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Nobody will be reading Stephenie Meyer in 400 years.
(William Shakespeare)
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Nobody thought people would be reading Shakespeare in 400 years, 400 years ago. In fact, it was only the “common rabble” who went to his plays. The cultural elite looked down their noses at such things.
Surf Wisely.
Not that I’m disagreeing with the statement though.
Riiiiiight. Common rabble. Which is, of course, why he was part of the Lord Chamberlain’s Players under Queen Elizabeth, and the King’s Players under James the First, the company which regularly performed at court. Must be why Ben Johnson called him the soul of the age, too.
Yep. Just a nobody. The sixteenth century equivalent of NASCAR.
He *was* roundly criticized for building a theater that **gasp** had a place for common people to sit.
Actually, Queen Elizabeth requested Shakespeare’s plays at court; his supporters were some of the highest ranking people in the world at the time; his “Mid-summer’s Night Dream” was written specifically for either the wedding of an aristocratic couple or for the Queen herself; His character “Falstaff” has engendered books and psychological studies almost continuously for 400+ years; you also seem to forget that the middle and upper classes in Britain at the time were extremely well-educated and well-read; while they were, in theory, strict protestants, they had much less restraints placed on educational material than the catholics of the time did; Shakespeare himself came from fairly meager beginnings, but this was a culture that placed an incredible value on education, especially reading and writing with an emphasis on Latin. If you are going to post, please re-educate yourself first, and, by the way, who are you to call people “common rabble”? Not too much of a classist are you? I doubt that many people today could get the subtle inflection and humor that is Shakespeare’s….
Really? Only six semicolons in that comment? I’m disappointed.
Sine it’s only about two sentences in its entirety, I say it’s William Faulkner in disguise trying to sound cool. Also, I think some of those semi-colons are not being used properly or necessarily, and you don’t capitalize words after the semi-colons.
And I actually counted those semicolons… so sad.
“The subtle inflection and humor that is Shakespeare’s”? Really? The only way you could sound like more of a douche is throwing an “indubitably” somewhere.
You don’t have to take me seriously; I’m sure that you’ll think I’m just another uneducated, bumbling, intarwebs user. That’s okay, I don’t mind. But you’re not exactly anyone special either.
“psychological studies almost continuously for 400+ years”
I wish my psychology teachers would show me these studies. We just go over psychologists. *rolls eyes*
Oh, d, I’m sorry, I forgot to mention that I put “common rabble” in quotes just like you did. I am NOT a classist, thank you very much. I guess it was a bit of subtle inflection and humor that was lost on you.
While your factual refutation of my initial statement is likely correct–I’m too lazy to research it further–the fact that my “common rabble” statement’s quotation marks sailed right over your head says a lot more about you than it does about me.
And I’ll save you the trouble of mentioning my egotism and anal-retentive nature in coming back to this thread and responding at all.
Plus, no matter who “wins” this “argument”, we’re all still “retarded”.
This was not my first ignorant post. It will surely not be my last, if I live long enough to make another. Surf Wisely.
Your “quotation marks” are not enough to convey the sarcastic tone you wanted. Sorry.
Okay, maybe my mastery of grammar is nowhere near as complete as your mastery of (Kelsey?) “Grammer”. However, my understanding of encasing a typically derisive term such as “common rabble” in quotation marks, is that it emphasizes the fact that the term is not being used seriously. Some examples of this include:
The great “humanitarian”, Adolf Hitler; A “fine white wine”, Mad Dog 20/20. The “kind” and “gentle” Charles Manson. The “proper” spelling of “Grammer”.
I’m sorry my “subtlety” was lost on you as well. Also, don’t I get any credit for not screaming “FIRST!” in my post? Hehe. Surf Wisely.
LOL. I just want to say, I read your comment, and it tickled me. It did, I liked it. Very good come back by the way.
You’re right.
Also, nobody will be reading a lot of things in 400 years. Not just Twilight.
you’re not entirely wrong as Shakespeare did write his plays so that everyone would be entertained by them, including the common rabble (ie: in his plays there’s usually upper and lower class characters, and the lower class characters had a vocabulary the lower class people would understand, and went through a similar story arc as the more upper class characters, and are responsible for the bawdier of Shakespeare’s jokes), but like PassingThrough and d have said, he was very highly thought of in his time by the aristocracy.
Though, as a point, I don’t think any writer, nor any fan of the writer, can know if their books will be read in 400 years.
Not that I think Stephanie Meyers will be read in 400 years (if she’s studied at colleges in 400 years, I’ll just be thankful I’m dead)… but I concede this point about all the writers I read.
Sure, I love Harry Potter, but do I know if it’ll stick around 400 years? Neil Gaiman? Terry Pratchett? Calvin & Hobbes? No one knows.
you might not be able to look at any author and see if they will be read in 400 years or even 100 years from now, but it is easier to pick out those that will not be read 100 years from now.
If you study literature, you begin to recognize the books with lasting quality that speaks over time.
As much as I love discworld, it is a modern sort of book, a parody to current times, Life of Pi on the other hand, may actually be studied in the far future.
To PassingThrough and d:
It seems as though I did not have all the facts, yet spoke about it anyway. I may have a career in politics yet! Seriously tho, I stand corrected. OOPS! Surf Wisely.
I am impressed that you’d admit that. You, sir, win one intarwebz! (And I, too, could’ve been less quick on the trigger.)
Brilliant! Now, sit back and listen to the fangirls/boys whine about how Meyer is the modern Shakespeare.
I am enjoying the posts that result from the widespread and rather pointed mockery of Stephanie Meyers’s “Twilight Saga,” but am at a loss as to why a young adult vampire romance series would invoke so much of it. Doesn’t this much recognition give the Twilight franchise more cultural weight or significance than it warrants?
