I was riding the metro a while ago and saw an add for one of the new electronic portable book readers. The caption said something like “Now you can read your romance books with out anyone realizing”. Seeing that totally pissed me off! I should not be made to feel silly or ashamed that I choose to read a particular genre of books.
When I was getting my Library and Information Studies degree, one of my favorite classes let me read romance books. (it was actual homework for me to sit on my couch and read!) The purpose of the class was to help future librarians have a better understanding of what it means to be a participant in Reader Advisory (basically help us, help you, find the right book). Anyway, we had to read one fiction book a week — each week was a different genre. What I enjoyed most about this class were the discussions. I left that class with a real appreciation for all forms of fiction. That’s not to say that I enjoy reading them all…I’m certainly not going to become a fan of Westerns anytime soon but I appreciate that people enjoy them.
I suppose my point is that we should all be tolerant about what other people read and that those of us reading romances have no reason to feel ashamed. Enjoy your romances and share them, talk about them; maybe if we do more of this – people would understand the genre a little better.
4 Comments
March 13, 2008 at 8:39 am
Ohh…..I remember that sign; there was a big one on the red line somewhere. As a matter of fact, I remember standing and staring at it for a minute. I was really frustrated at such a public implication that reading a romance novel was something to be ashamed of and done in secret. Then of course I went down to the platform and pulled out the current romance I was reading and read it in plain sight…lol! It’s the small personal rebellions that count, right?
March 13, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Absolutely! Yes, the sign was on the red line ( I know that b/c its the only line I take with any regularity).
March 21, 2008 at 1:09 pm
Those ads were plastered all over the Gallery Place stop for awhile. At least Sony “fixed” the part of the ad that insulted librarians — originally the text read “Sexier that your librarian” or something like that. Have you seen the ads contrasting a guy reading Plato with another guy reading a romance novel? They aren’t as numerous as they used to be, but there is still one on an Amtrak platform at Union Station.
March 21, 2008 at 1:17 pm
jmc, I missed the librarian add, though I’m not surprised. People need to reorganize their thinking when it comes to librarians. We are fabulous and oh so useful.
I’ve also missed the other add, which I suppose I’ll be happy about b/c most likely it would have just pissed me off.