The words we choose make a lot of difference in our meanings.

This week "The Realms of Fantasy" magazines announced its intention to publish an All lady issue to some varying reactions.

My first reaction was to defend the magazine. After all, Realms has a long history as a magazine appealing specifically to women.




As you can see from the magazine's history, this is a publication targetting female readers.



It is a magazine which says to women, this is a magazine full of stories for "you" (women).

Stories about horses, and feelings, and countryside full of streams. I think I read somewhere that women like water.

Anyway, you might well asked, WHAT MORE COULD THE REALMS OF FANTASY DO TO PLEASE WOMEN?



Although it's ironical, it was in the very act of trying to please girl readers more that "The Realms" made its mistake of not pleasing them the most!

Sure! We men all thought. What are you all complaining about? Are you CRAZY? Here is an example of men selflessly standing aside to let the little lassies have a turn, and yet some of you find this OFFENSIVE? For shame, womankind?

While this response may seem perfectly logical and reasonable to all of you at first, stop and think about it from the point of view of a women.

I know; it's hard. Women's minds are as mysterious as the ways of a natural animal, like a buzzard. You can't think about something like that! But just try.

Is it possible that The Realmses approach was a little patronising?



What the editor, apparently one Douglas Conan, failed to realise is that women are creatures of wild emotion and oversensitive feelings.

You can't talk down to them. In order to patronise them, you have to patronise them carefully.

Perhaps the editor needs to look into his own way of talking to the fairer sex, to think about the terms he uses and use words which make it sound as though women are included, rather than speaking plainly. It may seem like semantics, but the words we use are impotent.

This is what girls mean when they talk about the male gauze. If Douglas were more sensitive, he would have phrased his generous offer in a manner less likely to upset the womens' delicate mental state. That's what being a real "gent"leman means!

Maybe if he does that then The Realm of Fantasy" will finally be reconised as the "Friend of Broads" that it has always, deep in it's heart of hearts, bean.