachers believed it, I believe it, and everyone I know believes it. Therefore, we won't make a movie with Native themes or actors unless it's a Western. No one would believe in modern-day Indians as soldiers, astronauts, or vampire fighters. The movie would fail and I'd be unemployed like some lazy, drunken wretch of an Indian."

In short, it's all about Hollywood's racism, not its quest for profits. Get it now?

For more on the subject, see Roscoe Pond or a Big-Name Actor? and Producer Says No to Pond. For more on the subject in general, see The Best Indian Movies and TV Shows Featuring Indians.

Below:  The only acceptable Indians (from Comanche Moon).

6th Annual Red Nation Film Festival

6th Annual Red Nation Film Festival + Experience American Indian Cinema + Celebrates Its Winners & HonoreesLos Angeles, CA--Red Nation Film Festival (RNFF) announces festival winners & honorees for the 6th Annual Red Nation Film Festival of November 2009.

RNFF honorees were presented at the Red is Green Carpet Gala A Night of Tribute Awards Ceremony on November 12, 2009 at Raleigh Studios. RNFF filmmakers’ awards were presented online January 28, 2010, at www.rednationfilmfestival.com. RNFF had five L.A. premieres, three Red is Green Carpet galas, 20th anniversary of George Harrison critically acclaimed Sundance Award-winning feature film “Pow Wow Highway” and a exclusive premiere of “The Twilight Saga: New Moon.”

Red Nation Film Festival is the largest and most prestigious celebration of the American Indian motion picture art form in Los Angeles and has positioned itself worldwide as the best venue for marketing American Indian & Indigenous Independent Films, including Native Women in Film & Television.

RNFF Award Winners:

Best Film
The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Director: Chris Weitz

Best Director
The Ghost Riders
Director: V. Blackhawk Aamodt

Best Actor
Chaske Spencer
The Twilight Saga: New Moon

Best Actress
Tinsel Korey
The Twilight Saga: New Moon

Best Documentary Feature
Crude
Director: Joe Berlinger

Best Woman Documentary Feature
For The Next 7 Generations/The 13 Grandmothers
Director: Carole Hart

Best Documentary Short
In The Footsteps of Yellow Woman
Director: Camille Manybeads Tso

Best Editor
Red Nation Film Festival Short
Montano Rain

Best Music Video
Michael Jackson
Black or White

A NIGHT OF TRIBUTE AWARDS CEREMONY recipients were:

“Red Nation Vision Award”--In Loving Memory to Michael Jackson “Black or White”

“Edward Albert Jr Indigenous Film Award”--Edward James Olmos, Actor

“Brando Award”--Joe Berlinger, director of Crude

“Lifetime Achievement Award”--Graham Greene, Actor

“Best Network Award”--CBS Corporation

“Television Heritage Media Award”--James Ramos, San Manuel Tribe

“Red Nation Theatre Playwright Award”--Richard Montoya, Culture Clash

“Red Nation Humanartian Award”--Leonard Peltier, Activist

“Red Nation Activists Award”--Atossa Soltani, Director of Amazon Watch

“Red Nation Community Award”--Christine Padilla, Community Volunteer Lakota Nation

In attendance were: Edward James Olmos (actor); Josie Thomas, Head of Diversity, Senior VP (CBS Corporation); Jo Berlinger; director of Crude; Mitchell Anderson accepting on behalf of Atossa Soltani (Amazon Watch); RJ Joseph accepting on behalf of Leonard Peltier (activist); Christine Padilla (community volunteer); Disney ABC Television Group Frank B. Gonzalez; Chaske Spencer (actor/New Moon); Tinsel Korey (actor/New Moon); Alex Meraz (actor/New Moon); Rene Haynes (casting director); Zahn McClarnon (actor/Into The West); Gil Birmingham (actor/New Moon); Jackie Jacobs (Talent Group); Kimberly Norris Guerrero (Dreamkeeper); Elijah De Jesus (actor/Pearl); V. Blackhawk Aamodt (director/The Ghost Riders); Camille Manybeads Tso (director/In The Footsteps of Yellow Woman) to name a few.Joanelle Romero's Photos--On the Red is Green Carpet + Red Nation Film Festival

'New Moon' Honored for Embracing Native Americans  [video]

DailyDips Episode 56:  Famous Quotes, A “Precious” Exclusive, Live Long and Prosper, Bullock Gets “Blind Sided,” “New Moon” Madness



[New Moon segment begins at the 4:30 mark]

Comment:  See Tinsel Korey talk about her Native community and Native actresses like her!

I couldn't attend the Red Nation Film Festival this year because of my trips to Washington DC and Las Vegas.

For more on the subject, see Quileute Werewolves in Twilight and The Best Indian Movies.

Below:  "Red Nation FILM LAB Q & A with Alex Meraz (actor/New Moon), Gil Birmingham (actor/New Moon), Tinsel Korey (actor/New Moon), Chaske Spencer (actor/New Moon) and Joanelle Romero (actor/Pow Wow Highway)."

Quileute Wolf Dancers at TwiCon

Quileute Wolf Dancers to perform at 'Twilight' convention in Seattle

By Paige DickersonFans of the Twilight book and movie saga are gathering at a Seattle convention this weekend, and they'll get a taste of real Quileute tribal traditions and performers--not vampires and werewolves.

Carol Hatch, chairwoman of the Quileute tribe, as well as the Quileute Wolf Dancers from tribal school in LaPush will speak and perform at the event officially known as the Seattle Twilight Fan Convention--or TwiCon.

Also at the convention will be a few of the actors from the "Twilight" movies, fan discussion groups and, of course, merchandise relating to the best-selling book series and blockbuster movies, "Twilight" and "The Twilight Saga: New Moon."Comment:  The Quileutes continue to use the Twilight hoopla to their advantage. Good for them.

For more on the subject, see Twilight Fans Get Quileute Culture and Quileute Werewolves in Twilight.

