Let 'er RIP!
Mar 25 '00
Lynne, you wild woman. I knew you were a closet bodice-ripper-reader.
I've got to come down on the "mostly nope" side of the fence here. I fear that, in our modern day rush to be offended, we're finding degradation hiding under every rock, lurking behind every swashbuckler's sword, and dangling beneath every Scottish Lord's kilt (ah--so that's what they have under there!).
Is the "your mouth says no, but your eyes say yes!" storyline so common to the average bodice ripper of some concern? No, I don't think it is. After all, it is fantasy. I'm sure this will generate a sick email or two, but I've been known to engage in a little roughness here and there in the name of fantasy. Of course, unlike you, I am warped, so take that for what it's worth.
Now, I can see where some might be concerned by the "no means yes" theme so common to the romance genre. It's not a good "message." However, I don't consider bodice rippers "messengers," and I would never take seriously what I find in them. Were these books forwarded as great social commentaries or guides for living, I would be concerned. Really, though--does any adult take these books seriously?
I can certainly understand concern from parents. Of course, no teenager should be reading this stuff--this is adult entertainment. Sort of like a violent version of mental Penthouse. It may have no "nasty" words or "obscene" pictures, but a steamy bodice ripper can be far nastier and more graphic than any centerfold. So, while adults can (presumably) separate the unrealistic and socially unacceptable from the rest (that doesn't leave much), a child might not be so discriminating . . . but I don't think we're talking about kids here.
The sex-violence connection is one that is prevalent in almost all aspects of our society. Women resist, men conquer--the theme is solidly ingrained in our social consciousness. Men are insistent, women demure. Is that a good lesson to teach, a healthy slant to perpetuate? Of course not, but just as I don't consider bodice rippers messengers, I also don't consider them teachers.
I suppose that, if bodice rippers were marketed as self help books, I'd have an objection or two. I'm reminded of a horrid book from the 70s, titled The Total Woman by Mirabel Morgan. I like to call it "101 Ways to Give Up Any Semblance of Self Respect." I read this book as a young teen, and let me tell you–a bodice ripper would have been a healthier read. Why? Because a bodice ripper is fiction–it's fantasy, it's silly bit of fluff that warms the nether-regions just a bit. It is never presented as anything but. "The Total Woman," on the other hand, is presented as a "how to" guide, a self help book. The message is pretty much the same, though–please your man. Who cares what you want to do, just meet him at the door with that slinky gown on, take his shoes off for him, give him what he wants when he wants it, sexually or otherwise, and never mind your hopes, dreams, mood, etc. Don't strive to succeed in the workplace (you steal his thunder and make him doubt his "manliness"). Don't disagree with him, especially not in public (how dare you?) What your man wants is what you want. Period. To me, that's a message that is made powerful simply because it is not couched in terms of "historical romance" or "romantic fiction."
I'm wandering–the more I write, the more I lean towards a solid "no." Bodice rippers are fun, completely unrealistic entertainment. When viewed in this light, their "message" carries no weight. On the rare occasion that I crack open Angel's Desire or Passion's Repose, I'm not being degraded. I'm being entertained.
This was fun, but I think you can probably see why I don't do book reviews.
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