Why is the Romance Genre the Romance Genre

Schwab

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I say this specifically for romance targeted toward women and...well, women still because I don't know how any gay man could stomach what comes out of yaoi. But why is the romance genre the way it is? Why do people enjoy writing and reading what comes out of it? Why do people find sexual harassment, stalking, and hairy/abusive men attractive?

What's up with that?
 

Bloodysin28

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I say this specifically for romance targeted toward women and...well, women still because I don't know how any gay man could stomach what comes out of yaoi. But why is the romance genre the way it is? Why do people enjoy writing and reading what comes out of it? Why do people find sexual harassment, stalking, and hairy/abusive men attractive?

What's up with that?
Cause the abusive men Are considered alpha male by nature,this better genes,thus nature wants u to produce babies with said alpha male,it's that simple yet people overcomplicate such basic logic.
 

Toomanysorrows

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Because humans are weird?

First off it should be noted that a lot of the romance genre isn't like that at all. But as for stalking/harassment/abusive things... speaking as someone who's really into yandere fiction, I can at least give my reason. I'm already not the most attractive person irl, and that's compounded by the fact that despite definitely wanting to be in love with someone and in a relationship, I've never really had a serious one and never even really been strongly in love with someone. Which leads to a certain amount of insecurity on whether or not I'll ever get a relationship. And in that circumstance, a person who doesn't take no for an answer and will basically force you to be into one, or at least heavily pressure you into it, because they feel so strongly, is kind of a nice fantasy. And there's a myriad of other reasons why people would be into it as well.

Also, emphasis on the fantasy part, because I and a lot of people who enjoy that sort of stuff are fully aware it'd be bad irl.

As for finding body hair attractive, it's just cute? Never understood why people dislike it tbh.

Tldr people have very varied life experiences, which interact very weirdly with sexual and romantic interest and sometimes produce weird fantasies.
 

Queenfisher

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I say this specifically for romance targeted toward women and...well, women still because I don't know how any gay man could stomach what comes out of yaoi. But why is the romance genre the way it is? Why do people enjoy writing and reading what comes out of it? Why do people find sexual harassment, stalking, and hairy/abusive men attractive?

What's up with that?

But why is the romance genre the way it is?
Erm... because it's escapism? How is that different from any escapism there is? :blob_blank: Only you escape into the world where someone loves you undyingly, which is unfeasible in real life. Like, you know, being OP or having a harem of 100+ beauties is.
Escapism.

Why do people enjoy writing and reading what comes out of it?
Why do people enjoy OP murder hobos with harems? :blob_hmm_two: Why do people enjoy tentacle porn? Why do people enjoy misery and gore and horror?
Just 'cause we do ╮ (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.) ╭.

Why do people find sexual harassment, stalking, and hairy/abusive men attractive?
I never read that. Almost nobody I know on this forum and in real life reads that. Ask the people who do, I guess? Why generalize huge swaths of people based on the few unrepresentative members?

Why are we all furries, if so? :blob_reach:

Also -- separate the question for ease of use.

Why do people find hairy men attractive?

Not sure what this means... as in "all men are hairy? therefore unattractive" or specifically "men with body hair"? Actually, I have seen this complaint given to women so often. Why do women like fictional men if men are so unattractive? The answer would be -- why do men like fictional women if women are so unattractive?

See how nonsensical it sounds?

Fictional women are usually super-hot. Guess what -- fictional men are also idealized, especially in BL -- one of the terms for which is "danmei" (literally -- "indulgence in beauty"). So what unattractive fictional men are you even talking about?

Why do people find sexual harassment, stalking, abusive men attractive?

Being attracted to abuse is different. That has something to do with internalized misogyny, clashes with feminism, some vague leftovers from patriarchy, something else bizarre and psychologically too deeply-rooted in how culture has portrayed women and love for millennia. It's hard to explain, but the majority of contemporary women do NOT like that, or if they do enjoy it occasionally -- they do it in a safe environment (books) in order to work their issues out safely.

