The Unreasonable Hate of Young Adult Fiction

[@Cla226]

This problem of society criticising what teen girls and young people like goes beyond books, it also happens in movies, music, tv shows, etc. What young people like is ridiculed and then used for profit.

[@925263]

I'll only permit the making-fun of Tiktok.

[@mrs.katsukibakugou115]

The moment society stops criticising Aliens will finally come to earth

[@mrs.katsukibakugou115]

@@925263 you my man are a wise, wise person

[@KuLaydMahn]

Really, its as much an American (or whatever) tradition as hot dogs on the 4th July. It's been a thing since at least the 60's, probably the 50's too, maybe earlier. Have you ever seen that excerpt from an article back in 18th or 19th century criticizing the widesprwad use paper and lamenting that children will no longer know how to use chalkboards or some shit? Now that the technology and cultural balls are really rolling, old people criticizing the things young people do has just become part of the human condition. Heh... I keep rolling back my timeline but actually, various historical accounts suggest relapsarian thinking is millenia old. We've always had this notion that things were better when we were younger and even better long before.

[@swine13]

You got that the wrong way around. Its used for profit and then ridiculed. At least that's my experience. And im not arguing with you at all - i tend to agree - but I thought part of the hate is usually directed at how forced some of that content is. And that's a complaint that people make probably somewhat with YA interests at heart. I know I would be happier knowing that YA had a lot more stuff to read that was intentionally intelligent and raised good social issues through analogy or metaphor. I would have been happier to have more of that as a young adult, myself. Although I also think a lot of the hate is just people hating because they saw other people do it and they think they look smarter/cooler if they do it, too.

[@ellen2321]

I'm a librarian just sitting here like "Yes, girl! You tell 'em!"

[@Cla226]

I find hilarious that society dunks on teen girls for being fans of boybands or YA books but they support and encourage the same level of fandom in men with sports.

[@MissCaraMint]

If not more. Who ever heard of someone coming to blows and starting a literal brawl over Team Jacob vs. Team Edward.

[@cookiemonster59263]

@@MissCaraMint I meaaaaaan, I get where you're coming from but that very much is something that happened. Grown moms were fighting each other over whether RPat or Lautner was hotter (which low-key kinda creepy given how young Lautner was)

[@rebecca5088]

Yep. I think maybe people don’t realise that us teen girls are smart and can think for ourselves - we know what we like and don’t need anyone’s negative opinion.

[@candycane1744]

I know right 🙄 you never see as much hate on transformers and TMNT movies.

[@Alikaoz]

@@rebecca5088 ...you don't need anyone's opinions, that's kind of the point of them. No argument or point to sway people is attempted, it's just people disliking something vocally in the same way you can fawn over what you like without it being anyone's business.

[@pam7304]

This is the reason why the whole "I'm not like other girls" started

[@Zimuahaha]

Sadly, the "I'm not like other girls" phenomenon started long before Twilight. :(

[@pam7304]

@@Zimuahaha I didn't mean twilight, I meant society hating on female teenagers things was the reason

[@kiriki4558]

Yeah, and then they ridicule the girls for being "i'm not like other girls". Is a gigantic gaslighting, abusive behaviour over a whole population.

[@tuumanka7974]

Melina Rinaldis that is!(

[@Moni-ob7xi]

@@kiriki4558 this

[@crystalynn13]

I would not be a reader if it wasn't for finding Twilight when I was 11 and YA is what kept me reading through my teen years

[@Rivenlore99]

I definitely agree with the ya genre making me read so much

[@beeepbooop777]

Same here girl!!!

[@mitchconnor9748]

Ya isn’t a genre. It’s the demographic

[@crystalynn13]

@@mitchconnor9748 I'm aware, I misspoke when I said genre. Its like when people refer to shounen as a genre of anime when its just a demographic.

[@GarbageCannot]

Sub Twilight for Warrior Cats and you’ve got me. (I know they’re not YA, but they definitely rekindled my love for reading when I was about 11 or so.)

[@noel090909]

“There is nothing wrong with loving what you love.... As long as it’s legal” I’d wear that shirt.

[@hobihope2981]

Key example of people hating teen girls: The Beatles. During their poppier era, they were aimed at teen girls. They were called a "boy band," and were criticized as dumb mindless music. Then during their experimental era, adult men hooked onto them and deemed them as "true musicians." Now in retrospect, regardless of the era the song comes from, people say their music is some of the greatest of all time. Would they be looked back as fondly if they'd always remained a boy band with their core demographic being teen girls?

[@somerandompasserby477]

And with this generation with all the K-Pop, I'm wondering how that will turn up.

[@lordfreerealestate8302]

It's like we have to have male permission to enjoy something.

[@shadowguy530]

Oh no, i hope i won’t start to call justin bieber real music when i become ‘old’

[@DeidresStuff]

My great-grandma loved them lol.

[@Cla226]

Yeah, look at kpop and one direction now, the same happened both were and are ridiculed now

[@Valdagast]

_“Critics who treat 'adult' as a term of approval, instead of as a merely descriptive term, cannot be adult themselves. To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence. And in childhood and adolescence they are, in moderation, healthy symptoms. Young things ought to want to grow. But to carry on into middle life or even into early manhood this concern about being adult is a mark of really arrested development. When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.”_ C.S. Lewis

[@karisap]

Great quote thank you!

[@MaylocBrittinorum]

Okay, I have to frame this somewhere in my house, it's just too perfect.

[@RoseBaggins]

Absolutely!!

[@mirandajones7816]

And that’s why I love this master (besides the fact that he wrote my childhood, favourite book series ever)

[@FiddlebirdBlue]

How did reading that make me cry? THANK YOU

[@joeyoneandonly]

*sees shirt* Ah I see you’re a woman of culture.

[@kwcl176]

Sees profile pic Ah I see you are a person of culture

[@LilDroidBlue]

My boyfriend would love that shirt. Been trying to get him into Amanda's videos. Maybe this can be his in... 🤞

[@Serothil_and_stuff]

The question is, is she the real Eleven? Now living a normal life? Compared to ST of course. Or is she just wearing the shirt?

[@iwatchyoutube7311]

People will make fun of teenage girls while simultaneously sexualizing them. Its gross.

[@Heena6790]

THIS! Omg, it's so fucking insane.

[@kimberlyh.1090]

Teenage girls rip each other apart when they should really be ripping everyone else.

[@kimberlyh.1090]

@Marlin Alarcon It's both, but much more all-encompassing with girls.

[@glorfindelchocolateflowery6392]

Its because they want to groom teen girls, and not every teen girl is going to bow down to the pressure because they are scared of them growing into strong independent women

[@kiriki4558]

Is disgusting.

[@cindyl2444]

Being a teenage girl in today's age is pretty much just trying to not be basic while simultaneously not being "quirky". Very hard to do when your interests will always be put into one category or the other.

[@rebecca5088]

I completely agree

[@luthientinuviel3883]

Yeah I dislike the way society tries to put kids in a hole like a peg, and I have never fit into a single hole which is really hard sometimes.

[@peachysandie]

I'm seeing this...and it makes me relieved that I am no longer a teenager, because it really sucks seeing teen girls being mocked for XYZ:/

[@Rivenlore99]

If you’re a teenage girl society sees, to mock you for anything. It’s like nothing you do is correct.

[@feebee6810]

Yes, they treat teenage boys like these complicated people who are figuring out how to be a man and cope with real struggles but when it comes to teen girls they treat us like shallow beings who only talk about boys and social media...

[@snowblood74]

I'd like to share some of the wisest words I ever came across on tumblr: "Girls get ridiculed for everything they do. Might as well do what you want."

[@Xehanort10]

"Wise words" and "Tumblr" don't mix.

[@snowblood74]

@@Xehanort10 Then you've only been to the wrong places of tumblr, it seems.

