In a poll this week on whether their readers read romance novels, MSNBC has shown itself to either be blatantly biased against the best-selling fiction genre, or that its reporters desperately need a course in logic.
The question reads: "Do you read romance novels?" and the answers are as follows:
* Yes, yes, yes! Bodice-rippers are my ultimate escape.
* No way. I don't touch those books.
* Sometimes, while on vacation or at the beach.
OK, let's think about this. If you read romance novels while on vacation or at the beach, then by definition, you read them. Therefore, the answer should be "yes."
But splitting this into two categories just reinforces the idea that we should be ashamed of reading romance novels (as does posting an excerpt from Danielle Steel's latest...wow, that was painful), that it's something we should be reading hidden away at home.
I live in a town where people read the most pretentious cr@p while they're riding the Metro. Seriously. I'm not sure whether they truly enjoy this stuff, or whether they just read it to show how smart they are. And I admit it. I used to choose the books I'd read on the Metro by whether their covers would embarass me or not.
But I got over that. Screw 'em. I know I'm smart. I don't need to prove it by choosing the most boring esoteric reading material possible. I do enough dry reading in my day job...I'd rather escape and enjoy myself when I read for fun.
Anyway, what about you? Do you enjoy escapism in your reading material? There's nothing to be ashamed of. After all, 70% of the respondents (as of the time I'm posting this) agree that escapism is a good thing.
you and me, chickadee, are simpatico.
ReplyDeleteI don't get why people continue to make reading a 'romance novel' something we should be ashamed of. And continuing to call them 'bodice rippers' (hello! Soooo 1982...are these people still wearing leg warmers) or 'trashy novels' just makes them look bad. Not the person reading them.
I don't want to change everyone's opinions, I just want them to express educated opinions, not opinions based on assumptions.
Word.
ReplyDeleteI got nuttin' to add. WELL PUT. *applauds*
ReplyDeleteI looooove escapism. I love romance novels. I dig meaty literary fiction. I love a good meaty historical. I adore YA.
And most of all, I love the fact that I don't pigeonhole myself into thinking I have to stick with one genre to be "smart" or "cool".
And as far as the slams on romance goes, in 2006, something like 26.4 % of all books (or novels...one or the other) sold were romance. Read 'em and weep--people are buying them in DROVES. (statistic courtesy of http://www.rwanational.org -- check it out!)
Regarding the stupid survey? I hope Danielle Steele is laughing all the way to the bank. haha
ROFL--I think it's funny I said I had nothing else to say, then went into a big old diatribe. So, there ya go--I love talking.
ReplyDeletelol Rhonda.
ReplyDeleteI still prefer NOT to read books with insipid covers. They make me feel ridiculous.
It's the "bodice ripper" term that drives me bats -- do none of them do any research?
ReplyDeleteAnd though nowadays practically every article online has a place to comment, this one didn't! (Not that I could find, anyway.)
And for the record, I love romance. And science fiction, fantasy, YA, Jane Austen, and middle-grade novels... :-)
Cara