The online classroom of UH 300-006, Andy Duncan's fall 2009 science fiction seminar in the Honors College of the University of Alabama.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
What is fiction for men? For women?
This was a passing question posed in Stories for Men, one which I found very interesting. What do you guys think? What constitutes fiction for men, or for women? Does such a thing really exist, and should such labels be applied?
Well, fiction for men is usually...hmm, i dont know how to explain it correctly...more rugged i guess?
Stories for Men was (in my opinion)aimed at men pretty much. Main character got laid, had a manly epiphany about the world he lived in.
I guess there's different themes in fiction specifically aimed at either men or women. I'm not a woman so i don't know if there was any particularly womanly themes in Stories For Men though.
We encountered a similar question in my Blount class freshman year. It is answered if you can find the answer to this question: Can an author write a story from the viewpoint of the opposite sex without people of that sex realizing the bias? Without realizing the error in her statement, one girl said, "I think [female author] can write from a male point of view, but I've never read a male author who can write from a female point of view."
So, until we encounter an author who can write from a perspective that is distinctively and authoritatively a perspective of their opposite sex, I think there's a difference.
Yes, I'd agree with that, I'm just saying is there fiction that you'd say is writing with the intention of appealing to specifically men or specifically women? If so, why, and if not, then why do such distinctions exist?
In response to Ken's question, I was mainly thinking about fiction in terms of literature, and also possibly film and television. Although you raise an interesting point in asking what I mean by fiction. I certainly think you look at the constructed story lines of any given college football season as fiction for men. It's interesting to think about where such distinctions should be made.
I may be having a brain-fart (happens on a regular basis, I have bad gas control to that region... what can I say? :-P) but...
ReplyDeleteWhat do you mean by this question? Fiction of what type, or fiction concerning what subject?
Well, fiction for men is usually...hmm, i dont know how to explain it correctly...more rugged i guess?
ReplyDeleteStories for Men was (in my opinion)aimed at men pretty much. Main character got laid, had a manly epiphany about the world he lived in.
I guess there's different themes in fiction specifically aimed at either men or women. I'm not a woman so i don't know if there was any particularly womanly themes in Stories For Men though.
TLDR, I think fiction for men and women exists.
We encountered a similar question in my Blount class freshman year. It is answered if you can find the answer to this question: Can an author write a story from the viewpoint of the opposite sex without people of that sex realizing the bias?
ReplyDeleteWithout realizing the error in her statement, one girl said, "I think [female author] can write from a male point of view, but I've never read a male author who can write from a female point of view."
So, until we encounter an author who can write from a perspective that is distinctively and authoritatively a perspective of their opposite sex, I think there's a difference.
Yes, I'd agree with that, I'm just saying is there fiction that you'd say is writing with the intention of appealing to specifically men or specifically women? If so, why, and if not, then why do such distinctions exist?
ReplyDeleteIn response to Ken's question, I was mainly thinking about fiction in terms of literature, and also possibly film and television. Although you raise an interesting point in asking what I mean by fiction. I certainly think you look at the constructed story lines of any given college football season as fiction for men. It's interesting to think about where such distinctions should be made.