It's Been a Minute Yes, romance is political too.
Jan 28, 2026
Princess Weekes, pop culture critic and video essayist who analyzes fandom and representation. Netta Baker, Advanced Instructor of English who studies literature and genre politics. They unpack romantasy’s rise, why it appeals to femme readers, how romantic tropes intersect with tradwife and fascist ideas, and how fantasy both challenges and reinstates real-world hierarchies.
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Romantasy Is A Rebrand, Not A Reinvention
- Romantasy (romanticy) blends romance and fantasy but is more a rebranding of fantasy romance than a brand-new genre.
- The label helped remove stigma and propelled huge sales growth in recent years.
Readers Seek Emotional Safety, Not Patriarchy
- Many readers use romantasy to process feminine rage and resistance to perceived misogyny.
- They value male partners depicted as emotionally intelligent, supportive, and affirming.
Escape Stories Often Reinstate Hierarchies
- Fantasy texts often oppose an unjust status quo but then install hierarchical replacements readers accept.
- That acceptance hides how new regimes mirror real-world problematic power structures.
