Almost all of the free (I sign up to a service where they send me a nice email with discounted books) digital online books I can find in the Apple bookstore are romances. Now, that wouldn't be the problem, but the problem is how PREDATORY these things are.
Take a look at this summary: while on a vacation, Miranda is kidnapped-and forced to marry Mario, the king of an underwater realm. She needs to return to her family... but can she win back her freedom before losing her heart?
Now if this is anything like the ones I started (and promptly skipped to the end in disbelief) then she's going to end up staying with him and falling in love with him because he's “not so bad” or “nothing like the guys back home”
Maybe he'll even let her speak to her family.
Now a story like this can be done right, but my problem here is that it's treated as “alright” that she's developing feelings for him. Like this isn't Stockholm syndrome. You know how much that book is normally? $6.20 (Canadian). That much money for a Stockholm story told as alright.
In the description, a review even called it
“An enthralling fantasy tale”
Enthralling for who, the girl who was KIDNAPPED and forced to marry someone? Just because he's white and conventionally attractive (if the cover is anything to go by) she's going to fall in love with him?
Help me make more videos! https://www.patreon.com/popdetective Harrison Ford has played some of the most iconic male heroes ever to appear on film. Many of h...
a really interesting video that i have not visited in some time, but it is the video that introduced me to the “Pop Culture Detective” youtube channel, which has a lot of excellent and interesting videos about masculinity and pop culture (tv shows, movies, and more!). i recommend! <3
Just another add on to that Blank scene where Ella finally screamed NO. I am so happy she did and kicked him off and he left. See the above video about how “predatory romance” has been handled in many movies and TV as a theme, to show womens anger aint real and its romantic if he forces you to have sex.
Glad Blank took up this subject and until now handled it pretty well…but of course we dont know yet how they will show the aftermath of that scene. Hope Ella does NOT apologize!
I’m making a new post to avoid exceeding the word count and because it’s easier. Reply under the cut
The females thing is a whole different argument I wont get into atm. Hate it though and I’m not alone
if you want you can read this https://jezebel.com/the-problem-with-calling-women-females-1683808274
or this https://www.buzzfeed.com/tracyclayton/stop-calling-women-females?utm_term=.chZaoW6ro#.ff2kQOYEQ
on that subject. In short it makes me and many other women I know uncomfortable! That should be enough tbh
Yeah! The trope is disturbing! That's my point! Han is portrayed as a hero, Leia portrayed as secretly wanting it. And that sucks! Because outside of those scenes, Han’s a very likeable character! It shouldn’t have gone down like that. There are a million other ways to portray a romance where at first Character A and Character B don’t get along. It doesn’t have to, and shouldn’t include Character A forcing themselves onto B in any way, especially when this is treated as desirable behavior.
I never said Han is an innocent victim. My point was that Star Wars, along with a lot of other popular media have made it clear that forceful behavior is desirable, and that is wrong. It has real world consequences. How many people (especially women) do you know who have had at least one guy who just won’t let up? These people are validated by these roles. They are told they are the heroes of the story. It’s not ok!
I also want to point out that criticizing story lines, asking my fellow people to criticize, and hoping that these story lines with serious real world repressions become a thing of the past is not censoring. I doubt you actually think I can personally shut this down, right? What I want is for people to be critical and for story lines like this to be criticize. For people to realize it isn’t acceptable. I have no doubt people will do what they want. But I and others have every right to criticize and make others think about what it is they are watching and what it means.
Also as far as telling my own story, I believe you know that is a pretty ridiculous solution to this problem. I am talking about franchises larger and more popular than most others. Who hasn’t heard of star wars, or indiana jones? It is important to criticize these works as they are so widely viewed. Even if I was an amazing writer, super talented, it would not guarantee me any success, certainly not that on the level of Star Wars. I certainly hope people in the future will write better story lines than this. It really isn’t that hard to respect women in stories.
What the Star Wars franchise does with its future is important. I think the writers need to take responsibility for the past and not continue down similar routes as far as the romances they portray. You are correct in that I am saying this trope is wrong. And also - not creative. It has been shown in a lot of media. And it’s disgusting. I think you know that on some level judging by the fact that it did change how you viewed Han after thinking on it.
I don’t even know where to begin on your reading of Kylo. If we focus back on the story line though I think I can explain part of what would be bad about it. Say for a moment Kylo does some sort of magic turn around and starts working for the resistance. Let’s say he then get’s with Rey, and hell why not say that he’s even respectful of her all of a sudden because why not if you’re doing a personality switch. If you can’t tell I doubt any of that will happen.
What this would say to me is that what he did in the past didn’t matter. As long as he said sorry it would all be fine!! That as long as you apologize and do some nice things later you can get away with everything. I do not think this is a good message. Even if he turned he would need to pay dearly for his actions and I don’t think that narrative plus a romance with anyone would be appropriate. Let alone Rey who he has personally violated.
I think my being against this relationship bothered you more than the other things I said but I do not take it back. It would be horrible if the writers did it and it frankly makes me sick to think about, mainly because I empathize with our protagonist, Rey. What I said above is not all I think but I think I’ve written more than enough.
