Just What RomLand Needs, Another “Rubenesque” Black Heroine…
Tuesday, May 31, 2011Posted in: Racism in romance
I’ve noticed an annoying trend. It seems to me that every multicultural/IR romance book that I pick up these days has a black heroine who is either ‘Rubenesque’ or “curvaceous”. Not sure why this is?
Is it because the writers themselves are on the larger side, and are telling the story from the heroine’s perspective, or are they simply trying to promote plus sized heroines?
Or are they perhaps trying to sell the dream that no matter how big you are, you can get THE guy? You know THAT guy, the one who is hotter than hot. The guy that every girl wants.
I understand that there are books out there featuring plus size white women, but it feels like EVERY book that I pick up where the heroine is a black woman, also goes to great lengths to describes her as curvaceous or Rubenesque which is basically the PC way of saying they’re fat. I don’t know what my beef is, but The Big Black Woman is a stereo-type that I’m not fond of. In fact, I daresay, it gets right on my tits.
Mind you, look at this book cover, does the heroine look “curvaceous” to you?
That’s another rant for another day.
JoanneF
May 31
12:09 pm
That cover model is nowhere near “rubenesque.”
Sandy
May 31
3:03 pm
Here is my two cents for what it’s worth.. Big black women are not a stereo-type. Many Black and Hispanic women struggle greatly with thier size and if they ever come down in size they will always be considered “curvaceous”.
We don’t read ‘fat’ when we read Rubenesque, we interpret as “having some meat on those bones”. I believe it has alot to do with our culture and the relationship we have with food (I am a hispanic woman). My Mom couldn’t put something on the table that had not been fried to the point that you didn’t know what it originaly was. Can we have some grease with that spagetti and meat sauce (why drain the fat? It’s the best part). Yeah, it was not the most healthiest of diets, which in turn led to all of us girls being overweight and never learning to eat right. Many years later and with a daughter of my own, I have learned to eat right and have lost the weight but I will never be considered thin. But in the words of Meg Cabot.. Size 12 is not fat (oh. and Size 14 is not fat either) LOL!
As to the cover art.. I agree with you on that, if you are going into detail describing your heroine’s figure, have it match the cover. It’a almost as bad as if they whitewash it. Honestly!
Shiloh Walker
June 1
6:48 pm
I was wondering if you’d mention that. She’s not ‘curvaceous’ or rubenesque. I’d love to look the way she does.
Amarinda Jones
June 2
9:29 am
Two things…there seems to be a lot of these ‘Rubenesque’- not really actually overweight – heroines around all of a sudden – regardless of ethnicity and I’m seeing a lot of white male/with black female genre books out there. Is this the new genre replacing werewolf/MM? I believe in love who you want to love but it worries me when writers jump on a bandwagon and flog it to death
Anon 76
June 2
9:44 pm
I’m going to toss this out there and I hope no one gets upset. But is it perhaps a cultural thing? Both in black and latino culture? The model is being labeled as such because “baby’s got back?”
She’s not heavy by any means, but she can fill out the back of her jeans quite nicely?
I’m only asking because I’m a 5’2″, 110 lb Irish American woman who recieved some less than subtle harrassment from both my dil and her mom this past christmas for being flat butted. “Baby has no back.”. (And trust me, these are both women of no color whose butts spread wider than back.)
The style now is to fill those jeans. Heck, people are even getting butt implants. Butt implants? Seriously?
Just my thoughts, and not meant to rile.
eggs
June 3
6:44 am
I don’t take it literally, so it doesn’t bother me. Kind of like when they describe the hero as being ‘like a panther’. Literally, that would be covered in manky black fuzz, crawling around on all fours and never wiped his arse a day in his life. But we don’t picture the reality, we know it’s code for hot & physically fit.
Likewise, although I know that the women Reubens painted were actually fat and wobbly, when I read ‘Rubenesque’ in fiction, I picture someone like Salma Hyack, with big boobs, hips & arse, but not fat per se. This seems to match quite closely with the descriptions given of the heroine’s proportions, when they use the code word ‘Reubenesque’. And frankly, if I could look like anyone, it would be Salma, so reubenesque is ok by me!
Anon 76
June 3
3:17 pm
Yeah, and that is something too, Eggs.
Reuben’s subjects were stylish for the time period. Having a bit of muscle would make you look “working class.” Any color on a white woman’s skin or even freckles, made you working class. Having boobs bigger than your behind made you working class.
It’s all quite fascinating, really.
