Two days ago I visited a local bookstore called Bookworm here in Sacramento. Everyone knows used bookstores are difficult to navigate, which is part of the fun, of course: it’s like you feel as if you have walked in on this city of books and you don’t really belong there because you’re not a book, but you can sort of fake it because you really like books. Then you snoop round long enough until one catches your eye and you Grab! it and tuck it under your arm, captive.
Still, I saw something that shocked me: the books were organized into genres, but sub-organized into male and female versions of those genres! For example: Male Mystery, Female Mystery, Male Romance, Female Romance, Male Sci-Fi Drama, Female Sci-Fi Drama…
Seriously? It’s 2009. Haven’t we learned enough to not categorize male and female interests? I mean, what if I want to read a female Sci-Fi Drama?
And my frustration with this categorization reminds me of my recent questioning of the popular conflation of musical genres with worldview. In other words, what in the world is Christian Rock? And how can it possibly be different from just rock? We don’t use the categories Atheist Folk or Fiscally Conservative Hip Hop or Lesbian Pop. Labeling as such confuses genre with what drives the music. I’ve even heard an industry person make a distinction between “Worship Leader” and “Worship Artist”. Really.
Let’s not ever call it Christian Rock ever again, because maybe the same people who want to buy a used Female Sci-Fi Drama also want to listen to our music.
