You all know what I’m talking about. Now, when was the last time you heard a rant about fridging some guy? Why not? Why is it “acceptable” to knock off some male character to inspire vengeance or purpose in his female (or male) family/lover/friend? Why does no one complain when all the “hot” guys are also rich, built, or otherwise unrealistic? Why is no one protesting the covers featuring males who are heavily photoshopped or air brushed to portray unhealthy body ideals, like 6 pack abs when completely relaxed?
Granted, some of this is human nature. A strong man is just sexy. Humans are kinda programmed to think that. Does that mean that every single romantic hero has to be an alpha? If so, why don’t we delve into his inner turmoil of coping with the backlash of such arrogance and heavy-handed mannerisms?
I think you all can see where I’m going with this. Why are there two sets of rules, and do YOU as a writer (professional or just for fun) fall into the tropes? Do you take the short cuts to make it easy, or do you stop and think about the men and women you’re creating, and what they tell the readers is “normal”?
Should you? Should I? While, yes, we have the RIGHT to write what we want, are we doing more damage to our own causes because it’s so easy to be lazy?
Just food for thought.
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