Consider the bustle. WTF was that about?
And Salma? Damn that woman is hot! In my opinion everything she has is in the right place and in the right amounts. If I was a guy, I’d sure be putting her up on a wish list. LOL
Eve Vaughn
June 3
4:55 pm
Amarinda, I’m not sure why you’re only noticing the IR trend because I’ve been writing these books for about seven years now and I can name a handful of authors who have been out as long or longer than me writing these same types of books. No this hasn’t replaced MM or werewolf because they’ve always been here. Most of the authors write them partly because yes, they do sell but also because they may be in an interracial relationship like myself. Some a good some are not so good, but that’s any genre so of course when people here these books sell they’ll take a shot at it. This niche is no different from any other.
Amarinda Jones
June 3
7:29 pm
“Amarinda, I’m not sure why you’re only noticing the IR trend because I’ve been writing these books for about seven years now…”
Well Eve…I haven’t. Why? I don’t know…probably a human thing that I’m slow to notice some genres but there it is. ‘Wasn’t aware my lack of noticing could be an issue to you.
Eve Vaughn
June 3
7:33 pm
Well, you asked the question, “Is this the new genre replacing werewolf/MM?”
And I gave you an answer. My answer wasn’t meant to be taken as me being offended or having an issue with your question. Which I didn’t, just speaking from being knowledgeable about the genre.
Karen Scott
June 4
12:05 pm
To be fair, I’m pretty sure IR romances have not been as flogged to death as vampire and wolfie books, and in fact they’re more prevalent in e-books, than traditional paperback.
Plus it’s not a new genre at all, it’s been around for a long time, but I guess if that’s not your cuppa, you aren’t necessarily going to notice it.
Sharon Cullars
June 5
5:38 pm
Hi Karen, just piping in regarding I/R books. Although the genre is relatively new compared to other genres, it is not an outlier genre in that it represents actual real world relationships (of course, with different plotlines). In recent years, the number of I/R marriages and relationships among BW/WM has grown and will continue to grow so I expect the genre to begin to reflect writers who are in these relationships.
I also expect (or rather hope) to see a proliferation in books reflecting all types of I/R relationships of various racial pairings b/c the same-ole same-ole cannot continue to be the “default.” I guess I’m saying it should be more “normal” to read about a BW/WM than it is to read about a human-vampire.
Shiloh Walker
June 9
6:44 pm
I sure as hell hope so.
Shiloh Walker
June 9
6:46 pm
BTW, I’m now having images of a girl bringing home a dude in a black cape, widow’s peak, ruffly white shirt…intro’ing him to mommy and daddy. Yes, my mind runs on weird roads. O.O
Sharon Cullars
June 12
5:28 pm
On point for the convo, today is Loving Day (serendipitously named for Mildred and Richard Loving) here in the States which celebrates the 1967 Supreme Court ruling abolishing the anti-miscegenation laws in every state. The Lovings was a BW/WM couple whose courage made it possible for all IR relationships to flourish in the states.
For those interested, here is a short documentary (in 3 parts) produced by the BBC.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4FafoL_euI
Roslyn Hardy Holcomb
June 23
6:16 pm
*Sigh* I knew I stopped reading these blogs for a reason. I would imagine that you’re seeing so many “Rubenesque” heroines because fans request them. I know I get lots of requests for full-figured heroines. I don’t write them because, well, I’ve never said this out loud, but what the hell I’m getting out of the business anyway, I never write them because the media is saturated with fat black women. And if they’re physically attractive, then they’re obnoxious or in some way off putting so that they can never be competition for the much-beloved white woman, who must at all times be the center of the sexual attraction universe. Black women are relegated to the role of the unattractive, but “sassy” sidekick. In my books I prefer to write about the black women that never seem to get any airtime. Women who are physically attractive, well-educated and…Bertha hide the kids…get the man too.
As for the comment about the “sudden” surge of IR books featuring BW/WM? *double sigh*, unless 15+ years is sudden I don’t know what to say. Of course, I remember a similar thread over at Smart Bitches asking why there were no interracial romances. Never mind that there have been thousands of them published, but of course, we know that unless it’s written by a white woman most readers are totally unaware of them. Oh well. Their loss.
And just in case someone who actually gives a damn accidentally comes across this blog Pat Cromwell keeps a list of interracial releases, here’s a link to her blog: http://www.patcromwell.com/
Loose Id frequently has IR books as well, all my books have been with them, as does Phaze and I think Red Rose.