Below:  "I won't be there because I'm a big star. But a few Native actors who could've played my role should be there."

Racist replies to MSN apology

In MSN to Apologize for Quileute Video, I noted that MSN was about to apologize (since done) for filming on the Quileute reservation without permission. In the comments on the original article, several people objected to this. It's instructive to see what non-Indians think of Indians when given a chance to express themselves.Posted by Capt Lewis Brantley on Mon, Jan 11, 2010, 7:18 am Pacific Time.

Get over it. Why do I feel a monetary settlement coming?

Posted by Chris Peterson on Mon, Jan 11, 2010, 8:44 am Pacific Time.

If I hadn't seen what happened on the PA waterfront with my own eyes, I would have thought this story was pure fiction. Instead of being grateful for what Twilight has done for the tribe, they are being stupid. I also see a monetary settlement coming Mr. Brantley. Including money for counseling for quote~ "This situation has caused an enormous amount of pain and suffering to the Quileute Nation as a whole, but especially to the descendants of the Quileute chief."

Posted by Jordan Hamrick on Mon, Jan 11, 2010, 9:11 am Pacific Time.

"This situation has caused an enormous amount of pain and suffering to the Quileute Nation as a whole." Are you kidding me?

"We need to use the situation as an educational opportunity to teach the world how to conduct themselves when visiting a sovereign nation."

Whats next? Are they going to sue Stephenie Meyer for depicting the Quileute nation as a bunch of werewolves? Get over it.

Posted by Comon Senz on Mon, Jan 11, 2010, 9:22 am Pacific Time.

"An apology will never erase that hurt."

But some cold hard cash might make the suffering a bit easier....

Posted by Jack Briar on Mon, Jan 11, 2010, 11:49 am Pacific Time.

The Quileute Nation is not sovereign--they're quasi-sovereign. They depend on U.S. taxpayers for most of their money. They don't pay taxes, but they can vote just like everyone else.

Natives have all the rights of every citizen; they also have special casino rights, and the right to our money. They have more rights than the rest of us. "All men are created equal," but Indians are more equal than we are.

But yes, sadly, instance after instance, immediately after the get their feelings hurt, they put their hands out.

Posted by Amanda Hugenkiss on Mon, Jan 11, 2010, 12:50 pm Pacific Time.

If they cared so much about their precious land, they would start by cleaning up all the trash and animal mess. Not even Stephen King could write a horror story involving the amount of filth strewn about La Push. Always looking for a handout, in my opinion.

Posted by Chris Peterson on Mon, Jan 11, 2010, 3:00 pm Pacific Time.

If my family member had done for me and my family, and neighbors, and the community at large what Twilight has done for the west end, the Quileute Nation included, then no, I wouldn't have a problem with them filming around my home or my family members grave...MSN was trying to do something good, and the Quileutes have turned it into a "poor us, we have been abused" mess.

Posted by Chris Peterson on Mon, Jan 11, 2010, 3:58 pm Pacific Time.

It's not my intent to get into an argument either, I was just trying to explain that to have my home, neighborhood or family grave site filmed wouldn't hurt my feelings none if all the publicity had done so much good for my family and the community at large. Who, besides the West End, had ever really heard of the tribe until these books? I was born and raised in PA, and have been to LaPush many, many times, but I didn't really know there was a tribe...I think they should be grateful for what all the publicity has done for them, instead of using this as a platform to say that this "situation" has caused them an ENORMOUS amount of pain and suffering.Fortunately some good comments were interspersed among the bad ones:Posted by Robyn Johnson on Mon, Jan 11, 2010, 9:19 am Pacific Time.

I understand where they are upset. It's sacred land to them. If you are going to be filming on a place of different beliefs you make sure you follow the abiding customs. You would expect that if they were to go into a church or another more common system where respect was demanded. Though I don't feel a settlement is necessary.

Posted by don williams on Mon, Jan 11, 2010, 11:16 am Pacific Time.

Imagine a group that has no true understanding of the practices within your church films the church and/or service, without permission, and then sets it to 'dark' music. I can well bet that those chastising the tribe's position would have the own righteous indignation and, most likely, would have already filed suit. "Get over it?" You wouldn't!

Posted by Mike Messerschmidt on Mon, Jan 11, 2010, 12:25 pm Pacific Time.

I thought bigotry was a thing of the past on the Olympic Peninsula, especially the West End.

Apparently, from reading some of these posts, it is not.

Posted by Konstantina Halas on Tue, Jan 12, 2010, 1:35 am Pacific Time.

I have to say that I'm honestly baffled by some of these responses. Being part of a culture that is proud of its roots and traditions, I would be just as upset if someone came to Greece and went to sacred temples or places and didn't show them the respect that they deserved. Not everything is about publicity and money. Just because some of you don't consider anything sacred in this world, it doesn't mean that everybody else is the same.

To the Quileute people, their cemeteries and graves are sacred places. To have some moron from MSN zoom in and out of a person's grave and post the video on there like it's some kind of a video you took of your back yard shows blunt disregard and disrespect of these people's traditions and culture. If some people don't have the brains to understand that, then I really feel sorry for them.Comment:  You can find comments like these on almost any article where Indians or other minorities stand up for their rights. Normally, I don't bother repeating people's ignorant opinions. But I thought I'd do it this time.

So Ms. Peterson has visited LaPush many times, but didn't know a tribe lived there? Thanks for weakening your remarks by admitting your ignorance. The only question is why the tribe should care if you can't or won't educate yourself.

To help these dummies so they don't end up as ignorant as Peterson:

With a few minor exceptions, Indians pay the same taxes as everyone else.

I don't know about the Quileute Nation, but many tribes depend on treaty payments for their income. So what? These payments are like payments on the national debt: a mandatory legal obligation, not a taxpayer "handout."

Casino rights aren't special rights. Any state is free to legalize gaming and let anyone open a casino. Do these morons really not understand that Indian gaming exists in its present form because of the democratic wishes of each state's electorate?

