(Brief notes on papers given in the Romance Area for the 2010 PCA-ACA Conference in St. Louis)

Thursday April 1

Romance II: The Dark Side of Romance: Rape, Serial Killers, and Power Dynamics
Session Chair: Sarah S. G. Frantz, Fayetteville State University

This session was very well attended, with at least 35 people.

“Romancing the Rapist: The Myriad Uses of Sexual Force and Violence in Genre Romance”‖ Robin Harders, University of California, Irvine

Robin was unable to attend, so I read her paper out loud. I can say it was very well received, lots of folks taking notes and nodding along.

Not all rape is created equal in the genre, and the use of sexual force in Romance is contextualized by both the individual book and reader.

For example, we can’t equate the villain’s threats against the heroine with the hero’s. The former is generally not a rape fantasy.

Analysis of rape fantasies are often not textually informed and are therefore inaccurate, assuming, for example, that hero wants complete submission.

Wants to create a critical space for a take on rape in romance. So far, the two approaches, that it is mere fantasy, and to amenable to analysis, or that it is a manifestation of patriarchal oppression.

Emphasizes importance of consent of the reader, whose external gaze is a significant, and undertheorized element.

Looks closely at Christina Dodd’s 1997 A Well-Pleasured Lady, Sarah Craven’s 2009 The Innocent Surrender, and Anna Campbell’s 2007 Claiming the Courtesan.

“Alpha Male: Dominance, Submission, and Masculinity in Popular Romance Fiction”‖ Sarah S. G. Frantz

Talks about an early Joey Hill Ellora’s Cave series, “Nature of Desire”, and what she is doing with BDSM. Lauren is set in opposition to clichés and caricatures of BDSM. The emotional connection is emphasized, BDSM as an identity, as part of a person’s essence.  is key. Book is part of Hill’s metacriticism of the romance genre as a whole. Hill connects to subtle power dynamics of gender in all romance.  Carries weight of political implications, especially gender power dynamics, of genre as a whole.

Theory of polysexuality, which allows BDSM as a sexual identity, is better than monosexuality, which says anything other than homosexuality or heterosexuality is a sexual practice only. Gender is just one axis of sexual identity, with domination and submission, sadism and masochism, among others, intersecting in complicated and unpredictable ways. Multidimensional.

Take that theory and apply it to what Hill is doing with her books. (Sarah refers to what she is doing as “wildly extrapolating” although it definitely sounds more rigorous than that.)

What follows is a close textual analysis of, especially, Holding the Cards.

Hill’s comments on construction of masculinity in romance genre are key to this book. Masculine submission is closely connected to construction by females of men in romance genre. Sharp focusing lens of BDSM power exchange. She has never written a fully submissive woman, despite being one herself.

“Serial Killers Make Great Boyfriends?: Dexter and Dark Heroes”‖ Amber Botts, Neodesha High School

Explains that she is trying to apply romance studies more broadly, which is why she is presenting this at a romance panel, not at a TV panel.

Notes that as a romance reader, she reacts to certain cues. Thinks show is so popular because Dexter operates as a dark romance hero. Also people rationalize that he only targets “bad” people.

First, is he really a serial killer? TV portrayal of serial killers not accurate in general. There is a checklist which you can access via Dr. Phil’s website (much laughter here).

Dexter is in the gray zone – he has feelings, but worries that he doesn’t. He has a conscience and a moral code, but it allows him to kill – only bad people. Romantic dark heroes often occupy this gray area as well. For example, rapes and forced seduction, Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld, Feehan’s Carpathian series heroes are sociopaths prior to when they meet their mates.

Dark heroes capable of destroying everything when their dark side takes control – Anne Stewart. Dexter similarly acknowledges his capacity to unleash more destruction.

Identifies self as a predator – something you get a lot in romance, especially in paranormal.

Also protective, rescues people.

Has a romantic relationship. Rita has no fear for herself or her kids from Dexter.

Dexter wants a normal life but feels he is doomed to not have one. Just like in so many romances with dark tortured heroes.

Like so many dark heroes he sees himself as less redeemable than we do.

Also Dexter is not sexual, says he doesn’t really get it. Similar to Kresley Cole, Lindsay Sands, others in paranormal romance whose sexuality requires the heroine to awaken.

Much better to think of him as a dark hero rather than a serial killer or sociopath. He has some aspects of the latter two, but neither fit.

“Reality v. Writing: Walking the Tightrope of Reader Expectations, Personal Knowledge and Romance Tropes”‖ James Buchanan, Romance Author

Notes that she hates standing at a podium because it makes her feel like she is back in court. (lawyer? )

Pubs call is m/m, but she prefers “gay romance” because she doesn’t like taking the politics out of it.

Gay rom puts two people on same gender footing, taking power dynamics out. Lots of narrative possibilities absent in m/f romance. In m/m tropes still there but you can mix and match. For example, you can allow power dynamic to change and flow.

Notes that her personal experience (member of National Leather Association) informs her writing but has to be informed by what readers want. For example, slave chow is not something you can start talking about in a romance book.

Insists romance hero traits that Lori Devoti listed in her RtB column, such as wealthier, older, well hung hero are all there in m/m. Not coded in same gender language but they are there.

The dynamic of the “unequal equal”. The person who eats out of a dogbowl is not necessarily unequal to the person making him do it.

Notes culture came out of warrior culture, exp World War II. That’s a male culture, which women are only beginning to inhabit, with increased military roles.

In gay rom, men can be more vulnerable, and both partners can be vulnerable, and a vulnerable man is a sexy man.

In Q&A both Sarah and James opine that f/f romance does not work to dispel gender power dynamics the way m/m does, because readers are women.

I managed to score a James Buchanan book, Hard Fall, for which I paid, but also a free JB coffee mug. I felt I should disclose these facts although I don’t think they affect my summary of the talk. Had the coffee mug been filled with a nonfat latte from Satrbucks, I would have been seriously compromised.

Please note that these are one fallible person’s impressions of the talks. Visit the PCA website for emails of the presenters to follow up.