Do YOU think you have internalized misogyny?
Feel free to correct me and share your own experiences!
I know that a lot of people who use this site are avid BL readers (no hate cuz I’m one too) and most of us are women. All this BL we read is written by women for women… but why?
Some people say that it’s because women who read BL are fetishizers but I don’t really think that at all— I just think readers are women who are actually kind of uncomfortable or even less inclined reading a story with a female MC because of multiple reasons:
1) a good majority of female MCs in romance are plain, boring, lack something (at least in the past, we see way more diverse and interesting female MCs and characters now)
2) I feel like misogyny is a big part no matter how I play it, women are taught to hate themselves from a very young age and act a certain way so it’s easier to read a story with a MC you don’t connect as much to
3) women see men as subjects while we see female characters (other women) as objects
4) majority of canon straight couples in most works actually don’t have a lot of chemistry since ppl don’t really contribute to writing a well written straight romance anymore
I just find it kind of crazy because I know a good majority isn’t really fetishizing mlm, just trying to be comfortable in their own skin so I never hate on any fujoshi or BL reader who even says they read fucked up shit cuz I know that a woman or a girl is in there who is probably uncomfortable in her own skin
I also find it crazy that we find a way to hate on women. I see other BL readers saying that they hate OTHER bl readers who call themselves “fujoshis” (and the reasoning behind it is smth stupid like ohhh but they ONLY read BL while I read everythinggg) like girl I know that’s you too don’t play.
I remember being swayed by hatred and generalizations too, that I never wanted to be called a fujoshi until I learned what the word meant and the history behind it
Even the history behind the word came from men hating on women reading BL and shaming them for it— calling women who read BL, “fujoshis” or rotten girls, it was a literal slur that these BL readers reclaim only for us to use it against each other again. That’s really sad.
I hope we can come to a point where we just stop hating on women for trying to exist.
Anyways feel free to share your own opinion on this :) I’m just sharing my observations cuz this is one of those topics that keep me awake at night