[@Xehanort10]

@@GraveyardShift-tl6ri I've seen the site. Really bad fanfictions, terrible fanart, shippers who hijack shows that aren't about romance and only have it as a small subplot and demand it be made all about romance, can't tell the differences between actors and actresses and their characters and think that because characters are a couple in shows the people playing them have to become one too. The Olicity shippers on Tumblr really have a problem with that. Tumblr shippers also can't handle tragic endings, scary endings or anything other than "Everyone lives happily ever after, skipping through flowery fields, nothing goes wrong, no one dies, no conflict whatsoever" stuff. Half of them also literally only watch shows to see couples they like get together even if the show's not about that couple or about shipping in general. But Tumblr's like "Fuck that. The story, characters,acting, writing and everything else doesn't matter. Only who the characters are dating and banging." Sex scenes are fine every so often but for example if shippers were in charge of the DC CW shows every episode would be a half hour long sex scene.

[@Xehanort10]

No they don't. Stuff that happens to be for teen girls gets criticised for reasons unrelated to it being for teen girls but nothing gets criticised because it's for teen girls and they're not criticised for being teen girls who like it. That's just something fangirls say because rather than acknowledge the flaws in series they like they'd rather say it's only hated because it's aimed at them. Lindsay Ellis's "Everyone has to like things just because they're for teen girls or else they only hate them because they're for teen girls" really did a number on some of the people in these comments didn't it?

[@riddlemethis3565]

@@Xehanort10 There are a lot more stuff than fandom stuff on Tumblr. I found a lot of positivity posts that I read every morning. Not everything on there is fanfic stuff.

[@dancer0rache93]

I, a nearly 30 year old adult woman, love YA because most of the books I’ve read for adults are about 50something divorcees or are just toxic and depressing. The world is bad enough without me having to read Gone Girl and have my escapism tainted with how depressing and awful people can be.

[@michellealyssa6015]

Lmao I feel the exact same! A lot of books for "our age" are so depressing. I love the occasional thriller but they can get extremely depressing ad leave me feeling "off"

[@19mmch]

That's why I love romance novels as well as YA. There are so many subgenres (mysteries, motorcycles, paranormal, sci-fi, thriller, historical, etc), but there's always a happy ending. There are emotional relationships and physical relationships of every kind. I've kinda given up on contemporary literature aimed at 30-something year old women, and only read non-fiction, YA or romance.

[@Dreigonix]

And people wonder why so many people have depression when 90% of adult media is not only edgyedgygrimdark but also presents itself as what's "realistic" and tells us happiness is for kids.

[@sawbonesquad4876]

I'm a 28 year old guy and I agree. I get anxious easy reading those types of stories.

[@Oushiro17]

YES! One thing that frustrates me about adult fiction is the idea that there can't be a happy ending because "real life doesn't work that way". It's like geez, jaded much? YA can give me all the complexity of an adult novel, but they're more likely to entertain a positive overall outcome.

[@SS-mk2yp]

I have a cousin who is my age and she's one of those "its cool to aggressively hate on Twilight for the heck of it" band-wagoners. The funny thing is, she's also a huge fan of Fifty Shades. I've never pointed out the irony to her, as I'd rather not make her feel shitty, but I like to think about it every now and then whenever I need a good laugh.

[@pauliedoodle1939]

Shanata Sukhu Haha, you are a much better person than I am. I would be throwing that in her face constantly. 😄

[@Indiejones13]

I think twilight has some stupid moments but its not a bad story idea. The issues are the creepy things Edward does and the toxic behavior in both Edward and Jacob.

[@ter-ickajohn-son9716]

@@Indiejones13 can u explain the toxic behaviours in Edward, cause I can understand why people say he's toxic, apart from the stalking in the beginning

[@Indiejones13]

@@ter-ickajohn-son9716 How about messing with her car so she can't go see Jacob

[@ter-ickajohn-son9716]

@@Indiejones13 that's it? And why did Edward not want Bella to go to Jacob's in the first place, and when she hopped on the back of the bike with jacob I didn't see him making that much of a fuss.

[@angel_bow20]

IM glad someone decided to talk about this

[@AmandaTheJedi]

Check out lindsay’s video I have linked! She really looks at why she herself hatred on twilight so much and the societal side of it. Super well made video

[@SteadFast411]

Along with Amanda recommending Lindsay's video on this topic, I'll add another commentator Sarah Z has touched on the subject, her most recent one being a bit of a deconstruction of the Oncler fandom that grew out of the Lorax film. It's a good look at how teenagers, in this case primarily girls, engage with art and creativity in a way that is amusing to most other people, and what that says more about us than it ever does about them.

[@AmandaTheJedi]

Andy R I’ll check that out as well :)

[@Alikaoz]

It's not new discourse

[@obo2999]

@@Alikaoz it's just women defending women from criticism. Because when something women like is laughed at, people decide that is a flaw in society

[@sarahjustsarah7276]

Adult books are depressing, I don’t need a reminder of what life is like usually. Give me a cringy fantasy romance adventure Y/N who likes werewolves and vampires anyday

[@cheyenneross758]

Might I suggest "Child in Darkness" it's something I grew up with and you're never sure the "child" is human. I think you might find it enjoyable. Edit: spelling

[@Xehanort10]

I like a mix of realistic stuff and escapist stuff. To be honest I've never understood the "I don't want to be reminded of the real world because there's enough going on in it" thinking. Thinking that because there's bad things going on in the real word realistic films shouldn't be made makes no sense to me. People can't escape into a fantasy world to pretend everything's fine forever. Sometimes films, books, TV series, games whatever have to be made to show both the good and bad of the world.

[@glorfindelchocolateflowery6392]

@@Xehanort10 not when you are constantly living a horrible life

[@glorfindelchocolateflowery6392]

@@Xehanort10 sweetheart, I can see you are constantly trolling this channel and I myself just found out that this channel goes on about how people look down on girls for having their own entertainment but yet get angry at christains who have their own channels like pureflix, which is very hypocritical, so how about you do a mature thing and leave this channel just like I am about to do, because you see sweetheart, I am a adult 25 year old tired woman and I dont have time for foolishness anymore, goodbye to you and this channel. Have a bless day

[@angelasmith3037]

YESS

[@franciscoandrew4308]

The newest thing that gets hated in bc teenage girls like it is Kpop

[@spectre9340]

Yeah I thought people were hating on K-pop fans cos the stans are kinda toxic but then I remembered people were making fun of K-pop fans long before stan culture became more commonplace

[@decayan9023]

Personnally i don't hate kpop bc of its fanbase , i hate it bc of the way the people in the bands are treated ,it's really frightening once you start searching what their life condition is ... After i understand why people are drawn to that , before there was boy bands and it's just a logic following but this shit is scary

[@nessyness5447]

@@decayan9023 they actually have contracts in which is specified they can't date anyone sometimes, it's frightening.

[@decayan9023]

@@nessyness5447 if it was just that it would be okay (ish) but there is far more disturbing things : a lot of girls in kpop bands have to do "favors" to influent mans in order to not murder their carreers , the preparation to become a kpop singer basically wipe off your personnality to make you more bankable , until a band make enough money the singers have to live in debt and wait sometimes years before getting paid (it's a trick by managers to avoid the bands to broke up too early) and the list can go on ...

[@nessyness5447]

@@decayan9023 i find having to agree to not have a private life quite disturbing on it's own...and then the fans are crazy too.

[@irinakermong1217]

I'm a 24-year-old woman, going for a Master's Degree in literary criticism, and I still read YA novels to this day mainly because I find them so much more creative than a whole lot of adult novels. I kind of miss that escapism feel.

[@emitheorbit1118]

Hay, even though I'm a teenager, What are the most common tropes in adult (not young adult) books?

[@sleepiesalem]

YoshiOrbit Well from the ones I snuck from my grandma’s book bag as a kid (note she reads romance so that’s what I mostly know) more ahem, detailed sexual scenes the (usually) female protagonist being the adult version of “not like other girls” where they’re more or less not complacent in their societal role (she read those Victorian or just 16th centuries set ones) oh and don’t forget the main guys just being adult versions of the bad boy trope. And this is just what I’ve seen for the most part but ok there are probably some rlly good adult novels but I’m gonna stick to what I usually read.

