(no subject)

[meganbmoore]

Hey lookit, another article about the horrors of not making sure everything is packaged to appeal to men.  Or "it's not the women's fault that 'men don't read,' it's the system's fault for  daring publishing to actually push a few female writers, as long as they aren't pushed as much as Big Name Men.  Androgynous names are ok, though."  (Ok, I ran away a bit with that, but not too far.)

Also, they are doing construction on the street in front of my apartment complex.  Not close enough to torment me with sound, but getting in and out of here may be torment.  My privilege.  I wallow.

Comments

[lady_ganesh]

OMG, the headline alone.

[meganbmoore]

Indeed.

[lady_ganesh]

It's 100% the fault of the publishing industry that guys don't read much! It has nothing to do with a culture that actively promotes ignorance, derides intellectual men as effeminate, and fails to promote reading to boys in the public schools...what would make you think that?

[torachan]

Blech. I mean, he's right that the "men don't read" thing is ridiculous. But I'm pretty sure all those male authors out there are not writing for women (except maybe Nicholas Sparks).

[meganbmoore]

Re: Sparks: Maybe? I guess his books do seem to be "what a guy thinks women like because stereotypes told him so."

ETA: Also, it makes me sad that his books apparently have more merit because Tragically Dead Women inspire the lives of men. (Based on my as-limited-as-possible exposure.) Notably, there are a lot of women who read romance novels because...they know the female lead won't die. Or be evil.

[torachan]

I have not actually read or seen anything by him, but I know he writes romancey things and it was my understanding that he's very popular with women.

[meganbmoore]

I've seen...3 of the movies? Maybe just 2. Virtuous and Pure Women redeem Bad Boys with their purity and not having sex before marriage. Women die at the end and men angst over them forever.

I see them praised as being "touching" and "real," unlike those trashy things women write.

I have no issues. But if it's trashy for women to have a purpose beyond redeeming men and dying because there's easily-skippable sex, then I don't mind liking trash.

[lady_ganesh]

I remember when I was a kid I caught my mom crying because in one of her Harlequin romances the lead character had died and she wasn't supposed to, dammit.

[meganbmoore]

!!!

Did she stay dead?

[lady_ganesh]

Yeah, this was before Harlequin really branched out. Mom read those books because she knew what to expect and then at the end they went and killed the heroine.

I think it's one of the reasons I can never embrace romance, even though I essentially read 90% romance online. That warnings system ficcers developed is a mitzvah when you want a comfort read.

[sub_divided]

I just read a counter-post to this... backed up by numbers!