Epic Trashy Romance Fail

So I’m reading a trashy romance novel (like you do) and I am appalled, though not shocked, by the unacceptability of this sketchy story. This particular author, Jacquelyn Frank, has bordered on sketch before, but I was in need of something to read and she had a new book out and I thought why not? It’s not like I won’t enjoy it.

Except I hadn’t counted on her latest story being built around a world where punishment for the female criminals is forced prostitution. And I don’t know about the rest of you, but anytime the word “forced” gets attached to a sexual act I just go ahead and call it rape. I find it so much more simple.

In the book’s defense the heroine makes the argument this system of “justice” is heinous and I will finish the story to see if Frank somehow saves the story by demonstrating, beyond a shadow of a doubt, how incredibly unacceptable such a civilization is. But I don’t have high hopes because it’s hard to fall in love with a hero (sort of the point of the trashy romance) who doesn’t get why giving someone some pretty clothes doesn’t make up for forced sexual activity.

I mean, I love this argument that the hero makes. Well, it’s not like we’re killing them. They know the consequences of breaking the law, so if we punish them by forcing them into prostitution instead of killing them they should thank us for feeding them and clothing them and letting them live! Obviously. Never mind this particular storyline revolves around a society near extinction due to severe lack of females so the free women are “cherished” and “kept indoors” and “protected.” No, I don’t know why that sort of lifestyle would drive anyone crazy do you? I know I just love not being able to go outside or be an individual because my duty to the “colony” is more important.

I mean...it’s almost like someone thought to themself “Self, how can we make jess the most disgusted and angry she could possibly be? Oh I know, create a fantasy world where we somehow surpass Victorian England for bad gender roles, rape is an acceptable form of punishment, and women must allow themselves to be caged birds so that the world may survive!”

And my problem here, the reason this book is driving me insane (and yes if I were smart I would stop reading trashy romance, but I resent the fact that I can’t find ethical, intelligent romance that doesn’t depend on ridiculous hurtful expectations of domination and submission) is that I never have and never will agree that the good of the many outweighs the right of the one to choose. So the colony is short on women. That’s cool; if a woman wants to choose to be gilded and accept her role as necessary to colony survival I support and respect that choice. But she gets to choose. And she, while perhaps first in line for sustenance and shelter, is not turned into some form of statuary.

Because, aside from the whole it’s unethical to force someone to support others thing, it’s also unethical to torture somebody. And when you torture them instead of kill them it’s a big deal. You are too dangerous to be allowed to live? Okay, if this is a world where the death penalty is used then you kill them. I’m cool with that (I have strange libertarian impulses it’s true) but you don’t torture them. If you want to afford your women the opportunity to breed because you’re so short on females you work something out, but you don’t sell them. It’s torture; it’s slavery, and just cause you do it to the “criminal” women doesn’t make it okay. Not even considering the implications for the women who are criminals, it makes the society worse. It makes each member of society a worse person to agree to such an act and to be complicitous in it.

That’s the part that all these crazy romance novel authors don’t seem to get. Yeah, it sucks for the person suffering from abuse, be it rape, gilded cage syndrome, etc., but it also destroys the person allowing, endorsing, or doling out the abuse. Not only is your world unacceptable because you’ve created some monstrous perversion of society, but your hero is unacceptable cause he’s a big, dumb rapist! Not hot. I mean really, has any of us ever just found ourselves with heaving breaths upon the realization that the one we love sometimes pays society for the right to have sex with another person? If it were prostitution I might not be so irate (though let‘s be honest, still irate) but it’s forced prostitution. I mean, the only difference to me is that it’s rape with a free dinner after! Well la-di-dah. That just makes everything okay doesn’t it?

I know, I know--I need to stop reading trashy romance. This happens every time. I know it’s bad for me and I do it anyway and then I get mad and then I rant about it for awhile. I have no one to blame but myself for my current heartburn and I accept that responsibility.

I’ll go back to watching Robin Hood on the BBC now. Which, incidentally, is really awesome and I am so Little John (you see why romance and I just aren’t meant to be). More on that later.