If you don't want Indians to have casinos, idiots, ban gambling in your state. Utah has done it and...guess what? No gambling in Utah means no Indian casinos in Utah.

Protesting = seeking payoff?!

Perhaps the most offensive assertion is that the Quileutes are protesting because they want a payoff. Really? Because there's such a long history of protesters getting paid for ruffling people's feathers? I'd love to see a list of all these payoffs.

I'm wondering who paid Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi for protesting injustices against their people? Who paid the Founding Fathers for complaining about taxation without representation? Who paid Jesus for noting the evils of the Roman establishment? I must've missed all those payoffs for airing legitimate grievances.

Sheesh. Here's a clue, idiots. The vast majority of protests have nothing to do with getting paid off. In case you were too stupid to notice, the world is full of illegal and immoral acts. Filming on someone's property without permission is one of them.

Like the last hundred times someone said or did something offensive, the offended party demanded an apology. Period. In this case, they got one. The case is already closed, so the numbskulls who think a demand for money is forthcoming are wrong.

Racists show true colors

So a large number of people--roughly half the commenters on the original article--think Indians are greedy bastards who are trying to cheat the system. In other words, that Indians are craven, immoral, and uncivilized--i.e., modern-day savages trying to rob us of our birthright. In other words, a large number of people are racists.

Thanks for proving what I keep saying, Americans: that many of you are racists. Glad to see the evidence in black and white. Keep demonstrating that bigots like you are the problem, not critics like me.

For more on the subject, see Indian Rights = Special Rights? and The Essential Facts About Indians Today.

Below:  Patrick Henry, who uttered the immortal words: "Give me Liberty, or give me Money!"

Oh, wait...he was a white Christian. Never mind. Only brown-skins are greedy bastards who are trying to cheat the system.

If you're not sure about this, ask any teabagger who's the problem in America. You can bet they won't name the people who start illegal wars or game the financial system. To them, the problem is blacks, Latinos, and other brown-skinned people, not "real Americans" like them.

MSN to apologize for Quileute video

Quileute to receive apology for MSN.com's 'Twilight' video

By Paige DickersonMSN.com is set to offer a public apology to the Quileute tribe today for a video shot on Stephenie Meyer Weekend in September that showed unapproved filming on the reservation--including scenes of the cemetery and graves, said tribal spokeswoman Jackie Jacobs.The details:The film crew shot images of the Tribal Council building, totem poles, First Beach, the Senior Center and the Quileute Cemetery.

The film was set to dark music--described by Jacobs as "macabre"--and was filmed in an amateur documentary style.

Repeatedly zooming in and out on a grave of a Quileute tribal chief--who Jacobs did not name--also added to the dark, suspenseful nature of the short film.

"As a native woman, I was astounded and sick to my stomach--especially knowing I was the person who would have to tell the family about this," Jacobs said.Comment:  I haven't seen the video, but it sounds as though the filmmaker was implying something dark or devilish about Indians.

We can give Twilight and New Moon a little credit for this incident. The books and movies portrayed the Quileute as mysterious and clannish with secrets and supernatural powers. The filmmaker didn't know or care whether this portrayal was true or not. He went with a stereotypical view of Indians because that's what people expect.

For more on the subject, see Indian Burial Grounds and Quileute Werewolves in Twilight.

Below:  Those dark, devilish "Quileute Indians."

Jacob's Quileute words translated

In Jacob's Quileute Words = Easter Egg, we noted that Jacob's line to Bella in New Moon was a hidden "treasure." Soon there was a lot of speculating about what Jacob said. Now reader Kat has sent me a possible answer about Jacob's words:Hi Rob,

I laughed when I just saw this:

'New Moon' Exclusive: Chris Weitz Reveals 10 Secrets in the Film!The text at the link says:5. Look it up

"And last but not least: If you want to know what Jacob says before he almost kisses Bella, ask a Quileute! The address of the Quileute tribal council is quileutenation.org. I can tell you this much: He says, Kwop kilawtley."The reference to the Quileute Nation doesn't help since the tribe's publicist said they weren't going to translate the line. But people have pursued the matter, as Kat explains:I thought: Boy, the Quileute will get they email accounts flooded to the extreme.

And of course, I copied "Kwop kilawtley" into Google: Google said at the bottom that this was the 7th most searched term WORLDWIDE in the last hour and has been exploding in frequency. According to Google Trends, "Hotness: VOLCANIC." A Quileute phrase the 7th MOST SEARCHED TERM WORLDWIDE...

WOW!!! The power of pop culture...

Snowy greetings,
KatKat wrote this Friday afternoon (12/18/09). No doubt the term has cooled off since then because I couldn't duplicate her results. Nevertheless, her point remains valid. This shows the incredible influence of pop culture in general and movies in particular.

On the Quileute Nation's page on Facebook, several people asserted that "Kwop kilawtley" means "Stay with me forever." Some people referred to this posting:

What does Kwop kilawtley mean?

which could be one fan reporting what another fan said. Only one Facebook fan seems to have gone further than repeating what she heard:Siân Richards

thats wot i was told that it means 'stay with me forever' she can translate alot of quileute and was online for a while answering these questions lol, think u can probably google the convo anyway it certainly fits with the sceneI asked Siân who "she" was: Stephenie Meyer? Publicist Jackie Jacobs? Kristen Stewart? Tinsel Korey? Siân didn't post a response. So we have a translation and a hint that it's accurate, but no confirmation.

Back to the point about pop culture's influence. As people have said many times, Natives should make their own movies and get tribes to finance them. They shouldn't wait around for Hollywood to discover them. But...appearing in a major motion picture, one backed by a studio's marketing and distribution prowess, is still the gold prize. A single phrase in such a movie can get as many Google hits--a rough measure of popularity--as an entire independent film.

