Comments on: Don’t Feed The Stereotypes http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2006/09/16/dont-feed-the-stereotypes/ What's hip, what's now, what's tomorrow in the romance genre world. Sat, 09 Jan 2010 20:26:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: dustbury.com http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2006/09/16/dont-feed-the-stereotypes/comment-page-1/#comment-11991 dustbury.com Tue, 19 Sep 2006 12:42:50 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/?p=738#comment-11991 <strong>Yeah, but they all do that</strong> I've never written any genre fiction, unless there's a genre called "sucky," but from what I've read, I have to believe that an essential component thereof is an adroit manipulation of cliché: if your characters are stock, they should be... Yeah, but they all do that

I’ve never written any genre fiction, unless there’s a genre called “sucky,” but from what I’ve read, I have to believe that an essential component thereof is an adroit manipulation of cliché: if your characters are stock, they should be…

]]> By: B.B. Medos http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2006/09/16/dont-feed-the-stereotypes/comment-page-1/#comment-11980 B.B. Medos Mon, 18 Sep 2006 23:21:43 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/?p=738#comment-11980 Me, too. I always tell myself I've read so many with libraians in them, I certainly don't need to read another and doggone it if I don't pick up another one. Same thing with booksellers, although they're not nearly as stereotyped. I think it's the book thing. :mrgreen: Me, too. I always tell myself I’ve read so many with libraians in them, I certainly don’t need to read another and doggone it if I don’t pick up another one. Same thing with booksellers, although they’re not nearly as stereotyped. I think it’s the book thing. :mrgreen:

]]> By: Tara Marie http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2006/09/16/dont-feed-the-stereotypes/comment-page-1/#comment-11978 Tara Marie Mon, 18 Sep 2006 23:02:04 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/?p=738#comment-11978 Bev, you may have noticed I didn't use the librarian stereotype in the column... It's my favorite, always a sucker for a good librarian story.:lol: Bev, you may have noticed I didn’t use the librarian stereotype in the column…

It’s my favorite, always a sucker for a good librarian story.:lol:

]]> By: B.B. Medos http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2006/09/16/dont-feed-the-stereotypes/comment-page-1/#comment-11975 B.B. Medos Mon, 18 Sep 2006 19:28:30 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/?p=738#comment-11975 <i>Whether you like, ignore or hate them stereotypes and clichés abound. But, why do they work in some books and not others? </i> Because sometimes they really do fit the plot, er, story being told? :mrgreen: Sometimes, too, I believe what we see as stereotypes on a surface level may actually have more in common with archetypes and those resonate or they wouldn't be archetypes. What lifts them from one level to the other is the author's storytelling skill, plain and simple. When I think of all the times Jayne Ann Krentz has actually made me like reading about prim and proper librarians just by throwing simple but quirky curves into their story . . . I mean she even gets away with it on her heroes! :wink: Whether you like, ignore or hate them stereotypes and clichés abound. But, why do they work in some books and not others?

Because sometimes they really do fit the plot, er, story being told? :mrgreen:

Sometimes, too, I believe what we see as stereotypes on a surface level may actually have more in common with archetypes and those resonate or they wouldn’t be archetypes. What lifts them from one level to the other is the author’s storytelling skill, plain and simple.

When I think of all the times Jayne Ann Krentz has actually made me like reading about prim and proper librarians just by throwing simple but quirky curves into their story . . . I mean she even gets away with it on her heroes! :wink:

]]> By: Patricia http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2006/09/16/dont-feed-the-stereotypes/comment-page-1/#comment-11969 Patricia Mon, 18 Sep 2006 14:51:05 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/?p=738#comment-11969 Stereotypes that offend--that have ever been known to offend--should be killed immediately. But some are comforting and therefore, readers gravtitate to them. Remember that all stereotypes begin with a kernel of truth. So is it stereotypical that African-American parents in the '50s and '60s emphasized education with their children because the educational opportunities they sought were hard to come by? Yep. Not true in every case of course. But that's an example of a positive stereotype, and one not likely to offend. Could be the making of an uplifting story. Do all African-American young men have brushes with the law, know someone who sells drugs or is in prison, and hope to be professional athletes or singers? Nope. Yet these are the types of stereotypes that do offend and sadly are perpetuated. Probably would turn me off from reading if I found any of this in a cover blurb. Writers need to be smart and be sensitive to their audience. Stereotypes that offend–that have ever been known to offend–should be killed immediately. But some are comforting and therefore, readers gravtitate to them. Remember that all stereotypes begin with a kernel of truth.

