Yes, I’m quoting Britney Spears. (That song really gets in your head!)
Last week there was an interesting discussion on an author email loop about how to categorize menage — in this case m/m/f. Since Amazon and other resellers don’t have a menage or bisexual category, should the book be put in the Gay and Lesbian category since the two male characters are equally in love with each other as they are with the female character?
It’s an interesting quandry. I’m personally not a fan of menage. Not because I think there’s anything wrong with it, but I’ve always been an OTP kind of gal, whether it’s m/m, m/f or f/f. Three’s a crowd for my romantic fantasies. For pure erotica, menage or poly can be great, but if there are feelings involved, nope. I just don’t go for it. To each their own, etc.
Girly bits! Ewww!
The main thrust of the problem is that some m/m readers really hate having any women near their m/m. Which I think is perfectly valid because we all want what we want, although at times it can border on misogynist. But that’s a whole other complicated issue.
My response to the author was that seeing m/m/f in the Gay and Lesbian category at Amazon wouldn’t offend me, but I’d want it to be very clearly labelled as menage. Not because I don’t like vaginas, but because I’m not into menage of any kind, as I said.
I feel like this whole issue could be solved by Amazon renaming the too-limited Gay and Lesbian category to LGBT or GLBT or whichever acronym fits the bill. But who knows when or if that will happen.
So what about you? Would it/does it bother to see m/m/f stories listed in the Gay and Lesbian section?
p.s. Here’s the Glee version of “3″ so it can get in your head too!
I don’t think it would bother me if it was clearly labeled, because we all want some idea of what we’re buying. I’m curious about how those who are adamantly anti-female mixing with their m/m feel about this, though, and hope they chime in with their thoughts. I am not a fan of menage at all for the same reason as you. I’m an OTP girl at heart and find myself getting emotionally jealous on behalf of one of the parties. It’s uncomfortable for me because I just don’t get it, I guess. It’s not part of my fantasy world. But I certainly think that other people love the fantasy of it (or the reality of it in some situations, I suppose) given the plethora of novels out there focusing on menage. And they have every right to read things that please those fantasies. I do like them labeled, though, so I can try to buy books I know will speak to me and avoid those I know will just make me feel kinda sick with jealousy inside.
I agree — as long as the menage is clearly labelled, it doesn’t offend or bother me to see it in the Gay and Lesbian section even though there is het content (since there is also gay content). Menage is very popular with many authors and readers, and I wonder how long it’ll be until Amazon and other sites recognize that?
I’m curious about how those who are adamantly anti-female mixing with their m/m feel about this, though, and hope they chime in with their thoughts.
Ditto!