Thought-provoking post! I don't read romance, although my wife does, but I think idealised heroes/heroines are more common and accepted in some genres than others. I also think statements like, "Women want a man like X" or "Men want a woman like Y" can speak of a majority at best, probably not even that. There are always going to be lots of exceptions, particularly when you talk about fantasy rather than reality. I certainly have fantasies (not just romantic/sexual) that I don't want to actually come true in reality and I'm sure I'm not the only one.
(I also dislike the whole alpha/beta male thing, but that's another story.)
I'm with you part way. My female characters are messes. No blank slates for me. But my guys are messes, too. That's just life. I want my readers to believe their mess can find a compatible mess, and the two can become less messy together. Really enjoyed your post. Thanks for making me think about this!
Thought-provoking post! I don't read romance, although my wife does, but I think idealised heroes/heroines are more common and accepted in some genres than others. I also think statements like, "Women want a man like X" or "Men want a woman like Y" can speak of a majority at best, probably not even that. There are always going to be lots of exceptions, particularly when you talk about fantasy rather than reality. I certainly have fantasies (not just romantic/sexual) that I don't want to actually come true in reality and I'm sure I'm not the only one.
(I also dislike the whole alpha/beta male thing, but that's another story.)
I'm with you part way. My female characters are messes. No blank slates for me. But my guys are messes, too. That's just life. I want my readers to believe their mess can find a compatible mess, and the two can become less messy together. Really enjoyed your post. Thanks for making me think about this!
Thanks so much for stopping by an commenting!