Saturday, October 15, 2011

Edward Cullen = sociopath?

Apparently, Debra Merskin, associate professor for the school of journalism and communication at the University of Oregon, as claimed that the vampire protagonist from the teenage vampire series Twilight, is a sociopath. From the Sydney Morning Herald:

Writing in a recent issue of the Journal of Communication Inquiry, Merskin argues that Edward has all the hallmarks of a "compensated psychopath".

Unlike full-blown psychopaths, compensated psychopaths have learnt to conceal their limited emotional repertoire and "pass" as normal. "While he is incapable of feeling compassion, or remorse, there is an awareness that the full-blown psychopath doesn't have - that these feelings do exist in the world but he is somehow lacking," Merskin explains via email.
Edward, she says, ticks all the boxes.He's psychologically immature; although born in 1901, Edward is fated never to develop beyond the age of 17.

He's socially withdrawn, living far out of town, and he's controlling. He frequently belittles Bella, saying she's emotionally unobservant, she's absurd and, most patronisingly, "You've got a bit of a temper, don't you?"

Edward's inability to love is the crucible for the romantic tension throughout Twilight. "I don't know how to be close to you. I don't know if I can," he says to Bella. And, perhaps most tellingly, Edward admits: "I'm not used to feeling so human. Is it always like this?"

Merskin says these types aren't new in literature and cinema. Oscar Wilde's Dorian Gray, serial killer Patrick Bateman in American Psycho and Wall Street's Gordon Gekko are all examples of compensated psychopaths.

But unlike Edward, none of these fictional characters was presented as boyfriend material. This, Merskin says, makes Edward novel. It also makes him concerning- especially given that its target audience is young women and adolescent girls.
I don't know. I'm not convinced. I like vampire stories typically because they echo some themes from my own life, not surprising if you believe (as I do) that the vampire myth originates from sociopaths. I'm no expert on the Twilight series, but to the extent that Edward acts like a vampire I'm not surprised people would think he is sociopathic. However, I thought the whole point of the series was that Edward does not act like a vampire? A chaste defanged vampire?

121 comments:

  1. No he is not because he cares to much about Bella. He is even willing to end his life when he believes Bella is dead? Clearly not a sociopath.

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    Replies
    1. wha do you cal it when you breaki into someone's house to watch them sleep?

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    2. He cares about controlling her. Bella's the only one he can push around and treat badly.

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    3. That is an unhealthy obsession; Bella is merely someone beneath who has caught his interest and is, in his mind, his. He bans her from seeing Jacob, watches her while sleeping, stalks her when she was shopping with friends. Sociopaths often isolate their girl/boyfriend away from their friends. Also, she is the only one weaker than him that he can really control without having any attention towards them because she is his bloodsinger.

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  2. Dafuq? You so whack m.e. Lol twilight. Why you take dat shit so sewiosly

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  3. stop hiding behind anon ..your serious grammar issues are a dead give away

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  4. I fed you enough shit to give me a fight and that is the one thing you are denying me...I know this.

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  5. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  6. My ex that I ruined financially an emotionally died at the age of 69, a couple of months after loosing his legal battle against me.

    I won. This asks for a little celebration this evening.

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  7. Fuck you Harv you piece of shit.... David- I will cheers to that

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  8. tell me how pyscho you are harv... i would love to hear the details. how can you relate to bateman you fucking tard.

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  9. David, does it bother you that your former lover stole your dignity and died with it?

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  10. :) The war starts due to the intention of building back up in the first place, a little imperialistic trick where your businesses get all the jobs and the oil. not a problem, money-making opportunity, like all wars.

    so, what happened, why did the orgy attempt yesterday fail you think?

    sweetcheeks said...
    i was thinking not too long ago, that why does war nowadays include building their country back up? not our problem.
    October 14, 2011 11:22 PM

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  11. Bah I don't know why it failed but it did

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  12. by the way the money making opportunity was a major failure to the war...it was useless all the way around

    ]

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  13. texas does not think so.

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  14. I agree the intention clearly failed through for the US in general, but was there to start with, which was my point. Worked very well for Texas and China (by way of having US tangled behind ego trips of Bush, the token born again of the century).

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  15. hahahaha i am sure they don't.

    why do you think our orgy attempt failed

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  16. your orgy attempt failed because none of you could pick up the dominant position and let juices flow. Haven could have, but she just was not turned on enough.

