Fifty Shades of Porn

[dgs49]

Prompted by others in her golf league, my wife downloaded the book, "50 Shades of Gray," onto her Kindle, and started reading.

When she told me that it was basically a story-less "porn book," I had to get it for myself (we have a joint account, so I can download her books). Her description was accurate; in fact, a movie version of the book could not help but be "X-rated" because a large portion of it is graphic descriptions of sexual intercourse. But she failed to mention that it was also very aggravating. The main character is so stupid and gullible, and so lacking in any SELF, that I constantly found myself having to put the book down, go out and kick our (stuffed) dog in frustration.

She has also downloaded the second and third books of the trilogy, and she tells me they are "not as bad." I don't think I can stand another book by this author.

Does anyone else here find it surprising that such a work of "art" can find such laudatory acceptance in the general population?

[Guinevere]

I slogged through the first one last spring because I was interested in all the furor (and because my sister, with who I sahre a Kindle account, downloaded it for a Girls Weekend read). It was cheesy, poorly written, the characters are flat, the dialogue repetitive, and there is lots and lots of sex. I didn't care for the book or the characters, but if reading about lots of sex (which is characterized as BDSM, but is mild at best, and perhaps adventurous at least) empowers men and women to have more and better and different sex go for it.

I started the second, out of curiousity, but found it as dreadfully written as the first, and never finished it. I've never even opened the third.

Is it art? No. Does that matter? Not one bit.

BTW - Fifty Shades began as Twlight fan fiction, and was originally written for those two main characters. That in and of itself should tell you enough about its quality . . .

If anyone wants an interesting, creative, well-written read, I highly recommend The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. One of the best books I have read this year!!

[Lord Jim]

she told me that it was basically a story-less "porn book,"...

She has also downloaded the second and third books of the trilogy,

That reminds be of the old joke about the small town guy who comes home from going to the movies and tells his friend that to his horror, the new picture down at the BiJou is "one of them porno movies"....

"That must have been disgusting", his friend replies.

"You're telling me," the man says. "It was so vile I could barely bring myself to sit through it a third time,"....

[Daisy]

While some critics have sneered at the quality of the writing, the book, which features scenes of sado-masochistic sex, has become the fastest-selling paperback of all time.
Author EL James has been plucked from obscurity and has made a fortune from her trilogy of novels which charter the travails of virgin Ana and the older Christian Grey.
But Clare Phillipson, director of the Wearside Women In Need, has called on people to burn them on a bonfire on November 5.
She said: "Our concern is not the graphic depiction of sex - this is an abusive relationship presented as a love story.
"It normalises abuse, degrades women and encourages sexual violence.
"There is lots of abuse in the book, not just sexual abuse.
"Do millions and millions of women suffer from secret self-loathing? Do they all want to be treated this badly?
"Some of what happens in the book, Fred West did to his victims in his cellar.
"I fail to see what is erotic about that."
Ms Phillipson believed if the author had been a man, the books would not have been published.
"There is emotional and sexual abuse of a 20-year-old with no sexual experience who is persuaded that being hit is good fun."
She said the way Grey hurt Ana then later made it up to her with expensive gifts and thoughtful e-mails was typical of a domestic abuser.
The charity which she directs helps women who are victims of domestic violence and human trafficking.
Speaking at one of the refuges it runs on Wearside, she said one victim of domestic violence who had read the book told her it left her confused.
"She told me 'If this is a love story, how come it didn't feel like this when it was happening to me'," she said.
She added: "There's an assumption that Nazis are the only people who burn books," she said.
"What we are saying is, this book is rubbish and we would like to reduce it to ashes.
"We are not burning the Bible or a political philosophy, we are burning the depiction of an abusive man as a romantic hero."

I put myself through all three books to see if I could find one redeeming feature ... I failed. (also did get them from a slightly less than legal e-book source, so no money changed hands)

I don't know about burning it for glorifying violence in a relationship, I'd burn the bloody lot for crimes against literature.

