Where are all the Male Targeted Romance Novels?

DementedSheep

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Why would you want them? most things targeted at women, including romance novels are complete and utter crap.
 

FPLOON

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It's located in the Romance section in your local bookstore... Granted, the book titles may not sound like it's targeted to men (especially the more effeminate-sounding ones), but they're there... and seem to mainly read by women for some reason...

But seriously, if there were more romance books akin to the movie That Awkward Moment, then I would probably read those instead of trying to read a bit too much into the plot of most porn-related movies...
 
Sep 24, 2008
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maninahat said:
Isn't it weird there aren't more male romance novels?
Honestly, I thought that's why we have video games.

Being a male and loving Romance, I do love it when there's a romantic option in games. Usually, though, it comes down to Saying A at time X, and giving gift here... and then she'll let you have your way. Not terribly romantic, but it's a start.

Right now I'm replaying Star Wars the Old Republic as a Jedi Consular and I flirted with my female companion for the first time. I actually couldn't help it. I know she's my padawan, but she has a personality that just makes me melt. And I felt completely conflicted by it because I know I'm supposed to be training her in the force and romance has no place in the life of a Jedi, but I felt compelled.

If we are going to fit into stereotypes here, females tend to like to be swept away in a romance that experience. Males tend to want to drive that experience. A book might not do that (if we're sticking to stereotypes), but a game where romance is something you actually take a part in creating might fit the bill better.

Although, I'll say that there might be a market for the man being pursued once and a while. Having to try to start all my real life romances with women, I think it would be nice if for once, I was made to feel special by actions instead of the woman deeming me alright for her affections.
 

Gigano

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Well, there' stuff like Princess Evangile [http://store.steampowered.com/app/344630/], which is all about forming romantic relationships with young women, and seem to be aimed almost exclusively at a male demographic.

But obviously, most men would prefer stuff where the romance leads into - or is a flimsy excuse for - porn. Of which there is plenty.

Men could probably also read romance novels for women, and insert themselves into them. Assuming they are an exceedingly wealthy doctor/businessman, whose nr. 1 priority is to satisfy and take care of the woman in their life.
 

Fox12

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Jun 6, 2013
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Well, the romance novels are aimed at women. If men want better representation, maybe they should go write some romance novels. According to their logic anyway. The types of romance novels their talking about is essentially porn. Real romance stories, when well done, are enjoyable for everyone.

God, they seek out a women's panel, then get mad, claiming that women are harassing men. The lack of self awareness in these MRA groups is staggering.
 

Guerilla

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Baffle said:
Guerilla said:
That's a nice strawman and all but I'll go with the perfectly logical explanation about men not being interested in romance. I know it conflicts the delusional feminist narrative about both genders being completely the same but it's waaaaaaaaaaaay more possible than society forcing men not to care about romance.
To be completely fair, I'm not really interested in romance in books, but quite enjoy it IRL. I actually almost bought my wife some flowers once (but there was quite a big queue). Got her some booze instead. Loved it.

Many men like romance irl but the vast majority of us aren't interested in talking about it or watching/reading about it in movies/books. Anecdotally speaking we perceive complately different than women too, we just consider it a "nice moment" whereas women think of it as an indicator of a relationship and something very important.
 

Guerilla

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Steve Waltz said:
Oh look! A meninist thread! Men aren?t being represented enough in romance genre novel! We need more male protagonists in romance novels! Meninists unite! You get a free fedora upon joining!


The point of meninist "arguments" is to expose the paranoia and stupidity of modern feminism. So basically by making fun of this "issue" and thread you're making fun of the idiotic whining of feminists about the "representation of women in [insert hobby/profession most women aren't interested in]".

So thanks, I guess.
 

DudeistBelieve

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I mean, the better question is, wheres the audience for such a thing? I figure dudes get their romance fix probably through video games or anime, or TV rather than reading.

Hell I've been watching this show, Californication, and it's this one drunken hack of a writer pining over this one woman and his attempts to get her back. It's very sweet, but bitter too. Funny in other places.

Steve Waltz said:
Oh look! A meninist thread! Men aren?t being represented enough in romance genre novel! We need more male protagonists in romance novels! Meninists unite! You get a free fedora upon joining!
Ya know, it's people like you that make it so the rest of us can't wear a nice hat.
 

AgedGrunt

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maninahat said:
Isn't it weird there aren't more male romance novels?
No. Because if there was a big market for it, then they would be written. Supply and demand.

So the real question to ask is why men are not more interested in romance novels. That's a bit like asking why women are not more interested in fishing or auto racing. Neither weird nor problematic to me.

Sounds like stereotypes just set some people off and they want to erase them. Fine. I don't wish them any luck, but I don't have to when even nature shows an equilibrium in gender behaviors is just not normal; *that* is weird.
 

