Dear Male Authors, Intro to a Series

[terribleturnip]

In talking with The Consort a couple of weeks ago, we were talking about Heinlein, and I mentioned how damn cringe-worthy his books are now. He didn't know what I was talking about. I said "the rampant sexism, women as objects, most of the time, the only women of value being smart AND hot." He literally hadn't noticed until I mentioned it.

Several months ago, got in a conversation with a friend over an old book that he wanted me to read and I said I had to quit after a couple of chapters because the women were so poorly written, that there's no way a woman would really think that way (the main character was a woman) and he said "no, I think that the author's really good at writing female characters."

And just got in an argument with random dude who, in response to a young woman saying that 1984 was rapey, proceeded to explain the entire book and how it wasn't, in fact, rapey. Despite the fact that Winston literally says that he wants to rape Julia.

Now, I'd argue with the young woman that one line doesn't make the whole book rapey, and that while I could tease some misogyny out of the text easily, compared to similar books of the time, it's not that bad and the other themes in the book are powerful enough to make it worth the read.

But similar books of the time...does make me realize that this is not something relegated to the past.

I read a book a couple of years ago, written by a man -- and it wasn't great literature, but a fun read, zombies in a Middle Eastern war zone, pretty much. But I realized at the end that I didn't actually know what the women looked like. No idea if they were pretty or not. No idea about the size of their breasts or shape of their bodies. A woman was leading a team of mercenaries, mostly men, and there was ZERO explanation of how a woman came about to be leading a team of bad-ass men -- like you could just assume that she was a bad ass AND a good leader. It was such a joy and REALIZING how refreshing it was made me realize just how RARE it was in the books I tend to read.

And now, of course, I can't help but notice. (The actual definition of "Woke", as opposed to slur it seems to have become.) And it really pisses me off.

But in many cases, I don't think the author even realizes he's doing it! Just like I could be writing stuff that's subtly racist, or misandrist and because I'm a white woman, I don't even "see/hear" it until someone points it out.

So, to that aim, here begins the series: where I drop examples of writing that is...however you want to see it -- harmful to women, pisses off your women readers, makes you seem like some dude mired in the '50's still, whatever. I'm not outing the authors or the book, unless it's endemic, because I truly believe that these authors, most of them anyway, are good men who have just beeen raised in our culture and it leaks out from time to time. That if an editor or reader brought it to their attention that most of them would have changed. (Okay, most of them might argue a bit. ;) )

But still, this is more preventative, shedding light, on stuff that might sound fine to you as you're sitting there reading, but to a woman's eyes/ears is so effing tiresome, if not downright offensive or harmful.

So, here's one:

"Laurie was a good match for Tyler, bright and outspoken -- the kind of girl who wore almost no makeup, but was naturally attractive."

OMG, can't we just be bright and outspoken and that be good enough? Do we also have to look good with almost no make-up? (Men, in case you don't know, women/girls get judged if we don't wear make-up because we're not attractive enough, or if we do, we get judged because we wear TOO much make-up. Apparently there's a PERFECT level of make-up which we all should aspire to - the kind that makes us just a little sexy, a little better looking, but doesn't "false advertise" or make us look like we're looking for a hook-up.

And also, average looking people can also be good matches.

(If you doubt me, go ahead and google things like women wear too much makeup or women who don't wear makeup)

I know, you're thinking "that's not a big deal, you're going to take the author for task on just that?" And I will answer #1, wait as the series grows. #2, that's literally just the book I'm reading currently - I didn't search for an egregious example, I didn't pick this book on purpose. I'm a quarter of the way through the book and had zero concerns about the way women are portrayed, sure some stereotypes but honestly some people ARE stereotypes, that's how the stereotype arose. This was just a "going good so far and goddamit, he trips." Sigh.

Comments

[thewayne]

My wife had a prof who said something along the lines that if an author can't write a realistic woman, what do you think about the way they write aliens.

I agree about Heinlein, very cringy. I always considered his later work to be his 'dirty old man' phase.