I am so with you. It undermines my faith in humanity that these alph-hole males are so popular again. Didn't we put all that behind us with the rapetastic douchenozzles of the 1970s-1980s? But no, they're back again, all over urban, paranormal, and some contemporary romance, and ALL OVER New Adult. It's the New Adult ones that break my heart: do we really want to be sending young women the message that being treated that way is okay?
Obviously I know there's a difference between fantasy and reality, and of course I trust most readers to know that difference -- it's just that like you, I find that controlling/stalkerish behavior both dangerous and totally UNSEXY, so I just don't get what the mass appeal seems to be.
Excuse me, I've gotta go wave my cane and yell at some kids to get off my lawn now. ;-)
I'm just glad it isn't just me. Because for the LONGEST time, I thought I was. Like when I first started reading Romance, they were bad but they've just seemed to have gotten MUCH worse somehow. And it was just "Oh, he's so Alpha and protective". No! NO! I found nothing romantic or REMOTELY romantic about that. Just WHY? WHY? And I really can't say it's JUST Romance because it isn't. This starting to cross the "Romance line" and go into other genres. And you know what, IT still ISN'T OKAY.
Obviously I know there's a difference between fantasy and reality, and of course I trust most readers to know that difference -- it's just that like you, I find that controlling/stalkerish behavior both dangerous and totally UNSEXY, so I just don't get what the mass appeal seems to be.
Excuse me, I've gotta go wave my cane and yell at some kids to get off my lawn now. ;-)