Individual Native filmmakers may have to choose one career path or another: Hollywood or independent movies. But Natives as a whole don't have to go one route or another. Indeed, I'd say they should take both approaches. They should make their own movies and (try to) make Hollywood movies.

For more on the subject, see The Best Indian Movies.

Kiowa Gordon's upcoming horror movies

'New Moon' and 'Eclipse' star Kiowa Gordon to play in 'Into the Darkness'

By Amanda BellLast week, it was announced that The Twilight Saga: New Moon and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse star Kiowa Gordon (Embry Call in the Twilight saga films) would portray Brad in Into the Darkness.

This fledgling actor has started out his career in films on a good foot with the Twilight series and brings his new-found fame to Darkness, a film co-written "by local residents [of Tennessee] Jade and Paul Moser." According the Southern Standard, if filming schedules allow, Gordon will begin his work on Darknessin May, 2010, just before the premiere of Eclipse. The film's release is expected in March, 2011.And:According to its MySpace page, the film's description is as follows:

A group of friends descend upon a remote wilderness area to camp and party reuniting after a year apart. Their decision to embark on a short exploration of an unknown cave system turns into a horrific struggle for survival. Can they find the light before the darkness finds them?Shouldn't that be "cub actor," not "fledgling actor"? Wrong species, Amanda! <g>

I believe the Tennessee hills do have cave systems. And Gordon could be playing an Eastern Cherokee.

Or his Indian heritage could be irrelevant to this movie. Native actors don't have to play Natives.

The best part of this story: In IMDB.com's Into the Darkness entry, Gordon is listed first in the cast. Unless the list is in order of appearance (unlikely), that means he's the lead actor and the hero.

Which makes sense since he's the only name I recognize in the presumably low-budget cast. I imagine he'll survive the horror and help save (some of) the others.

Exclusive character images from Kiowa Gordon's 'Into the Darkness'

By Amanda BellHe may be out playing in the woods with his fellow wolfpack with The Twilight Saga: Eclipse filming, but in a few months Kiowa Gordon will be making his way back to Tennessee to pick up where he left off on filming his new movie Into The Darkness.

As previously announced, the pitch trailer for the film will be released on October 6th, and new, exclusive character images from the movie have just been released--including this one of Kiowa Gordon as "Brad."

Trailer for 'Into The Darkness'

'New Moon' star Kiowa Gordon to star in 'Murder for Dummys'

By Amanda BellHaving made a rather large name for himself as Embry Call in The Twilight Saga: New Moon and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, Kiowa Gordon has a pretty full roster for 2010.

You've already heard a great deal about Gordon's forthcoming work Into the Darkness (which shoots in April or May), but now, it has been revealed that Gordon will also be filming Murder for Dummys.

Murder is written by Emerson Bixby and will be directed by David Capurso. According to Shock Till You Drop, the film's synopsis is as follows:

The story takes place on Halloween night and involves a couple and their friend accidentally killing a costumed trick or treater in a hit and run, then trying to cover up the murder. Once the friend starts to develop a taste for murder, comic and grisly twists and turns ensue.Comment:  I presume the filmmakers are spelling "dummies" wrong intentionally. Perhaps as an ironic comment on the movies "dummys." And not because they're dummies themselves.

If they haven't cleared this title with the people who write the "[Fill in the blank] for Dummies" books, watch out. The Dummies book people could sue the Dummies movie people. The Dummies book people could claim they have exclusive rights to the "Dummies" title and are planning to make "Dummies" movies themselves.

Anyway, this is an excellent lesson in what happens when you put Native actors in mainstream Hollywood movies. For more on the subject, see How New Moon Robbed Natives and Quileute Werewolves in Twilight.

Below:  Kiowa Gordon in brooding hunk/lead actor mode.

How New Moon robbed Natives

Alpha wolf in 'Twilight' blockbuster has Poplar roots

By Elizabeth L. HarrisonFor Chaske, his heritage has been both a blessing and a curse. Some Native American roles, he said, he was very proud of, while others he auditioned for only because he needed a job.

"It's a double-edged sword," he said. "I've lost roles because I wasn't Indian enough. I can't figure it out, and I don't want to waste time trying to figure it out."

Being Native got him the role of Sam, he added, for which he's grateful.

"It's cool because it's very contemporary," Chaske said. "It's not all leather and feather."

And the exposure he's received from "Twilight: New Moon" has helped him land non-Native parts, as well as launch his own production company, Urban Dreams.

"The Twilight Saga films are allowing a new generation of young native and First Nations actors to be discovered by mainstream audiences," Haynes said. "That is very cool and exciting!"Comment:  This is all good for Spencer and the other members of the Wolf Pack. But consider this: Judging by the Google hits for each of their names, Taylor Lautner is more popular than the four "wolf boys" combined:

"Taylor Lautner":  3,390,000 hits
"Alex Meraz":  1,300,000 hits
"Chaske Spencer":  753,000 hits
"Kiowa Gordon":  722,000 hits
"Bronson Pelletier":  547,000 hits

Lautner's fame should've gone to a Native actor.

Look at the response Lautner got on The Tonight Show. He was perhaps the most popular guest since Conan O'Brien took over the show. He's a star of New Moon, the most popular movie in the country. At the moment he may be the second most popular actor in Hollywood (after Robert Pattinson). No non-Twilight actor--not Will Smith, Tom Cruise, or Tom Hanks--has more eager and enthusiastic fans.

Before the Twilight movies, Lautner was a little-known child actor. Because of them, he may be a superstar, a leading man, or at least a well-employed actor for the rest of his career. Like other franchise stars--Sean Connery, William Shatner, Harrison Ford, Johnny Depp, Daniel Radcliffe--I suspect he'll be always be a recognizable name brand.

What could have been

Now imagine if the Jacob Black role had gone to a Native actor instead. This actor would've become the most famous Native actor in the world--more famous than Wes Studi, Graham Greene, or Adam Beach. He singlehandedly would've put Native actors on the map.