Jadak

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Everywhere? I mean, they tend to incorporate wizards or lasers, but that makes for a far more interesting love story than one without those things. If men want a story about romance and nothing else.. Well yeah, porn.
 

Worgen

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MonsterCrit said:
Tayh said:
Probably the same place as all the female targeted porn movies.
Actually scientific research shows the ladies be likin the porn... just as much as the men.
True, but society tends to say that porn isn't for women. So there is still somewhat of a stigma about women liking it, just like there is one for men liking romance novels and movies.
 

laggyteabag

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Romance? Bah, we men like explosions, guns, and kicking Nazis in the dick. Romance is for girls, and girls have cooties.

For realsies though, I guess there just needs to be an audience for it, and I just don't think that there is one, or at least one large enough to write a book for.
 

wulf3n

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Laggyteabag said:
For realsies though, I guess there just needs to be an audience for it, and I just don't think that there is one, or at least one large enough to write a book for.
There also needs to be someone willing to actually write them. It's kind of a chicken or the egg scenario.
 

Rebel_Raven

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What on earth would be a male romance novel even be like? Society doesn't put a whole lot of weight in women instigating a relationship.

Closest thing would be pretty much every other media where the guy gets the girl? Maybe porn/hentai? Would a harem anime/manga count?

But as people said, there's gotta be a market, and likely some willing participation. Unlike comics, male aimed romance novels doesn't really have it, so it's not the greatest example, IMO.
Comics have women in, and wanting to get into the industry with gusto.
Such an example would probably be better aimed at a romance novel convention, anyhow, IMO.
 

MonsterCrit

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Worgen said:
MonsterCrit said:
Tayh said:
Probably the same place as all the female targeted porn movies.
Actually scientific research shows the ladies be likin the porn... just as much as the men.
True, but society tends to say that porn isn't for women. So there is still somewhat of a stigma about women liking it, just like there is one for men liking romance novels and movies.
The issue is, . ROmance means something entirely different to men and women. FOr Women a,d I'm saying this to be frank here, it cebntres around the woman being the central focus of a man's attention, being swept off her feet whisked away, romanced.

FOr men, that's not really fun or enjoyable , but we do it because that's what women are conditioned to expect. I mean how often do you see the woman getting down on her knees and whipping out a ring to propose to a man? Name one film, or book where that has happened.

That's gonna be a short short list. Why because the whole thing about romance and courtship is all done for the benefit of the woman, not so much the man.
 

KyuubiNoKitsune-Hime

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Well to be totally honest most romance is really about one person being the target of another person's love, attention, and affection. Essentially it's something that appeals more to a woman's sense of eroticism rather than a man's. Why aren't there many dedicated romance novels for men then? Because the romantic part isn't generally what men are interested in, or at least it's not what men are taught to be interested in. Men are more concerned with the pay off, either short term(sex), or long term(marriage/starting a family), or both.

When romance is presented to a man it's part of a larger story, Honor Harrington springs to mind on this thought. It's more about everything that goes on politically, militarily, personally, inter-personally, and such. Most romance novels have spoon shallow plots, it's like reading a soap opera, which is another genre men tend not to be interested in. To put it simply, more often the romance is the interesting part for women, for men it's usually very uninteresting if it exists with no prompt. Why should you care about character a getting showered with attention, affection, and gifts, by character b, when you know essentially nothing about either character?
 

SOCIALCONSTRUCT

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Steve Waltz said:
Oh look! A meninist thread! Men aren?t being represented enough in romance genre novel! We need more male protagonists in romance novels! Meninists unite! You get a free fedora upon joining!
Their point isn't that there should be male romance novels. The point of the rhetorical question "where are all the male romance novels?" is really to question the idea that each and every cultural niche should appeal equally to each gender. If you look at gaming or comics and realize that they're primarily aimed at young men, on what basis would you think of this as either a problem or not? My own personal reaction to games aimed at men and romance novels aimed at women is "so what." For me there is nothing wrong with media that slants towards one gender or another.

Even though it isn't my view, it is certainly possible to believe that all types of media should appeal equally to both genders. If such a hypothetical individual were being intellectually consistent, the question of males being under served by the romance novel market is just as deadly serious an issue as gaming tending towards a male audience. Now, try to imagine providing an explanation to there being relatively much fewer male romance novels. Most top-of-the-head explanations that feel quite comfortable in defense of romance novels, i.e. "perhaps on average men and women have different tastes", "publishers know their audience", would start to feel very uncomfortably un-PC if flipped over in defense of a male centered media like gaming or comics. And if you really wanted to dial things up to 11, shouldn't the burden be on romance novel publishers to work to change their industry?

There are, of course, more than just the two viewpoints that I have outlined above, but these two are the only ones that are relevant. If you care deeply about gender disparity in video games but not gender disparity in romance novels (or visa versa), well then that is just simple hypocrisy.