It occurs to me that romance novels are pornography for women. I don't mean they contain sex (although some certainly do). I mean they are a cheap trick designed to stimulate the pleasure center of our lizard-brains. Men, in their basest state, generally enjoy the idea of consequence-free sex with fertile women. Media which exploit this fact are considered pornographic. Women also have base instincts, but they generally revolve around monogamy and stability (and, of course, consequencial sex). Those themes (or should I say fantasies?) are fundamental to romance novels.
Does it sound crass to say that monogamy and stability are base instincts? We like to think of them as sophisticated concepts, but why? Hell, penguins are monogamous.
Romance novels are the most popular genre in modern literature, worth over a billion dollars in 2007. That might be bigger than regular porn, and that's not counting romance-themed movies or television.
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Well spoken....
as a guy in a 21 yr relationship with the same woman, I can tell you that if anyone says you missed the mark, they are not looking at the same target as u & I.
The stinger in your statement was the: "...(and of course, consequential sex)" I thought you were about to veer off the playing field when you zeroed in and NAILED it with that!
From my personal experience:
Marital indiscretions are quite easy to cover up. I'm not proud of that, but it is true none the less. It seems that men can live with the baggage that comes with the lies and always manage to find space large enough to store them.
My wife, (sigh) on the other hand.... seems to have learned a thing or two from either her soaps or the multitude of romance novels I've seen her consume. Sometimes repeating one or two "choice" selections.
How dull would these stories be if the distressed heroine simply tucked away her imprudent act of hot monkey love with the cabin boy? To live out the rest of her days relishing and recalling the sweet memory of sweat and passion of the 2 month voyage.
Two words: BORE ING
Nooo... our heroine is not content to live on memories. A Woman's levity shared is one of nature's certainties.
Now.... Let's incorporate the other two generally accepted base instincts of women: monogamy and stability.
How can these two aspects be associated with, yet fundamentally so distant from consequential sex? Could it be that a woman bores from the monotony of monogamy? And it is in the certain uncovering of the deeds where women complete their own outline for their own romance novel.
As I have not read these novels, I can but assume that once the cat has been let out of the bag, chaos and generally hurt feelings ensue. (c'mon, what else?) Time and time again, story after story, the SAME folly brings about the SAME consequences to round out the SAME resolution:
It's not worth it. (but Oh! was it sweet!)
One might foolishly believe that a moral lesson is to be found in all these sordid exploits. Ohh noooo... on the contrary.
As I said before, in my experience, women tend to MIMIC these actions, not learn from them. Only to produce the same irrevocable end.
Might as well go for a soda...Nobody hurts and nobody cries.
Might as well go for a soda...Nobody drowns and nobody dies. Might as well go for a soda.
It's better than slander
It's better than lies....Kim Mitchell
Btw, I found your music on Archive.org. Good stuff. That lead me to you look you up. Great links also.
Ken, Memphis, TN
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