Unfortunately not a hot take opinion for your fandoms, but I have been seeing a lot of people calling booktok "the fast fashion of reading" and I think it a gross misunderstanding of both booktok *and* fast fashion. Fast fashion is evil for reasons not primarily related to the speed of which fashion is consumed. Yes, I also dislike how quickly trends come in and out of fashion and the way it leads to a lack of unique designs (unique premises in books perhaps being the equivalent) and flattens personal expression to some generalized wave of popularity (aesthetics and the tropeification of books) but those are valid critiques of both, but that is not what makes fast fashion evil and concerning. Fast fashion has issues of child labour and other underpaid, unethical workplace violations. Fast fashion has synthetic fibers that pollute our earth and have dangerous chemicals woven into them that cause all sorts of harm to the wearers. Colleen Hoover books and dark romantasy novels are not, for all their failings, causing cancer and filling landfills. And if, for the latter, they are!!!!! They're actually gonna decompose. I understand what the intended purpose of statements like that are supposed to be, but I think, *especially* in a time where everyone would like to avoid the harder conversations and search results and nefarious news would *love* to obfuscate the real damage caused by our consumerism, this is an incredibly misleading and sticky mindset to have. Hate booktok all you want (but also I feel booktok gets unduly criticized at times, we really do just want to be mad, and what is an easier target than a group of women in community with a hobby that doesnt cater to what women *should* be interested in — skills that immediately benefit their community or men — but i too am fallible! This is recognize!), but fast fashion allegations lack nuance and sense.
hmmm yknow what i agree with you. devils advocate- i think the comparison stems from the marketing of a product, what tropes or styles are trendy in a moment and capitalizing on those in order to make a quick buck, resulting in a product that is 'cheap' and not something that has good quality that takes time and effort.
however yeah the similarities kinda end there. unfortunately no one is dying from reading butcher and blackbird or the latest acotar. i myself have openly loved a booktok book on more than one occasion! but yeah it is a nuanced topic - certainly more than the pitfalls and effects that fast fashion has one our physical health and the environment overall