Cause the abusive men Are considered alpha male by nature

:blob_dizzy: The history's trajectory up to now would say "huh?" to that.

Men who can cooperate with society in meaningful ways (benefit it) are considered more advantageous by "nature" of how human civilizations work. Most men who were considered great in human history and let us all live as we do now, comfortably and more or less healthily, weren't that aggressive or alpha. Generations procreating with such beneficial individuals instead of procreating with aggressive but dumb people would lean toward women (and therefore nature) being more likely to want progeny from chill people rather than from alpha assholes.

That said, if the alpha asshole is hot, that would change a lot of things. But that has nothing to do with alphaness -- and everything with bone structure and the fact that people are stupid and fall for appearances most often.
 

minacia

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The romance genre is really big though!

It's like saying there's problem with "fiction" as a genre... the statement is too vague to mean anything!

Why do people find sexual harassment, stalking, and hairy/abusive men attractive?
Because humans are weird?

First off it should be noted that a lot of the romance genre isn't like that at all. But as for stalking/harassment/abusive things... speaking as someone who's really into yandere fiction, I can at least give my reason. I'm already not the most attractive person irl, and that's compounded by the fact that despite definitely wanting to be in love with someone and in a relationship, I've never really had a serious one and never even really been strongly in love with someone. Which leads to a certain amount of insecurity on whether or not I'll ever get a relationship. And in that circumstance, a person who doesn't take no for an answer and will basically force you to be into one, or at least heavily pressure you into it, because they feel so strongly, is kind of a nice fantasy. And there's a myriad of other reasons why people would be into it as well.

Also, emphasis on the fantasy part, because I and a lot of people who enjoy that sort of stuff are fully aware it'd be bad irl.

As for finding body hair attractive, it's just cute? Never understood why people dislike it tbh.

Tldr people have very varied life experiences, which interact very weirdly with sexual and romantic interest and sometimes produce weird fantasies.
+1 to this response!

I have a *bad* story on ScribbleHub but it's full of emotional baggage.
 

K5Rakitan

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Why do people enjoy writing and reading what comes out of it? Why do people find sexual harassment, stalking, and hairy/abusive men attractive?

What's up with that?
We want the strongest male to give us seed for our offspring. However, when you translate "strong" into modern society, you wind up with a man who is persistent and won't give up. Those qualities indicate that the male will do anything it takes to get money to provide for his family. It is natural for the female to show some resistance because the male needs to prove himself. Unfortunately, many romance stories take this to unhealthy levels.

On the other side of the same coin, women have been culturally conditioned for centuries to think that we're not allowed to express sexual desire. Thus, having a man do that to us is a "liberating" experience in that it's not our fault if he winds up breeding us. We don't want to bear responsibility for the relationship, because responsibility sucks. Also, some women are sensitive about being called "slut" etc.

As for the hair, I can take it or leave it. I date both hairy men and men with pretty much no body hair. It doesn't matter to me either way.
 

K5Rakitan

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I'd also like to make a few comments on this song, which has garnered attention for being controversial in recent years. Notice that her excuses revolve around her family, her neighbors, basically her community. "I ought to say no," isn't really a no. She's not speaking for herself but rather for her reputation. She has to put up the act for the sake of appearances.

 

Schwab

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Because humans are weird?

First off it should be noted that a lot of the romance genre isn't like that at all. But as for stalking/harassment/abusive things... speaking as someone who's really into yandere fiction, I can at least give my reason. I'm already not the most attractive person irl, and that's compounded by the fact that despite definitely wanting to be in love with someone and in a relationship, I've never really had a serious one and never even really been strongly in love with someone. Which leads to a certain amount of insecurity on whether or not I'll ever get a relationship. And in that circumstance, a person who doesn't take no for an answer and will basically force you to be into one, or at least heavily pressure you into it, because they feel so strongly, is kind of a nice fantasy. And there's a myriad of other reasons why people would be into it as well.