People would be clamoring not only to hire him, but to hire actors like him. "The prime teen demographic is swooning over these bronzed Native hunks," producers would say. "Find me more actors like [name of real Native actor, not Taylor Lautner]."

Black actors didn't break through into mainstream Hollywood roles until Sidney Poitier and Bill Cosby proved they could attract audiences. Native actors won't break through until they're given the same chance. With Taylor Lautner playing the biggest Native role since I don't know when, this is a huge missed opportunity.

Heck, this may be the biggest Native role in the history of movies. Has anyone (no, not Johnny Depp) ever played a top-three Native role in a bigger box-office hit? Not that I can think of.

That breakthrough role should've gone to a Native actor. It's what Twilight's producers robbed Natives of when they cast Taylor Lautner.

For more on the subject, see Quileute Werewolves in Twilight.

Below:  "Will Ferrell, Jim Carrey, and now me! I'm the leadoff guest on The Tonight Show! That means I'm a big star!"

Native aspects of New Moon

Correspondent DMarks has seen New Moon and gives us the lowdown on the movie's Natve aspects:There's probably nothing that can be said about it that you haven't already covered extensively.

Just a few things to add:

The only outright racial thing I saw (aside from any issues of young Native men being half-naked savages, connected to animals, etc.--well-covered in your other posts) was when Bella made a comment to Jacob about spending time with the palefaces. I do not remember the exact sentence the word was in.

I didn't think the "Wolf Pack" came across in a fakey bronze tone like I would have suspected from the publicity photo. However, they did stand around in all weather with just ragged cut-off pants. But unlike the Hulk's pants, their pants explode into shreds when they wolf out.

Yes, but did New Moon show them changing from wolves into (naked) humans? I'm sure the girls would've loved that. <g>

The bronzed skin may look worse in the publicity photo because the photo is unnaturally dark. In the wan light of the Pacific Northwest, it may look washed out and almost natural.

Being impervious to the weather is a corollary of being a savage, of course. Half-naked Indians rarely if ever shiver from the cold.

Let's recall that in the books, Jacob is 6'7" and the other werewolves are almost as tall. In other words, they're that much closer to being man-monsters. By making them normal height, the movies have downplayed the books' stereotypes.

Jacob Black had a tattoo that seemed to be designed in what I would understand to be an authentic Northwestern US Native style. Such artwork also appeared on the refrigerator in a home at the La Push rez. This brief appearance of something authentic-looking is in line with the "Thunderbird and Whale" with its Native proprietor, which appeared in the first movie. It's a touch of authenticity made for the movies, and not for the books.

There was nothing distinctive about the La Push rez. It was just a regular place with a few normal-looking homes. No casino, no abject poverty. The stereotypes of Tonto-speak and layabout drunken Indians in dysfunctional families seem to be long in the past, but the "special connection to animals" and the shirtless savage warrior ideas abide.

Of course, New Moon could've done more to show modern Quileute life and culture, but I understand that wasn't the movie's focus. What it did show--the tattoo and the normal rez--sounds good.

For more on Twilight's depiction of rez life, see Stephenie Meyer's Use of Quileute Characters.

The non-authentic Quileute legends were only briefly touched upon by having flashbacks to scenes from the first movie. While the next movie, Eclipse, may compound the errors of the wrong legends, New Moon did not really dig the hole deeper.

Additional points gleaned from the news:  Most mainstream reviews have said the wolf effects weren't impressive. In the trailer, the wolves look like decent CGI creations, but nothing more. I doubt anyone will mistake them for real wolves.

For more on that subject, see How Animators Tackled Werewolf Transformations in New Moon.

On the bad side: Jacob is "not helped any by the cheap wig he wears for half the movie," according to the McClatchy Newspapers' review. It's as if it took the filmmakers that long to realize how phony the hair looked.

The Wolf Pack's primary scene shows them fighting among themselves. Paul (Alex Meraz) gets angry and turns into a wolf to attack Bella, and Jacob (Taylor Lautner) does the same to defend her. In other words, Indians are like beasts who can barely control themselves. They're far from the great tribal leaders who fought their battles with words and ideas, not arrows or claws.

On the good side: Jacob speaks a few words of genuine Quileute, according to 10 Things You Need to Know About Taylor Lautner:In New Moon, Jacob speaks Spanish to Bella, and even some Quileute, the language of the American Indian tribe he belongs to. He says, ‘I did speak a little bit of Quileute, when I was leaning in to kiss Bella in the kitchen, and I’m not gonna tell you what I said. I’ll leave that to you to figure out. But it was really cool. There’s only, like, four people left in the world who actually speak Quileute, so I was able to talk to one of these ladies. It was really interesting.’In short, New Moon is about what I expected. I'm still waiting to hear about a scene where the Indians solve a problem with brains, not brawn. You know, by outfoxing an opponent rather than outfighting him? Because traits such as stealth, tracking skills, strength, and ferocity are all part of the savage warrior stereotype.

For more on the subject, see Capsule Reviews of New Moon and Media Doesn't Know Quileutes Are Real. For more on Twilight in general, see Quileute Werewolves in Twilight.

Below:  "I'm a civilized Indian with a long history of religion, culture, and art. No, really!"

LA Times reviews New Moon

Movie review:  'The Twilight Saga: New Moon'

The novel demands that Bella and Edward be kept apart, robbing the movie of the crazy love that made 'Twilight' such a guilty pleasure. And about the director ....

By Kenneth Turan"This is the last time you'll ever see me," Edward Cullen says to Bella Swan. As if.

Spoken early on in "New Moon," that promise is one of the least likely to be kept in movie history. With most of that film still to unfold, and two more adaptations of Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" series in the works, the next due out as soon as next summer, the world is going to see as much of Kristen Stewart's melancholy Bella and Robert Pattinson's undead Edward as it can take. Maybe more.

