Teens and Romance Novels

**Warning the content below may piss you off. Sorry, but I feel like being blunt. I am in no mood to Sugar Coat.**

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Okay, when I was 13, before the big OMG TEENS ARE READING PARANORMAL ROMANCE!!! WTFBBQ!!?, might I point out that Teens have been reading such books for a long time? Because I was 13 in 1998. Anyone worth their salt would know that Paranormal Romance wasn't exactly around back then. I mean, it was, but it wasn't. Most of Romance Novels were Contemporary or Historical. My first Romance Novel was called "Silken Tiger" and was a Historical Romance. It was the first time I read the word phallus, manhood, manroot, etc. All those lovely catch phrases to describe the genital areas of both sexes.

Think about it. 1998 I was reading Romance Novels. So, what makes people think their "sparkling" teenagers are NOT going to pick up a book and NOT read it? Specially given the fact many Teens are into Vampires and other things that go bump in the night. How do you not expect your Teens to go into a bookstore and NOT browse what they are interested in?

Tommy and Lisa ARE going to pick up something that is eye catching and takes their breath away. Sorry, but if I loved to read and I was a Teen... I would gravitate towards those dark, sensual books that were so calling my name.

It is natural. Honestly. To expect anything less or different would be like expecting a tree to turn into a rose bush at your command. It ain't going to happen. The sooner people realize that their Teens ARE going to read stuff like, the sooner they can EDUCATE them on the subject matter.

Instead of blowing things out of proportion and screaming at the injustice of it all. Cause I will be the first one to tell you, Authors need to make some money and if they know Teens are going to read it... guess what? Authors are going to write it.

Also, don't just point your fingers at Authors. The MEDIA in this day and age has been doing this LONG before Authors wrote books that had Romantic Scenes or Sex Scenes in them. Anyone remember Charmed, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, etc.? No? Then go educate yourself on popular media. Go look at past TV shows on Youtube, Wikipedia, etc. Go look at the graphic details of movies, etc. Teens have long been exposed to this sort of thing before Authors decided to put it on paper.

So, throwing a hissy fit over what your Teen reads is Bias in my opinion. If you want a What-Not of a Teen on a shelf, then by all means... take away everything. Books, TV, video games, phones, computers, etc. Home school them while your at it. Make sure they know how to quilt, cross stitch, embroidery, know how to cook, know how clean, know how to ride a horse, address their betters with formality, etc. All that old world BS that went out of style way before the 20s came to be.

Go ahead.. raise a Victorian (or earlier) Teen. I am sure they will love forever for it. That you kept them from society and taught them things that no longer exist. So, when they go off to college and get a culture shock... you will have grandchildren and a mother/father that just don't know how to handle the real world. Cause obviously you lead them to believe in a fantasy of your making. Instead of teaching them about reality.

Good job and good luck.