[@emitheorbit1118]

@@sleepiesalem So it's basically the same stuff, but more "adult" and sexual?

[@vanessalopez3591]

Same! 25 y/o in the middle of m Master’s program and I still usually reach for YA ✨

[@sleepiesalem]

@@emitheorbit1118 Yes basically sorry it took 2 months to confirm.

[@ReineGalena]

When I started reading from the adult section I realized that the only real difference is gratuitous sex and violence. Actual captivating storytelling isn't limited to age group or genre. I still love me some Garth Nix books. Unfortunately I don't have much reading time these days. 😢

[@cookiemonster59263]

I read quite a few fantasy novels and can confirm that the difference between the YA and the "adult" ones is that the adult ones have "Hi I'm grimdark brimstone and I swear a lot and I like swords" as their protagonists and the world is generally filled with more sex and violence and a bit more depressing while the YA ones are "my name is Ebony Darkness Dementia Raven Way and I'm pining after someone who doesn't love me back" but have happier endings.

[@swine13]

Absolutely. Some of the best stories I ever read were in those Asterix and Obelix comics. Thats not even really reading!

[@ajsnyder6160]

I LOVE The Abhorsen Trilogy! You have good taste!

[@books2438]

Welp you were reading pretty tame YA lmao

[@dhruvadange4778]

@@swine13 what surprised me even more, is that while not as good as the originals, the new writers and illustrators handled it pretty well

[@rebecca5088]

In year 7, my English teacher told me that I shouldn’t read twilight because it’s not good enough for his standards. He was such an elitist prick. He made me feel so bad and inadequate for enjoying romance and YA novels. I was 11 and I’m just now realising at 16 how much he impacted my self esteem in regards to my intelligence and interests.

[@rhodopisdenile8977]

I remember my sister went to a Justin Bieber concert and when she came back her teacher said “so how was she?”. I don’t know why adult male teachers are criticizing female students for enjoying stuff aimed at teen girls.

[@angelrae3660]

I bet his taste is probably just the most popular books of classic literature written by white men.

[@sophiejones7727]

I had a teacher, admittedly her subject was not English, tell me Lord of the Rings was trash. Luckily I already knew that it's the second most published book of all time despite being only fifty years old. Still, it's a really bad thing for a teacher to say. A favorite book is a lot more than entertainment for a teenager. They really identify with and grow attached to characters, and use the stories to help them understand the world. Of course, that is exactly why Twilight is so bad (in a way that 50 Shades of Grey is not).

[@goldenchipmunk]

@alysdexia It doesn't have to do anything with teenage life. Maybe reading those books got them through tough times or they have good memories associated with the books/characters.

[@akshunnadevansh5531]

Because Twilight is a shity book when I was 11 year old I have read harry potter and when I was 14 I read The Great Gatsby why can't girls read books like Pride and Prejudice

[@vinnyethanol]

I'm an old man now, and I cringe at myself for not allowing others to enjoy fun crap. I finally came to terms with fun crap I enjoy, and you can too, young fella.

[@jessicascoullar3737]

There are so many things that I know know that would have been so liberating when I was younger and I spent needless hours torturing myself over where they never mattered. The fact that no one is judging you constantly but are far more obsessed with their own lives and what everyone is thinking about them to be bothered worrying about you would have been so useful to know as a teenager.

[@chloe._.]

Thank you, Vinny. I hope you enjoy your fun crap

[@meh62]

ew. Hey are you aware that you are still acting like you are the one who can give permission or prohibition to like something to younger people?

[@theworldbreaker]

Awww... This was so wholesome

[@theturniptress805]

this makes me so happy

[@marie_p3203]

i just hate how we are ridiculed for liking stuff "for teenage girls" like if everything with that label is bad or in poor taste which is not true.

[@overgrownkudzu]

but if a girl tries to distance herself from that stuff she will also be ridiculed for trying to be "not like the other girls". society hates teenage girls, doesn't matter what they do

[@Beebee-mi3nz]

Society hates women period let’s be real

[@IncredibleMD]

@@Beebee-mi3nz Not as much as YA novels hate women. YA novels written for girls are some of the most intensely misogynistic pieces of fiction I've ever read. It's where "not being like other girls" comes from. They're all about moody loners who could trip just standing around who wear skinny jeans and Vans to prom because doing otherwise would give them remotely traditionally feminine traits (in the *absolute loosest* sense of the term) or essentially psychopathic (in its medical sense) Honorary Men who absolutely despise every woman they come across for being weak and ineffectual because their talents are traditionally feminine. Bella or Katniss, take your pick. If Twilight existed in the world of Twilight, Bella would be one of its biggest haters, because its stupid and childish and can't they see how poorly written it is (unlike the literary classics every YA heroine is obsessed with)?

[@Xehanort10]

@@overgrownkudzu No. The only teen girls who are hated are the ones who hate others for not liking what they like.

[@AmandaTheJedi]

This is not supposed to be a definitive explanation of the YA boom, origins, or anything else. Just the ramblings of an internet idiot. OBVIOUSLY you can debate and criticize the quality of something with people who like it, but some people genuinely think lesser of people who like reading John Green or Cassandra Clare. Also obviously as mentioned there can be issues with how things are portrayed and all that can rightfully be criticized (which I do A LOT) but it doesn’t make much sense directing it at the reader. Obviously this doesn’t apply to fans that become abusive.

[@LydiaTarine12]

Your use of Supermassive Black Hole by Muse always makes me chuckle. ^_^

[@spiderlily723]

I mean, Cassandra Clare is a plagiarist and has a whole history of being a pretty shitty person, I think we can hate her? But yeat, the books are serviceable.

[@shadowguy530]

You’re not an internet idiot, internet is not adjective, you’re just an idiot

[@AmandaTheJedi]

Magda Wołczyńska I actually don’t know much about her and haven’t read her books just list her as a popular choice that’s often criticized - I’ll look into her more though!

[@andreil-g4t]

The shadowhunter series is amazing the mortal instruments isn't the best but the rest is absolute gold

[@flippanties]

I feel like the problem here does extend to the fact that a lot of these books have harmful tropes and stereotypes that I think have no place in books for teens. I hate to throw around words like internalized misogyny but the amount of "I'm not like other girls" and slut shaming and just general girl shaming as a whole that goes in YA aimed at girls is unacceptable. For every Noughts and Crosses series there's five Anna and the French Kisses

[@saraheerie]

I think the irony is that “I’m not like other girls” girls would be the ones trashing on these YA books. And the fact that “girl shaming” seems to be what fuels the hatred of these books and their audience. Movie franchise aimed at young men aren’t any better with their unhealthy tropes and stereotypes but there aren’t too many 45 minute long video essays about the Fast and Furious fan base being “stupid” or problematic.

[@IncredibleMD]

@@saraheerie Fast and the Furious doesn't tell 12 year old girls that stalking is romantic.

[@RoseBaggins]

@@IncredibleMD also, pretty sure most people know it's ridiculous and nothing but fun, while showing stalking as romantic . . . that's where I draw the line.

[@wallenka]

@@IncredibleMD Is this a problem of a genre or problem of a certain book?

[@madeinyusei-8708]

YA book and movies do have a lot problematic stuff and it's valid for criticism, but let's be honest, 26 year old Jeff doesn't really care about that, he just gonna targeted because it's for teenage girls so it must be something stupid, shallow, etc. these kind of peoole are the problem and as the video says, they shame teenage girls just for liking it.

[@canadapwns886]

When you held up The Goldfinch and Perks Of Being A Wallflower, ngl I was more drawn to The Goldfinch, because the cover has more going on. It's really easy to get my attention.