So is it stereotypical that African-American parents in the ’50s and ’60s emphasized education with their children because the educational opportunities they sought were hard to come by? Yep. Not true in every case of course. But that’s an example of a positive stereotype, and one not likely to offend. Could be the making of an uplifting story.

Do all African-American young men have brushes with the law, know someone who sells drugs or is in prison, and hope to be professional athletes or singers? Nope. Yet these are the types of stereotypes that do offend and sadly are perpetuated. Probably would turn me off from reading if I found any of this in a cover blurb.

Writers need to be smart and be sensitive to their audience.

]]> By: Kevin Killiany http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2006/09/16/dont-feed-the-stereotypes/comment-page-1/#comment-11968 Kevin Killiany Mon, 18 Sep 2006 14:41:25 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/?p=738#comment-11968 Ack! Borrowed my daughter's computer for that last post. That was no anonymous, that was me. Ack! Borrowed my daughter’s computer for that last post. That was no anonymous, that was me.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2006/09/16/dont-feed-the-stereotypes/comment-page-1/#comment-11963 Anonymous Mon, 18 Sep 2006 10:55:44 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/?p=738#comment-11963 Tara, I knew I was getting much more heavy handed than you had intended, but stereotypes are a real hot button with me. (Believe me, you got "KeVin lite" on the topic. I tend to go into scorched-earth mode so fast most folks get whiplash.) Sorry for the semi-hijack of a delightful thread. Interestingly enough, Rosario Ottati's 9/18 post about treating contemporaries written twenty or thirty years ago as historicals is very useful in regards to stereotypes. It at least allows the reading of good but outdated books without cringing. Tara, I knew I was getting much more heavy handed than you had intended, but stereotypes are a real hot button with me. (Believe me, you got “KeVin lite” on the topic. I tend to go into scorched-earth mode so fast most folks get whiplash.) Sorry for the semi-hijack of a delightful thread.

Interestingly enough, Rosario Ottati’s 9/18 post about treating contemporaries written twenty or thirty years ago as historicals is very useful in regards to stereotypes. It at least allows the reading of good but outdated books without cringing.

]]> By: Tara Marie http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2006/09/16/dont-feed-the-stereotypes/comment-page-1/#comment-11961 Tara Marie Mon, 18 Sep 2006 10:42:50 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/?p=738#comment-11961 Michelle, Yikes..."(my mil’s next door neighbour is a case in point) who simply buy on the word –Virgin or Blackmail or Mistress." Now, that's just a little scary. Umm, good luck with your "The Roman’s Virgin Mistress." Kevin, "Don’t feed the stereotypes? Hunt them down and kill them. Because no matter how widespread they might be, none of them is true." I agree completely, I kept this light, but I agree there are some stereotypes that need a quick death. Michelle, Yikes…”(my mil’s next door neighbour is a case in point) who simply buy on the word –Virgin or Blackmail or Mistress.” Now, that’s just a little scary. Umm, good luck with your “The Roman’s Virgin Mistress.”

Kevin, “Don’t feed the stereotypes? Hunt them down and kill them. Because no matter how widespread they might be, none of them is true.” I agree completely, I kept this light, but I agree there are some stereotypes that need a quick death.

]]> By: Jane http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2006/09/16/dont-feed-the-stereotypes/comment-page-1/#comment-11955 Jane Sun, 17 Sep 2006 23:52:52 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/?p=738#comment-11955 Amen sister. I am pretty sure it isn't the stereotyped characters that keep me reading. It's the romace between the characters that I am looking for in this genre. I wish authors would mix up the characterizations a bit. At least that would provide some variety. Amen sister. I am pretty sure it isn’t the stereotyped characters that keep me reading. It’s the romace between the characters that I am looking for in this genre. I wish authors would mix up the characterizations a bit. At least that would provide some variety.

]]> By: Tianne http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2006/09/16/dont-feed-the-stereotypes/comment-page-1/#comment-11953 Tianne Sun, 17 Sep 2006 22:08:44 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/?p=738#comment-11953 Yes, if it is a sterotype that’s been done to death, we get hooked by how much we loved them when we first started reading them. Yes, if it is a sterotype that’s been done to death, we get hooked by how much we loved them when we first started reading them.

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