Comments on: The Debate Goes On http://helenkaydimon.com/blog/2007/08/the-debate-goes-on/ SEXY, SASSY, SMART ROMANTIC FICTION Sat, 04 Feb 2012 21:44:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Emma Petersen http://helenkaydimon.com/blog/2007/08/the-debate-goes-on/#comment-15256 Emma Petersen Sun, 26 Aug 2007 03:43:56 +0000 http://helenkaydimon.com/blog/2007/08/the-debate-goes-on/#comment-15256 Wow. I'm still having a hard time believing that these people are actually serious. Maybe it's because of my tiny fragile woman's brain that I can't comprehend how a book can change my total thought process. If that was the case wouldn't I think I'm a vampire (Had an Ann Rice obsession in high school) or doing whatever the heck someone who reads a lot of John Saul would be doing? Wow. I’m still having a hard time believing that these people are actually serious. Maybe it’s because of my tiny fragile woman’s brain that I can’t comprehend how a book can change my total thought process. If that was the case wouldn’t I think I’m a vampire (Had an Ann Rice obsession in high school) or doing whatever the heck someone who reads a lot of John Saul would be doing?

]]> By: Ilona http://helenkaydimon.com/blog/2007/08/the-debate-goes-on/#comment-14922 Ilona Wed, 15 Aug 2007 17:32:57 +0000 http://helenkaydimon.com/blog/2007/08/the-debate-goes-on/#comment-14922 As the mother of five and the wife of a man who I think is wondeful ( but quite normal) I don't believe I have had any unrealsistic expectations from my many, many years of romance reading. As the only books I won't read are horror I am more inclined to wonder what influence reading Westerns, Thrillers, Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Non-fiction have had on me?? As the mother of five and the wife of a man who I think is wondeful ( but quite normal) I don’t believe I have had any unrealsistic expectations from my many, many years of romance reading.
As the only books I won’t read are horror I am more inclined to wonder what influence reading Westerns, Thrillers, Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Non-fiction have had on me??

]]> By: Stacy ~ http://helenkaydimon.com/blog/2007/08/the-debate-goes-on/#comment-14916 Stacy ~ Wed, 15 Aug 2007 11:05:20 +0000 http://helenkaydimon.com/blog/2007/08/the-debate-goes-on/#comment-14916 Amen Charlene! Seriously, a lot of the readers and writers I've talked to have no fantastical illusions about relationships. I prefer to think that romances are more about empowerment - emotional, sexual - than about dependent, clingy women who need a man to survive. And the majority of people I know read romance to escape, to fantasize, not as their own personal romance bible. But whatever. I think they're all jealous of Nora. Amen Charlene! Seriously, a lot of the readers and writers I’ve talked to have no fantastical illusions about relationships. I prefer to think that romances are more about empowerment – emotional, sexual – than about dependent, clingy women who need a man to survive. And the majority of people I know read romance to escape, to fantasize, not as their own personal romance bible.

But whatever. I think they’re all jealous of Nora.

]]> By: Estella http://helenkaydimon.com/blog/2007/08/the-debate-goes-on/#comment-14894 Estella Tue, 14 Aug 2007 22:08:31 +0000 http://helenkaydimon.com/blog/2007/08/the-debate-goes-on/#comment-14894 How in the world does that woman justify what she spouts? She makes women sound like brainless robots. How in the world does that woman justify what she spouts? She makes women sound like brainless robots.

]]> By: Charlene Teglia http://helenkaydimon.com/blog/2007/08/the-debate-goes-on/#comment-14889 Charlene Teglia Tue, 14 Aug 2007 18:54:21 +0000 http://helenkaydimon.com/blog/2007/08/the-debate-goes-on/#comment-14889 Interesting that there's never a debate that men's reading habits might be dangerous, inspire James Bond-type antics that results in injuries, or make them more violent. I guess that Y chromosome means they're protected from the harmful effects of reading fiction. *rolling eyes* Interesting that there’s never a debate that men’s reading habits might be dangerous, inspire James Bond-type antics that results in injuries, or make them more violent. I guess that Y chromosome means they’re protected from the harmful effects of reading fiction. *rolling eyes*

]]> By: Jordan Summers http://helenkaydimon.com/blog/2007/08/the-debate-goes-on/#comment-14887 Jordan Summers Tue, 14 Aug 2007 18:34:30 +0000 http://helenkaydimon.com/blog/2007/08/the-debate-goes-on/#comment-14887 I had no idea that Dumb and Dumber had a column. :P I had no idea that Dumb and Dumber had a column. :P

]]> By: AJ O'Donovan http://helenkaydimon.com/blog/2007/08/the-debate-goes-on/#comment-14886 AJ O'Donovan Tue, 14 Aug 2007 18:21:11 +0000 http://helenkaydimon.com/blog/2007/08/the-debate-goes-on/#comment-14886 My fiance pointed me in the direction of this ( http://girl-wonder.org/girlsreadcomics/?p=82 ) which is on a similar vein. thought you might find it interesting. My fiance pointed me in the direction of this ( http://girl-wonder.org/girlsreadcomics/?p=82 ) which is on a similar vein. thought you might find it interesting.

]]> By: Caro http://helenkaydimon.com/blog/2007/08/the-debate-goes-on/#comment-14885 Caro Tue, 14 Aug 2007 18:17:18 +0000 http://helenkaydimon.com/blog/2007/08/the-debate-goes-on/#comment-14885 It is insulting and anti-woman. The cry that "romance novels are bad" seem to have been taken up very strongly by the "submissive wives" movement, those who believe that the way to cure many of the problems with the family is for the wife to let the man be in charge. The means being ruled by him in virtually every way. The book Shaunti Feldhahn' recommends, "Finding the Hero in Your Husband," is a book in support of that movement. For people who believe the wife needs to be ruled by the husband, even traditional romances are dangerously subversive because the heroines think for themselves. We may see women giving up "glamourous" careers in the Big City to settle down to a traditional family in some, or the frank escapism of a shiekh carrying away his virgin secretary, but women make these own decisions and it's made clear that the men are attracted to the women's intelligence and independence. If you want a woman to believe that she needs to rely upon her husband for every move, that it is in fact her place to do so, the last thing you want to do is wanting her to read a book that encourages her to think for herself. It is insulting and anti-woman. The cry that “romance novels are bad” seem to have been taken up very strongly by the “submissive wives” movement, those who believe that the way to cure many of the problems with the family is for the wife to let the man be in charge. The means being ruled by him in virtually every way. The book Shaunti Feldhahn’ recommends, “Finding the Hero in Your Husband,” is a book in support of that movement.

For people who believe the wife needs to be ruled by the husband, even traditional romances are dangerously subversive because the heroines think for themselves. We may see women giving up “glamourous” careers in the Big City to settle down to a traditional family in some, or the frank escapism of a shiekh carrying away his virgin secretary, but women make these own decisions and it’s made clear that the men are attracted to the women’s intelligence and independence. If you want a woman to believe that she needs to rely upon her husband for every move, that it is in fact her place to do so, the last thing you want to do is wanting her to read a book that encourages her to think for herself.

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