I fancy myself a strong advocate for women's rights (see previous post) and yet one of my guiltiest pleasures is something many feminist supporters would cringe at: I am an undeniable, absolute fan, and persistent reader of Chick-Lit. There, it's out there, I feel better already.
In case you don't know what Chick-Lit is; think Chick-Flick but in book form. I love it, it makes me happy and I don't have to think too hard. It's not sexy romance, no, I can't even be that mysterious, it's simple one-dimensional girl-meets-boy-but-doesn't-realize-he's-perfect-for-her chick lit. To be even more specific; it's generally written by Irish women.
Despite my rampant enthusiasm for this literature, I have to admit that I am getting tired of the "insecure" female narrative. Whether we're looking at Twilight (loved) 50 Shades of Grey (meh) or one of the Irish lady's that I read (hooray!) it's a similar tale. There is a young, insecure woman who has little to no realization that she is actually quite marvelous and she blunders her way through life until a superhero man comes and rescues her from her impending lifelong gloom.
What about the strong, steady, fun, sexy and adventurous women who have no ulterior motives? The ones who have unbelievable friends and a full happy life? I want to read that story. I want to read about a woman who is comfortable in her skin and her world and moves freely in her body. I think those women are fascinating and I know plenty of them. Maybe she'll fall in love (more than once?!) and her entire life won't come crashing at her feet if it doesn't last. I want to read a story about powerful women like the ones that I love and cheer them on... but I'd rather not write the story myself - hint, hint ...
No comments:
Post a Comment