[@spectre9340]

I agree I couldn't even read the title on the yellow cover of Perks

[@ellis1034]

Idk if you’ve ever held perks of being a wallflower but it is bound in such a way that it lays flat when it’s open and the cover is very soft thicker cardboard. This isn’t really relevant to what you’re saying but I just want to give you a full experience of the perks of being a wallflower book because it’s such a satisfying book to hold hahaha.

[@spectre9340]

@@ellis1034 *immediately runs to my bookshelf to test out the physics of the book*

[@lauravidal5598]

Same hahahahah

[@patriciaramirez2982]

every type of media teenage girls love gets shitted on until like 10 years later when suddenly it’s okay to like this things but by that point there’s a new wave of popular media for teenage girls to love and everyone else hate

[@blueribbon2729]

YA gave me an escape as a young teenager because as weirdly cheesy and cliche things where it gave you a better reality to immerse yourself in to get away from real world problems. Young people should not be discouraged from using reading as an outlet. The first book I read that really got me into reading was The Secret Circle from the author of The Vampire Diaries. After that every spare second I could find I read and read. As much as it seems unhealthy now, it honestly made life so much easier at the time and your so right, we love love. I got so frigging giddy and excited when a good book set up a decent love story that was albeit a bit unrealstic. I'm not ashamed of all the ridiculously lovey dovey shit.... there, I said it

[@seanpaul3362]

If it wasn't for Percy Jackson, I wouldn't have discovered a love for reading books that didn't have pictures.

[@franboos]

@Elio highly recommend it. Doesn't matter how old you are

[@luuuuux_]

Percy Jackson was what really got me into reading. That and Harry Potter.

[@IncredibleMD]

For some reason, Percy Jackson's always seemed to fly super low under the radar to me. Maybe its because I was just *a bit* too old when the books came out, but they never became... A Thing, like so many other YA properties of the time. Which is super odd because, although I've never read them, they just seem like simple and straightforward adventure romps with likeable characters and few problematic elements? If I was 12 when the first one came out, and I read it, it seems like I would've loved it by all accounts. Even today, close to 30, I feel like I'd be like "Welp, that was okay, for what it was" if I actually tried reading it. I have seen the movie, though, specifically because I was on a bad YA movie binge and... damn, even without having read the books I could tell that movie was *painful* for fans. It was painful for me. So yeah, the books seem alright, and the fans aren't fucking insane loonies. Good for y'all.

[@someoneyouprobablyknowandl9964]

And if not for the movies, I'd have discovered that I could, in fact, hate movies.

[@haydenphoenix1024]

I can't tell you how many times someone has said to me: "Ew, *you* like *that* show? I thought your tastes were better than that."

[@ellis1034]

Yeah and then they go on about how the office is the best show ever made like...

[@sp691]

I never take it seriously when people say things like that. People tend to view me as smart so they're always surprised when I tell them they probably only dislike a show/series bc teen girls love it, which usually causes them to back down and even watch/read my recommendations. Don't let people shame you for your tastes

[@vanvuong999]

Ikr

[@Xehanort10]

@@sp691 People don't hate stuff like Twilight because teen girls like it. It's because of how those teen girls act when they hear that people don't like it which is usually "You evil hater. You'll never love anyone. You're just jealous of "insert fictional couple here." Because not being a fan of romance makes you a psychopath with no empathy according to shippers. And saying only adult men hate Twilight is in turn implying that all women have to like Twilight just because it's aimed at women. They don't.

[@glorfindelchocolateflowery6392]

@@Xehanort10 stop trolling

[@autumneagle]

My biggest issue was the romanticizing of possessive co-dependent relationships both from Bella and from Jacob. But I totally agree, no reason to hate on things directed for young girls. I just wish they wrote healthier relationships so those girls have better things to romanticize.

[@wendynerd1199]

I think after Jeffree Star, Shane Dawson, and Donald Trump, adult men should officially replace teen girls as the mascots of bitchy, petty, gossipy behavior.

[@IncredibleMD]

Adult Man here, and I only know one of those people.

[@genesisferreira6034]

AMEN

[@carrissasky5635]

@@IncredibleMD I assume those two are the bond villain, and diet onision.

[@kiriki4558]

Adult men where always the ones wich showed most of that behaviour.

[@IncredibleMD]

@@carrissasky5635 I'mma be real with y'all, the only reason I know the name Onision is because of the gays. I still have no idea who he is or why he's so terrible, though. But I know there is definitely some one named that, and that they are apparently terrible for some reason.

[@oceanwolf4912]

I actually hated reading while I was in school because everything was just about WW2 or Drugs.

[@TeonDeus]

They really messed people up with that stuff. It was preachy and uninteresting and killed the passion for reading and knowledge in many people

[@astralbodyody]

@Grunt ELCAN love that!

[@emmao6578]

I have many questions for the person that stocked your school/local library 😂

[@eleftheriak.8889]

What in the world were you reading 😂?

[@oceanwolf4912]

As clarification I went to school in Germany so obviously we read a lot about ww2

[@acium]

when twilight came out, I was a teen with no interest at reading at all. Now I'm a bookworm who reads two or three boks at the same time and I must say thank you to twilight for showing me that books can be just as entertaining as movies

[@ArtsyChick181]

Amen! As a middle school English teacher, my motto has always been, "I'm just glad you're reading a book (that's age-appropriate) and you like it!" Many of my favorite books are YA novels and To Kill a Mockingbird is still one of the best books I've ever read and had the privilege to teach. Thank you for making this video :)

[@nickstadler1906]

Amanda: "Hey teens! It's okay to like Twilight!" Teenagers in 2020: "Twilight?! Whatever, grandma!"

[@cookiemonster59263]

Omg you clearly haven't see the 20-25 year olds screaming about how Midnight Sun is getting released after all these years then

[@gliscorpropagandaaccount1764]

I get that this is a joke, but nobody talks like that unironically

[@paritoshd]

@@cookiemonster59263 amanda is one of them.

[@99TigeressQueen99]

@@cookiemonster59263 ah yes, the 25 year old teenagers

[@khenishahemachandran8032]

I'm 13 right now and I have no idea how I ended up loving twilight...

[@-finelinehabits-4302]

when a teenager talks about liking old music old people will be like "where you even born when it came out" but when teenagers don't like old music they'll be like "teenagers these days listen to bad music old music was way better!" like....what do you want??

[@caffeinatedpattig]

I'm 31 and I love the sailor moon anime and the Harry potter books with a passion. I say let people read and watch whatever they want.. as you said, so long as it's legal, it's fine.

[@emitheorbit1118]

@brandon roberts I don't blame you. Those groups are just really good!!!!

[@ambrozy277]

sup homie, i'm 13 and i love sailor moon too, and i love the harry potter books have any of you guys watched precure? sorry LMAO

[@anna-mations24]

@@ambrozy277 I know I’m six months late but I love precure, it was one of my first anime series ❤️

[@taylorgayhart9497]

Dude you seriously have perfect timing with this video, I was literally just defending myself this last weekend for reading a young adult novel! I’ve been an avid reader in my whole life, at different points I favor different genres, everything from high fantasy to Syfy to romance. I recently started reading young adult again, and I’ve been impressed by the fact that a lot of the relationships are healthier than ones you see in adult contemporary and that the lessons are applicable to my life. I LOVE the A Song of Ice and Fire series, but there is no life lesson I can learn from it. I recently read a YA novel about a girl whose mom was dying, and for the first time in years I felt like I was healing from the loss of my grandma who raised me. Often things I see listed as YA don’t even feel like YA to me, but more importantly, even if they are if you receive enjoyment that’s all that matters. And this criticism of teen girls goes beyond that, people make fun of girls for liking boy bands, and forget that is was young girls who started the Beatles craze. In the end, like what you like, and if you feel the need to make fun of someone for liking someone, you’re an asshole.

[@kittygrimm7301]

Bless you for this! I think YA gets such a bad rep that we forget that there are genuinely good books in the YA category like A Great & Terrible Beauty, His Dark Materials, The Book Thief, Speak, etc.

