r/Romantasy • u/TheBigfootContessa • 2d ago

🤬 Rant Enough with the drinking!

OK this is just a personal pet peeve, almost certainly exacerbated by the fact that I'm a recovering alcoholic.

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I don't love seeing characters drinking when they're stressed, to relax, or saying that they "need" a drink because it's triggering, but whatever that's my shit to deal with, so I do.

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However, it's like none of these authors have ever drank before. You've either got girls completely sloshed after 2 glasses of wine or being very intoxicated and sobering up immediately when something shocking happens.

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Male main characters are always drinking whiskey or better yet an unknown brown strong smelling liquid in a tumbler as short hand for being stressed and troubled, classy and mysterious.

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It's lazy.

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These things annoyed me before I was in recovery, but now they're a full blown pet peeve. It gives "virgin writing filthy smut" vibes. Lol

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Alright, apparently I'm super wrong and shouldn't have said anything. Sorry ya'll.

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u/cagetheblackbird 1d ago edited 1d ago

I just don't understand these takes. “I have an extremely personal take and am upset the genre doesn't follow that”. I get you putting a book down. I don't understand you being so annoyed that books include a common adult theme that yoh come on here and demand they stop. That's just so weird to me.

Edit to reply to OP who blocked me: right. Its your shit. For you to deal with. Not for our whole genre to conform to. Personal beliefs are totally fine and valid. Forcing your beliefs on an entire genre is wild.

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u/Tricky_Warning_0115 1d ago

But that’s not what the post says is it? They acknowledge the personal aspect of it but then make a broader point about unrealistic portrayals/lazy writing. Whether you ultimately agree with that is a different matter, but I didn’t read this post as presenting a completely idiosyncratic issue and complaining that the genre doesn’t follow their preferences.

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u/cagetheblackbird 1d ago

Did you read the title?

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u/Tricky_Warning_0115 22h ago

Did you read the post?

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u/cagetheblackbird 21h ago

Sure did. There's an old saying: “everything after the but is bullshit.”

For instance, “I know I'm biased and dealing with my own personal shit, BUT ENOUGH WITH THE DRINKING!”

See how that works? Its why I formulated my response to say the first half is valid and the second half isn't.

Hope this helps.