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  17. Plus, Eden got into a defensive mood (kind of watching the cracks in the ceiling while sex)and tried to justify her rights to do so as opposed to jumping in. Funny she felt like attacking me. I must have something she wished she did, no idea what that is (could be boobs), lol.

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  18. eh oh well. so you are opposed to getting sexual around here?

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  19. not at all. i like reading sexual stuff when it has a good feel for me. all the cock sucking talk or I'm getting wet lines don't do much for me though, too basic.

    TNP once had written some oral stuff that was really good.

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  20. Kesu also wrote some good stuff once. I'm sue I'd really like it if Haven got into it, or Mis (no idea why). WOuld be fun to read what your husband does (or has done at some point) that you really liked.

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  21. oh i see where this is going. my mood was sorta killed for today and it is almost 4 am my time. i would be happy to share at a later date.

    so what are you, male or female? we haven't been properly acquainted.

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  22. :)

    I am a straight female, hsp, empath with some sociopathic and some narcissistic style thinking, some past socio lovers, possibly some aspie in me, no touch of a beeper/histrionic.codependent in me, dominant in social positioning, quite egalitarian and flowing in bed.

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  23. Some asshole told me that you were a gay man HA. Anyway, I am glad we could straighten that out.

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  24. Yeah, I saw that, but enough people know who I am here that I don't feel like repeating that I am a woman.

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  25. i'm thinking of applying for a position in san diego. Do you like living in So Cal, and why did you/someone once did not consider san diego So Cal?

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  26. I love San Diego. It is wonderful! I only said that because I was trying to figure out how close Blue and I are distance wise. The beaches are lovely and the city is clean, its got the whole rolling hills next to the ocean thing going on.

    Where do you live now?

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  27. I could relate to your write-up on fear of losing your child or not mothering him well. Too late for the don't have a child advice (which I have assumed like Medusa, and quite content with the choice). I do want to say that just the fact that you have the fear shows healthy thinking. No mother has been perfect in one hand, and every mother who managed to give birth has achieved perfection on the other.

    When in doubt read to your child advice (I guess came from Eden) was a really good one. I'd say read The Art of Loving from Erich Fromm to him.

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  28. I'm traveling around the world right now, and live in three different parts of the world (one being US, can't say where) year round while visiting a new country every year for a couple of months. Can't say more than that.

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  29. Good night...I need to get some sleep dear. Reading was definitely good advice.

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  30. Sweetcheeks wrote;
    "David, does it bother you that your former lover stole your dignity and died with it?"

    Nice try but you'll have to do better than that. If you absolutely don't care for someone and only see them as an object to use for own profit, than that person cannot take your dignity or in any way emotionally hurt you.

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  31. In Hoffman's model, the motivation behind early prosocial behavior is the (egocentric) need to reduce one's own aversive feelings of arousal and distress. As the child ages, the range of cues and stimuli which can trigger the vicarious distress increase through both classical and operant conditioning. Eventually, when the child develops the cognitive ability to "role play" or take on another's perspective, empathic distress turns to "sympathetic distress", which motivates prosocial behavior that is more likely to be interpreted as intentional, altruistic, and moral. Hoffman's model of prosocial behavior dovetails nicely with Hirshleifer's (1987) "Guarantor" and Frank's (1988) "Commitment" model of emotion (see section I.A.): the reduction in anxiety which follows cooperative or prosocial behavior reinforces such behavior, while the increase in anxiety which, through stimulus generalization, follows acts or thoughts of antisocial behavior will punish and therefore reduce those acts and thoughts."
    October 28, 2009 6:37 AM

    --------
    Would any of you care to comment on this particular part:

    Eventually, when the child develops the cognitive ability to "role play" or take on another's perspective, empathic distress turns to "sympathetic distress", which motivates prosocial behavior that is more likely to be interpreted as intentional, altruistic, and moral.
    ------
    Would any of you say the operative word is "interpreted" there?

    Is this ^ a clue to the way normal people behave, or is it a clue to the way narcissists behave, or is it a clue for just anyone with skewed empathy,

    OR is it more related to how Sceli describes herself--slightly sociopathic/narcissisic with hsp.

    Also, is how Sceli is fairly "normal" common?

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  32. @ David

    it was a silly cheap shot wasn't it?

    so are all of your legal troubles over now?

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  33. nastycheeks
    95% of what you say are cheap shots. Why stop, now?

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  34. I don't recall asking for an orgy last night. I was just stirring the pot. What direction were you hoping to go in, sweet?

    This place has become dull, and many of the characters who come here, are just that; made up characters by those who come here to role play.

