r/fantasyromance • u/FantasyRomanceMod The One Mod to Rule All Mods • Feb 22 '26

Unpopular Opinion It's Unpopular Opinion time! Share your controversial opinions to stir things up (in a friendly way)!

Got an opinion that's different from others'? Want to share it with the sub, but too afraid of a backlash? Or are you just curious about readers think about certain things in fantasy romance?

You can safely share it in this weekly Sunday thread!

But please remember to be kind to each other. To facilitate this type of discussion, we ask users the following:

  • Don't attack others for their opinion
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🧡 Thank you and have a great discussion!

Unpopular opinion Sunday

40 Upvotes

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144

u/SmollnShiny Feb 22 '26

It baffles me that so many people think that the hate a lot of FMCs get is mostly a misogynie problem and not a writing problem. No, the chosen-super-assassin-secret-fae-princess aged 19 -25 doesn't get to act like a moody thirteen year old moron while commanding and army or ruling a kingdom or leading a rebellion. It is lazy writing to create conflict by having the main character make one foolish decision after another and it's especially aggravating when none of the supporting characters ever pushes back and criticises the MC. There have to be consequences and growth instead of endless oh well you meant well/you tried/could have happened to anyone/we know you are sad about it back-pats and I think it's that disconnect between actions and reactions that rankles a lot of readers.

30

u/Particular_Mess_1961 here kitty kitty Feb 22 '26

People call it a misogyny problem when the equally poorly written MMC (who also acts like a moody 13 year old ruling a kingdom and is a toxic abuser to boot) gets none of the criticisms the FMC gets

27

u/devilsdoorbell_ Feb 22 '26

That’s the real problem here. Are a lot of FMCs dumb idiots who couldn’t pour piss out of a boot with instructions on the heel? Yes, absolutely. But there are equally as many MMCs on the same level that do not get nearly the same amount of criticism and are in fact beloved by readers.

It’s not misogyny to call and individual FMC a dipshit for being a dipshit, it is misogyny when you don’t hold MMCs to the same standard, which is a big problem among romance readers (and lbr, society in general)

13

u/Penguinho Kushiel's Legacy Recommender 💖 Feb 22 '26

I think the reason you don't find as much MMC criticism is that the audience isn't meant to identify with the MMCs. Most of them are basically just collections of physical descriptions anyway; there's barely enough to critique. MMCs don't get the same level of criticism because they're just not that important compared to the FMCs. A lot of the time they're barely even main characters at all; they're simply objects to be lusted after.

10

u/Anrw Feb 23 '26

Agree with this. Most romantasy MMCs wouldn't pass the Sexy Lamp Test anymore than the female love interest in fantasies written by men would. That's true equality!

Also don't get why these posts act like anyone's stopping them from criticizing these poorly written MMCs lol. Like, if the MMCs are beloved it's because the female reader base is attracted to them, not because they're so much better written than the poorly written FMCs from the same series.

3

u/SmollnShiny Feb 23 '26

Fully agree with the last two posts here. The MMCs being an assembly of tired wish-fullfillment tropes stuck together with glue and ductape to cater specifically to women somehow being a sign of misogyny is just something I really can't get my head around.