THANK YOU! it’s about time someone else realised that by constantly posting crap about how bad twilight is you’re only making it more and more popular. personally i love the series but i repect people’s opinion to disagree with me. but they are so childish and ignorant about it I’m honestly sick of it. so if you hate twilight just shut up about it and get a life.
Please don’t call us weaboos, it makes us sad. Call us geeks.
what the hell? I’m an anime/manga fan but I’d NEVER agree to be called a geek just because of that :X
As much as I agree that the definition means a maniac of some sort, unless it’s related to electronics and such it’s not a GEEK.
(confusing terms geek and nerd pains me too…)
Your colloquialisms are different than many others (by which I mean myself and the geeks I know):
Nerd: Someone book smart, especially in science, may or may not be socially awkward,
Geek: Someone who is a fan of one, or many, things, and go out of their way to learn as much about them as possible especially things like anime and video games. Socially awkward, though often have friends who share their geeky interests
Or they may bite heads off of chickens
Dork: a person who knows waaaaay too much about one particular thing, is socially awkward, usually thought of as people who cosplay, or LARP though can only be proven by their response to negative criticism of said interest. Good Humor = Geek, anger/negativity/violence = dork.
You are a geek bordering on dork if you’re angry someone called you a geek (in my terms at least).
But, at least you’re not a dork, like the twitards.
Wow, nice! I’ve been looking for decent clear definitions for these terms for a while now. Thanks!
P.S. I am a nerd and a geek. Not a dork though.
I like Twilight too (for reasons no one ever suspects). I find all the hating (this doesn’t include ppl who have serious, thoughtful, knowledgeable objections) hilarious b/c it means you’re STILL TALKING about it.
Hate it or Love it, everyone is talking about it.
Similarly, this is why I don’t write posts on Anne Coulter.
Twilight has no important literary elements what so ever. That book is something i never tell my students to read, and they accept that because normal 15-16 year old’s have enough of a life to think about vampires loving humans and werewolves. People who are in love with “Twilight” need to get a life and need to be welcomed to the real world.
‘Meyer is the modern Shakespeare.’ this made my brain hurt
Stephenie Meyer…the “Modern Shakespeare…Oh please! You must be joking! Everybody knows the modern Shakespeare is J.K. Rowling.
That’s pushing it a bit, but JKR does enjoy a large readership outside her target audience.
Modern Shakespeare = Jim Davis. I’m sorry, but they’re cynical views on modern life.
Just kidding. I’m a Garfield nut and I’d like to see people reading Garfield when I’m eighty, but I can’t see it lasting hundreds of years. Shakespeare, Hippocrates, Pythagoras – all the great thinkers. I doubt Stephenie Meyer has the ability to think
She might be. Works mocked by “real” artists? Check. Most famous work just one long sex joke wrapped in a death pun? Double check. That talent is the separating factor, though, remains quite true.
I’m not sure I’d call it a “sex joke”. As far as I can see It’s a moralstic allegory for waiting to get married before having sex. Oh god. Did I just comment on a Twilight post? I did. Crap. Put me down. Clearly I do not have anything worthwhile in my life to be doing or I’d be doing that instead of this.
Stephanie Meyer?? Who is that?? (Wer in Dreiteufelsnamen soll den das sein??)
Oh sorry…. just checked wikipedia…. now I know …. my bad and FAIL but there’s really no reason (can u convince me there is one??) to read these twilight books … cuz Derek Landy’s books have wittier humour (US writers who exceed British or Irish writers in humour … that’s truly impossible)
now that’s racism.
British are a race?
Maybe she meant…I dunno…nationalitism?
Hey…that sounds almost like a real word….
Nationalistic Prejudice?
Jingoism.
Indeed, Kat’s foreign policy is extremely aggressive.
Ok, fine. It’s more chauvinism than jingoism. You caught me! Now I’ll never get to use jingoism properly.
I guess you could use jingoism. From Wikipedia, “Jingoism is the British parallel form of this French word. (Chauvinism)”
heeyy …. slow down pllllzzzz… seriously I’M not racist but I just have an opinion abut british humour… (besides I am an avid reader… so I am rather shocked about the comments above *needs liquor to prevent a heart attack at 10 a.m. ) X-D
Well, I can’t think of an American (other than the Harvard Lampoon, which uses the scattergun approach) who comes close to matching Terry Pratchett, Tom Holt or Toby Smith (Space Captain Smith; give it a try if you like TP and/or TH) as a humourist.
Mark Twain
See, I’ve never found him literally LOL funny, unlike the 4 I have cited.
Because Twain was more satire than LOL funny, he was wit more than laughs.
if you want satire and LOL, try Douglas Coupland (he’s canadian fyi!!!)
Brilliant!
Hackenie Meyer can’t write her way out of a Ziploc bag.
maybe not, but I’m sure shes laughing on her way to the bank.
The thing is she’s just plugged into the flavor of the time, and is popular now. Forget about 400 years, in probably 20 odd years no one will remember her and all those who liked the books will read them again and wonder what the hell they saw in the books in the first place??
What? no one is doing the whole bit about how Shakespear stole from other writers, how he might not have been just one man… ect?
Not that I give a sh!t, I’m just saying… any time someone mentions the bard wackos come out.
Indeed, every plot was taken from a Greek or Roman play. And, as you say, the raging debate about who actually wrote the works attributed to Shakespeare.
LOL how about we really piss people off and debate who really wrote the bible? It’s been altered so many times, and I’m sure we’ll have every wacko from the Bible Belt trying to give us a bible belting.
That was not judgmental at all. You sure showed those crazy Christians the error of their ways.
Sarcasm noted and duly forgotten.
