May 19
In today’s edition of Stephenie Meyer cringe, I’m revisiting the very frightening way she describes Edythe’s body in Life and Death: ultra thin, “twig-like” collarbones, exposed ribs and shoulder blades that look like “unfurled angel’s wings.” Nothing against very skinny people, of course, but SM is holding up 80s heroin-chic, skin-and-bone, anorexic runway models as her ideal of beauty. I always find reading that (before Beau and Edythe hike to the meadow) so uncomfortable. It’s more about the presentation; SM doesn’t just say Edythe is petite, beautiful, and very thin—it’s the fetishization.