[@chelsealiddypivtorak9282]

I love A Great and Terrible Beauty!

[@Rivenlore99]

Speak is so good. Such a good book

[@gliscorpropagandaaccount1764]

His Dark Materials is a super bad example (because it was planned to be and written an adult series but marketed as ya), but Watership Down is another good example.

[@sappysaphic420]

The Book Their is so good; I can never get through it without crying

[@theturniptress805]

The book thief remains to this day the only book that has made me cry.

[@ettena93]

I started reading twilight when it first came out and read it in English because it was not in my own language yet. When I started getting comfortable with the language I continued reading English books and it has honestly been a huge help both in daily life and academics. I don't think any form of reading should be looked down upon, it is food for the brain to read a whole freaking book no matter what genre it is. I'm grateful for twilight and the mortal instruments series (which I looved as a teen). I still make fun of it now and then, but it will always be what got me into reading and loving books. How can that be bad?

[@lordfreerealestate8302]

Billie Eilish got criticized on the internet to the point of becoming suicidal. Yep, people definitely hate women, especially teenage girls. Teen boys can be cringey too but they don't get the same hate. Content men enjoy is seemingly considered inferior to what is popular among women. I will definitely continue to criticize Twilight, thought not its fans. I dislike the promotion of abuse in it. Books enjoyed by men and written by men can be awful as well - lookin' at you, Dan Brown, Terry Goodkind.

[@Rivenlore99]

I definitely agree why twilight isn’t good, and how women keep getting criticized

[@spectre9340]

Young teen girls get targeted cos society can patronize them and also be misogynistic towards them

[@WaddelingProductions]

Lord FreeRealEstate Um, teenage boys get A LOT of hate for being cringey

[@PayondeAwsome]

@@WaddelingProductions It's just not that same level of vitriol. I still remember when Justin Bieber and Twilight were popular vs when something guys like (I can't even remember a real one).

[@PayondeAwsome]

@Indigo Rodent I just see this vitriol surrounding things girls like is much more poignant. You don't see the Transformers movies getting the same level of hate from all sides as Twilight despite being equally as problematic.

[@sweetdee8884]

Also something I've noticed is things aimed at girls and women are just held to such a higher standard, it's fun little action movie but the reviews are acting as though it was meant to be high art?? There is eons of problematic media aimed at men and boys that gets the "Eh, that's just a lil bit of fun. It's not that deep" but god forbid a girl like twilight? I wish we would give girls the benefit of the doubt more often that they can be enjoying a piece of media that has problematic elements without necessarily thinking those elements are great or recognizing that X behavior in real life is not cool but that they might enjoy reading about it in a 100% fictional setting. Girls are allowed to want to read stories that aren't always 100% moral and good, they shouldn't be denied that because an adult presumes they are too stupid to know better in real life. Anyway, good video Amanda!

[@Xehanort10]

The problem with Edward's character isn't that he's a stalker, abuser and control freak. It's that he's portrayed as a good person despite that. If Twilight had a better writer who showed him for what he really is he'd be Twilight's main villain not its supposed "hero."

[@athenajaxon2397]

It's because they think we're dumb and have no critical thinking skills Twilight was always meant to be fantasy and yet adults screamed that we would take it to heart we didn't

[@the_devil4676]

Xehanort10 you missed the point. they were saying that wanting to read about a problematic romance doesn’t mean girls that they don’t understand that’s not okay in real life.

[@Xehanort10]

@@the_devil4676 The problem is though some girls didn't understand that it wasn't OK. They convinced themselves that Edward and Bella's relationship was safe, sane, healthy and loving, wanted boyfriends like Edward, dumped their actual real life boyfriends for not being like a fictional character and accused real life people of being jealous of characters from a book and film series. The majority of women realised that the relationship was unhealthy but there were still some who were like "This is real love. I want a relationship like this."

[@bronwenlaporte]

This is the comment I was looking for! Very well put. 😊 I feel like the amount of dissent in the comments here really helps highlight the prevalence of the issues addressed in the video, to be honest. Personally one of my guilty pleasures is the first of the Transformers movies--but for some reason no one ever tries to get on my case for that the same way they do with Twilight fans, even though that movie has (in my opinion) equally as unhealthy of a perspective on romance as something like Twilight. So the whole "people only razz female-targeted media because it sets an unhealthy example" falls a bit flat to me for the most part. There are problematic elements in most genre's, and those should definately be addressed, but shaming girls for enjoying media targeted at them that sets less than perfect examples while never raising an eyebrow at equally unhealthy pieces of media with other demagraphics really feels like an unreasonable enforcement of morals. Young women should not be required to act as the sole moral standard bearers of our society--that's just unreasonable. 😌

[@cassetiquette]

That is a great shirt

[@trinaq]

Agreed, it reminds me of Eleven's mall outfit from "Stranger Things 3"! 😍

[@aliceisaperson]

Trina Q I think that is the exact out fit it was available to buy for a while at target or something

[@camdensparks524]

Trina Q why’d you put the title in quotation marks?

[@laorille]

@@camdensparks524 That's a way to format a title of a film or movie, that's my guess as to what they were doing?

[@camdensparks524]

Ellis Heckber idk. It’s then name of the show. Wouldn’t it be weird if someone called you “Ellis Heckber”?

[@sabnicgra]

Hey, thanks for this video. MY job as a YA librarian, is to constantly combat the idea that reading something that not a "classic" is still valid reading. Literacy is so important and you might as well enjoy the process of gaining it. Finding something that you'll enjoy is so much more important than feeling like you have to read something because someone arbitrarily decided that you can read some things but not others. Banned book week is ust another example of things that you are told are not ok to read but are sometimes the most important book someone will read. Read whatever you want, I will not ever tell someone they can't read something and no one ever should.

[@hereticghost]

i went to school for writing. most of my adult peers agreed that ya just tends to be more entertaining. i don't know, sometimes we like to read because we want to go on adventures. i feel like ya gives writers a sort of freedom for adventure that the adult genre doesn't seem to have room for.

[@erinfrazier1439]

Eaxtly and most of the time teens are less critical about adventure than adults

[@TheGoofy1932]

@starshell Not trying to take away from your YA love, but you might want to give Urban Fantasy a try. Authors like Ilona Andrews, Simon R. Green, Seanan McGuire, Dannika Dark, Suzanne Wright, Patricia Briggs and Annette Marie are all very good at taking you on adventures.

[@cookiemonster59263]

YA lends itself more to worlds that aren't necessarily 5 miles deep but still are thriving worlds nonetheless. I don't always want to read a Tolkein-esque fantasy series. I enjoy the lore of it but sometimes it can be overwhelming. Sometimes I just want to be in a world that isn't this one.

[@dutchpangermanist5673]

I once went to the Dutch ministry education, to attempt to convince them allow YA books to be put on literature reading lists in high school. Well technically a group of girls from my school were doing that, and I was there to do something similar for fantasy and science-fiction.

[@gavinhenderson7250]

I've never understood the reason for complaining about the diamond skin effect in Twilight. If anything it's more creative than bursting into flames and the story doesn't feel as narrow due to the benefit of the trait. Side note, should've listened to you regarding 365 Days. That was one of the worst things I've ever seen.

[@FauxFoxPaw]

Yeah it never bothered me either. It wasn't even sparkly like glitter like people like to claim, it was more like ice or diamond sparkles. I'm a dude who saw the movies in my 20s and I thought I was a pretty awesome take on why they avoid sunlight.

[@TheGoofy1932]

Morbid curiosity got me to take a look at the book series for 365 days. I DNF'd it literally at page 10. 😂 It was literally the worst thing I've ever read, and I'm including fan fiction of Twilight in that comparison.

[@kurlykayla9013]

365 days was the worst experience of my life and is the one thing I'll judge its fans for, because wtf.

[@TheLadyLiddell]

I always thought it was clever because humans are carbon-based lifeforms, and what is a diamond except really hard carbon? So their skin hardened like diamond and that's why they sparkle.