I’m Christian too, I just dont like being lumped in with all those wackos who wear t-shirts like “God hates ….” We’re supposed to be loving, helping and forgiving one another, but if you do that you get called a hippy.
Fair enough, but it’s not like everyone in the South is like that either. I guess I went on the defensive too fast.
*snort*
I have lived in the South all my life. The only people in the South who AREN’T like that are from elsewhere.
I was born and raised in Texas (born in Waco, raised in a town near Houston) and I’m not like that. Neither are any of my friends.
I guess it’s easier to make broad generalizations based on no actual facts, though, so more power to you.
Lived in Texas all my life and I have never beat someone down with the Bible, metaphorically or literally. Now, I do wear Christian t-shirts, but not ones that blast other beliefs/ways of life/etc. Some of my favorites are the Love Dare shirt, the Our Apostle shirt and the Wings of Eagles one. Keruso is a great brand.
I have a friend who goes to Kentucky sometimes and she says that if you say that you’re not Christian, almost everyone will start screaming at you about how you’re going to hell, etc.
Not to be nitpicky, but Shakespeare didn’t pull all his plots from Greek and Roman plays. He also pulled from Holinshed’s “Chronicles.” There are no Greek plays in which the king of England goes and opens a can of whoop-ass on the French. (Henry V).
Shakespeare also did come up with a few of his own plots. “Clymbeline” and “Love’s Labors Lost” are believed to his original story lines, and you’ve never heard of them because they rather… well, suck, to be honest. Scholars say “The Merchant of Venice” is also not taken from anywhere, though it is strongly reminiscent of Marlow’s “The Jew of Malta,” and seems rather like a play to one-up his old rival. But again, “Merchant” isn’t terribly funny. Shakespeare is believed to have written 37-39 plays (authorship is debatable on some, and there isn’t a definitive text of “Cardenio”). Of these 37ish plays, only about fifteen of them are really top shelf. The rest… Yeah, they kinda suck.
Shakespeare wasn’t the most creative writer; he wasn’t trying to be. Audiences want stories they’re familiar with, about things they knew. Shakespeare’s genius, and the man was a genius, was in rewriting a familiar story in such a way that the characters resonated with the audience. You pity Othello and despise Iago, you sympathize with Hamlet (he’s like Simba, only fuzzier), and Falstaff reminds you of your fat uncle who’s always drunk. Despite the language barrier, the plays still speak to basic humanity, and that’s why they–the good Shakespeare plays, at any rate–have stuck around.
That, and demmed stubborn English teachers like m’self keep forcing it upon the teeming masses. But like someone earlier on this post said, there’s enough blood, sex, and death to keep the masses entertained, while “holding a mirror up to nature” for those who care to see.
I wish I could fave comments. Heck yes to you! Good job. (Seriously, I’m not being sarcastic.
Not that his lack of originality was a big deal back in the day — everyone stole from everyone. Original plots weren’t valued; the ability to tell an old story in a new way was.
And yes, Shakespeare collaborated on a few plays with people like John Fletcher — but anti-Stratfordians are just morons, plain and simple. Will Shakespeare wrote the plays of Will Shakespeare. Ben Jonson, Francis Meers, Robert Greene, and a whole host of other people all knew him and knew he wrote the plays and wrote about him writing them. People who think it was someone else have not done the research.
So, we can only read and enjoy books that will stand the test of time? Please give me a list of what will is acceptable to read.
Take it for what it is (twilight “saga”)… nothing more, nothing less…
The fact that you are talking about it gives it weight.
Considering your screen name, I am going to assume that this is a sarcastic post meant to stir the pot, not a real 14 year old posting…but I’ll take the bait.
The joke is that the people who read this stuff say that this adolescent masturbatory tool is an absolute literary masterpiece. We’re not arguing that people can’t read whatever trash that they want…isn’t the Rolling Stone magazine still in print?
Literary masterpiece- no. Entertaining-yes. Read it if you want- don’t say it is significant in any way. At least Rowling gave you some real life lessons with your fantasy. In Twilight no one dies or has to deal with any real responsibility. Just like the romantic comedies that give young impressionable girls a flawed sense of life and love, Twilight is so fiction there are no redeeming qualities to speak of. The thing about these books I do appreciate however is they get teens to read a book, just because.
Knowing how things go, the Twilight series will considered one of the greatest series ever by future folk.
Assuming they speak English.
Or by some twist of fate it will be one of the few book series to survival some global catastrophe.
Win to the four hundredth power.
My only hope for the future is that Disney stars follow the Backstreet Boys and that Twilight follows the Babysitters’ Club series.
very talented people are emos :>
i’m sorry but the stupidity of the post astounds me. 1. comparing Shakespear to Stephanie Meyer? REALLY? NO ONE will EVER be as talented as him so he’s going to make ANY author look bad. 2. I doubt ANY of the books that are read today will be read in 400 years. so seriously get over yourself.
win
WHAAAAT? Bill O’Reilly’s autobiography won’t be read in 400 years? Then why did I buy this piece of crap?
OMG I cant stand him. But he reminds me of Gilderoy Lockhart from Harry Potter when he flaunts his autobiography. For weeks and weeks on his show he had questions like, “What did my mother think of Martin Luthor King Jnr,” and whoever got the answer right won a copy of his book. Egotistical son of …
As an avid Shakespeare fan myself this picture did make me laugh. I think the reason his works stand the test of time is that it appeals to a wide ranging audience; I’m 23 but I’ve loved Shakespeare ever since an enthustiastic English teacher in High School showed me why it was worth appreciating when I was 15. Only a week ago I went to see As You Like It at the Shakespeare globe and there were people from all over the world enjoying the performance, children through to adults, different nationalities, cultures, both men and women. Now I know Twilight is widely popular, alas, but mainly its teenage girls who like it, with a few women dipping in to indulge some fantasy when they really should know better (there’s something rather wrong with a thirty something woman fantasing about a 108 year old man with the body of a teenage boy). If Meyer’s work is being read in a few centuries I think it will be shuffled in with the likes of Wuthering Heights which I can’t stand either; Cathy and Heathcliff are a prime example of an abusive couple who obsess rather than love each other.
