Mia Patel
The term chick lit is a portmanteau of chick, American slang for a young woman, and lit, short for literature. It was first used to describe a new style of popular fiction emerging in the 1990s with female protagonists. While the term was initially embraced, it soon became outdated and laden with negative connotations. Critics and journalists dismissed chick lit as mind-numbing fluff, and writers of women's popular fiction began to distance themselves from the term, arguing that dismissals of their work were rooted in sexism. The persistence of the chick lit label discourages readers from engaging with literature by women, perpetuating the notion that stories with female protagonists are exclusively for female audiences.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Book cover colour | Candy-bright, heavy in pink and fluorescence |
| Book title | Candy-bright, hinting at easy digestion and a good laugh |
| Book content | Stories with a female protagonist, possibly with a sense of humour and sarcasm |
| Book genre | Women's fiction, light women's fiction, funny women's fiction, literary fiction |
| Book marketing | Hybrid of the magazine article, fictional or fictionalised television, and comfort food digestible over a single night at home |
| Book sales | High in the 1990s and 2000s, but the market became saturated by the mid-2000s |
| Male readers | Less likely to pick up a book labelled as chick lit |
| Male authors | Books by male authors with similar characteristics are labelled "lad lit" and are not looked down upon like chick lit |
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What You'll Learn
The assumption that men won't read books with female protagonists
There is a perception that men do not read books by women, particularly those with female protagonists. This assumption has been perpetuated by the label "chick lit", which is often used to describe books with female protagonists, regardless of genre. The term "chick lit" emerged in the 1990s to describe a new style of popular fiction aimed at young women, with candy-bright covers and easily digestible content. While the term and the genre have evolved, the perception that men won't read books with female protagonists persists.
Some female authors through history, such as the Brontë sisters, George Eliot, and J.K. Rowling, have felt the need to disguise their gender to appeal to male readers. Even today, female authors may choose to use initials or gender-neutral names to avoid being labelled as "chick lit" and to attract male readers.
However, it is important to note that not all men fit this stereotype, and there are male readers who enjoy books with female protagonists. Additionally, the assumption that men won't read books with female protagonists may be changing. For example, S.J. Watson is a male author who has written a book with a female protagonist and an ambiguous author name, challenging the notion that men won't read books by women.
Ultimately, the assumption that men won't read books with female protagonists is a complex issue that involves gender stereotypes, marketing strategies, and the evolution of literary genres. While there may be some truth to the perception that men avoid books with female protagonists, it is not a universal rule, and there are efforts to challenge and break down these barriers.
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The male equivalent is lad lit
The male equivalent of chick lit is ""lad lit", a term principally used from the 1990s to the early 2010s to describe male-authored popular novels about young men and their emotional and personal lives. Lad lit emerged as part of Britain's 1990s media-driven "lad subculture", preceding chick lit. The term is a combination of "lad", referring to a boy or young man, and "lit", which is short for "literature".
Lad lit is characterised by a typically masculine obsession, such as football, pop music, gadgetry, or casual sex, reflecting the protagonist's inability to communicate with women. Nick Hornby is considered the originator of the genre, with his early novels Fever Pitch (1992), High Fidelity (1995), and About a Boy (1997). Other authors associated with this new wave of fiction about inadequate young British masculinities include Tony Parsons (Man and Boy, 1991), Tim Lott, and Mike Gayle.
In 2002, the critic Elaine Showalter proposed extending the term lad lit to cover earlier works, including those of Kingsley Amis and Martin Amis. Showalter described lad lit as comic, romantic, and confessional, with male protagonists betraying their insecurities and panic beneath their bravado.
Lad lit never really took off as a publishing category, despite heavy investment by some publishers. Arguably, promoting novels celebrating boorish behaviour to a demographic that rarely bought books was doomed to fail. Instead, lad lit was subsumed as a male-oriented sub-category of chick lit, with limited success among writers, critics, and readers.
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The negative associations of the term chick lit
The negative associations of the term "chick lit" are numerous and complex. The term is often used to dismiss or marginalize women's writing and women's interests more broadly. This is despite the fact that, as one writer points out, "women comprise the largest segment of the book-buying market". The label "chick lit" is often used to describe books with female protagonists, and this can be seen as a way to discourage certain readers, particularly men, from engaging with literature that features women's stories and perspectives.
