“The girlies,” someone opined in a book group the other day, “are reading for the sex scenes.” I was momentarily taken aback, suffering from a kind of faux shock as though my delicate sensibilities had been offended. That lasted for all of a minute before I acknowledged that, in many cases, she was absolutely right. This girl can admit to loving books with lots of “spice.” And if it takes a while to get there, I don’t mind searching for key terms like “p*ssy” or “thrust” and skipping ahead to sample the heat. Oh, stop gasping! I know I’m not the only one.
Women have been consuming one version or another of so-called “smut”* for a long time. Because we are so often denied or negatively judged for open expressions of sexuality and sexual pleasure, stories shared via written or spoken words are important outlets for our carnal thoughts, fantasies, and exploration. If you’re judgmental, I’d like to point out that the women you might least suspect of consuming or even producing “such filth” are actively engaged in doing just that. Sorry to burst your bubble, but that just might include your mother and grandmother.
Come on, now! You saw hints of it. Those books with the fine, often shirtless men or a passionately entangled couple or just the name ‘Zane’ on the covers contained some smoldering and sometimes downright blazing R- and X-rated content. Many readers say that they read to escape and that they are transported to wherever the story is taking place. So, where does that leave them when characters are getting it on? In the room? Do women readers envision themselves as the FMCs? If they as readers are in the room, are they watching the live corn or even participating in it? I know you all are probably wondering why I’m even bringing this up. Aside from the comment I mentioned at the beginning, I was again inspired by a popular TikTok video featuring a male content creator (marcqwuanreid) who is tongue-in-cheek stunned by how women write MMCs, including their physical attractiveness. He hypothesized that “women write… romance books the same way men write corn.” Now that a man has come to this very important realization, 🙄 I figured let's talk about it.
Think of the filthiest book that you can recall. Now, think of the filthiest scene in that book. What feelings does thinking about that scene bring about? It’s all right! You don't have to say it out loud in front of the class, but you know. And if you’re claiming you don’t know, that’s fine, too, because deep down, you and I both know you know. 😁Anyway, I ask these questions as a way to get you to see the first of a couple of similarities between our favorite smut books and corn (In fact, a couple of friends tease me that I write “corn-lite”). At this point, this post gets a bit spicy, maybe a little nasty, and all the way real. Buckle up, buttercup, and let's get into the first similarity.
If you’ve been reading romance for any length of time, you’ve probably come across a scene or trick or two that you have jotted down or committed to memory to use later to spice things up in the bedroom. In that instance, our smut books become educational tools. They give us inspiration and sometimes even the courage to try new things in our lives and relationships. Similarly, corn can act as a resource for sexual education and diverse sexual material. While often viewed negatively, corn can be used positively by people who are looking to experiment or who are new to certain experiences as a whole. It provides how-to videos if you will. While this may not have been the traditional purpose of corn, not everything has to be used the way it was initially intended.
There is at least one other, more humorous similarity between smut books and corn. As beneficial and inspirational as these things may be, we have also seen them be a little bit unrealistic at times. When I use the word unrealistic, I do not mean that these things can never happen, just that they seem a little… far-fetched for the average person. Sometimes, the sheer amount of sex that characters have, going round after round and well into the morning, day in and day out, boggles the mind. I don’t know in what world or what lifetime this would be feasible for me, my body, my work schedule, or my Ph balance, even in my racier youth. I giggle at myself when readers side-eye Demon and Dream’s first night or Cyn’s amazing ability to accommodate Tripp. If this was not enough, there are also the stories in which the MMC is having frequent ménages with his fiancée and ex/Baby Mama. Oh, I realize this happens. But more realistic is that the ex and the new woman just keep it cordial or often do not get along. The idea that women in this situation are commonly and happily open to being intimate with each other and the shared partner is wild!
In stumbling upon some women’s love of smut, some men find themselves upset that we can so discreetly do something for which they get so much flak. Hey, smut consumption is just another thing women do better! (JK/JK) In all seriousness, whether reading smut is equivalent to watching corn or not, what I can say is that it is entertaining. I, of course, would love to know your thoughts in the comments below. Also, be sure to share this with your friends to see what they think, and as always…
Blissful Reading!
*Yes, I realize we should probably dissect the negative connotations of the word “smut,” but romance readers and writers have actively and proudly reclaimed it, so I’m going with that!
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