I really do hope it isnt being read in 400 years time. I’d hate to think of some snobby 2400′s historian looking back at it and scoffing at the outdated principles of men controlling women and the ridiculous obssessive “love”.
“Oh yes, quite, now we see here when Edward takes apart Bella’s car to prevent her from seeing her friends, what do you think that says about the early 21st Century? And take note at Bella’s inability to think of something besides Edward, even dreaming about him. Do you think such romantic foolishness would work in this century? What does that say about the kind of female in that time period compared to the Suffragettes of the 1900s, and heroines like Elizabeth Bennet from the 1800s? Did the Women’s Movement take a giant leap backwards?”
I can read Wuthering Heights and acknowledge that it’s trashy and that Cathy and Heathcliff are one of the most hideous, co-dependent couples ever, while still enjoying it. When I read Twilight I just felt like I needed a super-hot bath and a Brillo pad, to rid myself of the ick.
I highly doubt that Twilight will be around in 400 years except as a notation in the publisher’s archives. There’s no substance to it, nothing that speaks to anyone outside a very small and specific demographic.
This isn’t to say that Twilight is a bad thing (despite my dislike of it); I just don’t see it having staying power.
The problem is that there will continue to be teenage girls for the next 400 years.
Fortunately, it will lose weight as the next generation will not want to obsess over books their mothers obsessed over. No girl wants to become her mother. So don’t worry. Teenage girls of the future can obsess over other books.
And teenaged girls now don’t read what they did when I was a teen (some books excepted of course). So why assume that these will stand the test of time?
lulz
Well hardly anybody actively reads Shakespeare now apart from at school.
So you might find in 400 years time Twilight, Harry Potter n co will all be read in schools as Classical Literature. Though weather people even read in 400 years time n not just get it plumbed directly to your brain who knows.
I know loads of people who still actively read it. Not just school children, actors or students. Some people enjoy it. And by God if you quote it wrong you’ll hear about it
I love Shakespeare. My mom buys up all the old editions of his plays and sonnets that she can find, and bundles them up to give me at the end of every year, ‘cos she knows I like to have different versions
That may be strictly true, but Spokeshave wrote plays to be acted on stage by actors, not read round the class and disected line by line by bored teenagers.
Shakespeare is kind of like Orwell, Cervantes, Hesse, Dante…Conrad…any one of a number of authors who exist at the periphery of your conciousness until you actually read them, or in the case of Shakespeare take in one of the plays, at which point they totally change your life.
People 400 years from now will be pretty much the same as us and only a very few will make the pleasing discovery of Shakespeare etc. That’s probably kind of okay too.
Twilight is not literature. It’s bad fanfiction.
=D lulz. I concur. I love you.
This may or may not be true. Like the first commenter said, Shakespeare was looked down on in his day. Only later did people realize his brilliance. But frankly, it all boils down to opinion. Typically, I hate stories written by famous authors centuries ago – I find them boring. My favorite authors are mostly little known people aren’t even famous. Will people be reading THOSE books 400 years from now? Someone teleport to the future and let us all know.
:: teleports to the future and comes back:: Good news everyone!
(You will now be unable to read the following without thinking of Professor Hubert J Farnsworth from Futurama)
It turns out that in the late 2020s the Scientologists were finally able to take over the world and Stephanie Meyer was declared a blasphemous heathen for not having sparkly aliens in her books. The resulting bonfire of her work created so much pollution that all the whales died and the sharks declared war on the Scientologists. In the year 2400 you’ll find that George Dubya Bush is back in power after it was discovered he was just a droid manipulated by Cheney, the French language is extinct and the world’s dominant religion is now Oprahism. Its truly a wonderful world!
I… i think i love you.
I’m afraid to say there is no love in the year 2400. There is only a love of Bingo. And you will be happy to hear that in 2400 you do not need to think. A recording of Bill O’Reilly’s most irritating work is played constantly in your brain via satellite and microchips. The Democratic Party no longer exists as a consequence.
Oh, Thank God!
I hate the French language & its silent x’s
Bordeaux WTF?!
LOL. A bright future, indeed! …..I think?
I’m proud to say that I’m an Oprahist.
MAH VA-JAY-JAY IS PAININ’
Can someone please give me a cheezburger?
I need to feed my lolcats.
The picture alone was worth a 5 and it’s fun to aggravate whiny fans of any teenage fad. When something is this overexposed,there is always a backlash. Examples? Britney Spears,Paris Hilton,Jonas Brothers or any of the disney crap.
I agree on the Disney front, but Twilight isn’t completely the devil. And The Host, Stephenie Meyer’s other book, is very good. I agree its way over-exposed, but it definitely is a great story.
i hate shakepeare, he made up all this crap that i’m never going to need in later life. all of his made up words are complete crap.
ya, i love stephenie meyer, but just dont ridicule other’s favourite authors, cos what about yours? i bet no one will be reading them in 400 years.
“…but just dont ridicule other’s favourite authors…”
You just did that with Shakespeare. He’s one of my favourite authors, and just because you feel you have no need for it doesnt mean his words havent influenced other written works down the centuries. You do know Meyer says Shakespeare is one of her influences? In particular Romeo and Juliet? I doubt she’ll be happy hearing you say that he’s crap
You must be eleven.
All his made-up words? No: his works consist of real words and he was instrumental in standardizing the English language. He is a measure against which other literature is compared.
Not need in later life? I think his plays are thought provoking. You do need to think, don’t you?