In the short term, however, Edward is as good as his word and "New Moon" suffers as a result. Constrained by the plot of the novel, the film keeps the two lovers apart for quite a spell, robbing the project of the crazy-in-love energy that made "Twilight," the first entry in the series, such a guilty pleasure.

"New Moon," which has been grandly titled "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" in honor of that first episode's huge success, marks the franchise's entrance into the self-protective, don't rock the boat phase of its existence, which is inevitable but a bit of a shame.

In place of "Twilight" director Catherine Hardwicke, a filmmaker of intense, sometimes overwhelming and out of control emotionality who seemed to feel these teenage characters in her bones, "New Moon" has gone with the more polished Chris Weitz.

A smooth professional whose credits include such adaptations as "The Golden Compass" and "About a Boy," Weitz makes the vampire trains of Melissa Rosenberg's capable script run on time, but he almost seems too rational a director for this kind of project. This lack of animating madness combined with the novel's demands give much of "New Moon" a marking time quality.

Yes, I know, "New Moon's" emotional energy is supposed to come through Bella's putative attachment to newly buff best friend Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner). But though audiences gasp when Jacob uses his shirt to staunch Bella's blood (don't ask) and reveals a torso that would make Charles Atlas swoon, the connection between these two is so self-evidently non-romantic that it turns out not to be much of a diversion.

More interesting is Jacob's discovery that as a member of the fierce Quileute tribe he is prone to turning into an exceptionally large wolf at a moment's notice, a wolf whose main objective in life is to safeguard humans from vampires. In addition to pining for Edward, Bella suddenly finds herself in the middle of age-old and bitter enmities. This is one hard-luck young woman.Comment:  Apparently the only message Turan got about Indians was that the Quileute tribe is "fierce." No doubt he got this message because the Indians are portrayed as half-naked, dark-skinned beast-men.

For more on the subject, see Quileute Werewolves in Twilight.

Below:  "I'm shirtless, dark-skinned, and fierce. I'm an Indian!"

Pix of the New Moon premiere

Pix taken at the Los Angeles premiere of New Moon.

Gil Birmingham's Photos--New Moon Set & Premiere

Chelsea Marie's Photos--New Moon Premiere Part 1

Chelsea Marie's Photos--New Moon Premiere Part 2

For more on the subject, see Quileutes Visit LA for New Moon and Quileute Werewolves in Twilight.

Below:  Gil Birmingham and Kiowa Gordon.

Our Twilight adventure

As I said, Victor, Eric, Rebecca, and I walked the Comic-Con floor Thursday, but our big adventure happened elsewhere.

In addition to the Twilight panel at Comic-Con, the Twilight people scheduled a series of Q&As at a nearby theater complex. Fans stood in line for hours...to buy tickets for $11 apiece...to see the actors up close. The dozen or so actors were split into two groups, I think. After a long wait, the fans were trotted into an empty theater to spend 7-8 minutes with group 1 and 7-8 minutes with group 2. (Not a good expense of time and money, if you ask me, but I'm not a Twilight fan.)

Anyway, Kiowa Gordon (Hualapai), one of the New Moon Wolf Pack, decided to fly from Arizona at the last minute for these events. Only problem was, no one knew he was coming. So his mother called my pal Victor and asked if he could pick Kiowa up at the airport.

While Eric and I continued to wander the Con, Victor and Rebecca fetched the young wolf-man. We met at the Hard Rock Hotel downtown, where Twilight had a hospitality suite. Saying we were Kiowa's "people," we escorted him to the 11th-floor room.

Into the Twilight world

There a woman said she'd get us into the Q&A event. While Kiowa signed posters, we walked to the Pacific Theaters complex several blocks away. After some confusion and a break for ice cream, we finally got two tickets, two bracelets, and two staff passes. We still didn't know what was happening or what our passes were good for.

We returned to the Con to get the kids some Big Lebowski and Harry Potter souvenirs. Then we returned to Pacific Theaters for the third time. Whew...a lot of walking back and forth.

With our passes, the Twilight people let us into the lobby. There we could view the Nordstrom line of Twilight clothing or buy posters and tote bags while we waited.

Eventually the actors appeared from somewhere, paraded past us, and posed outside for the adoring crowd. We couldn't see this well from the lobby, but it looked crazy. Perhaps a thousand Twihards lined the street and screamed for Edward, Bella, and Jacob.

The actors returned and went upstairs. We talked to someone in charge and, using the "Kiowa's people" line again, followed them. We reached a closed-off theater with guards but, calling ourselves "Kiowa's family" this time, got in.

This theater was the "green room" where the actors waited between Q&A sessions. Everyone was there: Rob Pattinson in a baseball cap, Kristen Stewart looking like Joan Jett for an upcoming movie, Taylor Lautner sitting way up in back with a buddy.



Hanging with the stars

Victor and I and his two young charges sat at the far side of the theater by ourselves. I think we were the only "civilians" in the place. Everyone else was a Twilight actor or support staff.

Eric and Rebecca got up the courage to ask the actors for autographs. The actors were polite and obliging, so the kids eventually scored 13 or so autographs each. Thirteen Twilight autographs on a Comic-Con pass--that may be a record. Those passes may be valuable someday, if they aren't already.

Kiowa came over and hung with us for a while, so we learned he wants to start a band playing eclectic music. Victor traded a Joan Jett comment with Kristen Stewart, since she's doing a Jett biopic and Victor once worked with Jett's band. Eric went over to hang with some stars and was soon telling them about his favorite movie, The Big Lebowski.

All in all we spent about two hours watching the Twilight stars from our vantage point. It was a rare chance to observe Hollywood celebrities in their environment.

Again not knowing what was happening, we got to see a final Q&A session with the Twilight actors, including Kiowa. We learned that the fans, who are about 90% girls, ask a lot of silly questions. I think someone mistook Kiowa for Taylor Lautner--because all Indians look alike? I think someone else asked him to take off his shirt.

