I read a lot. Different genres. Fiction and non-fiction. One thing that I see a lot in books is this over fascination and/or obsession with beauty. The characters are described using every possible synonym for beautiful. The authors go on, and on about how breathtakingly gorgeous these people are. Male fictional characters only interact with beautiful women. The only plain or average women are on the side of the bad guys. The protagonist never has a relationship with, or even has casual sex with, a normal looking woman. She's always tall, thin and gorgeous with perfect skin.
Child, please. ENOUGH already. Nobody looks like that in Real Life. In a normal room full of 35 (for example) people, there may be one or two pretty, one beautiful, and a couple of handsome guys. But it won't be 20 out of 35, for crying out loud! Everyone else will be average. Normal. Real. I realize that it's a male fantasy, but come on already. Every one? Really? If men only ever slept with tall, skinny, beautiful women with perfect skin, the species would have died out long ago because there are so few of them outside of Hollywood, and they've all been augmented or airbrushed. Most guys would never get married because they couldn't find the "right" woman.
Some authors add the word "fit" to the list of adjectives as a subtle way of saying "not fat." But a woman can be fit and healthy and not look like an Olympic athlete. She can run marathons and still have some body fat. She can work out and eat right and still have some curves. Singer Madonna works out obsessively. Her ex-husband said she was like "a tough piece of gristle" to hold. Do you really want that?
Just once I'd like to read about a character that falls in love with a female character who looks like a normal person. Is that really so much to ask?
Sincerely,
An Average Looking Avid Reader
