Jessewave recently posted about seeking a Glossary of Terminology used in M/M Romance reviews. Now since most of the terms I have seen have cropped up in shall we say “negative contexts” and well, you know my reputation. So, I think that YOU my dear readers are far more expert than most at cranking out a good list of these terms since you have obviously read my own negative reviews and I am sure many others and as such YOU can provide a far more complete listing.
Not to mention my own rule of thumb has always been… if you don’t have anything nice to say then sit next to me.
So let’s start shall we.
Chicks With Dicks
A term used to signify an apparent genderswap in an obviously M/F Romance re-written to be M/M Romance. Can be seen as sloppy especially if they forget to change all the her/she to him/he or insulting if seen as forcing female traits on a male character instead of dealing with the dynamics of a M/M relationship.
See M. J. Pearson
OK Homo
A mono-sexual world view in an M/M Romance where an overwhelming portion of characters interacting with the H/H are accepting of or homosexual themselves.
Unlike in real life this averts any obstacles or messy typical reactions to the romance from any characters or situations most likely having phobic responses. Requires highly likable relatable characters to pull it off because deciding to do this means nothing else about the story is ever gonna be even vaguely realistic to any reader with half a brain.
See Big Eden, a gay movie where the annoying main character was supposed to be seen as comic due to his anxiety over people in his small Midwest hometown accepting him as a gay man. The punchline of the movie was supposed to be all these people actually accepted him as a gay man and he was stressed over nothing. The main issue not addressed in the movie and undermining the comedy was… How could he have such anxieties if all the important people he grew up knowing were all so accepting of his homosexuality? How can you make fun of Gay Terms like Gaydar if coming onto Straight guys is not seen as physically threatening? You can’t have a Woody Allen or even find his anxiety humor funny if New York was such a paradise. The comedy comes from so many people relating to the anxiety because the reasons for it are so universal.
Straight for You/Gay for You
A Hero shown to be homosexual in the case of “Straight for You” or heterosexual in the case of “Gay for You” having a dramatic change in sexuality to facilitate a tumultuous romance the exact opposite of any other he may have ever experienced. Usually accompanied by the flimsy excuse “I guess I’m *blank* ONLY FOR YOU”. Coded.. but I’m not really *blank*.
See Brokeback Mountain, which was not a Gay Romance since it ends in the tragic murder of the only character accepting his homosexuality and seeking to find a more accepting healthier relationship. The truth is Gay Men who accept themselves and their feelings do not like hanging out with losers who do not anymore than any Straight Woman would. Yes I called Ennis a fucking loser since the only things that ever meant anything to him he ignored till it was too late, get over it.
Straight to Gay
See my discussion of The Politics Of Dancing: The Old Straight-To-Gay Male Character Story Arc
Rapefic/Dub Con/Non Con
Referring to any M/M Romance using forced sex or rape of the Hero to facilitate a change of heart in the story thus allowing him to see that he really wanted to be gay since deep down he enjoyed being raped or forced to have gay sex.
See a ton of 70s and 80s Straight Romance for this trope and the meaning of Stockholm Syndrome.
Trope
Any overused plot device or theme usually beaten more severely than a dead horse.
See the Simpsons Already Did It episode of Southpark.
OK! So now it’s your turn! What is your favorite M/M Romance Term and do you know what it means?
Tags: eBook Commentary, Gay Romance
