Porn for Women

Not only was that basically the topic at Wiscon a few weeks back (the true title was: “Porn Crushes the Patriarchy”) but it is the title of a book given to me last week.

I have never laughed so hard in my life.

Beautifully photographed with men in various states of undress.

Here’s an example: imagine if you will, a handsome, dark-haired man, his shirt off, showing nice pecs and abs but not anywhere near the over-developed man-titty we all giggle at.

His boxers are peeking out from the top of his jeans and he is barefoot on a white shag rug in front of a fireplace.

In one hand, he holds the handle of a... vacuum cleaner. And the caption reads: “I love a clean house.”

It was put together by the Cambridge Women’s Pornography Cooperative, photographs by Susan Anderson, published by Chronicle Books and the ISBN is 978-0-8118-5551-8

And it kinda makes me think we’ve missed the boat in claiming erotic romance as porn for women. What it should be is romantic comedy with guys doing the things they should be doing, but never do, like putting the toilet seat down.

To say any more would give away the sheer delight of this book. And it was verily the most perfect gift for me.

So, folks, porn for women: does it crush the patriarchy, is it erotic romance, or should it be romantic comedy?

Am I allowed to say the P word?

Well, sure I am! Read on...

I had a post and then my computer crashed. So you’ll just have to wait until I’m next rostered on for what I was originally going to talk about.

I’m going to my first SF/F convention in May -- Wiscon -- and I got on a panel! You guys will just love the title:

Porn Crushes the Patriarchy!

Here’s the blurb:

"Erotica for women is coming into the mainstream--novels from the pioneering Black Lace line are now available in trade paperback editions, shelved among the romance novels, which have long been described as 'porn for women,' and several major publishers (Harlequin, Avon, Kensington, etc.) have begun lines of women's erotica in the last couple of years. Publishers go where the money is, but what made the market favorable for erotica right now? Who's buying the books? Was the renaissance encouraged by online publishers such as Ellora's Cave? And does reading (and writing) porn really crush the patriarchy? "

Ok, I’m throwing this out to you -- where did the market come from for erotica and erotic romance? (and I’m sure I’m going to have to define the difference, I don’t know who the other people are on the panel)

Does reading/writing porn really crush the patriarchy?

Did I mention this is a feminist SF/F convention?

I am going to have so much fun!

Have we lost our way?

I've been chatting online with some other writers and what started as a "where have you been and what are you writing now" discussion turned into something else: our concern about the state of erotic romance.

Many of us felt that erotic romance was losing its romantic side, and, worse yet, wasn't even story telling; that it was becoming formulaic and more like porn.

(Now, I don't think more like porn is too bad. If we could let go of the "nice girls don't ..." baggage and admit that, yes, this should turn you on and I hope it does, I think that would be a step in the right direction.)

But the issue that really worried my friends was that of recent erotic romance they'd read, there wasn't enough emphasis on plot and characterization, the nuts and bolts of storytelling.

And it was an embarrassing thing to admit, because we've said all along that it wasn't just all about the sex--that in fact they were agreeing with those harrumphing comments you see in letters to the editors columns and on boards online, that this is what erotic romance is, or is in danger of becoming.

The trouble is, of course, that's there's a huge amount of material out there, in all romance subgenres; how do you tell the good stuff from the mediocre? Can you believe the back cover blurbs? Are publishers, anxious to jump onto the bandwagon and hang on for dear life while it lasts, letting their standards fall? Do readers of erotic romance really not care (at last, all the good bits without any tedious plot stuff)--and don't want to say so, because then they'll be accused of that greatest of sins, enjoying porn?

And here's a question for everyone: If you were to introduce someone to the joys of erotic romance, what book(s) would you suggest?

If there was one question...

If there was one question you wanted to ask about the sexual climate during the Regency period, what would it be?

I'm doing a talk at the Beau Monde conference in July (the Beau Monde is the Regency specialty chapter of Romance Writers of America (RWA) in case you were wondering) called Sex in the Regency (subtitled: What Jane Austen Knew and Lord Byron Didn't). So this is why I ask.

I have a goodly portion of the talk done, and a mental date with the University Social Sciences library in a week (because I've read some verra interesting tidbits on Caro Lamb which puts a whole different slant on her, sorta) for some last minute research notes.

Last minute because the handouts are due in two weeks.

I have a bit of Rowlandson, some familiar stuff on what Jane Austen knew, availability of erotic works, and Byron. I even have the last sentence. But something is missing, and I cannot figure out what it might be....

And so I turn to you, dear readers, and my fellow crumpets to see what it is I'm missing.

If there was one question you wanted to ask about the sexual climate during the Regency period, what would it be?



(Sorry for the lateness -- but a girl is allowed to sleep in on a holiday, isn't she? (This is a complete lie -- I was up at seven, off to breakfast, shopped and planted two marguerites, got two loads of washing on before I remembered to come here)