… ever closed the cover on your gazillionth ‘rescue me from the stalker’ romance and thought to yourself either
(a) there’s a heck of a lot more psychos in the US world than you originally thought, or
(b) you’ve miscalculated the percentage of authors who are unconsciously using this plot device to express their own deep-seated desire to be the object/ee of obsessive love in a Ladyhawke-if-I-can’t-have-you-no-one-shall kind of a way??
Just a little something I’ve been pondering.
Kris + Books = Good. *Sometimes*. 
I think its A unfortunately.
At point it seemed like every single book I picked up (umm, opened I guess) it was the high school geek who was finally all rich and hot who was hooking up with the supposedly straight star athlete X years later. I swear I ended up with 5 books in a week. I swore off that theme for awhile. It was overkill.
As for b), it's possible, we all want to be loved, just usually not to death. 🙂
Ladyhawke!!! My ultimate teenie bopper wet dream movie.Rutger Hauer. sigh….
Tam: The geek and the jock when it works its “Caught Running”. When it doesn't it's called a bandwagon.
“As for b), it's possible, we all want to be loved, just usually not to death. :-)”
I guess it would depend if you were the stalker or stalkee.
KBC: It was one of my fave movies too. That scene where they nearly touch…. *sniffle*
I dunno what Ladyhawke is, but I avoid the stalker theme like the plague these days. Soooooo sick of it.
Like every gay man has a stalker or something. Gah.
Jen: *clutches throat* Do you mean to say that you've never seen the Ladyhawke movie starring Rutger Hauer, a young Michelle Pfeiffer and a baby Matthew Broderick?!!!
OMG!
It's the classic cursed lovers movie. Go watch it NOW! http://www.letmewatchthis.com/movie-3494-Ladyhawke.
I'm on my knees begging you here, Jen.
Please.
Just do it for me.
Umm, whoops.
Sorry Jen. I forgot about the topic for a moment there. Ha. Ha.
“Like every gay man has a stalker or something. Gah.”
Exactly. Not that I don't doubt that men get stalkers as much as women, but it just seems like such a m/f romance theme to do. Do you know what I mean?
I'm sorry but… don't you stalk Sean AND for all the wrong reasons?
*sigh* Mumma, it doesn't count cos I don't obsessively love Sean. I mean I love him in a 'fan loving a famearse author' way, but I'm not IN love with him in a 'he should be mine and ignoring the fact he is gay' way.
Is it an 80s movie? I don't like most 80s movies. :X
I think I have a problem with the idea that one of the men always needs rescuing. And I'm sure you've noticed it's always the smaller, less masculine guy with the stalker too. Because Alpha He-Man manly men don't get stalked. Only the nellie bottom boys. Right. Seriously, gay men are still MEN. Even the slightly feminine ones. They're not swooning damsels in need of rescuing.
*massive eyeroll*
Jen: The problem is if I told you Ladyhawke was from 1995 would you actually believe me now?
“I'm sure you've noticed it's always the smaller, less masculine guy with the stalker too. Because Alpha He-Man manly men don't get stalked. Only the nellie bottom boys.”
Hell yes. Because it's the betas or omegas or whatever that are always the stalkee, I get pissed off by the implication that being smaller and more feminine means you are incapable of defending yourself and therefore are in desperate need of rescuing. Shits me no end.
It's way overused in my opinion.
It would be neat tho to read one where the stalkee is the Top Dog and his wittle bitty Beta rescues him. At least it would be different.
I must be readin' the wrong books, cause I can't think of too many stalkers…
but i must tell you that just before my husb asked me to marry him, we'd seen Ladyhawke (at an actual theater, you know, when it was first released). *Sigh. twu wuv*
Oh, and please, no commenting on the fact that I was old enough to be getting engaged when Ladyhawke was first released. Don't anybody say anything about not having been born yet! I won't be listening…lalalala
Lily: You got that right, although thinking about it I'm sure I've read something not dissimilar where the beta does save the big bad alpha – although it wasn't HIS big bad alpha. I think it was A Promise Kept??
Wren: There's a bloodly lot of 'em out there. You'll come across 'em. Believe me.
Hun, I wouldn't say anything about how old you must be to have got engaged in 1985. That would be downright mean. *GRIN*
I'm baaaaack! The computer is fixed so I'm back to stalking…I mean visiting…Kris *grin*
Honestly, I hate stalker plots. It's like…tension required, just add a stalker!
Ladyhawke!! Captain Navarre! OMG, my crush on him was of epic proportions. Last year I bought the DVD because it was The Movie of my younger days. And I still love it. It has magic and love and curses and evil priests and swords and castles and then, obviously, it has Rutger Hauer! Pale blond hair, all dressed in black, with a falcon on his arm and proud on his horse… seriously, no girl had a chance to resist him. *starts daydreaming*
Sorry, what were we talking about…? Oh yes, stalkers! Well, it may be embarassing to admit it, but sometimes I like this plot device. Mind you, it's overused and most of the time frankly ridiculous, but I enjoyed it in some books. It's not something that should be used in highly erotic novellas or even novel that are focused mostly on sex, IMO – it needs some introspection to be more than a fake façade. But well, it can work for me. Of course it's also true that when you start picking up book after book with a stalker in it… *yawn*. It's boring. Like Tam said, see the geek and the jock.
Orannia: You have returned. Awesome. 🙂
You've given me an idea for a new list. For conflict, just add… stalker, etc, etc. Could be lots of fun. Hehehe.
Sara: *dreamily* Captain Navarre…. *sigh*
I've enjoyed the stalker device in some books too- when done well it can be awesome -, but it does make me roll my eyes when I see a friggin' butt load of 'em in the latest book releases. As you said, boooor-riiiiiiing!
JenB: You must see Ladyhawke! One of the best movies of the 80's. So romantic!
Hey Kris
In A Promise Kept it's the Beta that's stalked and his man and their friends who rescue him. I liked that book although I could have done without the stalker and some of the tears 🙂
Damn. I've just outlined a new story with a stalking ex in it LMAO.
Do I get so many 'goes' at a cliched plot device before it becomes overused? I mean, I've never used it before, I don't think…
Or else it's back to the WIP folder 🙂
KBC: Yeah. You gang up on her too, KBC. She can't resist the two of us telling her she needs to watch this movie.
Lily: I know the beta was stalked, but wasn't it actually one of his alpha friends who ended up getting taken and he helped save him? Or am I thinking of another story??
And, yeah, it was angsty, wasn't it. 🙂 I loved the secondary characters and some of the dialogue though.
Clare: *snort* I s'pose we'll let you have a go at it… only one mind you. 😉
Yes, Mason's friend Cooper was kidnapped and it was Mason's idea of where to look for him that got him rescued but he didn't physically do anything. And then he himself was kidnapped and subsequently rescued by his lover.
I only like sparkly stalkers with fangs. 😀
ROFL! Cradle snatcher!