[Guinevere]

I'm pretty tuned in to women's issues and I really didn't find the books offensive, and as I said above, I think there are aspects of the book that could be liberating for men and women. But of course, to each his own, and there is no place that is more true than in one's sexual preferences.

[Daisy]

I have read much better erotica, much much better!

My problem was with the bloody awful prose, the juvenile language for instance she insisted on calling her vagina her "sex" in the middle of a supposed erotic scene, and his penis "his impressive length" (she was a virgin how would she know it was impressive or otherwise??) and how ever single time she had an orgasm her body shattered into a million pieces .... every single goddamned time!!

But what pissed me off more than anything was the constant referrals to her subconscious and her inner goddess.... i wanted to punch all three of her personalities.

As I may have mentioned elsewhere, finally literature came up with a character I wanted to punch more than Bella Swan out of Twilight.

[Gob]

But, what we all want to know is, is Dave getting any strange sex since his missus read it?

[Guinevere]

Daisy, I agree with everything you've said - it was a painful read, there is tons of far better stuff out there -- some of it even free.

But think about the women who are uncomfortable reading erotica (my sister being one of them) -- maybe this will get them interested, they'll start reading the good stuff, and open their minds (and experiences) a bit.

[Gob]

But think about the women who are uncomfortable reading erotica (my sister being one of them) -- maybe this will get them interested, they'll start reading the good stuff, and open their minds (and legs) a bit.

Sorry, sorry, sorry, couldn't resist!

[Gob]

A charity for abuse victims is planning to burn copies of an erotic bestseller.

Fifty Shades - a trilogy about a steamy romance between a businessman and a student - contains themes of sadism and masochism.

Clare Phillipson, of Wearside Women in Need, said the theme was "vile" and urged women to drop off copies to her Washington office for a bonfire on 5 November.

Publisher Random House said: "The sex scenes are entirely consensual."

Ms Phillipson, who said she had read two-thirds of the first book before she gave up "in disgust", said she was furious that libraries throughout the North East were ordering extra copies of the trilogy to cope with demand.

Newcastle city libraries have 20 copies of the trilogy in stock; Sunderland City Council has nine copies with four more on order; libraries in Durham have 13 with 320 people on the waiting list and Northumberland County Council has eight copies with six more on order.

Ms Phillipson said: "I do not think I can put into words how vile I think this book is and how dangerous I think the idea is that you get a sophisticated but naive, young women and a much richer, abusive older man who beats her up and does some dreadful things to her sexually.

"My main objection is that at a time when local authorities are making cuts to outreach and refuge services for women experiencing domestic violence, we have libraries wasting and grossly misusing public to buy a book which says: 'domestic violence is sexy'.

"The money would be better spent supporting victims."

Sunderland City Councillor John Kelly said: "We want to give people freedom of choice in what they read - it is not for us to dictate what material they read. We want to give them a wide variety of material."

[Guinevere]

But think about the women who are uncomfortable reading erotica (my sister being one of them) -- maybe this will get them interested, they'll start reading the good stuff, and open their minds (and legs) a bit.

Sorry, sorry, sorry, couldn't resist!

One generally follows the other ......

[loCAtek]

This is why I couldn't get into 'Romance Novels' in the first place. Bodice rippers, in general, are so vapid.

[liberty]

I slogged through the first one last spring because I was interested in all the furor (and because my sister, with who I sahre a Kindle account, downloaded it for a Girls Weekend read). It was cheesy, poorly written, the characters are flat, the dialogue repetitive, and there is lots and lots of sex. I didn't care for the book or the characters, but if reading about lots of sex (which is characterized as BDSM, but is mild at best, and perhaps adventurous at least) empowers men and women to have more and better and different sex go for it.

I started the second, out of curiousity, but found it as dreadfully written as the first, and never finished it. I've never even opened the third.

Is it art? No. Does that matter? Not one bit.

BTW - Fifty Shades began as Twlight fan fiction, and was originally written for those two main characters. That in and of itself should tell you enough about its quality . . .

If anyone wants an interesting, creative, well-written read, I highly recommend The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. One of the best books I have read this year!!

