[Politics] Ban romantic novel's

[Iggle Piggle]

Lady Smythe's eyes burned like Sapphire when General Ponsomby was around. His broad shoulders and masculine ways were a lightning rod to the lady who had a lonely aching heart for as long as she could remember.

''What is it that your heart most desires my lady? asked the General

''You'' said Lady Smythe ''It is you''

''Alright then'' said the General ''I'm going to smash your back doors in, Brace yourself''

Who would want to ban that?

 

[Me and my Monkey]

In what possible sense do these books have strong feminist heroines? All three books are based on the premise that a woman's only aim in life is make a favourable marriage. I'm not sure that they're strong heroines either - it's a fair enough description of Jane but Elizabeth and Cathy/Catherine are scarcely storming the barricades for women's rights.

Because all three women were compelled to operate within the restrictions of the societies in which they lived. I agree that Jane was the most trailblazing of the three and was prepared to put herself in mortal danger rather than compromise her principles and beliefs, but Elizabeth on the other hand used her intelligence and integrity to ensure that she got what and where she wanted. Both insisted they were treated as intellectual equals to the men in their stories, and were successful. You could argue that the values and principles they lived by and which were important to them were oppressive and mysoginistic in themselves - why shouldn’t Jane and Mr R live together if he couldn’t divorce his mad wife, and why shouldn’t Elizabeth’s stupid little sister run off with a squaddy if she wanted without “bringing shame” upon the whole family? It’s easy though to be a trail blazing, bra burning feminist in late 20th century/early 21st century Britain when all the hard groundwork’s been done for you, so I would argue that in their way these female authors and their heroines were the trail blazers. Cathy, though, was just bonkers, and rather horrible, so perhaps that’s why I like her best.

 

[Buzzer]

Indeed. He should have mentioned The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (Anne Bronte) which IS considered to have a feminist heroine.

PS - Good luck in the REMF quiz!

Likewise Wilkie Collins 'Woman In White'.

 

[Badger]

I agree with your sentiment but I'm not so sure that we can tar everyone born from the early 1980s to the early 2000s with the same brush.

There have been some clickbait 'articles' recently proclaiming that millenials are offended by everything from Friends to The Simpsons. I imagine they are based on a couple of tweets by random teens or twenty-somethings. A lot of so-called millenials would've grown up watching these shows.

The whole millenials thing is so ridiculous. I was born in the early 1980s, so I fall into this so-called generation, but whenever I read articles about millenials they're clearly directed at people much younger than me. Lumping together people who are almost 40 with people in their early 20s (or even late teens) is completely meaningless.

 

[pearl]

Because all three women were compelled to operate within the restrictions of the societies in which they lived. I agree that Jane was the most trailblazing of the three and was prepared to put herself in mortal danger rather than compromise her principles and beliefs, but Elizabeth on the other hand used her intelligence and integrity to ensure that she got what and where she wanted. Both insisted they were treated as intellectual equals to the men in their stories, and were successful. You could argue that the values and principles they lived by and which were important to them were oppressive and mysoginistic in themselves - why shouldn’t Jane and Mr R live together if he couldn’t divorce his mad wife, and why shouldn’t Elizabeth’s stupid little sister run off with a squaddy if she wanted without “bringing shame” upon the whole family? It’s easy though to be a trail blazing, bra burning feminist in late 20th century/early 21st century Britain when all the hard groundwork’s been done for you, so I would argue that in their way these female authors and their heroines were the trail blazers. Cathy, though, was just bonkers, and rather horrible, so perhaps that’s why I like her best.

Me too .... like Cathy best that is. Have you read Wide Sargasso Sea (by Jean Rhys)? It's about Adele before becoming Mrs Rochester

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

It'll be crime novels next, encouraging a life of crime to those that read them

Sent from my SM-A310F using Tapatalk

Well it's criminal how much crap NSC's darling Peter James has turned out over the years. Apparently he's just announced the title of his next novel: 'Dead Uninspiring Formulaic Shite But You'll Love the Cover and the Branding of the Product and it'll go with the Other Ones on Your Shelf'

 

[LlcoolJ]

The whole millenials thing is so ridiculous. I was born in the early 1980s, so I fall into this so-called generation, but whenever I read articles about millenials they're clearly directed at people much younger than me. Lumping together people who are almost 40 with people in their early 20s (or even late teens) is completely meaningless.

