Women Read the Romance is a study of women, specifically wives and mothers, who read romance novels for pleasure and enjoyment. For every woman who was interviewed, there was a common factor. Each woman enjoyed reading these romance novels because it was an escape from their everyday lives. They responded with answers like "They always seem like an escape and they usually turn out the way you wish your life was."(69) Not only do these women enjoy this escape from reality (literally and figuratively) but they also enjoy these novels because they can be a realistic fantasy. For example, romance novels have the hero and the heroin, with the hero balancing both masculinity and nurturing qualities. This combination is most certainly a fantasy for many women. Women are nurturing by nature, therefore leaving them exhausted when nurturing is not received. The idea of having a man who encompasses masculinity and is nurturing is what sparks women's interest in these novels. Therefore these novels give women a sense of nurture by describing what women desire.
Cathartic Confessions or Emancipatory Texts? discusses day time talk shows, concentrating on Rape Narratives on the Oprah Winfrey Show. The point that Moorti was trying to accomplish was that although the Oprah show does help discussion on social issues like rape, there are hidden agendas. The Oprah Winfrey show is based on discussion and debate, she brings in professionals, experts, and victims of whatever situation is being discussed for the day. However the hidden agenda depends on the topic, and who she brings in for the day. According to Moorti, Oprah has proved to contradict herself on different days with similar topics, such as rape. For Oprah, the purpose is to appeal to the audience so ratings can increase. This occurs by exploiting the oppression of women. This may not be the intention of day time talk shows, however this discussion of oppression appeals to the female audience, who can relate to the topics discussed.
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