Others asked if they could pose for a picture with the stars or get their autographs. That goes beyond silly to selfish and stupid in a room with hundreds of people who want the same thing. "Can I monopolize the stars' time while the rest of you spend your $11 watching me?" Uh, no.

Fleeing the scene

Finally the evening ended. The stars returned to the bus that brought them over and the Twihards, still waiting outside, screamed. Kiowa got his bag and came with us. We walked to Victor's car and nobody recognized Kiowa. (No doubt that'll change with the release of New Moon.)

Because Kiowa had nowhere to stay, Victor volunteered to take him home and get him to the airport the next day. And that's where we parted. I gather Victor's wife and the kids enjoyed having that cute li'l wolf-boy to themselves for a day.

So that was our Twilight adventure. We got to see the Twilight phenomenon up close and personal from the Indian's-eye perspective. It's hard to imagine lovesick girls fans going ga-ga over Twilight until you see it.

To me it reinforced the point I've been making all along: that Indians should be involved in books or movies about Indians. Twilight is a huge opportunity to spread the message that Indians are modern-day people who star in movies. And not a vanishing breed found only on signs and postcards.

For more on the subject, see Quileute Werewolves in Twilight.

Sex in Twilight movie

In Race in Twilight Movie, I talked about Twilight's racial subtext. Now I'll talk about the movie's sexual subtext.

Several reviewers noted this subtext. Some focused on the abstinence angle:

Anyway, Edward introduces Bella to his 'family', but we barely get to learn anything about these thinly sketched characters beyond extremely simple character traits (one is a quirky psychic, one doesn't like Bella, another has only just given up human blood, etc.) so let's not bothering dwelling on them, and before you know it they are officially an item. Not that this enables them to get up to any hanky-panky, because the film has a clear subtext of abstinence running through it, only here it's expressed as the fact that Edward can't trust himself to get up to anything sexy without the possibility of biting Bella.  (Home Cinema Choice)

Much is being made of the movie's abstinence theme, given that Edward dare not touch his beloved for fear of his bloodlust either reducing her to 'stake' tartare, or turning her into yet another member of the undead. Being that novelist Meyer is an active member of the Mormon church, it stands to reason that she would promote an agenda of 'don't you dare touch that'. Which is fine for a lesson in sex education class. But as a film?  (Indie Movies Online)

Abstinence is one example of Meyer's unrealistic romanticism. Another is how every youngster is paired up. Everyone has a date for the prom. I think Jacob and his fellow Indians are only ones who don't get love interests. Which is understandable because they're only semi-human werewolves, not real people with real lives.

Edward the stalker

Others reviewers focused on the potential for abuse. For instance:

So Bella sees Edward as a fun-loving, romantic, super-boyfriend who just happens to be a potential killing machine with Bella already in his sights. Why does this bother me at such a deep level? When a woman falls for any guy who turns out to be abusive, do you think she sees him as a potential monster at first? She usually sees a sexy, take-charge guy who cares about her so much he'd want to kill anyone who threatened their relationship. He may take risks she finds exciting. And when he hurts her the first time, she believes he's so sorry, he'll never do it again. She believes he truly needs her. She believes this is love. Even unto death. And its roots lie in the same feelings Bella has for Edward.  (Allene Newberg Bilodeau)

Good point. Edward watches Bella, almost stalks here. He's paternalistic and knows best. If he thinks she can't handle something, he coolly tells her to go away.

Meanwhile, Bella is desperate and needy. She can't live without him and can't let go. She doesn't think to ask hard questions about dating a vampire, she just gives in.

She does indeed sound like a potential abuse victim. She trusts Edward not to go crazy and drink her blood because she knows he's "good." She doesn't ask how long he's been a "vegetarian" or whether he's ever slipped. Doesn't ask how he treated women in the past, whether they fought, or how they broke up.

Unworkable relationship

Relationships like this don't work in the real world. The power between them is totally out of balance. Whenever they disagree about something, Bella will have to give in because he's the super-strong vampire and she isn't.

How is Edward the perpetual high-school student going to support a family? How can they have a normal life when vampires are always on the run? Suppose she wants a career or children...then what?

In "mixed" relationships like this, one party usually has to convert to the other's side. It's patently obvious that Bella will demand the vampire venom sooner or later. Then what? Does she bite her loved ones (father, mother, et al.) so they can live forever too?

I know little girls dream of being swept off to castles where they can live as princesses happily (for)ever after. That explains why Twilight has the tween demographic sewn up. I'm not sure what it has to offer adults who prefer real-world relationships to fairy tales.

For more on the subject, see Romance in Twilight Movie.

Race in Twilight movie

In Romance in Twilight Movie, I talked about Twilight's weak or nonexistent characterizations. Now I'll talk about the movie's racial subtext.

Several reviewers noted this subtext, although they weren't sure what to make of it. Some quotes from reviews:

The snob appeal of the wealthy, decadent Cullen clan is obvious, but race is also a big, weird deal here. "Aren't people from Arizona meant to be really tan?" someone asks the pale-faced Bella on her first day at school. "Yeah," she shoots back, "maybe that's why they kicked me out."

The Cullens are even whiter. The pancake make-up on the actors has been applied with a trowel, while the less glamorous human characters include Bella's Native American childhood friend Jacob (Taylor Lautner), and a dorky boy of Asian heritage (Justin Chon) who writes for the school paper. It's hard to know what purpose this "colour-blind" casting served for the director Catherine Hardwicke, a specialist in teen films of one kind or another.  (The Age)

Even a slightly dopey new classmate feels compelled to ask the extraordinarily pale Bella why she doesn't have even a hint of a tan.

No explanation is given--yet perhaps this is all the more reason that Bella notices the assorted alabaster faces of the Cullen clan, and vice versa. It's possible that this movie isn't about vampires or teenage abstinence or oddball ostracism--maybe matching skin tones is the running theme.  (Indie Movies Online)

Diversity at Forks High School

Many people noted that the movie changed some of the students from whites to minorities. I haven't read the books, but even I noticed the in-your-face diversity. I can't put my finger on it, but somehow it seemed artificial.