    I'm not here looking for anything. This place is just another online pastime for me.

    What about you sweet? What are you looking for here?

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  35. cheap shots are like what TNP describes calls "poking with a stick"

    what is that? Sadistic?

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  36. sweetcheeks you're a sadist, too, aren't you? Can you deny it?

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  37. sweetcheeks is more of a masochist. Am I right about that sweet? I know you love to fight, but I bet you start fights when you don't have someone available to tie you to trees... ;)

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  38. ...anyway,
    I knew it was only a matter of time before M.E. would show her Twi-hard side. Before you know it, we'll have anon's coming here cheering for Team UKan, or Team Ami.

    What a nutty blog! So hardcore. It really pushes the envelope.

    I'm off to the movies... then it's time to get dirty with my new toy.
    See yous guys later!

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  39. Yeah, Eden, and/but if you're the one who is starting the fights than you are the baiter....bpd.

    And then when someone wants to tie you to a tree without you asking, *gasp* you don't like it. Right, Sweets?

    Or do you find that exciting, Sweet?

    "Thinking" you are bottoming from the top is a perception socios bank on. Hahahaha. You're fucked here, Sweet. What are you doing to yourself, huh?

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  40. Eden

    "What about you sweet? What are you looking for here? "

    I love a good drama, that's what brought me here.

    "sweetcheeks is more of a masochist. Am I right about that sweet? I know you love to fight, but I bet you start fights when you don't have someone available to tie you to trees... ;) "

    YES ha. I love watching people fight on here, I love instigating fights and when it gets o too boring I throw myself in the the lions den just to get a rush. Fucking chum that water up with me floating in the middle just for shits and giggles.

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  41. anon

    when i am bored i become self destructive. it has been rather slow around here. i m not sure what will happen as a result of it, but i guess i will find out eh?

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  42. I honestly believe that the infatuation with vampires by so many empaths simply exemplifies a very real desire on their part to be prey, to be objectified, abused, used and then tossed aside by someone stronger than they are. I think empaths are inherently masochistic, at least emotionally; and since I am inherently sadistic it makes for a good match. I give them what they want and they do the same for me.

    Not only do I think the vampire/sociopath association is obvious, but I even play upon it. No, I don't dress up like a vampire or have a blood fetish or anything, but I do play along with the vampiric seduction technique and appeal. And when you have a real sucker on the line, someone just so desperate to be used for fear of loneliness, it can be wonderful. Testing their limits and making them sink lower and lower, debasing and degrading themselves in an impossible quest to "top from the bottom" and enslave me in "love".

    It is simply intoxicating and fabulous and all their own fault. I just provide the impetus to allow them to lay aside their ego and pretensions and become the submissive slave they really want to be. Neither the vampire myth nor the sociopath could flourish if it weren't for the fact that so many of the sheep want to be devoured and are stupid enough to lay their hearts on our tongues and dare us to bite. Oh no, they want to be be bit, there can be no doubt about it, and I am happy to oblige. :)


    -----------------------------------

    I took this from another thread.
    I can relate to the empath side. I wish I could not, but I can.

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  43. I have no idea why people are fascinated with vampires, it's beyond me.

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  44. well you are right, i can understand an interest in psychopaths, cause they are real!

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  45. come one. there are psychopaths and then there are REAL psychopaths. i never met a real psychopath nor would i want to. i think everybody else falls into the disturbed, off, narcissistic, abnormal category. there is no such thing as a sociopath or an empath. all humans are abnormal with one more so than the other.

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  46. My song to all us crazy beepers!!

    I'm a Beeper girl in the Beeper world
    Life is plastic, it's fantastic
    I can change my hair, and blend in everywhere
    Imagination, life is your creation!

    (Come on, Beeper, let's go party)


    I'm a Beeper girl in the fantasy world
    Dress me up, take your time, I'm your dollie
    You're my doll, rock and roll, feel the glamour and pain
    Kiss me here, touch me there, hanky-panky

    You can touch, you can play
    You can say I'm always yours, oooh whoa

    I'm a Beeper girl in the Beeper world
    Life is plastic, it's fantastic
    I can change my hair, and blend in everywhere
    Imagination, life is your creation!

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  47. I showered early in the morning while the rest of the house was sleeping. I knew he was waiting for me like he had been for several months.
    I dressed and slipped out of the house.

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  48. 2

    I drove a short way to a dark parking lot and parked. He was there sitting in his truck. I could see his eyes, thats all thrugh his window.