[@Xehanort10]

Vampires bursting into flames gives them a reason to avoid sunlight though. With the things in Twilight it's "Oh no I might turn into an undead disco ball."

[@lillyp6905]

The hunger games got me into reading; they were the first books I truly engrossed myself in. I was 12 and all I wanted to do was read in any spare moment I had. YA in general holds a special place in my heart, it shaped me. (Sounds cheesey but it’s true) and I still gravitate towards the YA sections if bookstore and libraries

[@kennedyosullivan8723]

My 20-year-old fangirl heart can't handle seeing Throne of Glass mentioned in a video defending the consumption of this type of book, my heart is done 🙌

[@shiminshamim8359]

Right! I freaked out seeing ToG and CoB

[@saragardner7922]

I got embarrassingly excited 😂

[@Rivenlore99]

Poor Robert Pattinson. He really hated his role in twilight, and yet.....

[@parkernagle54]

Dude he’s actually a really good actor like if you’ve seen some of his newer stuff??

[@Rivenlore99]

Parker Nagle Ah I haven’t seen his newer things but I have seen him in other movie sand he is a really good actor

[@iwatchyoutube7311]

@@parkernagle54 The Lighthouse is a masterpiece. He is an AMAZING actor! Recommend that movie highly!

[@harls_974]

@@iwatchyoutube7311 "Let Neptune strike yee dead, Winslow!"

[@Xehanort10]

The Twilight fans are in denial about him hating it though. They can't comprehend the idea that him being in it and making money from it doesn't mean he has to like it.

[@spiderlily723]

If someone is curious if Twilight started the whole 'abusive romance' thing... try Blood and Chocolate. It's 5 times worse.

[@lovetolovefairytales]

I like the Blood and Chocolate movie a lot because it's nothing like the book.

[@spiderlily723]

@@lovetolovefairytales I think it's one of the few times adaptation fixed the source material. Not into something epic, but somply good.

[@izayoi2006]

BC, has many issues but it’s definitely not worse than Twilight because no one was imprinting on a literal baby in there.

[@persiswynter6357]

Go back to the original Dracula novel.

[@nessyness5447]

@@persiswynter6357 yeah but the thing is in dracula is not really portrayed as something good or desirable...

[@caitlynskiff2001]

I'm 24 and The Hunger Games is still my favorite book.

[@glorfindelchocolateflowery6392]

Girl tell em

[@destiny_ultimatedork675]

As a teenage girl myself not all of us like Twilight, Thirteen Reasons why and romance novels and those of them who do are allowed to because apparently people in this world don't know that those kinds of books intended audience is young teens We're not allowed to like these things I guess 👁👄👁 I enjoy children's books more for some reason?? Percy Jackson, man. It turns 15 today 😔👊. YA novels seem to get lots of hate and that sucks.

[@flamecaster0534]

Percy Jackson is a classic, those Rick Riordan books will always have a special place in my heart

[@bloodangel19]

That shit is great, YA don't got shit on Rick Riordan

[@noot6230]

Now I feel old as shit that Percy Jackson is 15 years old 😂😂

[@RF-mc8cx]

PJO will always be amazing

[@thenotsodaringdevil]

If you like PJ, maybe try out the Fablehaven series by Brandon Mull. One of my favorite lineups of fantasy novels ever.

[@Herdnerfer]

I’m a 40 year old man and consider Breaking Dawn one of my all time favorite books. The way she expanded the lore of the world she built was amazing.

[@icedcapplord710]

Honestly as someone who's around the age demographic for YA novels I feel that the genre is becoming increasingly fatiguing to follow because a lot of them feel like they blend together, especially the dystopian themed ones like Hunger Games and Divergent. I've kinda checked out of the genre as a result

[@defiantaichi]

headphonesintheclouds same

[@gingermaniac5484]

Same

[@gliscorpropagandaaccount1764]

YA isn't a genre? It's a demographic

[@icedcapplord710]

@@gliscorpropagandaaccount1764 I said YA novels

[@katrinadevries8054]

My Dad LOVED Harry Potter. It was the last series he read before he passed. I have read them multiple times and I am in my 30s. It's a great series and it allows me to feel closer to my Dad. If you love these books, keep loving them. No one is allowed to defy what you love when it comes to these thjngs.

[@alannahd.7417]

Like fr TFIOS really helped me with my grandfather's death from cancer (2013) and my boyfriends death from cancer (2017), I was 13 and 16 respectively. Would I recommend it to someone who was dealing with someone that was currently dying from cancer? NO. But did it help ME cope? Yes.

[@cookiemonster59263]

You know what? That's fair. I read it shortly after my mother died of cancer (2010) and it didn't help me much at all. Probably made it worse. But I won't deny that it probably helped a lot of people (like you) and it deserves to not automatically get thrown in the bin like a lot of people suggest it should. Does that mean I won't necessarily go "maybe (insert topical phrase here) will be our always"? No. But people should be allowed to like it because books and films matter even if they don't necessarily matter to me.

[@alannahd.7417]

@@cookiemonster59263 In fairness John Green did do a good amount of research on the subject and it wasn't just "this sounds mildly scientific let's use it" but on another note, I already had a connect with the book. I still wouldn't use it to justify anything, I had one friend that was very much "you and your boyfriend are a lot like the two main characters" which is a god awful mentality that's all over tumblr.

[@SS-mk2yp]

I was super into YA when I was a teenager, but I tried to move into more adult books (mystery, suspense, romance etc.) in my early 20s. I couldn't relate to those books at all and ended up going through a reading slump for YEARS, which didn't get resolved until this past April when I decided to try YA again. Now that I'm almost 30, I've accepted that YA is magical and fun and relatable af and I won't force myself to give it up again. Thanks so much for addressing this topic!

[@somerandompasserby477]

Your shirt reminds me of Eleven's from Season 3.

[@AmandaTheJedi]

That is exactly what it is aha

[@somerandompasserby477]

@@AmandaTheJedi Lol and I thought I was overthinking.

[@trinaq]

Nice, it's fabulous, and it looks almost like the real deal! 💗

[@phykoha]

From what I remember, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” was a pretty good movie! Too bad I haven’t read the book, though. People really do have some sort of unnecessary hate towards stories meant for young adults...

[@sunflowr1651]

amanda aggressively protecting people and their books is my favourite song

[@gaelledelair7258]

: I'm a huuuge HP fan and when I was a kid that was fine, people were impressed that I would read such big books you know. Now I'm 29 and the fact that I'm still reading the books or watching the movies or collecting stuff is not "fine" anymore. People keep saying that I'm too old for it or that, because I'm a teacher, I shouldn't show/wear anything in front of my kids that's related to HP because I won't be credible anymore. Same goes for mangas/anime, Doctor Who etc. Well F that PS : I was in high school when Twilight came out so obviously I dived into it and I will definitely read Midnight Sun

[@mavrifantasia]

Thank you for this! Philip Pulman's His Dark Materials blew my mind when I first read it when I was 12. And by belittling what young girls read is really undercutting opportunities for growth and the sheer joy they may derive from those "girly", "silly", "stupid" books.

[@midian_lament3458]

Honestly I'm 33 and I literally read whatever catches my interest...

[@iaminevitable7221]

I don't support romance aimed at teen girls that romanticise being in an abusive relationship, that is unhealthy and sets a harmful standard, I have nothing against female centric romance though

[@lordfreerealestate8302]

This. Twilight is still harmful and bad quality, but we should try not to hold teenage girl or female-oriented content to a different standard.

