Jeanne Hedge wrote:

Richard D. Lawson <sterman@sprynet.com> wrote:

As to why women write better lemons...well, 
I have some opinions about that, but it's 
probably best not to bog down the ML with too 
deep a subject matter.  (Yes, I'm being 
cowardly.  I consider it best to be thought 
a coward than a waster of bandwith.)

^_^

Aw, come on...  inquiring minds want to know  ;)

Jeanne Hedge

Okay, you asked for it.

Let me preface the following by saying that I was raised in an 
all-female family, not including myself.  Even the dog and cat were 
female.  Everyone was feminist (not extremist, but very forthright 
nevertheless).  So I think I have a unique perspective into women's 
issues.  At least, when I took a course on Women's Literature, a lot of 
the women in the class told me that they came to appreciate my views, 
even if I was a man.  :)

So let me start with a very inflammatory statement that I believe to be 
true...

Men have a greater sex drive than women.

This is not necessarily a good thing.

After puberty hits, men can't stop thinking about sex.  I don't mean 
every single waking minute, but pretty darn close.  Men can't look at 
any woman without thinking about her sexually.  

The comedian Larry Miller put it best:  "If you women knew what men 
thought of women, you would...never...stop...slapping us."

This is not to say that women don't have healthy sex drives.  It's just 
that we're comparing a water faucet to a fire hose.  Once turned on, one 
exerts a lot more pressure than the other.

So, if you'll grant me that premise, it's easy to see why women write 
better lemons.  Men think about sex, and when writing about it, they are 
more apt to get to the point very quickly, and aren't much interested in 
the "foreplay" of plot or characterization.

Also, given that men think about sex more, they'll think about having 
sex with *any* woman, even fictional ones.  Those with a creative talent 
will use the outlet of fanfic to express their sexual fantasies, which 
are usually graphic and quick.  Sexual fantasies don't have much rhyme 
or reason to them; neither do many lemons written by men.

Well, that should be enough fuel for the fire.  Let me end by saying 
that I'm not much of a fan of lemons.  (Never did much care for Playboy, 
for that matter.)  I prefer my sex three-dimensional, thank you very 
much.  To read about Akane or Kasumi or Nabiki described in *that* way 
is a little degrading for me. I much prefer scenes like the kiss in Misa 
Price's Lost in Love.  Subtle innuendos and inferences are much more 
erotic, IMHO, than graphic descriptions.

<puts on asbestos suit>  Comments?

-Richard

sterman@sprynet.com
http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/sterman