title: Backbone this.el jQuery
body: <p>I'm trying to set up a Backbone application. This code below gives to following error:</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>Uncaught TypeError: Object # has no method 'append' </p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <pre><code>define(
      [
          'jQuery',
          'Underscore',
          'Backbone',
          'text!templates/start.html'
      ],
  
      function ($, _, Backbone, startTemplate)
      {
          var StartView = Backbone.View.extend({
  
              // properties
              el: $('#container'),
  
              initialize: function ()
              {
                  this.render();
              },
  
              render: function ()
              {
                  var template = _.template( startTemplate );
                  this.el.append( template );
              }
          });
  
          return new StartView;
      }
  
  );
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>But this works (see the 'render'-function):</p>
  
  <pre><code>define(
      [
          'jQuery',
          'Underscore',
          'Backbone',
          'text!templates/start.html'
      ],
  
      function ($, _, Backbone, startTemplate)
      {
          var StartView = Backbone.View.extend({
  
              // properties
              el: $('#container'),
  
              initialize: function ()
              {
                  this.render();
              },
  
              render: function ()
              {
                  var template = _.template( startTemplate );
                  $(this.el).append( template );
              }
          });
  
          return new StartView;
      }
  
  );
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I am passing $('#container') as the 'el'-property, so I supposed this should just work fine. Why do I have to use the jQuery notation again for this eg. $(this.el) instead of this.el</p>
  
  <p>Many many thanks in advance!</p>