[@VengefulPurity]

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@WeeLin]

THIS! I was a children's/YA librarian around the time Twilight was hitting it big. I read the books, along with a lot of other junior/YA fic, as I wanted to be familiar with what they were into. While there is definitely a lot wrong with the content and storytelling (some of it quite worrying), the "cringey" teen girl aspects of it actually felt quite familiar and humbling to me. Honestly, I remember seeing the October/November/December pages in New Moon and immediately thinking, "yep... that's exactly what a first break-up feels like!" And while I was fine with people dunking on the stories, I was never okay with them sneering at the readers. The point is, they're reading - that's great! I'd also see parents trying to encourage their kids away from any light-hearted or funny books that appealed to them and insisting they read "proper" literature instead. Often, they'd try to get me involved to help them with this. My answer? "Your kid WANTS to read! You've already WON! Just let them ENJOY what they're reading, and they'll keep doing it for life!"

[@kaitlyndurham5851]

The Perks of Being a Wallflower was my favorite book as a teen. I’m now 24 and still love that story. No shame.

[@nikeliahaines6252]

This super hit a chord with me because I had the same sort of experience with Twilight, read it before it became super main stream popular when I was in the target age demographic and yet was still ashamed and afraid of being ridiculed for loving it. You said something like unless it's causing problematic behavior there is no reason to insult someone for liking something, and it made me think about all the things I hear as an adult woman about standing up for myself and like "don't kink shame" people, and I wish I could go back in time to my 13 year old self, because society does punish young teen girls for being young team girls. Teaching us young to hate ourselves and then question why we have no self esteem when we become adults. I just discovered this channel 2 days ago and I love you! Subscribed ;)

[@MaluSilva-yx8nl]

I couldn't agree more. Even though I don't read these type of books that much, it pisses me off when someone try to put "it's to young girls" as an argument to downgrade things, which it can be books, tv shows and series, music, clothes, trends and a lot more. I hold myself to like things when I was younger because of this, and took me a lot of effort to break of from it and just enjoy whatever I like to

[@katedonnelly2224]

I am so glad that you're addressing this because I honestly, watching some of your older videos, assumed you were one of those assholes who were hating on YA fads like Twilight etc. I think you're so right. We have an issue with teen girls and it is so toxic and harmful. As a kid who was obsessed with Twilight, I was made feel ashamed for loving a book series. Looking back, it is sickening that I was made feel that way namely by adults! So glad that the tables are starting to turn and you are bringing focus to the issue! Much love.

[@username-pb9ui]

1:28 “unless it’s like... harry potter or percy jackson” me, who got bullied at 13 for being a pjo fan: 👁👄👁 i didn’t know that was a thing

[@meganrutto]

As a former librarian, I don’t care what you read as long as it helps you fall in love with reading.

[@Xehanort10]

15:38 To be fair though the way Twilight fans treat people who don't like it isn't any better. Insults, accusing anyone who dislikes the series of being jealous of Stephanie Meyer, sending people death threats for the "crime" of disliking a fictional book and film series, being really pretentious and acting like anyone not interested in the series supposedly "just doesn't understand it" as if the series is so deep and meaningful that only a true genius will get it which is something Twilight fans have in common with 13 Reasons Why fans.

[@AmandaTheJedi]

Xehanort10 yeah that’s why I said as long as the fans aren’t being abusive. In that situation you can say ‘hey, you’re fucked’ like I sass overzealous snydercut fans but if it makes them happy that’s fine

[@gliscorpropagandaaccount1764]

I'd say the fanbase is past that, though. Now it's just dancing on cringe culture's grave

[@flippanties]

@@gliscorpropagandaaccount1764 True, I don't really involve myself in the YA fanfom these days and haven't done for years, so that may be why, but I see next to no vitriol from Twilight fans in comparison to when I was in school

[@Xehanort10]

@@AmandaTheJedi The Snyder Cut thing has been funny for all the years it's been going on. Snyder's fans basically going "We can't accept that Justice League was bad so we want a supposedly better cut made by Zack Snyder released." Snyder may be friends with Michael Bay but at least Bay knows his films are just OTT explosion fest action films. Snyder's a hack who thinks he's a filmmaking genius.

[@nessyness5447]

i remember when tvd came out ( the yv show) and people compared it tp twilight and i honestly didn't think it looked like that ( in fact it reminds me of buffy but more focused in the romance) and you could not even point out to a twilight fan anything negative about edward or bella or the toxic relatilnships, damn in the tvd fandom we admitted the bad things of the show, a lot of fans agree that the end game couple was not that good because it was the most toxic while both characters were less toxic with other people, and even the ones who like that couple agree with that sometimes and you can have full debates about it ( there are always a few crazy who you can't talk with but every fandom had those). and that says a lot, people is usually capable of debating things that are wrong about the books or shows they like, flaws of the characters etc. but the mayority of the twilight fandom refuses to admit there are any flaws in the books or that the characters and their love story are not perfect amd the best and i think that's the real problem, not that they like it but that they truly think is a perfect romance and that edward is the perfect guy.

[@ttylaligator]

i’m so happy you made this video!! being a teen girl on the internet is honest to god SO wild,,, older people and especially older men on the internet LOVE to bash girls for literally anything!! if u like something “obscure” ur told that ur trying to be “qUiRKY”,, if u like anything mainstream ur “basic”. its literally impossible to be passionate or just simply enjoy anything,,, as some1 who is part of the twilight renaissance being on the internet as a 15 year old girl is a minefield.

[@platy9586]

I just wish there were more YA books focused on the other end of the 'YA' spectrum, people in their 20s. There's barely any.

[@eleanormason2647]

'New adult' is becoming a bigger genre- similar to YA but marketed to people no longer in their teens. I like YA, but it doesn't feel as relevant to me anymore since I'm in my twenties, facing different issues

[@eveelima1]

Thank you so much for this video. I'm the kind of person who can never get over things. If I liked something once, I'm probably going to like it for the rest of my life, even if I learn to see that that thing could be a lot better. I loved Twilight so passionately as a teen and I still hold it dear to my heart at age 26. Same thing with Disney artists, I still love their music and will probably love it forever, even if I learn to like more sophisticated stuff too. I'm always embarrassed to admit to people that Twilight is still my favorite book (just for the sake of the amount of love I had for it, no other book ever shook me as deeply), or that Selena Gomez is my favorite solo singer. My boyfriend also loves Twilight, it's actually something that brought us together. He gets much more hate for it because he's a straight boy, but he just doesn't care and is never ashamed of telling people about it, he's still a huge fan too and I really admire him for it.

[@gvtterslag]

Hey did anyone else read the Skulduggery Pleasant books at any point? I dont know if they're popular outside of Ireland but I remember being obsessed with them.

[@gvtterslag]

@Grungus Khan Ya thinking back it was about a magical skeleton kidnapping a 12 year old girl sounds so weird out of context 🤣🤣

[@MissCaraMint]

Ayyyy. Totally got into them when I read a lot of stuff as a teen and got sick of the romance in books I was reading (nothing against romance, but occasionally you need a pallet cleanser), and somebody recommend them. read Treasure Island and The Hobbit around that tome too. Good times.

[@grapefruit856]

I like them as much as the percy jackson books tbh

[@youtubealias345]

Uhhhh i loved the books. I was around 14 years old and one of my friends read them, too so we talked about them quiet a lot :)

[@EJ-bn3tc]

Apparently they’re thinking of making a series based on it, nothings confirmed yet tho

[@ChloeHancockcookie]

This was the video i needed when i was a teenager, I loved (and still love) Twilight and other YA series but was bullied by kids in my high school for loving it so much. Now that I'm in my 20s I recognise how flawed the series is, particularly in the movie adaptations, but I still watch them when I'm feeling down and need some nostalgia to pick me back up again! I know that they aren't GREAT books or movies but they bring me so much happiness, and I'm glad the "Twilight Renaissance" is a thing now, because people are learning that sure Twilight is not the highest quality story ever told but it's fun, enjoyable and appeals to a fantasy we all have to some extent.

[@Alexfolledemoi]

sometimes it's hard to read classics as a child. I'm French so reading "les misérables" was a must at school, wh2n we were like 14. at least YA kept me interested in reading (HP, twilight, HG etc .) way more than classics at first. And later on, I appreciated classics way more because i grew up and my vocabulary expended and suddenly Victor Hugo seemed easier to read at 17!/18 than at 13. Now I'm 24, and I read fantasy or distopian YA, and also classics!

