Branded as "chick-lit"

[Nyssa]

Originally Posted by Phogg

In reading, Ian Flemming tells you that Bond looks like a young Hoagy Carmichael.

Originally Posted by cfrizz

Ick! I'll take Sean Connery, Roger Moore, and Daniel Craig over that guy any day of the week!

This will always be the problem with marketing. Trying to shoehorn everyone into a defined box is going to always be inaccurate.

Hmm...not really my cup of tea...did I mention Pierce!?! Although, I am still shocked I didn't think of Daniel Craig as part of my original post.

So I think I like Daniel Craig's grittiness (yes, yes he's hot too), Pierce's handsome charm and Sean Connery's British/Scottishness - the accent, wit, and swagger.

[Ryvyan]

Ladies who dismiss 'chick lit' and all things deemed feminine as an insult to women, then turn around to proclaim their love for all things predominantly manly, are basically reinforcing said insult.

I'm female. I like chick lit. I like fantasy. My favourite colour is yellow. I quite like glitter.

You know what? The terms 'chick lit' or 'pink' are not dirty words. I don't agree with the categorisation of genres, but I should think we do not venture into insinuating women who read chick lit and pink glittery things are silly.

Just a thought.

[Nyssa]

Originally Posted by Ryvyan

Ladies who dismiss 'chick lit' and all things deemed feminine as an insult to women, then turn around to proclaim their love for all things predominantly manly, are basically reinforcing said insult.

I'm female. I like chick lit. I like fantasy. My favourite colour is yellow. I quite like glitter.

You know what? The terms 'chick lit' or 'pink' are not dirty words. I don't agree with the categorisation of genres, but I should think we do not venture into insinuating women who read chick lit and pink glittery things are silly.

Just a thought.

I don't think anyone was insulting pink and/or glitter. For me personally, the "insult" is assuming that because I am a girl that I must like pink & glitter. However, like I said earlier, I don't care if I'm interested in the book then I'll read it, regardless of the color on the cover.

Maybe we should do what they do in Japan and cover all the books in white.

[teadonkey]

You know, I'm somewhat offended by people dissing the chick-lit label. I come across it an awful lot, to the point where one of the reasons I love my Kindle is because you can't see my girly book covers and judge me. I enjoy reading happy endings and sappy romance. I don't enjoy reading about 'maxing credit cards and one night stands with college heart throbs', so I just steer clear of those chick lit books. I don't see a problem with BEING in that genre. I read to escape, not to consider society.

[elizilla]

Originally Posted by Ryvyan

Ladies who dismiss 'chick lit' and all things deemed feminine as an insult to women, then turn around to proclaim their love for all things predominantly manly, are basically reinforcing said insult.

Did you see this when it went by on the freebies/discounts list?

http://www.amazon.com/Whipping-Girl-.../dp/1580051545

No longer free/discounted, sorry. But interesting, and gets to exactly what you're talking about here.

[wyndslash]

Originally Posted by teadonkey

You know, I'm somewhat offended by people dissing the chick-lit label. I come across it an awful lot, to the point where one of the reasons I love my Kindle is because you can't see my girly book covers and judge me. I enjoy reading happy endings and sappy romance. I don't enjoy reading about 'maxing credit cards and one night stands with college heart throbs', so I just steer clear of those chick lit books. I don't see a problem with BEING in that genre. I read to escape, not to consider society.

not to mention being judged for my covers of hot man love

[DMB]

Originally Posted by teadonkey

You know, I'm somewhat offended by people dissing the chick-lit label. I come across it an awful lot, to the point where one of the reasons I love my Kindle is because you can't see my girly book covers and judge me. I enjoy reading happy endings and sappy romance. I don't enjoy reading about 'maxing credit cards and one night stands with college heart throbs', so I just steer clear of those chick lit books. I don't see a problem with BEING in that genre. I read to escape, not to consider society.

But if you think "chick-lit" is OK, why would you mind people seeing you reading it? And can't you see why people who write literary fiction might be quite offended to have it labelled "chick-lit"?

There are many literary genres and many are very popular. What kind of thing ought people to be seen reading in order not to be sneered at?

[xg4bx]

Originally Posted by DMB

There are many literary genres and many are very popular. What kind of thing ought people to be seen reading in order not to be sneered at?