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  49. 3

    I got into his truck and slid up close to him, all my senses tingling at his scent. In his ear I whispered, do you want me to kiss it? He growled low" suck" then I whispered" do you want me to lick it" lower he moaned" suck". I whispered" then I must suck" I slow ran my lounge down his stomach.

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  50. I was nervous approaching his truck. My heart pounded with anticipation.

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  51. 4

    My mouth hot and wet wanting to please, went down and took him in wholly and he moaned out a growl that vibrated my whole body.

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  52. Now, THAT is good.

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  53. 5

    He's never going to love me but he will never let me go.

    That's the"Truth"

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  54. If he never lets you go, it is his form of love.

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  55. No one else has a tale to tell?

    All dark and primal?

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  56. I wish I had a story to tell. Does sleeping with your dog count?

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  57. You cannot go against nature.
    Because if you do go against nature,
    it's part of nature, too.

    Our little lives get complicated; it's a simple thing. Simple as a flower, and that's a complicated thing.

    No new tale to tell.

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  58. But I'm sure Medusa you have a memory stored inside you, that needs to be told.

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  59. I recieved a text at work to come to his house as soon as possible.
    It was time to leave so I used the bathroom ans freshened up with supplies I keep for a moments notice. Went through the routine of closing the place without thinking about it, my mind was already on what lied ahead.

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  60. 2

    Fifteen min. into the 40 min. ride I get another text. Come in, lock the door, take off all your clothes and wait for my orders.

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  61. 3

    I did as I was told and stood there what felt like forever.
    I didn't know what to do, if I moved I could be punished.

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  62. 4

    I walked very quietly over to his bedroom door and saw his naked legs on the bed.
    Very low he said come in and please me.

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  63. 5

    Slowly I crawled on top of his bed like a cat, everytime I see his naked body it's like the first time. I'm in awe and hungry.

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  64. 6

    I let my long hair fall on his feet and let it drag all the way up his body till I reach his neck where I have to stay for a few seconds to breath him in.

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  65. 7

    His hairless smooth body is there for me to take in my hands my mouth and feel my breasts run along his warmth. His body shutters when certain places are touched.
    I suck on his nipples and they become hard.

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  66. 8

    I let my breasts rub lightly on his stomach and move them slowly down to his hard magnificent cock and let them rub him til he gives me the order to suck him, which I do slowly sucking him in quater in at a time.

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  67. 9

    In his low deep voice he tells me to turn around and let him see what he owns, it's his.

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  68. 10

    I do as I'm told. I suck him until he tells me to get up and bend over the bed. He has urgency in his voice.
    When he pushes his way inside me I'm rewarded for my obedience.

    I can't think I just obey, I have no will of my own.

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  69. He is not my boyfreind, he is not my husband. He is my Master.

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  70. Do they sell Masters, in the yellow pages?

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  71. Sorry he's not mine to sell.

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  72. bring on the stories

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  73. story 1 - written by a male sociopath

    story 2 - weaker female

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  74. Both stories written by very satisfied female empath

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  75. Trying to go after the stupid teenager demographics? i read this joke some where and it was so ironic.

    The waiting room at my doctors surgery has a poster with a bruised woman, a phone number, and the slogan
    "Domestic abuse - why wait?".
    So I went straight home and beat the fuck out of the wife.

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  76. Text my Master, flipping a coin, heads you get head. Tails you get tail.



    He text back, already had head, what tail.

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  77. do you really have a Master

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  78. I saw a group of women loudly protesting against domestic violence and the abuse of women, which is ironic because opening their mouths is what caused the problem in the first place

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  79. To my great pleasure, yes I do.

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  80. I am sure you are good with the ladies. With a personality like that, I am sure they are just begging for your attention~

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  81. my experience most women like to be treated like an object.

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  82. nasty cheeks
    You are the singular, most obnoxious person I have ever encountered.

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  83. Down deep, woman want to be taken by a man who knows how. Few men do.

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  84. Tell us a story about it, Anon 6:55

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  85. Whats up with that Anon 6:55, you can tell jokes and make wide assumptions about women but you haven't any experience.

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  86. Now Ami, good little Messianic Jews should really be nicer. You don't want to make Jesus cry now do you?

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  87. Anonymous said...
    October 15, 2011 7:11 PM

    I have more self control than to punch my wife in this society. If i were in the meddle east or africa it would be different. I heard that there are some people who can get away with abusing their mates. anyone can tell me how? What emotional state do you have to get her into?