[@KeyJester]

This video was eye-opening and mindblowing, and genuinely made me sit down and rethink the way I think about a lot of things. I am definitely one of the people guilty of making fun of teenage girls for liking certain things - when it's the things themselves being the issue, and not the girls. And for someone constantly raging about the patriarchy and how we need to burn it.. Yeah, I've just experienced a good dose of shame. Which I think I needed. Thank you for this incredibly good video that really helped me see things differently! I just recently discovered you and have binged a lot of your videos, and I can already say with confidence that subscribing to you is one of the best decisions I've made this year. Keep doing what you do! And, again, thank you.

[@Chelaxim]

Twilight started the trend of YA movie adaptions have to have a soundtrack full.

[@dashashab]

I just wanted to thank you for your videos and particularly this one 🙏 And I wish I could hear this opinion when I was a teenager. But actually it makes me feel better even now, when I’m 23 years old and I still enjoy reading fanfiction probably way too much. Sometimes it’s just so hard not to shame yourself for “wasting your time” when you could read Dostoevsky but you’re reading supercorp fanfic, even though you understand that you’re doing it because it’s giving you some comfort and THATS ENOUGH reasons to like it

[@PatrickHogan]

Honestly, John Green is good literature. Regardless of how you feel about the plot, he has such beautiful prose sometimes.

[@Dvrynnn]

I swear

[@meganm3820]

John Green is also an amazing person and I love that he just writes what he wants to and does it well.

[@IncredibleMD]

That prose must've been absent from The Fault In Our Stars, then. That book had worse prose than it did plot, which is saying something.

[@anabellamason9611]

I love, a Lit. teacher of ages 13-18, that you addressed this. I have NEVER discouraged any kind of reading! Read the funnies in the newspaper, but read! Thank you for starting the conversation about this topic!

[@blueribbon2729]

I have been binge watching you for 3 days straight now and I'm so excited to be so early man.... OMG!! I love you❤ I know this is gonna be awesome and I haven't even watch it yet.

[@shadowguy530]

Man been there this is the best quality rabbit hole ever

[@FabricFool]

I loved this. Took me back to my own childhood reading...back when you got your Scholastic Books from a catalogue, and they taught us to read with (I swear I’m not making this up) Dick and Jane. Yikes. Your discussion of the YA publishing trends was well-considered and I think pretty accurate. I have an author acquaintance who wrote an adult-audience-intended novel with a 14-year old protagonist. It’s all he can do to keep from landing in the YA bin...and for the most part he’s given up: a shrug and a “as long as they’re buying it” attitude. (Out of loyalty, I feel compelled to tell you it’s called “You Wish” and Mark Piper wrote it. Sorry). I love watching your stuff, because you always have a good take on the topic. I’m especially jazzed that you talk books as well as “whatever the kids are doing nowadays, etc.” Keep goin!

[@mysticloverfairy1]

The YA genre started in the 1970s, or rather it became it’s own category in the 1970s, but YA books have been around since probably the 1920s or 1930s. I’m 35 and I still read YA books. I love the vintage detective girl stories from the 1930s , like Nancy Drew and the lesser known Dana Girls (both written by Carolyn Keene) I have my Kindle full of YA books

[@theturniptress805]

Haven't YA books been around from like the 19th century though? I'm reading Little Women and it really seems like a coming of age/YA story

[@roxxy008v2]

Oh. My. Lord. Amanda, I've been binging your KZbin channel lately. Please never stop. I love your opinions and the intellectual breakdown of everything. You make me feel less alone with these 'ideals/opnions' Thank you. Please never stop being yourself ❤

[@DocteurNS]

I've never liked the term "guilty pleasure". I've never felt "guilty" over something I've enjoyed, even if I know it's not good.

[@MorganStradling]

I love that you are open about your appreciation for Twilight. Thank you!

[@EmtotheKay182]

Seeing Marked and Evernight as examples triggered something in me from my teens and how much I LIVED for those books.

[@justwannafreefx9419]

For me it was Marked and Vampire Academy 😂

[@renieshoberg1585]

Amanda- Thank you SO much for this video. I've seen a fair amount of your content and always enjoyed them but this one really spoke to me. I was 14 yrs old in 1998 and the prime demographic for the boy band boom of the late 90's and early 00's and the hate is so real. Even as a woman in my 30's reaching out to the nostalgic content of my teenage years is met with the same vitriol and I don't understand why. I read all 4 Twilight books (rapid fire) while on maternity leave in 2008 when my son arrived (because I saw Breaking Dawn on the new release end-cap at B&N) and it was the greatest escape for me as a mom with a newborn. It was a way for me to enjoy something that didn't require a good night of rest to understand and follow. As much as I adore Jane Austen, regency era prose was not within my grasp of comprehension at that point in my life. Like almost all forms of entertainment there is a time and a place for it and people should be shit on by other who are not in that time or place. Bravissima!

[@sydneypoulin6779]

My favorite young adult series is "Diary of a Wimpy Kid".

[@slhamm77]

As someone who is not a young adult but loves YA things I appreciate this commentary so much. Painting entire genres as “lesser” is ridiculous. A lot of YA novels are great and I wish I had them when I was in the target age range. I might’ve figured my crap out before lol. Also I stumbled across one of your fifty shades videos a week ago and have done nothing but your videos since then. It’s rare to find articulate commentary that is also funny and just the right amount of righteously angry. Thanks for making my days at home go by a little faster.

[@SuperSixel]

Breaking Dawn was the first book I ever read in English, it hadn't been translated into Danish and I just HAD to know what happened!

[@TeonDeus]

This is what I love to hear, it's like a learning experience

[@marcy808595]

Omg I did exactly the same thing when I was 12 because it wasn’t translated into Greek. The feels 😌

[@TwiggyHetfield27]

This is the video we all needed. When I was 16 years old I picked up the Modern Faerie Tale Trilogy (Tithe, Valiant, & Ironside) by Holly Black. These were the books that got me back into reading after stepping away for 6 years. Holly Black became my favorite writer because of those stories. I'm 30 now & Tithe is STILL one of my absolute favorites. My best friend is 4 years older than me, she loves Twilight & the House of Night novels. I've never once made fun of her for liking them. She still raves about House of Night. I'm not really a fan of vampire novels (this includes Holly's book The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, one of my least favorite books of hers but the quality of her writing never falters). I remember us exchanging books one day, I let her borrow Tithe, she let me borrow Twilight. We both read maybe one chapter of the books & just weren't into them. Hell, I picked up Holly's book Doll Bones when I was 26, a book which is geared towards middle schoolers. I read the synopsis & needed to read it. It was fantastic. My bookshelf varies from YA fantasy like the Darkest Part of the Forest and sci-fi like A Beautiful Land to historical fiction like the Aubery-Maturin Series. Grimm fairy tales, fairy tale retellings, manga, and comic books. It shouldn't matter how old you are or the book genre (well... when it comes to being an adult & reading books geared towards a younger audience anyway), as long as you enjoy it that's all that should matter.

[@ashanti1438]

YA is so much fun! It's probably one of the most diverse set of books. I love the tropes that are mentioned in the YA genre. I don't particularly like Twilight but others do. I definitely like Eragon and Six of Crows though. ☺

[@jacobeperrier7058]

My older sister used young adult books to combat her dyslexia it both tickled me and filled me with pride to see a 35 year old woman finally enjoy reading because of those books, I found what you said about whatever gets someone reading is good for the sake of being good very powerful.

[@brittanygeren8881]

I love YA novels for easy and semi-relatable reads. I love the elements of adventure and generally romance instead of heavy sexual elements that seem to pepper adult literature

[@joannadzenowski6214]

Omgomgomg,I'm so glad that u featured the vampire academy. That was such a good good good book. I luved it so much.