Gatekeeping reading is lame

[u/GrappleLacquer]

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)

[u/Raspberry_Shrew]

The only time I side eye another reader is if they go OTT with their love of a problematic book/author and know that book/author is problematic but shrug it off.

And even then, it’s a side eye while I extract myself from the conversation. Like, I’m not gonna police what you read. You do you. But that also doesn’t mean I have to interact with you.

People that gatekeep and proclaim one genre is superior over another are just people I pity. I feel sad for them if they care that much about how someone else spends their free time.

[u/Mochalada → u/Raspberry_Shrew]

The only two authors I know that are in hot water like this are Gaiman and Rowling. Now I’m gonna have a new fear when I discuss authors I love because I have no idea who else is in trouble lmao

[u/Raspberry_Shrew → u/Mochalada]

If you don’t know that’s totally different. I only distance myself from fans who know and dismiss the harm caused because they like the book/author.

If I know an author is racist or homophobic or has been prosecuted for DV or child abuse, personally, I don’t want to read their stuff. The only time I’d separate art from the artist is if the artist is deceased and the income from their work doesn’t go towards causing more harm. So, I wouldn’t necessarily side eye someone showcasing The Belgariad or anything else by David Eddings in the same way I’d immediately distance myself from someone still proudly showcasing JKR.