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  88. Shit flingging monkeyOctober 15, 2011 at 7:25 PM

    Be careful what you wish for.

    Looks like you miss her.
    I'm sure you can't shame her after the way you've discribed yourself Miss Nasty.

    ReplyDelete
  89. Anonymous said...
    October 15, 2011 7:11 PM

    Now that i think about it, are you saying that women doesn't like to be treated like an object? Are you kidding me? what world are you living in?

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  90. Give me an example. tell me how they like it.

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  91. Shit flinging monkey
    lmfao

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  92. "Be careful what you wish for."

    All knowing shit covered monkey, what did I wish for?

    "Looks like you miss her."

    She never left this blog

    "I'm sure you can't shame her after the way you've discribed yourself Miss Nasty."

    I think it is cute that you came to her rescue. I smell desperation.

    ReplyDelete
  93. Shit flingging monkeyOctober 15, 2011 at 7:36 PM

    Desperation? That is so errelavant and random.
    If you what to make a point, make sence.

    ReplyDelete
  94. "If you what to make a point, make sence."

    Sence...sence....oh you mean sense? HA Learn to spell before you accuse me of not making sense.

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  95. Anon 7:11

    I tell them exactly what I think of them, their fears and wants. The self conscious ones becomes easy prey. If someone tells you exactly what they thought of you what would you think of him?

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  96. Shit flingging monkeyOctober 15, 2011 at 7:41 PM

    Grammer Nazi already done cheerleader.

    ReplyDelete
  97. If their rude or crude, I walk away while I laugh.

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  98. Anonymous said...
    If their rude or crude, I walk away while I laugh.
    October 15, 2011 7:44 PM

    You will remember him and think about him because you know what at least some of what he said is true.

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  99. After I walk away, I'll forget him and never think of him again.

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  100. "Grammer Nazi already done cheerleader."

    Apparently you are very bright little monkey. I corrected your spelling, not your grammar. You obviously don't know shit about shit...and can't fling shit worth shit. Please start making more SENCE

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  101. Apparently you are not very bright little monkey. I never corrected your grammar, I corrected your spelling. Obviously you don't know shit about shit and can't fling shit worth shit. Go learn the basics of writing and then maybe you will start making SENCE

    ReplyDelete
  102. Shit flinning monkeyOctober 15, 2011 at 8:09 PM

    Obviously it landed right in your mouth, becuse your still spitting shit out.

    ReplyDelete
  103. wait...hold on...your shit is coming out of my mouth? How does that make SENCE??

    go finger paint with your poo, surely you can't screw that up.

    ReplyDelete
  104. Shit fingging monkeyOctober 15, 2011 at 8:19 PM

    LOL, keep jumpping, look who's the monkey.

    ReplyDelete
  105. Anonymous said...
    After I walk away, I'll forget him and never think of him again.
    October 15, 2011 7:59 PM

    Ironic?

    ReplyDelete
  106. ^ i only see one monkey jumping^

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  107. Ugh. Edward is not a sociopath, at all. He loves Bella mord than anything and he's essentially a good person-uh, vampire. It's the touch of "bad" in him that makes girls go crazy for the character. But they wouldn't go so crazy for him if he didn't have a giant romantic soft spot for faceless boring bella. It makes him the perfect guy. Just the best mix of bad boy protective vampire-but not sociopathic, because he loves, really loves. And cares. Sociopathic? Hah. I was into those books. As like an 8th and 9th grader. Then the series just blew up. It was a horrible book. So badly written. But Edward was a very sexy character so I was sucked in immensely. Bella is so amorphous that any girl can put herself in her place.

    On the other hand, I am not thoroughly convinced me is female as no male would ever have any interest in twilight. Simply because there's really nothing interesting about Bella. At all. There's no reason a male would enjoy twilight. And males don't.

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  108. I meant-I am NOW thoroughly convinced me is female

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  109. Absurd. Next she'll be saying James Dean was a sociopath in Rebel Without A Cause.

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  110. Shit flinging monkey rules

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  111. is anyone else getting irritated by this insistence to diagnose fictional characters with psychological disorders.

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  112. Lack of emotional depth is more likely lack of character development. Oscar Wilde and Stephanie Meyer really should never be compared...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AGREED. I read the whole series (sorely dissapointed, but I finished it anyway)
      They are all as deep as a kiddie pool.

      Delete
  113. Lord Henry was more of a sociopath than Dorian Gray ever was.

    ReplyDelete

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