question of the day: What could be creepier than your own Edward Cullen shadow?
Are we entering an era of “the stalker as sexy”? We’re already at a place where Americans don’t mind being spied on by our government, apparently, if it (supposedly) keeps us safe. We’re already at a place where British citizens are observed by CCTV cameras everywhere they go even though the cameras don’t do a thing to prevent or solve crime. So maybe people do find it sexy to be stared at in one’s sleep by a vampire:
Elisabeth Rappe at Cinematical:
Now, from here it doesn't look like he has any eyes, so his defensive ability is doubtful, but let's not nitpick the finer points. It's his glittery, broody presence that matters, and this decal offers 6'2 inches of two dimensional companionship. And unlike The Vamp, this Edward is a chaste and G-rated addition to your boudoir. He just wants you to be safe, girls, he's not interested in sex.
(The Vamp is hilarious, and so NSFW.)
This is one of the most disturbing things I’ve ever seen, though it does follow logically from the massive success of Twilight: if all those vampire-swooning girls really do find it romantic to be spied upon while they sleep, this is the perfect bit of merchandising to continue separating these girls from their money. (It worked: the thing is sold out.)
So let’s brainstorm the next sinister bit of marketing for the new surveillance-is-cool era of pop culture. What could be creepier -- or cooler, depending on your perspective -- than your own Edward Cullen shadow?
(If you have a suggestion for a QOTD, feel free to email me. Responses to this QOTD sent by email will be ignored; please post your responses here.)
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comments
posted by bracyman (Tue Aug 25 09, 11:20AM)
I was, at first, creeped the heck out by this thing. But is it really so different from the standee of Spock I had in my room during college? I mean, he even had a (phaser) gun. And with the sheer number of 3' by 4' posters of naked, or nearly naked, or not-naked-but-definitely-kissing-another-girl girls, this seems pretty innocuous.
On the other hand, screw Edward Cullen, him and his hair.
posted by Michael (Tue Aug 25 09, 11:27AM)
Source? I'm curious.
posted by JoshDM (Tue Aug 25 09, 12:23PM)
I want some of those after the bomb Watchmen shadows for my wall. You know which ones I'm talking about, that is, if you read the book.
posted by Saladinho (Tue Aug 25 09, 12:57PM)
Yeah, JoshDM, good idea. Actually, even though I'm not a Twilight fan, this Cullen thing could actually work ironically too. Nice bit of Pop Art, I think.
posted by A. Mous (Tue Aug 25 09, 12:59PM)
@Michael:
A couple of examples:
Met. admits that less than 1 crime solved for every 1000 CCTV cameras (Public Service)
CCTV Only effective at cutting car crime (Telegraph)
80% of CCTV images "ineffective" (and cameras mostly used to trap motorists) (Telegraph (2007))
posted by MaryAnn (Tue Aug 25 09, 1:44PM)
Yeah, but the whole point of this is that it's meant to ape the totally creepy bit in the book/movie, in which Edward does actually spy on the female protagonist while she's sleeping, and it's meant to be "romantic."
posted by bracyman (Tue Aug 25 09, 1:58PM)
True. What's next, a static image of Ricky from American Beauty with a camera that you can stick to your neighbors' window? Or on the other side of the fence, how about a shower curtain with the silhouette of Norman Bates and a knife...wait:
http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/185-0170554-7921442?ASIN=B001VSV79S&AFID=Froogle&LNM=B001VSV79S|Psycho_Shower_Curtain_-_Red/Clear&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=B001VSV79S&ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001
posted by Newbs (Tue Aug 25 09, 2:04PM)
posted by Gee (Tue Aug 25 09, 2:25PM)
"Actually, how about a full color, life-size Thora Birch showing her gorgeous breasts in the window?"
Haha ... I read that as "Thora Hird"! Not an image I would have wished for, but never mind. She's the only Thora that I know of, although having Googled Thora Birch I note she was in American Beauty, which I have seen.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thora_Hird
posted by Brian (Tue Aug 25 09, 3:34PM)
I wonder how many of these will come back down off the wall after a single night, when a half-asleep 'tween girl wakes her entire house screaming.
posted by Jurgan (Tue Aug 25 09, 3:35PM)
Hey, people still think The Police's "Every Breath You Take" is a love song- listen to the lyrics, people. That's the sort of sentiment that makes you want to call the real police.
posted by Karen P (Tue Aug 25 09, 4:44PM)
Well - if you want to stick to the vamp theme, you could always use Eric from True Blood. THAT would be creepy...
Oooh! Or Spike from Buffy!
posted by bats :[ (Tue Aug 25 09, 5:15PM)
Eh, that's what vampires do. I sure as heck would want old twinkly, sparkly Edward to be the vampire, though...
posted by tomservo (Tue Aug 25 09, 5:36PM)
Jimmy Stewart from Rear Window, that creepy guy from Body Double, or even the ghost kid that's supposed to be in Three Men and a Baby.
posted by bats :[ (Tue Aug 25 09, 6:10PM)
Looking back on the rather unkempt shadow, maybe this is just the updated nursery of the Darling children.
posted by Alli (Tue Aug 25 09, 9:40PM)
I saw this on a blog a week ago. Creeped me out. Did you see the Edward Cullen shower curtain? Someone also made a sparkling sex toy. The whole Twilight phenomenon just freaks me out.
posted by MaryAnn (Tue Aug 25 09, 10:03PM)
That's the "Vamp" linked in my original post. :->
posted by Alli (Tue Aug 25 09, 10:06PM)
Yeah, I just realized that after I posted. My bad.
posted by Kim (Wed Aug 26 09, 3:51PM)
Oh my God! There is nothing creepier. The whole Twilight phenomenon is just disturbing as it is (how is it romantic for a man to disable a woman's car so that she can't see friends he doesn't agree with????). And from that deeply uneasy side of things, we go to the ridiculous: sparkles? Really?