Misogynistic literature

[ArmyOfPenguins]

Inspired by a thread in Relationships, I wonder if anyone else has issues with their male partners choosing to read fiction that is graphically misogynistic in its language and imagery.

I do, and I don't really know why. Any thoughts?

Doesn't seem off topic to me!

Maybe it's just that woman-hating language has no impact on most men, to the point where you think it's just normal to them. Apparently, a lot of men adjust their language around women.

I really don't like reading books by men these days, because it looks like an insight into their heads. A bit like anonymous internet trolls. How many men do they represent?

Sorry if I'm not making sense. Wine.

Sorry, maybe not too off topic, then, I just wasn't aware of the other thread.

Yes, I really do dislike (possibly through prejudice ) most literature written by men. They always seem to push women into a very narrow set of tropes (victimised prostitute/cop with daddy issues/ nun/ homely mum) and I find it so hard to read their prose about females; I have a constant face on because it always seems so 2-dimensional. Even autopsy scenes seem to have comments like 'her pert breasts bounced in rhythm to the circular saw dissecting her sternum'

It's not enjoyable to read.

Army, you have hit on what has often been talked about on here about male feminist allies. Which is why hey get given a hard time and then get all put off feminists.

I know what you mean about books by men. I watch a lot of films, some with a film club. I am fed up with watching films from the male point of view where women are just a bit part or a bit of totty, however highbrow they purport to be. And yes, getting insight into the average male head is not pretty. Nor is it pretty to be in the average female head, but I seriously don't think it is as full of harmful dismissal (whilst taking full advantage of their energies)* of the opposite sex at best, violence against them at worst.

*I could write an essay on this.

At the risk of being controversial and / or offensive (for which I apologise in advance if that's the case) I think what you are expressing is the disappointment so many women have in the men they live with.

It's like what DebrisSlide is saying. Only the most unusual men will be able to really, genuinely get it. Even the nicest, most decent ones mostly don't. That's how patriarchy corrupts men and how it ensures that so many of our relationships with them are curtailed and limited because their experience of life is so cut off from our's. Most of them can't understand what this sort of casual misogyny is to us, because to them it's just academic, it doesn't touch them directly and they've been infected by it anyway. It's one of the reasons so many women can't risk getting too involved with feminism, because it would entail feeling creeping disappointment with their life partner. It's horrible and tragic and a real consequence of patriarchy and one of the things you don't investigate too much when you live with a man because it opens too many cans of worms tbh.

I wish you would Debris (write that essay) I'd read it!

Army, you have hit on what has often been talked about on here about male feminist allies. Which is why they get given a hard time and then get all put off feminists.

I know what you mean about books by men. I watch a lot of films, some with a film club. I am fed up with watching films from the male point of view where women are just a bit part or a bit of totty, however highbrow they purport to be. And yes, getting insight into the average male head is not pretty. Nor is it pretty to be in the average female head, but I seriously don't think it is as full of harmful dismissal (whilst taking full advantage of their energies)* of the opposite sex at best, violence against them at worst.

*I could write an essay on this.

Sorry! Got a glitch. Damnit, I lost a much more interesting post, if I do say so myself.

Basil, you've written better than I ever could about the drain that men are on women.

Debris: please post either your essay or your 'much more interesting post'.
That is a demand

And Basil, yes, it's very much frustration. When you are close to someone, it's heartbreaking to think they just cannot 'get' you.

It's a bit late for a rant and my tab keeps eating my words, so I shall postpone.

I understand where you are comng from. It's just unthinking, but that unthinking is so important, especially when you have come from a background of not having the luxury of it being an unthought. Privilege, eh?

Going back to the point about reading critically vs uncritically. The former is fine, isn't it, but the latter isn't. If they act like they have read it uncritically that makes us uneasy. I don't think it's as direct as reading a horrible rape scene and getting turned out on. But reading a horrible rape scene and dismissing it utterly and thoughts turning to sex (or icecream, even but obv sex is the touchy one)
I feel the same about violent and sad films to me it seems a degree of compartmentalism that a) feels weird and b) I wish I had.
I'm fully prepared to be told I'm oversensitive and so on.