It’s extremely obvious by your grammar, vocabulary, and spelling that you don’t read Shakespeare or anything else literary except crap like Twilight.
If Shakespeare’s works has thrived in the 400-odd years since their publication, then I do believe they’ll continue to do so for another 400 years. They have the kind of staying power that books like SMeyer’s could only dream of having.
accused, amazement, assassination, champion, circumstantial, compromise, critic, deafening, generous, hint, majestic, mimic, negotiate, obscene, rant, torture, undress, worthless, zany
These words each were either created by, or first published by, the Bard. I can also guarantee that you’ve at least heard someone quote Shakespeare, or probably even quoted Shakespeare yourself. And I’m not talking “Alas poor Yorick.” But have you ever heard someone say, “there’s method in my madness”? “To thine own self be true?” Ever heard of the TV show “Band of Brothers?” These are all Shakespearean quotes, which is why we of the teaching persuasion try to impart a little of that knowledge to you. Shakespeare is a part of our culture, whether we realize it or not. I’m just sorry that you haven’t had a teacher who was able to show you this.
And let us not forget the importance of the ‘knock knock’ joke! Ah, Macbeth…
This makes me so sad. Shakespeare is about… humanity. All of it. Won’t need it in later life?
Have you ever loved someone and not been able to tell them about it? Meet Viola, Julia, or Rosalind, all of whom can relate to that problem. Ever have to give a public speech? You could do a lot worse than taking some cues from Antony or Henry V. Parents treating you unfairly? You have got to talk to Juliet, Cordelia, or Celia. Been wrongfully accused of something you didn’t do? Hero or Edgar. Or maybe the men in your life are fickle, bumbling creatures who can’t seem to get their acts together? The women of Love’s Labours’ Lost can help you out. Or maybe you just love a dirty joke — take a few from Falstaff, Mercutio, or, well, pretty much anyone in most of the comedies (and not a few of the tragedies, as well).
It just breaks my heart when people think Shakespeare is too complicated, too wordy, too dense to understand. Shakespeare is *fun*, and relevant, and provocative, and sexy, and people should know those things.
Something wrong with your love life? Find a priest to tell everyone that you’re dead. Ever thought your wife was cheating on you? Take a lesson from Othello and, er … Maybe that’s a bad example.
Beautifully put!
I’m not even sure how to respond to what you just said. “Made-up words”? Oh, you’re DEFINITELY a Twilight fan. Hahaha, I’ll bet you think Stephen King is scary and weird, am I right?! Stephenie Meyer is a talentless hack. Maybe if you learned to read some good literature like Stephen King, Shakespeare, and JK Rowling, you would realize that. If anyone is reading Twilight or The Host in 400 years, I think I might as well do humanity a favor and put and end to her and that travesty of a series right now.
It seems as only the idiot Twilight fans seem to pull any weight here. As I’ve said before, I like Twilight. Also, as I said before I’m not an idiot. All these stupid comments from fangirls who think they know everything (but I’m pretty much positive they wouldn’t even be able to do long division) makes everyone who likes Twilight look like a dumbass.
I like you Crimefighter and I can respect your opinion, as well as most of the people on here. That is excepth for the morons who rant about how twilight is the best without even trying out something different. That is why I am still Annoyed by 12.
Sorry about the whole rant. But as soon as I read that comment it got me going.
Ah, it’s what I do.
I can see by the post above my first one. Did you change your name because to many people thought you were a guy? Or was it because you were bored of Death by Taco? Maybe you know someone who actually died by a taco and you thought it was disrespectful? Just throwing some ideas out there.
I need to start reading before posting. I meant too.
A mixture of all three!
I don’t know whether to laugh or cry at Claudia’s ignorance!
Billy Madison!
I love posting this video.
i need to memorize that
willie had skills – he was am old school hustler -givin the people what they wanted. willie was no buster or one hit wonder. snaps for shackspere.
Snaps for spell check!
I hate this. A bit too much gun just to pick on someone who writes silly young adult novels, isn’t it? just by making the comparison you’re validating her then even she would’ve expected.
How many people have read Shakespeare without being forced?
Maybe if you bothered reading the previous comments you wouldn’t have to ask.
Me! I have the complete works and I went to see Macbeth in Glasgow. I’ve seen Much Ado About Nothing, The Merchant of Venice, A Comedy of Errors and As You Like It at the Shakespeares Globe. On DVD I have Kenneth Branaghs version of Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing and Henry V, I’ve got Luhrmans Romeo and Juliet and McKellen’s Richard III. I also bought Shakespeare in Love. And I have Pacino in The Merchant of Venice.
… I’m a fan…
You have no idea how jealous I am that you saw Macbeth in Glasgow! To listen to that play with real Scottish accents… so awesome. Kudos to your collection as well, though Branagh’s Hamlet is a beast. 4 hours! And the only thing vaguely redeeming about Pacino’s Merchant is the kiss between Antonio and Bassiano. Sadly, Pachino never stopped being Pacino and started being Shylock, at least for me. I have the DVD too, just because. If you’ve liked all those, you should also look into “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged).” Demmed funniest thing this English teacher’s ever seen.
LOL well I’m actually from Glasgow so the accents sounded normal to me! All I hear is real Scottish accents. But its wonderful seeing it performed as its meant to be performed at the Globe; I also spent loads at the gift shop.
Yes, the four hour Hamlet is a beast but it’s my favourite play and I more watch it for certain scenes. Oh I forgot to say that I have Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead as well. That is a wonderful film.
American. Luckily most productions around here don’t even try to fake the accents. I’d give my gilded Norton Anthology to see Shakespeare in the Globe. Just as well I don’t have the money to get over there, because I’d spend the money for my return ticket in the gift shop and end up starving on the streets.
