Since When Did Edward Climb Trees?

WTF Wednesday: Since When Did Edward Climb Trees?

Ever since I first saw Twilight, I've been wondering; since when did Edward start climbing trees? I'd really like to know. I cannot recall reading about Edward climbing a single tree in Twilight, and I've read it like three thousand times several times. We all know that a lot of stuff needed to be changed and cut to adapt this book into a movie, and we all have favorite scenes and lines that were left out. But that was all expected. It would have been impossible to get each scene from the book into a two hour movie.

What I did not expect though, was how our beloved Edward all of a sudden got new characteristcs added to his personality, like his prefrence for tree climbing. When I first saw the trailer, or a clip of it anyway, I didn't quite know how to react. Edward? In a tree? Should I be lauging? No, that hardly seemed appropriate. So I shrugged it off and thought, hell, Edward can bounce around like a frog and I'll still love him.

So don't get me wrong, I ♥ Twilight the movie, and the tree climbling scenes as well, but I would so much rather like to see an extended meadow scene or the completely left out blood typing scene than Edward jumping from treetop to treetop. Actually, flying is more what it looks like. Several of my friends (who haven't read the book but seen the movie) were like, "Um, why is the vampire flying? Is he really a bat or something?" And I'd be like, "No, no, see, he's just jumping" and they'd go, "Why is he jumping around in trees when he's a vampire, then? Oh, wait, is he trying to act like he's spider-man or something?" Jeeze. And I'd get all defensive and try my best at explaining that Edward Cullen is, in fact, not a spider-man-wannabe.

I would very much like to hear other people's view on this. I'm thinking the reason why the movie people (the screenwriter, director etc.) made Edward such an outstanding tree-jumper was to make him even more non-human like and mysterious (monkeys, though, aren't really that mysterious, are they? And I thought Edward was supposed to be more like a mountain lion when it came to animal comparisons.) When it comes to movie Edward, I'm thinking he climbs trees either because a) he likes the view, or b) because he can. You know, if I was able to climb a tree like that, I'd be sitting in a tree right now.

However, no matter the reason and how it actually does looks like they're flying (come on, it totally does) we all love it when Robward goes all dazzling and says, "You better hold on tight spider monkey," a line which he apparently picked himself. This brings us to my next question:

What in the name of Edward is a spider monkey? Is it just a cute nickname he made up? Yeah, yeah, I know, my animal skills aren't that great (when it comes to the tree-climbing kind anyway), but a quick search through Google confirmed that a spider monkey is actually a real species. From wikipedia:

Spider monkeys are among the largest New World monkeys, the largest spider monkeys have an average weight of 10.8 kg (24 lb) for males and 9.66 kg (21.3 lb) for females. Disproproportionately long, spindly limbs inspired the spider monkey's common name. Spider monkeys move through the trees, with one arm stride covering up to 12 m (40 feet). The hair is coarse, ranging in color from ruddy gold to brown and black; the hands and feet are usually black. Spider monkeys are diurnal and spend the night sleeping in carefully selected trees.

Okay, so yeah, maybe I can see how Edward would mistaken Bella for a spider monkey:
Little and fragile - check
Brown hair - check
Sleeps during the night - check (though not in trees)

But Edward, I wanna ask you something; if Bella's a spider monkey, that makes you a, what, orangutan?

[...] they are typically covered with long reddish-brown hair, instead of the brown or black hair typical of other great apes. [...] According to research, orangutans are the world's most intelligent animal other than humans [...]

This all seems kind of fitting, don't you think? Bronze hair and incrediably smart. Doesn't that sound like you, Edward? Totally does. Anyway, the spider monkey looks like this:

Spider monkey

Okay, so not really, but hey, that sure looks like a spider monkey to me. No, see, this is the real spidermonkey:Spider monkey (for real this time)

What did you say? You feel like you've seen this before, is that right? Well, then, check this out:

Tree-climbing Edward with spider monkey on his back.

Well, all I have to say now is that all this leaves me anxious for New Moon. Will there be more tree-action? Will there be any kissing under the branches? Or worse; will Edward leave Bella in a tree? I guess we'll just have to wait and see..

Have a great day, spider monkeys!
BM