The variety of odd and slightly suspect (pseudo-?) scientific research that wiggles its way into the pages of the media never ceases to amaze me.
The following link is courtesy of one of my Facebook contacts, who lives North of the border...
An agony aunt and broadcaster has hit out at romantic novels for the impact they have on women’s sexual health. In a paper entitled: “He seized her in his manly arms and bent his lips to hers”, Susan Quilliam argues that the “rose-tinted” view of relationships in the likes of Mills and Boon publications makes itself felt in the problems which women bring to the consulting room.
In particular, she blames romantic fiction for dissuading women from using condoms, saying: “To be blunt, we like condoms — for protections and contraception — and they don’t. Ms Quilliam’s contention, published in the latest issue of the BMJ Group’s Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Healthcare, is that women are in the “grip” of idealised love and sex “purveyed in romantic fiction”.”
Read the full article: She sighed as his fictional virility emperilled her sexual health… (someone had fun coming up with that title!)
Comments
Well she might have some
Well she might have some points...
If the women is stupid enough. I guess those romance books suggest women stuff that isn't really smart and they should avoid doing in real life. But thanks to the internet everyone has the possibility to inform themselves.
If they don't then it is their own fault.
In the end I think she's just another person that wants to tell other persons what they have to like. If you don't believe them, just ignore them, you can't do anything against them anyway.
That's interesting
because on Radio 4 Today programme, they mentioned a research paper which showed that reading fiction is good for helping people deal with relationships and other matters.
At the end of the day, it's all about using common sense, not all men are like Mr Darcy and not all women are Jane Eyre or Mary Poppins.
Angharad
Angharad
You mean ...
... I'm not inadequate after all?
Robi
I doubt...
...you'd find many women who use an umbrella for aerial transport, carry a bag of holding, walk into the environments depicted in pavement sketches, or levitate on laughter! :)
--B
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
Romantic novels 'cause sexual problems' for women
Now if a woman was to sue Harlequin Romance for her unwanted pregnancy because she read a Harlequin Romance and used no protection, THAT would be noteworthy, INDEED.
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
I'm a bisexual in a
I'm a bisexual in a hetrosexual relationship but I love reading steamy lesbian romance novels wonder what she'd say about that hmmm lol maybe my reality is warped maybe I'm a closet lesbian reading lesbian smutty romance to escape from the reality that my partner is a man.
Like I'd care anyway it's fiction, it's not nessarily based on real life, I would say most people who read fiction know this. Those that dont probably need serious help getting to grips with reality full stop.
To me it sounds like the same bandwagon as those who say violent video cause people to kill in real life, really it's just an excuse.
Maybe she should go after the Pope next as he seemed to think condoms are the devils work and encouraged Catholics not to use them.
Bailey's Angel
The Godmother :p
Common sense
While some of you here are talking common sense, what about the woman who sued a well known restaurant chain for selling her scalding hot coffee, which she spilt on herself - whilst driving.
Common sense would probably have suggested that she take care, that once she had the coffee, she put it somewhere secure within her car - somewhere other than between her legs. After all, coffee is traditionally a hot drink, made with water that is between 97 degrees Celsius and Boiling Point.
However, the woman did not employ common sense, yet the fault was deemed to have been the restaurant's.
Perhaps the above isn't the same as the point raised, but the principal sure as hell is.
Women who fall pregnant after trying to live out the story line of a piece of fictional writing, should also be reminded of common sense - or the lack they appear to possess.
Please note: The operative word in the above sentence is 'fictional' - i.e. not real.
It just goes to prove that people really are as thick as shit and worse, the legal systems are even worse for pandering to them, even though they really should be accepting responsibility for an irresponsible act on their part, not blaming others.
I suspect that lengthy disclaimers are going to have to be added to novels and other literary works, just in case some nit-wit tries it out for themselves.
I don't just look it, I'm totally bored with people suing because of a lack of common sense on their part...
For the record, the
For the record, the McDonald's case you refer to in the above was overturned on appeal...
Not that I disagree with the sentiment, as if it had been any other provider, that did not have deep pockets enough to fight, it would have stood.
Hugs,
Kristy
Anomaly
Court cases are won and lost based not on the facts of the case, but by the personalities of the claimant or defendant.