Yay Tom Stoppard! That is the Gary Oldman I’ll always think of. ^__^ Have you seen Kurosawa’s–the samurai movie guy–version of Macbeth? The translated title is Throne of Blood. It’s wonderful listening to Shakespeare in Japanese.
No, I’ve never seen that one. I’ve seen a couple of the ones when its like a modern take on a Shakespeare play but the only foreign one I saw was a black and white Russian version of Hamlet. I think it was called Gamlet or something like that. It was very atmospheric anyway.
LOL I’ve just realised my collection got bigger. I bought Looking for Richard the other day, you know the one with Al Pacino looking for the real Richard III? He creates what he thinks is the perfect cast?
I’m sure there are American versions of the globe though. According to wiki there are tudor style playhouses in these places if any are near you and are performing any of the plays
OSF Elizabethan Theatre, Ashland, Oregon, built in 1935, rebuilt 1947 and 1959
San Diego, Old Globe Theatre, built in 1935
Cedar City, Utah, Adams Shakespearean Theatre
Dallas, Texas, Old Globe Theatre, built 1936
Odessa, Texas, The Globe Theatre Of The Great Southwest
Williamsburg, Virginia, Globe Theatre, built 1975 in the Banbury Cross section of Busch Gardens Williamsburg
There is currently an effort to create a Globe Theatre in New York City
I hope they do it the proper way though. In london no microphones or technology are used so the actors really do have to project their voices and speak clearly, just like they would have done in Shakespeares time.
Chicago’s Shakespeare Theater tried to recreate the internal layout of The Globe. They don’t use microphones and it’s a fantastic space.
Oh dear. You bought Looking for Richard? As in, paid money for it? I’m so sorry. Pacino… eh. But if you liked his “Merchant,” you might like it. I found him to be rather fixated with himself.
I live in the middle of no-where, I’m afraid. The closest of those theaters to where I live would be in Texas, and that’s a twelve-hour-plus drive. The company that I go and see frequently is about two hours away, and, while they do use microphones, they’re also preforming downtown, and there’s a fair bit of street noise. More important: it’s free. They did Merry Wives this summer. Tons of fun.
As for translations of Shakespeare, aside from Kurosawa, I only have one. It… well, it’s just the play, not a movie. It’s Hamlet… and, uh…. it’s in Klingon.
LOL I only bought it because Richard III is one my favourite plays. It has a lot of faults mind you, since it was one of his earlier ones, he’s still perfecting his art, but it’s a good play nonethless. One of my bugbears with Looking for Richard though is that they consider changing some of the lines, and by so doing entirely miss the point.
“About a prophecy, which says that ‘G’
Of Edward’s heirs the murderer shall be.”
Because George Duke of Clarence is usually refered to as Clarence they think the audience will be confused by the letter G. They want to change it to “C”. But in so doing you miss the ambiguous meaning of the line. Because it wasn’t George Duke of Clarence that was the villain, but Richard Duke of “Gloucester”. There is the G! It’s obviously Richard’s way of being ironic.
Many many people. I started reading Shakespeare when I was 12 because I wanted to know what the big deal was. I haven’t stopped.
Give him a try! There’s a /reason/ he’s stuck around for 400 years.
What’s a “/reason/”
Um, I have? I got a copy of illustrated Shakespeare plays when I was 10 for Christmas and I loved them.
I still have the book, it’s one of about 4 children’s books I’ve kept (I’m 24 now).
is your last name really cullen? or are you just fantasizing about a character in a book?
Sadly noone will be reading Shakespear either in another 400 years.
All books were burned except for the Lol-Catholic Bible in 2146.
Ah yes, I remember that bonfire. They put all the hippies and environmentalists on it as well didn’t they? Apparently environmentalists work just as well as firewood.
Because they’re one with the Earth.
So basically you’re comparing the greatest literary mind ever to grace our planet to an author with no training as an author? Somehow the scale seems tilted to me… William Shakespeare plagiarized half his story ideas anyway.
as do most authors to some extent. who was it who came up with vampires? (don’t say bram stoker)
Nobody really knows; the origin of Vampires is in East European folklore, so the links to Vlad Dracule (note spelling) probably have some validity, but the earliest named records are probably the names of folklore collectors rather than “imagineer” authors.
Vampire legends also come from mass plague era graves with decomposing bodies… Yay for history channel!
William Shakespeare had no training as an “author,” either.
Um… Steven WHO?
TRue.. they may not be reading Meyer’s in 400 years… but Shakespeare will still be a boring school requirement that only a handful of people read for fun. Not that there isn’t good meaning and intelligent quotes..
But how many people do you know that ENJOY reading it?
Several. Including myself
Shakespeare’s plays aren’t meant to be read. They’re meant to be watched. Reading ANY play or screenplay is about as much fun as poking yourself in the eye with a stick. The only Shakespeare that should be read are his sonnets and epic poems, but I just don’t figure I can get the school board to give me the ‘okay’ to teach a work entitled “The Rape of Lucrece.” Wonder why.
Well, how many people do you know that ENJOY Stephenie Meyer—who are smarter than most vegetables? Answer: Not many.
I know a lot of people who are smarter than cabbage. But there are exceptions. I know people who like Twilight that aren’t even smarter than corn off the cob. Or even a single kernel. Maybe even pop corn. Oops… took it too far. Sorry.
