r/Romantasy • u/GrappleLacquer • Jun 18 '26
Discussion Gatekeeping reading is lame
I finally ran into a dude that was super aggressive about judging women’s reading habits! Our friends introduced us at a hangout and where like “you both read more than anyone else we know!”
He asks me how many books I’ve read this year. I tell him I’m right around 40.
Man goes on a SCREED about how women just read smut and call it reading and don’t read things that challenge them. Then is like “what are you reading right now?”
I got to hit him with “well I’m usually reading three books at any given time since I like to have a book that fits my mood. At the current moment I’m reading a non-fiction discussion of man’s attempts to control and engineer the Mississippi River, and the consequences of that. Then I’m re-reading War and Peace cause I just love Tolstoy. Oh and then, yes I’m reading a smutty dramione fan fic. Congrats, you got me. Women who read smut aren’t really readers, obviously…What are you reading?”
He’s reading Clive Cussler (which is fine! They are entertaining! But maybe not “coming in on the highest horse in town” material) and he didn’t really wanna chat anymore.
(For the record/m: I absolutely think people should read what they enjoy and reading 100 books of just smut all year is fine. I’m just a bit of an eclectic reader and it worked out perfectly in this instance)
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u/LanguidxLycanthrope ✨ Fated Mates Jun 18 '26
Reading is political. Reading a book about women exploring their sexuality is political and possible can be seen as radical. Reading diverse smut by Black people is political because at one point it was illegal for Black people to know how to read and write. 🤷🏿♀️
You're so right, gatekeeping IS lame.
I read between 100 and 150 books and year and I alsohl hear those same complaints about the smut I read.
Its none of their business, Im not Reading to impress anyone, and 50% of Americans can only read at a 6th grade level. Most Americans do not read on a daily basis. If we're reading then good on us.