Also, emphasis on the fantasy part, because I and a lot of people who enjoy that sort of stuff are fully aware it'd be bad irl.

As for finding body hair attractive, it's just cute? Never understood why people dislike it tbh.

Tldr people have very varied life experiences, which interact very weirdly with sexual and romantic interest and sometimes produce weird fantasies.
Not body hair I meant, like, werewolves and stuff. Perhaps I should've clarified that better.

And the reasoning behind liking it is...kind of disturbing.
 

Schwab

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Why do people find hairy men attractive?

Not sure what this means... as in "all men are hairy? therefore unattractive" or specifically "men with body hair"? Actually, I have seen this complaint given to women so often. Why do women like fictional men if men are so unattractive? The answer would be -- why do men like fictional women if women are so unattractive?

See how nonsensical it sounds?

Fictional women are usually super-hot. Guess what -- fictional men are also idealized, especially in BL -- one of the terms for which is "danmei" (literally -- "indulgence in beauty"). So what unattractive fictional men are you even talking about?
I really should've worded that better, but I meant supernatural monsters such as werewolves and the like. I wanna know why they're so popular in the romance genre.
 

Assurbanipal_II

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Ehh, not really. I've read some BL stories that don't feature these tropes and tons of straight romance that do.
Fair enough. :blob_hide: I have to admit that I didn't understand what you were even complaining about. Your initial post was too much rambling.
 

minacia

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I really should've worded that better, but I meant supernatural monsters such as werewolves and the like. I wanna know why they're so popular in the romance genre.
:sweating_profusely: But not all werewolves are bad werewolves though! There are fluffy and sweet ones!

Um... I grew up really liking werewolves, but that's also because I really like wolves too.

Also different people like different things. Like I'm a fairly smell-driven person (with regards to the people I like IRL; they all smell nice to me), so don’t question it! To some extent, beastpeople are exaggerations of animalistic features, and some of us are into that...

I think I know what you're referring to (like ABO werewolves probably?). I mean, fiction tends to contain exaggerations of things in a safe way.

Like there is something wild and romantic about wolves (versus dogs). Of course, being around a real wolf is dangerous, but in fiction it’s possible to explore those ideas safely without really endangering ourselves.
 

thedude3445

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Watch Before Sunrise and talk to me again about the romance genre
 

BenJepheneT

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The Romance genre is the way it is because if it's the only way we could ever enjoy our degenerate fetishes that'll otherwise have us banished from society. If the romance genre ISN'T the way it is we'd have bigger problems on our hands right now.
 

Schwab

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The Romance genre is the way it is because if it's the only way we could ever enjoy our degenerate fetishes that'll otherwise have us banished from society. If the romance genre ISN'T the way it is we'd have bigger problems on our hands right now.
That's worrying.
 

happypanda

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Why do people find sexual harassment, stalking, and hairy/abusive men attractive?
I do not find sexual harassment, stalking and hairy/abusive men attractive. I'm a straight guy.

As for women... I think the primary condition is being "hot"? If a guy is "hot", that means he has got good genes? And a domineering guy means he does not give a damn about society and rules and give the vibe that they are strong enough to survive on their own? Many women find that kind of trait attractive on an evolutionary basis. Not everyone, but hey... many modern women are insecure about their looks and worth (for both valid and invalid reasons) and the thought of a hot guy being head over heels for them is super appealing. (Just like how many male harem MCs have super hot girls falling for them left and right just because he's... kind?)
Source: my female cousin who is wayyyyy too much into kpop idols than any healthy girl should be, and even secretly reads SI fanfics about them.

As for hairy men... do modern women really find them attractive? I highly doubt it. In ancient times, hairy people could tackle winter more effectively and thus could hunt even in the harshest cold so they were better partners in some context. I think the genes responsible for liking them should be long deactivated by now.
 
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