"important" books or whatever oprah recommends lol.


personally i have the literary tastes of a 15 year old boy and i don't care who knows it or sees me buying a stack of horror and mens adventure novels.

[JD Gumby]

I still don't get the big deal. Is it somehow wrong to aim shallow, stereotype-based books at women when it's perfectly fine to do so for men? (otherwise Mack Bolan wouldn't still be around after 40 years)

[Ryvyan]

Originally Posted by Nyssa

I don't think anyone was insulting pink and/or glitter. For me personally, the "insult" is assuming that because I am a girl that I must like pink & glitter. However, like I said earlier, I don't care if I'm interested in the book then I'll read it, regardless of the color on the cover.

Maybe we should do what they do in Japan and cover all the books in white.

I find that assumption to be merely one of the stereotyping society imposes on humans.

What's irritating to me is the fact that some women are so quick to claim "every woman is different!!! give them a chance!!!" on such topics (which I agree with), but then turn around and hate on other women simply because they liked these things.

Ironic and contradictory.

[Mel]

I think half the "chick-lit" stigma would go away if they stopped with the infantile covers. As I said up-thread I'm a fan of pink and glitter so that isn't the problem, it's that the covers are often insultingly childish. I could tolerate softer colors with interesting artwork or the twirly, ribbony, cartoony artwork in deeper colors. But pink and cartoony to me screams "We think you have the brain of a 10 year old."

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by Mel

I think half the "chick-lit" stigma would go away if they stopped with the infantile covers. As I said up-thread I'm a fan of pink and glitter so that isn't the problem, it's that the covers are often insultingly childish. I could tolerate softer colors with interesting artwork or the twirly, ribbony, cartoony artwork in deeper colors. But pink and cartoony to me screams "We think you have the brain of a 10 year old."

Yes I do, and it has such a nice pink cartoony look to it...

[Nyssa]

Originally Posted by Ryvyan

I find that assumption to be merely one of the stereotyping society imposes on humans.

What's irritating to me is the fact that some women are so quick to claim "every woman is different!!! give them a chance!!!" on such topics (which I agree with), but then turn around and hate on other women simply because they liked these things.

Ironic and contradictory.

Very true. People seem to ignore that fact that "we're all different" really encompasses everything including a like of pink and glitter.

As for stereotypes...ugh. My mom had a conniption when I gave my eldest boy a teddy bear as an infant and was scandalized when I bought my baby girl blue (which happens to be my favorite color). Of course pink is my daughter's absolute favorite color now, but she at least appreciates and utilizes all of the other colors on the rainbow as well.

[DMB]

Originally Posted by Nyssa

Very true. People seem to ignore that fact that "we're all different" really encompasses everything including a like of pink and glitter.

As for stereotypes...ugh. My mom had a conniption when I gave my eldest boy a teddy bear as an infant and was scandalized when I bought my baby girl blue (which happens to be my favorite color). Of course pink is my daughter's absolute favorite color now, but she at least appreciates and utilizes all of the other colors on the rainbow as well.

Ha! Ha! When my daughter (now a mother herself) was born, I was very hard up. I bought a whole lot of babygros from jumble sales for about 50p each or even less. Many of them looked a bit sad from being washed, so I died them in various brilliant colours. I got admiration from some people and disapproval from others.

[Nyssa]

Originally Posted by DMB

Ha! Ha! When my daughter (now a mother herself) was born, I was very hard up. I bought a whole lot of babygros from jumble sales for about 50p each or even less. Many of them looked a bit sad from being washed, so I died them in various brilliant colours. I got admiration from some people and disapproval from others.

Funny thing, is that pink has become an "acceptable" male color...just still not for babies. People get too easily confused I guess.

Last year my eldest was a member of Drum Line at his school. They played at a benefit for a local artist who is fighting cancer. They decided to wear pink shirts in her honor. He wasn't too crazy about it until he saw the older school mates in theirs. My youngest boy, on the other hand, will wear any color that catches his eye on that particular day and has happily played dolls with his twin sister, just as long as she in turn plays video games with him.

I think the more pressure we put on the kids to "act like their gender" the more issues we cause in the long run.