In a society of pretentiousness, it seems as though joy is at the very end of the list of reasons to enjoy anything. There is a judgment imposed on certain genres and art forms because they—simply put—aren’t “good.” As a result, we have what are known as “guilty pleasures”: things that we enjoy and are embarrassed by because of the public stigma surrounding them.
But who decides what “good” is? And why should we feel guilty or ashamed of the things we enjoy?
Think of the word “fangirl,” which is a term used to demean someone’s enjoyment of something. Fangirls are defined as being “extremely or overly enthusiastic,” not because they are fans who happen to be girls. Take pop groups with mainly female fanbases, like One Direction and Taylor Swift. Their music is everywhere; it’s impossible to escape them or their fans and the judgment that follows them. When you think of Directioners and Swifties, what comes to mind? Is it pre-teens in braces holding handmade signs? Girls and women wearing glitter and friendship bracelets? Is it girls screaming until their throats are raw? They’re having the time of their lives, and yet, they’re looked down upon. They’re called obsessive and crazy—you may have thought that of them, too—when in reality, they’re simply enjoying music. I will unapologetically play One Direction. I love listening to them when I need a pick-me-up or I just feel like singing at the top of my lungs.
The same thing happens with books. Specifically, romance novels. The romance genre has been around almost as long as the written language, so there’s nothing new about it, per se. Jane Austen is considered a classic novelist and you’re elevated as a reader when you pick up one of her books, but if you’re reading a contemporary romance, something from Kindle Unlimited (KU), the same genre suddenly becomes shameful. KU novels are known for being easy reads. The stories generally follow a simple and predictable format: a couple meets, something brings them together, something breaks them apart, and they come back together and have a happy ending.
As a KU romance reader, I often read the same story over and over again, just with different characters. Why? Because they’re fun! Now, are some objectively bad? Yes. KU is filled with indie and self-published authors, meaning that they don’t undergo the same rigorous editing that traditionally published authors and novels go through, thus having typos and plot holes. However, there are still a ton of high-quality self-published novels that are worth the read.
Joy should be the top, if not the only, reason why we do anything. The world is already harsh and hard and a little bit hateful. So, be a fangirl. Read a novel with a shirtless guy on the cover. Enjoy, guilt-free.