The term "chick lit" is also associated with a specific type of female protagonist – the "whiny heroine" – who is often portrayed as less admirable or aspirational than male protagonists. This is reflected in the way that some male-authored literature is described as ""lad lit", a term that does not carry the same negative connotations as its feminine counterpart. The term "lad lit" refers to a "new kind of popular fiction" about a carefree hedonist devoted to football, beer, music, and casual sex. This character is presented as a positive figure, in contrast to the postfeminist woman, who is often portrayed as silly or frivolous.
The negative associations of "chick lit" are also linked to the way the term is used to describe books with bright, pink covers, which are often seen as an indicator of the simplicity or shallowness of the content. This perception is reflected in the way that some critics and journalists have dismissed "chick lit" as "mind-numbing fluff" that "reduces the complexity of the human experience". However, many writers and readers of "chick lit" have pushed back against these negative associations, arguing that the genre deals with serious topics and provides comfort and happiness to its readers.
The negative connotations of "chick lit" have led some writers to distance themselves from the term, even when their work might fall into this category. For example, the writer of "The Wax Club", a novel described as "the first Mediterranean chick lit in Europe", expresses hesitation about the label, wanting her novel to be taken seriously. Similarly, some writers have changed their names or the way they market their work to avoid being associated with "chick lit".
Overall, the negative associations of "chick lit" are rooted in sexism and the devaluation of women's interests, and the term is often used to dismiss or marginalize writing by and about women.
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The role of marketing in perpetuating the label
Marketing has played a significant role in perpetuating the "chick lit" label, both in its emergence and persistence. The term "chick lit" became established in the second half of the 1990s to describe a new style of popular fiction primarily written by, about, and for women. This genre emerged alongside a similar phenomenon in film, dubbed chick flicks.
The publishing industry quickly capitalized on the popularity of chick lit, with colorful, bright covers and titles that hinted at lighthearted and easily digestible content. This marketing strategy positioned chick lit books as hybrids of magazine articles, television, and comfort food. By the late 1990s, chick lit titles regularly topped bestseller lists, and publishers created numerous imprints devoted to the genre.
However, the very success of chick lit led to a backlash, with some writers and critics arguing that the term was dismissive and perpetuated stereotypes about women's literature being less serious or intellectual. Despite this, publishers continued to push chick lit through the 2000s due to high sales. The persistence of the chick lit label, even as the market became increasingly saturated, contributed to the perception of the genre as a commercialized and formulaic form of literature.
In response to the perceived limitations of the chick lit label, some authors and publishers began to distance themselves from it, with some writers even changing their names or using gender-neutral initials to avoid being associated with the genre. The label "women's fiction" emerged as a more inclusive alternative.
While the term chick lit may have fallen out of favor in developed-world English language literature, it continues to be used and debated. The persistence of the label, fueled in part by marketing strategies, has had a lasting impact on how women's literature is perceived and marketed.
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The serious topics covered by books labelled chick lit
The term "chick lit" has been used to describe a genre of fiction that primarily caters to female readers. While the term is considered outdated and dismissive by some, books labelled as "chick lit" often explore serious topics and themes that are relevant to women's experiences.
For instance, in 2007, Diane Shipley defended the genre, arguing that chick lit books increasingly delve into serious subjects. Shipley acknowledged that while these books might not delve into profound philosophical questions, they can offer comfort and relatability to readers, helping them through difficult times.
Indeed, chick lit books can tackle a range of weighty issues, including anxiety, chronic illness, cheating, pregnancy loss, and depression. They can also explore personal growth, female empowerment, and complex relationships with family, friends, and spouses. For example, "Finlay Donovan is Killing It" by Mhairi McFarlane, a book labelled as chick lit, features a struggling single mother dealing with financial troubles, a horrible ex-husband, and creative blocks in her writing career.
Chick lit has also been associated with female triumph, revenge, and camaraderie. Books like Helen Fielding's "Bridget Jones's Diary" and Candace Bushnell's "Sex and the City" have had a significant cultural impact, reflecting the experiences of a generation of women navigating work, relationships, and personal challenges.
However, it is important to note that not all books labelled as "chick lit" conform to stereotypical expectations. Some books marketed as such may focus more on work or forgo romance entirely. The term itself is often applied broadly and simplistically, and it does not always accurately reflect the depth and diversity of the stories it attempts to categorise.
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Frequently asked questions
Some people assume that any book with a female protagonist is chick lit. There is also a perception that men will not read books with female protagonists.
Chick lit is a genre of fiction that emerged in the 1990s, often with brightly coloured covers, that tends to focus on women, triumph, revenge, and comradeship.
The term chick lit has become outdated and is often used in a derogatory manner. Writers are often warned not to label their work as chick lit.
The male version of chick lit is sometimes referred to as "lad lit".
