27th
In which I ponder whether porn or romance novels are more vilified
My comment in response to this comment by whrosen at “Why The Porn Business Isn’t Misogynist” by Susannah Breslin at her Forbes blog Pink Slip:
My comment:
I don’t know, though…is that phrase ever meant to not sound pejorative and dismissive? I’d never heard of Farrell until just now but a quick search brought me to something that sounds as ridiculous as anything I’ve ever read about the evils of porn or romance novels (both of which are highly, highly vilified, and I might venture to say that porn is way more accepted in pop culture today than romance novels are; check your stereotypes, please, about users of each): “Hustler Magazine and romance novels provide complementary images of death: hers through a meat grinder for male pleasure, his via terrorists for female pleasure.” (quote via http://warrenfarrell.us/TheBook/index.html) As someone who’s read many, many romance novels, clearly not the one Farrell has, I cannot say that male death is a major plot point. See Sarah Wendell’s books and website http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/ for nuanced, informative critiques and celebrations of romance novels. I also love being told what occupies my psyche; don’t you?
Very much on the money (shot).
The psychologist and writer Warren Farrell refers to romance novels as female porn. He notes that it occupies the same niche in women’s psyches, simulation of the central fantasy of romance, love and marriage.