I have met some rather intelligent popcorn, mind you. It informed me of my place in the universe after I sniffed the white stuff. Man, that was a weird night…even weirder was the fact that I woke up the next morning in a bathtub full of ice cubes…
Thats why they were obviously smarter than these twiligh-whatevers. I know someone who woke up with their nails perfectly manicured (having no idea how it happened) in the bathtub. Although it was not full of ice…
Personally, I dislike them both, but it’s true. In 400 years, nobody will know who Meyer is. Her books have no staying power, as opposed to other great works of literature, such as Farenheight 451 or 1984.
well i will throw my 2 cents in: I have read many works of shakespeare and enjoyed them. i read the twilight series and enjoyed them. i just finished the brothers karamazov and enjoyed it. i read the harry potter series and enjoyed it. i also really love most of the works by both lois lowry and judy blume. my favorite poet is shel silverstien… dr. suess and salman rushdie both have spaces on my book shelves…
you can enjoy all sorts of books, some just for the plot, some for the inspiration, and some because the are truly breathtakingly written, even if the story is kind of crap…point is…there is room in the world for every taste.
furthermore, why slam stephanie myer? how many of those teenage girls would have never picked up a book if not for the twilight series?
The difference is that these poor kids apparently think they /are/ reading great literature. I read a lot of different things, too — but I recognise that the Regency romance novels and pop thrillers I use as brain candy are not of the same quality as Shakespeare, or Le Morte d’Arthur, or Neil Gaiman. Some books make you think and actually engage your brain, and some don’t, and a lot fall somewhere in the middle, which is perfectly okay, but… a reader should know the difference.
The Twilight books are like Twinkies. Sometimes, you just wanna grab at something fluffy and insubstantial to satisfy a craving. But you can’t let Twinkies be the only thing you eat, and you can’t let yourself become convinced that they somehow have culinary merit or nutritional value. A Twinkie is not a filet mignon, or a summer salad, or even a loaf of bread. It is a Twinkie.
That is the best metaphor ever (twinkies–brilliant! Cass) . I do enjoy both authors but understand the difference between a classic and a fad.
Twinkies also never decompose, so this is maybe not the best analogy?
I agree though, I read some of everything (I have a tattoo that says Book Worm
) and I try really hard to keep the Regency and the paranormal stuff (here I fail) within limits.
they’re all hacks. get over it. Meyers books were aimed at a certain population, it was. not meant to be taken as great literature, she does not pretend to say it is. so comparing it to shakespeare is ridiculous. i have noy read the books, nor will i ever read the books, but my daughter has and she is a fan girl, but she also knows it isn’t great fiction, much less literature. ya’ll have gone off the deep end.
Twilight is the great love story since Romeo & Juliet, a couple destined to be together, but face hardship due to their personal backgrounds.
NOT.
seriously though… people might read twilight 400 years from now, hard to tell lol. just like how i say nobody will listen to kanye west in 100 years, they might, but i’ll be dead by then, woot.
*snort* I really wonder if these people who say that Twilight is just like Romeo and Juliet or that “Edward is the new Romeo!” really know how it ends…
I know what happens because I have read it, believe it or not. I saw a couple of the movies, too. You’re not trying to insult me though, right? (Wow, I sound self-centered. Maybe its my hatred for the fangirls. What’s the cure?!) I use to many parentheses.
Why do I keep writing to, when I mean too?
At least I’m not the only one that is fascinated by how much people love Stephanie Meyer…the books aren’t even that good.
Not that I’m a huge Shakespeare fan, either, though, but I’d read him in a heartbeat over her.
Saying Shakespeare had talent is kinda like saying Einstein had an aptitude for mathematics.
Well, for a few months he had trouble with that long division.
“For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
The oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely,
The pangs of disprized love, the law’s delay,
The insolence of office and the spurns
That patient merit of the unworthy takes,
When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin?”
*sighs*
Oh, Hamlet, the original emo…
^_^
But no doubt pathetic people without a life will still be jumping on bandwagons.
Shakespeare had mother issues. Also, he felt the need to have a piercing so that he could be the next person to bring pirates back. Bravo.
Now, Stephenie Meyer…
….
….
Yeah, nah, not even going to bother.
Hell hath no fury like Twilight fan scorned.
Hell hath no *stupidity* like a Twi-hard scorned.
True.
I haven’t read the Twilight books, but I thought they were supposed to be really good?
Note I’m just talking about the books and not the movie.
Whoever told you they are good is wrong! They’re poorly written garbage.
just because the masses likes something does not make it good
I wouldn’t say ‘really good.’ I would say ‘really popular.’ It’s not that the books themselves are that bad. They’re young adult fiction, and as such, don’t have a lot of depth. I’d say the same of the Harry Potter books. I’ve only read the first two, because I don’t want to pay for the hardbacks, and I found them an enjoyable three-hour read. They’re better than a lot of the dibble that is frequently fed to teens, but they’re not the greatest work of literature ever created, as some seem to think. If you’ve got a few hours to kill, go for them. If you want something out of the kiddie pool, keep looking.
Not good. Just popular. I hear crystal meth is pretty popular, too. Harry Potter is much better. No they are not the best books ever written, but they do have depth. If you read all seven, you’ll see that. And I frankly think Dr. Seuss was a much better writer than Stephenie Meyer.
Don’t forget the apocalypse in 2012! So don’t expect to be reading anything in 400 years.
if only we could stop people from reading her “work” in four years
who is staphanie meyers?
Someone “underestimates” the idiotic fangirls with this one.
Bottom line: If Shakespeare were alive today, he’d probably be writing sitcoms and historical screenplays like Braveheart and Troy. He might even dabble in fantasy stuff too, as is evidenced in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. He was all about mass appeal. However, his dialog, characters, and plot development would be so brilliant that everybody could enjoy him, from the intellectual elite, all the way down to the everyday couch potato. And the things he wrote today, would still be studied and revered in 2409 and beyond, though some people just plain wouldn’t get it and think he’s boring and over-rated.
As for argueing with Twilight fans, Shakespeare said it best: “As soon go kindle fire with snow, as seek to quench the fire of love with words.”
