Fratire is a kind of 21st-century fiction written for and sold to young men. It uses language and themes that do not follow modern social norms and strongly focus on traditional ideas of masculinity. The term "Fratire" was created after the popularity of books written by George Ouzounian (who used the name Maddox) and Tucker Max. This genre is described as a humorous way of highlighting traditional male traits. However, some people have criticized it for possibly encouraging harmful attitudes toward women, such as sexism and misogyny.

Genre

Fratire is a genre of literature that typically includes male main characters who are in their 20s or 30s. It focuses on themes related to manhood and can be seen as the male version of chick lit. This genre became popular because of Tucker Max's book I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell, as well as Maddox's webpage titled The Best Page in the Universe and his book The Alphabet of Manliness. One author explained that fratire represents a way to respond to changes in how masculinity is viewed, though not all books in the genre address this idea directly.

Etymology

Fratire is a blend of the words "fraternity" and "satire." A reporter from the New York Times introduced the term in a 2006 article titled "Dude, here's my book." The editor reportedly allowed only this word. Tucker Max, who first heard the term during a telephone interview with the reporter, said the term was used to describe books focused on male experiences that included themes of alcohol and relationships. Publishers continued to use this type of book as a way to sell more copies. After the success of books written by Max and Maddox, publishers and reporters tried to take advantage of the trend by creating new versions of the word, such as "lad-lit," "dicklit," "frat-lit," and "menaissance."

Criticism of fratire

Melissa Lafsky of The New York Times described the genre as "misogyny for sale." Lafsky wrote that authors of the genre were making money by encouraging anger in young men about society's push for equal treatment of all people. In an interview with Salon.com, Rebecca Traister spoke with Ouzounian, who said his writing was a humorous imitation of traditional ideas about masculinity and that society had changed too much to return to those old ideas. In an interview with Public Radio International, Maddox suggested that the hatred toward women often linked to the genre had become more common because women now have more power in society, and that focusing only on women as a group that cannot be mocked is itself a form of sexism. In a 2008 article, Kira Cochrane of the New Statesman disagreed, stating that inequality between men and women still exists. Cochrane called the genre a return to outdated sexism, "hidden behind the use of humor."