Agree on reading male authors. So many lauded authors, must reads, 'amazing' contemporary male authors just leave me cold. Because they are so 'othering' in their approach to women. Othering as in mysterious mysteries with mysterious motives or othering as sex objects, or just making the tea and plot devices.

The issue also revolves about books and when they were written. No one is going to have an issue with LotR because the book was written in an era when women were still stay at home mothers in 98% of cases. So the perspective that you have to have when viewing other people reading lists is when the book was written and also the age of the author. A 20 something author now will write differently to a 50 year old author in the 1950s.

And I tried policing what DS1 reads and realised I was turning into the thought police. How can he form his own opinions if what he reads is vetted by me or others?

I think it depends on what exactly he is reading and why he is reading it.

If it is "literary" and he is reading it to appreciate a writing style or to put other books in context, I don't think that there is anything wrong with it. I don't think many would want to ban Nabokov's "Lolita", for instance, because it concerns paedophilia. And just about every book over a century old would have what would be what is now considered sexist and often even misogynistic.

If it is trash regarding hurting or degrading women, then I think all civilised people should have a problem with it. "American Psycho" (for me) is just a vile book. I could not read it and thought it horribly misogynistic as well as just glorifying torture and violence.

"I really don't like reading books by men these days, because it looks like an insight into their heads. "

I'd be hesitant to assume that, a bad writer is going to just write what they think/feel, a good writer will do so much more than that.

I do think you need to refer to the other thread -

HERE

as some of the context is being lost on this thread. There is an assumption that the partner of the Original OP (OOP from now on) was wanting sex after reading this book when in fact the OOP was concerned that it didn't stop him from having sex.

Many things don't stop me from wanting sex, I can quite happily watch the 10 o'clock news, or some charity extravaganza and not lose my libido - it doesn't mean I'm turned on by it!

Also, the book in question is by Irving Welsh who is renowned for his gritty, hard stories & was enjoyed by many people of both sexes. The implication that it's a "male only" book is totally unfounded!

The OOP didn't like it & couldn't understand how her DP could, and (I think) had opened the thread looking for support of her view & was disgruntled not to get it!

I've not read the book, but it sounds quite interesting so may give it a go based on the "reviews" on the other thread. The main character isn't meant to be "fluffy" & by all accounts gets his comeuppance, he in no way benefits from his actions.

I believe it's perfectly normal to be able to read fiction and not get upset by it. I can only think of a couple of times that I've had to re-read a sentence thinking "did that just happen", never been physically affected by a story & at no time have I (or 99.9% of people) mistaken the story for an instruction manual.

Personally speaking, I think my DW would be more worried if I started reading "feminine" fiction - whatever that actually is...

If nothing "illegal" or "nasty" happened in books then it'd be a boring world & we'd never have heard of Agatha Christie for one....

I think this is a really interesting question.

I read some literature myself that is misogynistic and I work on medieval literature, loads of which is really misogynistic. And I love it.

But I think what bothers me, is when someone reads misogynistic literature because they enjoy the messages. I have an ex, who is generally a nice person, but I did feel really squeamish when he discussed reading Brett Easton Ellis, because the level of violence against women there just turned my stomach.

And I do think it has an impact. Fiction is meant to be entertaining, and I think you do internalize the idea 'oh, this was entertaining ... and it was violence against women'.

I'm not saying misogynistic literature shouldn't be read, or we should never enjoy anything that isn't feministy, because literature isn't propaganda. But I do think it's a question that really needs exploring and the knee-jerk 'oh, it's just fiction' isn't a good enough response.

Comingalongnicely that's not what this thread is about.

This thread is to examine the subject more generally.

I find it hard to relate to people who don't read very much. I find it even harder when people who don't read very much start whining and stamping about what other people read and telling them how to react to it.
Most people who read a lot have open, inquiring minds, and they like to be exposed to a variety of viewpoints and a whole range of possibilities.