My guess is the McDonald's franchise owner or shift manager was a complete ass while the plaintiff was a nice person.
I've been in court a number of times and have NOT found it to be a place where common sense prevails. It is an emotionally charged circus.
The legal system works because well over 90% of cases are settled long before they get to court and quite a few others are settled before they go to jury. Smart lawyers who are working for the good of their clients will keep them out of court because anything can happen.
The mantra of the attorneys is, "If you have the facts on your side, pound the facts. If you have the law on your side, pound the law. If you have neither on your side, pound the table."
When table pounding carries the day you get jury verdicts that seem foolish.
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
If the gloves don't fit you must acquit!
But what if they do fit? What then????
Dio vi benedica tutti
Con grande amore e di affetto
Andrea Lena
Love, Andrea Lena
Worth it to investigate
The case had ramifications that were ignored by the media. At that time, the coffee McDonalds was passing out through a window to people in cars was about 30 degrees F hotter than anyone else's coffee, about 20 degrees off boiling. People had been burned before and McDonald's had quietly paid their medical expenses to prevent a lawsuit but there had been other cases and McDonald's had lost those or settled before judgement as judges and juries agreed that the coffee was unreasonably hot and was dispensed in an unsafe manner.
In the particular case that got national attention because some journalist needed a headline, McDonalds refused to pay medical expenses when a woman received third degree burns after spilling coffee passed to her through a drive-up window. Third degree means destruction of tissue, water has to be hotter than is reasonable for coffee to cause third degree burns. The victim asked only for medical expenses but McDonalds attempted to stonewall the case, eventually ended up in court and lost. A jury was so incensed at McDs callousness, indifference and persistent unsafe practice that they awarded an insane amount of damages, far above what the complainant asked for. The amount awarded was later reduced by another judge but was not set aside, McDonalds was still found negligent.
At this point in reading about this case I'm always amazed that no one brought criminal proceedings against McDonalds because their actions amounted to what is sometimes called "depraved indifference" on the television shows.
The jounalistic feeding frenzy cast the whole thing as a frivolous lawsuit over hot coffee being hot. But it wasn't just hot, it was unreasonably and insanely, unsafely hot. Passing such a container through a window to someone in a car should have been seen as a crime and many McDonalds executives should have served time in prison for persisting in serving such a dangerous product after DOZENS of people had suffered serious and even life-threatening burns to genitals, faces and limbs. Yes, a serious third degree burn can be life threatening.
The fallout of the case has provided lawyers with lucrative employment ever sense, mostly in recommending totally pointless warnings on containers. I'm surprised that no corporate lawyers have so far insisted that their employers label their ice cream "Caution: Contents May Be Cold."
All this information is easily available online with only a bit of effort in research. Having been a journalist myself, I was suspicious about facts left out of the reporting, obvious questions that should have been investigated, answered and reported, so I did my own research about ten years ago.
BTW, McDonalds coffee has always been and remains the best of major chains in the fast food business, barring coffee specialists like Starbucks. But it is no longer served at 190+dF.
Hugs to all,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
Just an interjection here
but ever since that case every coffee cup and lid has printed on it caution hot since that case. Not just that well known chain, I've even seen it on the lids for the plain white cups you buy at the grocery stores.
Bailey Summers
Disclaimers
Most works of fiction already include the "All persons fictious" disclaimer, probably intended to avoid libel suits and the like:
Some include "characters and events", while Heather's Chou stories carry a slightly wittier version:
Which could probably work equally well with the CRU / Center universes in particular!
If you wanted to prevent imitations, I suppose some variant of the "Don't try this at home!" disclaimer could work.
Of course, it is possible to go overboard with your disclaimer...
There are 10 kinds of people in the world - those who understand binary and those who don't...
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
I don't think that
I don't think that disclaimer is overdone... Wasn't there a case were someone tried to use his microwave to dry his cat and then sued for money?
They ought have put him into prison for animal misstreatment and not let him sue people but well whatever ^^
Not really
There have been animal cruelty cases where someone deliberately microwaved an animal but no court cases based on stupidity. It's an urban legend.
http://www.snopes.com/horrors/techno/microwavedpet.asp
Hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.