Normally I appreciate diversity, but let's think about this a moment. The vampires and vampire wannabe Bella are pure white. Normal people are multi-colored. And the beast-men werewolves are brown-skinned (Indians). Is that racial diversity or racial stratification, with the whitest people on top?

Also consider the class issues. The normal students are unnaturally friendly. Unlike every school in reality, they welcome a stranger with open arms. They plan to feature her in a front-page article in the school newspaper.

This seems good on the surface, but it serves to emphasize the class system. The Cullens are the upper class, standing apart from and looking down on the others. Bella also stands apart--as if she's trying out for the Cullen clan. Meanwhile, the Quileute Indians are the lower class, going to their own school and remaining apart. Everyone else is part of the happy-go-lucky middle class, where the most serious problem is whom to invite to the prom.

In the real world, this isn't quite true. The Quileute Nation has its own school, but, as its website notes:Children attending high school may enroll in the tribal school or the Quillayute Valley Public school in Forks.Yet I didn't see any Indians in the movie's version of the high school. In Twilight, the lower class doesn't mingle with "regular people."

By the way, if you're going to say this racial subtext wasn't in the book, don't bother. I believe Stephenie Meyer had final approval over the movie, or at least a huge amount of input. As with the book's messages, the movie's messages are basically hers.

Vampires as the upper class

But wait, there's more. Much more, actually. Below are some of the ways the Twilight movie differentiates its vampires and werewolves by race and class. First, the vampires:

Vampires sparkle like diamonds in sunlight--a symbol for their purity and whiteness. Meyer could've had them glow red to indicate their alleged evilness, but that isn't her position. To her, vampires are like flawed angels.

The Cullens live in a house on a hillside. It literally looks down on everyone else.

The house is modernist in style: clean, white, spacious. It reeks of wealth and power.

Note that the Cullens are trying to avoid arousing suspicion. They have to move frequently to avoid this suspicion. So why do they live in an ostentatious house with all the marks of permanence?

What they should've done is buy an inexpensive ranch house in a quiet suburb where they could blend in and leave quickly. Instead, they've chosen to stand out. This isn't a logical move, it's a message to viewers. Vampires are the elite.

The house also has big picture windows. Why, when the Cullens are trying to avoid people seeing them in the sunlight? Any snooper with binoculars could catch them sparkling. The reason is that the big picture windows suggest wealth and power.

The house is decorated with tribal masks hung on the wall. Again, there's a subtle message of elitism: "We're the superior race. We collect inferior people's artifacts as trophies."

The Cullens display a collection of all the tassels they've earned graduating from high school or college. But vampires aren't supposed to be unnaturally smart. Why aren't some of them high-school dropouts, handymen, or ditch diggers? Because that would contradict the message of vampires as elitists.

Edward reveals that he loves classical music. Why not grunge, disco, or polka? Because that would contradict the message of vampires as elitists.

Edward drives a shiny new silver sports car. Again, this suggests wealth, power, and purity. Again, it's the opposite of what someone who was trying to avoid attention would drive. Message to viewers: Vampires are the elite.

When the students go on a field trip, Edward is trying to keep Bella away. He tells her the bus is full. It has enough room for the Cullens but not her. So he doesn't even send her to the back of the bus; he sends her to another bus. Message to viewers: Vampires are the elite.

Werewolves as the lower class

On the other hand, here's what we learn about the Quileute werewolves:

In Jacob Black's first appearance, he tells Bella he's rebuilt her truck's engine. In other words, he's gotten his hands dirty. He enjoys manual labor. It's a sign he belongs to the lower class.

His father Billy Black is confined to a wheelchair. Physically speaking, he's literally less able than other people. It's an unfortunate metaphor for Indians being inferior to non-Indians and vampires.

In Jacob's second appearance, Bella accuses him of being a stalker, even though she's standing on his beach. Since he's appeared only once before, there's no evidence of his stalking her. So why would she jump to this conclusion? Because Indians are members of the lower class, which means they're potential criminals.

Billy, Jacob and his two Indian friends, and the Indian in the bookstore all have long hair. Many Indians don't have long hair, so this is an artificial choice. It sends the message that Indians are different--more unconventional and hippie-ish.

Again, the Quileutes attend their own school. Do the words "separate but equal" suggest anything to you?

You could dismiss any of these choices as random coincidences. But taken together, they paint an overwhelming picture of race- and class-based differences. If you didn't get this message, perhaps you weren't paying attention.

Vampires as evildoers?

In White Vampires Yes, Indian Werewolves No, I took some heat for describing the vampires as a noble elite. You don't understand, people told me. In Twilight, the vampires are evil and the werewolves are good.

I'm glad to see the Twilight movie vindicates me. Do the math, people. The movie shows seven good vampires and three evil ones. Moreover, Laurent switches sides, so the final tally is 8-2.

To reiterate, 80% of the vampires shown in Twilight are good, not evil. I guess all the evil vampires will show up later, because they aren't evident in the first movie.

Even if they do show up, note that the first book sets the tone. Some people will stop with the first book, or remember the first book best. Message to readers: Vampires are more good than evil.

True, Edward calls himself a monster because he lusts for human blood. But none of the Cullen clan does anything one could construe as evil. They have impulses and needs, just like anyone else, but they act as if they're good. Their worst flaw is giving Bella dirty looks when she intrudes on their family.

The Cullens are much like a noble or royal family. Nobles lust for wealth and vampires lust for blood, but that doesn't mean they aren't good inside. Their nature is defined by resisting temptations, not by having temptations.

To sum it up, Twilight gives us three racial and social classes: vampires, humans, and werewolves. The vampires are the white-skinned upper class and the werewolves are the brown-skinned lower class. Any questions?

For more on the subject, see Quileute Werewolves in Twilight.

Below:  Dark werewolf vs. light vampire.