Many people roll their eyes when someone who only reads romance refers to themselves as a reader. They’ll claim that if they only read romance, which some believe is not “real literature,” they cannot be a “real reader.” This negative stigma surrounding romance novels and their readers is rooted in misogyny. Many people may not even realize that they are internalizing certain misogynistic beliefs. This stigma must be changed in order to allow women to feel empowered rather than embarrassed about reading romance.
Romance readers are often boxed into a certain stereotype and placed in a negative light. In a column for Pacific Standard, Noah Berlatsky said, “The attitude toward romance readers is either condescension or contempt — Romance readers are either poor souls who need help, or they’re debased fools who should be scorned.” Eighty-four percent of romance readers are women, often associated with negative stereotypes. The idea that a woman must have a lack of romance in her life in order to enjoy the romance genre is a common, unjust misconception. According to the book “Dangerous Books For Girls: The Bad Reputation of Romance Novels Explained,” 59 percent of romance readers are in committed relationships. This misconception can be harmful and should be changed so that people can enjoy the romance genre without a feeling of judgment.
A very common excuse for rationalizing why romance novels are not “real literature” is the claim that they are written poorly. While obviously there are going to be some romance books that are not well written, this can be said about any book genre across the board. Language in romance novels does not have to be groundbreaking in order to be engaging and enjoyable. As Maya Rodale, a contributor from the HuffPost, said, “Romance readers and writers do know good writing — it’s the kind that make you forget you are reading, that transports you to other worlds, makes you feel all the feelings and makes you want to pick up another book and repeat the experience.” In fact, it can be a challenge for authors to write in a way that makes everything easy to follow while still evoking such strong emotions. Another part of the poor writing belief is that romance books are repetitive. However, this does not have to be a bad thing. While some might find it predictable, others enjoy the familiarity that comes with these typical romance tropes. In their simplest form, romance novels are based on love, passion and relationships from the real world. There is bound to be some repetitiveness in real-life romance, so it would make sense that this is reflected in the novels.
The content of romance novels is also critiqued. Scha Zakir from Affinity Magazine wrote, “Time and again, we hear people complain about romance novels being too ‘cringy’ and cheesy for their taste.” There is a certain stigma attached to exploring and learning about love and romantic relationships. Part of the reason for this may be that certain outdated, sexist tropes from older romance novels have affected its reputation. However, many modern romance novels touch on relevant issues and have strong, intelligent female leads. Not only that, but a person can learn a lot about romantic relationships through these novels. They allow people to discover what interests them romantically in a safe space, and there is no reason for people to be put down for this. It can even be quite beneficial to educate yourself on abusive behaviors in romantic relationships, whether emotional, physical or verbal. As Zakir said, you “sometimes don’t even realize you’re in a toxic relationship because the signs are so subtle,” and romance novels can help people identify them if they appear in their own lives.
Despite the fact that romance novels are one of the most popular fiction categories, many men do not read them, with only 16 percent of romance readers being male. This is misogyny at its finest — when content relating to women is perceived by men to be unfitting for them. The trend seems to be that men “are put off because of what romance novels symbolize … rather than by anything in romance novels themselves,” Berlatsky writes. Men appear to avoid reading romance either because they are embarrassed to be associated with it or because they have subconsciously internalized misogynistic ideas.
Women seem unable to enjoy anything without being criticized for it, being labeled as “basic” or a “pick-me.” Reading romance novels is a clear example of this, although these books give women power to discover their wants, which they should not be put down for. Sophie Gilbert has said that romance books hold a “revolutionary potential inherent in women expressing and exploring what they really want.” These books give women control that they do not always have in the real world — “a world where virtually everything that’s pleasurable for women is shaded with guilt,” as Gilbert writes. Romance novels give women power by providing a temporary escape, in the pages of books, where they are free to express their wants without external societal pressure.
The first step in changing the negative view of romance novels is bringing attention to the unfair and misogynistic ideas about them. By making people aware of these antiquated beliefs that are still affecting these readers today, a change can be made. People should be able to enjoy whatever they want and read without being judged, freeing romance readers from feeling unnecessary embarrassment from reading a genre they enjoy. Romance novels are empowering for women and allow freedom they may not have in the real world.
Lily Tener is a sophomore majoring in integrative neuroscience.