Last week, I was listening to NPR (National Public Radio) Morning Edition on the way to work, as I generally do. Lots of world news, lots of interesting things you don’t normally hear from most other news sources. I like it. Usually. On that day, however, they had a bit on the tail end of the business news that darn near ruined my day.
It was a bit about Harlequin’s 60th birthday. When I heard that, I got all excited. “Cool!” I thought. “Romance is on NPR!” I thought that was pretty sweet. Until they started talking, and what I got was what everybody else on the planet seems to give the romance genre: scornful snickering. The dreaded term “bodice ripper.” What a disapointment, NPR.
It wasn’t what was said so much as how they said it. Derision and “wow I can’t believe people READ this stuff” amusement dripping from their voices. It made me ANGRY, I tell you. Check out the NPR website to read the transcript of the story and listen for yourself. It’s very short, so it won’t take but a minute.
I shouldn’t be surprised at this point that so many people still believe romance to be beneath them, but I constantly am. And for Morning Edition — a morning-drive friend to me for years — to throw this at me, feels personal. Why, Linda and Steve? Why’d you do it? Our relationship will never be the same.
The title of the bit alone is a sad comment on how romance is still perceived. Haven’t they done more positve pieces in the past? This time, however, I share your disappointment with the NPR folks, Ally.