Sigh. So many responses too such a lazy post. Kinda tragic how much time people have to waste. And I fully include myself as one of said people.
Stephanie Meyer sucks, regardless.
This debate is pointless.
you’re WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!! she does NOT stink!!!
You’re wrong, she does.
And by the way, these are people’s OPINIONS. There is no such thing as a right or wrong opinion.
Also, please learn to use proper grammar in your posts. Then someone may take you seriously. But if you’re on her side, odds are few people will – year sixes have been known to try and drown kids that say they don’t like Twilight.
Good literature is not entirely subjective. The fact that her characters are flat, her book hes no plot, Bella and Edward are Mary-Sues, and every other page is a rant about Edward’s “statue-like beauty” is not an opinion.
sorry sweetie, she does.
I happen to think that STEPHANIE MEYER is one of the best authors in years!!!! Right up there with J.K ROWLING!!! (Harry Potter author for those of you who don’t know) I LOVE her books!! TWIKIGHT ROCKS AND THAT’S FINAL, PEOPLE!!!!
You can’t spell. Try it again and I might take you seriously
Well, I happen to know that excessive amounts of exclamation points do not make you look intelligent. They do the opposite. And if you think that Stephenie Meyer is in the same league with JK Rowing, you were dropped on your head way too many times in your infancy. Please read some good literature and then you can come back here and preach about Hackenie Meyer all you want. Stephenie Meyer is an awful writer. Stephen King even said so, and he is perhaps one of the best writers in existence. So comment again when you’ve learned not to slam into the keyboard repeatedly with your face. Now, I don’t know about “TWIKIGHT”, but the Twilight saga is literary garbage.
Nobody here cares what you think, and Twilight sucks balls.
stephanie meyer writes about as smoothly as a pineapple going up someone’s ass
sideways
Brilliant. Begone inane vampire drivel!
I think I may know someone who disagrees…
Scary. These kinds of Twilight fangirls scare me. Well, most fangirls scare me in general. I mean I like Twilight, but no need to take it so seriously. We all know it’s not written that well (actually, maybe not those fangirls who don’t even know how to spell), but I like it for the story.
I’d call myself a Harry Potter fangirl, but let’s not get crazy. I don’t scratch the corneas of those who disagree with me.
I cringed at some of those stories. No one I know is like that. Maybe it depends on where you are. Like if your in some small town as opposed to somewhere more urban, you might not get so creepily attached to it. Not to say that, this is absolutely true, it’s just a theory.
I live in Canfield, Ohio. It’s not a small town in the sense that it’s separated from the outside world or that it’s not very modernized, but people…get stuck there. That’s why going to OSU is completely out of the question for me. But you get a lot of crazies, there. A lot of rich crazies. *shudder* Ugh, I hate this place. It’s awesome how it’s spittin’ distance” from Youngstown. /sarcasm
Oh, did I mention that it was ranked the fifteenth most dangerous city…in the US?
Ooo, Wikipedia! But hey its improving, right? That’s sort of good. I guess? I live In San Diego. Obviously not a small town. That’s why I had the theory. I don’t know too many crazies. Well not the kind over Twilight. But in my Japanese class, the anime/ manga craze is rather overwhelming. So I know some crazy asians.
Be fair, there are some well-written, thought-provoking, and funny Manga out there.
I didn’t say that mana was bad, just that I know people who are super attached.
You just jinxed it. WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT.
Wow this went way to far.. It was a joke intended to make people laugh. I happen to love stephanie meyer,read all the books before i even knew they were making a movie,yeah i know give me a rubber cookie lol.. Point is it was joke no reason for everyone to get on their soap box
p Have a laugh… and shakespeare was great as well… every one is intitled to their on opinion…..
Lol.I’m really getting sick of these crazy twilight fan girls.I had read the twilight series before the movie came out.The only reason these people like twilight is Rob Pattison.Yes he is hot,but thats all he has really got going for him
ROBERT PATTINSON IS THE MOST UGLY GUY THAT SATAN EVER SCRAPED OFF HIS HOOF AND DELIVERED TO THE SERFACE
agreed
you said it, Marzy P! Britain should be ashamed to call him a citizen.
I love both Shakespeare’s works and Twilight and anyway, how do you know Twilight wont be read in 400 years? You never know, it might become a classic, despite all the people who insult it because they have nothing more useful to do.
I don’t get it, if its talking about talent, why is there a picture of shakespeare?
The most accomplished, quoted, performed and adored playwright since mankind began? Yes, I wonder why that is… All the millions of people studying his work all over the world as we speak, the millions of people who have performed his work, all the languages he has been translated into, the billions of fans he has accumulated since he first put pen to paper in the latter half of the sixteenth century, yes, why is there a picture of Shakespeare?!
shakespeare is wretched!
I have never heard of Stephanie Meyer.
Pointless hack who has written several volumes of unaccountably popular 4th rate fanfic about an abusive relationship between a human female and a sparkly fairie.
ok i know this will probable get me b*tched at but…
i love the twilight saga and i also love shakespeare because of the books…to be honest i didnt read them before then, even when we were reading it in class i was sleeping…i know im not using proper grammar but i also know how
ok i dont know what will be around in 400 years but how do we know that any of the classics we know now will be around then…just because its a great work of literature it doesnt mean it will last hundreds of years…i beat there were a bunch of great works that we havent even heard of because they didnt last…
im not saying the twilight saga is the best, but it is fare from the worst (that one line will f**k me over) hell if you ask me Shakespeares not the best but im also gonna admit that i dont understand it completely
sorry for the semi-rant but hey thats how i see it
Hi! I know this is kind of off topic but I was wondering if you knew where I could locate a captcha plugin for my comment form? I’m using the same blog platform as yours and I’m having trouble finding one? Thanks a lot!