I agree but I'd go further in that all these ridiculous terms for "generations" are absolute bollocks. Whenever anyone starts going on about "Generation this or that" I immediately switch off. It's about as relevant as star signs. Everyone is different.

I've met some EDL supporting, Brexit voting, totally racist and right wing 20 year olds and I also know plenty of liberal, left wing pensioners who are at the other end of the spectrum. Plus everything in between.

It's just lazy rubbish to label everyone of a certain age or generation with the same name and attempt to say what "they" are like.

 

[LlcoolJ]

Oh and books shouldn't be banned, obviously unless they're illegal or put people's lives at risk etc. Being offended is never an excuse to ban anything.

 

[Stat Brother]

Well it's criminal how much crap NSC's darling Peter James has turned out over the years. Apparently he's just announced the title of his next novel: 'Dead Uninspiring Formulaic Shite But You'll Love the Cover and the Branding of the Product and it'll go with the Other Ones on Your Shelf'

Has he now reached the point where the whole book is backstory?
He was certainly heading that way when I gave up, a long long time ago.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

The whole millenials thing is so ridiculous. I was born in the early 1980s, so I fall into this so-called generation, but whenever I read articles about millenials they're clearly directed at people much younger than me. Lumping together people who are almost 40 with people in their early 20s (or even late teens) is completely meaningless.

I'm 46. Am I a 'millenial'?

I genuinely have no idea what it is supposed to mean.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Actually I'm 47, and apparently approaching senility.

 

[daveybgtt]

I watched this segment with some amusement, basically no-one who commented via twitter or facebook etc agreed with them, stupid stuck up cow, obviously living in her isolated bubble of like minded brainwashed sheep. She was exactly the type of woman who would have voted Brexit, but lied about it to her "friends"

It seems like you have to think a certain way in these celebrity circles or risk being ostracized.

Also I was mesmerised by Susannah Reids almost lazy eye, and contemplated going to the bathroom to rub one out over a picture of her legs before work.

 

[Badger]

I'm 46. Am I a 'millenial'?

I genuinely have no idea what it is supposed to mean.

It's anyone born between 1980 and 2000, so no. I didn't realise this until fairly recently. I'd always assumed millenials were born some time around the turn of the millenium i.e. 1990s/early 2000s.

 

[daveybgtt]

No-one born in the early to mid eighties should be considered a Millennial.

Does this cool dude look like he is offended by people noticing the ethnicity of suicide bombers?

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

1) God (if he/she/it exists) bless NSC for turning an outrage thread into a debate on whether the lead characters of Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice and Wuthering heights are strong feminist characters. Ace work.

2) Getting things back on track...why are millenials offended by Friends, Only fools and horses, Bond and romance novels?

 

[Herr Ing Gull]

I recently discovered that those born in late 1970s/early 1980s are Xennials - analogue childhood, digital adulthood. I imagine this is a portmanteau of Generation X (HKFC) and Millenial.

 

[LlcoolJ]

I recently discovered that those born in late 1970s/early 1980s are Xennials - analogue childhood, digital adulthood. I imagine this is a portmanteau of Generation X (HKFC) and Millenial.

What ****ing genius thought that one up?

 

[Brovion]

Whatever happened to Generation Y? And the Slacker Generation? I seem to remember both those terms being banded around at some stage?

 

[Gwylan]

Likewise Wilkie Collins 'Woman In White'.

Yeah, that's one that immediately occurred to me. Or Becky Sharp, now there's a really modern woman, living on her own wits.

I accept that the heroines are the products of their time but I can't see them as feminist role models. The whole point of P&P is the need to get daughters married off and the search for eligible men, it's the opening line of the book. Elizabeth is being pushed to marry Darcy from the very first pages and eventually does - I can't see that as a mark of a strong, independent woman.

Now, if M&MM had said Fanny Price, he may well have had a point. There is a heroine who rejects the marriage offer of a wealthy, eligible man and is prepared to suffer the consequences. For all Elizabeth's wit, Fanny is a much better role model for the modern woman.

 

[beorhthelm]

It's anyone born between 1980 and 2000, so no. I didn't realise this until fairly recently. I'd always assumed millenials were born some time around the turn of the millenium i.e. 1990s/early 2000s.

thats a daft definition. the early millennial would be knocking on 40 and have little in common with those just leaving school. and leaves no space for the "generation Y" group that followed generation X. born 1990-2000 is more sensible.