I recommend this book; it is good tale, but as all my liberal friend know the background is just all lies. As we all know glorious communism failed not because of the system, but because American imperialist fascist saboteurs slipped into country and misdirected the leadership.

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Reader's Comments
Dreams of Joy
By Lisa See

PBR Book Review:This book is set during China’s Great Leap Forward, a period of devastating famine caused by the Government’s mandate of collectivization of agriculture. Far from the promise of plentitude, there is widespread starvation. See presents this as well as the philosophy of communist China and the day-to-day life in the countryside in vivid detail. Her writing style is clear and her presentation is unencumbered as she reveals the haunting anguish and despair of the people and the inadequacy of the government. This is a fascinating glimpse of what the people of Red China did to survive what amounts to a catastrophic social experiment that caused the death of millions of people. See tells the story through the voices of two characters; Joy - young, idealistic and raised in LA - set on changing the world and being a part of the “people’s movement” and Pearl, Joy’s mother - who escaped from China- and is familiar with the country and the dangers. Through the relationship of Joy and her mother, the story examines the bonds of motherhood and presents the struggles as well as the depth of love and also the sacrifice a mother is willing to make for her child. Excellent historical fiction.

[Scooter]

She said: "Our concern is not the graphic depiction of sex - this is an abusive relationship presented as a love story.

Is this different in anything but a matter of degree from any number of bodice rippers by romance novelists like Rosemary Rogers, etc. who portray their heroines being "taken" forcefully (i.e. raped) by men for whom they go on to develop a steamy passion? There are lots of women who privately indulge in these rape fantasies while reading these books, who nevertheless manage to avoid "normalizing" rape as part of their sexual experience. Does this moralizing matron think so little of women that she believes they are unable to separate fantasy from reality?

[Jarlaxle]

A charity for abuse victims is planning to burn copies of an erotic bestseller.

Fifty Shades - a trilogy about a steamy romance between a businessman and a student - contains themes of sadism and masochism.

Clare Phillipson, of Wearside Women in Need, said the theme was "vile" and urged women to drop off copies to her Washington office for a bonfire on 5 November.

Publisher Random House said: "The sex scenes are entirely consensual."

Ms Phillipson, who said she had read two-thirds of the first book before she gave up "in disgust", said she was furious that libraries throughout the North East were ordering extra copies of the trilogy to cope with demand.

Newcastle city libraries have 20 copies of the trilogy in stock; Sunderland City Council has nine copies with four more on order; libraries in Durham have 13 with 320 people on the waiting list and Northumberland County Council has eight copies with six more on order.

Ms Phillipson said: "I do not think I can put into words how vile I think this book is and how dangerous I think the idea is that you get a sophisticated but naive, young women and a much richer, abusive older man who beats her up and does some dreadful things to her sexually.

"My main objection is that at a time when local authorities are making cuts to outreach and refuge services for women experiencing domestic violence, we have libraries wasting and grossly misusing public to buy a book which says: 'domestic violence is sexy'.

"The money would be better spent supporting victims."

Sunderland City Councillor John Kelly said: "We want to give people freedom of choice in what they read - it is not for us to dictate what material they read. We want to give them a wide variety of material."

Hmm...I wonder if she has read 9 1/2 Weeks. Probably not. (Full disclosure: neither have I.)

[Jarlaxle]

She said: "Our concern is not the graphic depiction of sex - this is an abusive relationship presented as a love story.

Is this different in anything but a matter of degree from any number of bodice rippers by romance novelists like Rosemary Rogers, etc. who portray their heroines being "taken" forcefully (i.e. raped) by men for whom they go on to develop a steamy passion? There are lots of women who privately indulge in these rape fantasies while reading these books, who nevertheless manage to avoid "normalizing" rape as part of their sexual experience. Does this moralizing matron think so little of women that she believes they are unable to separate fantasy from reality?

Probably.

[loCAtek]

What's worse is a lot of early Soap Opera scripts were based on this flawed Story Template; it's unfortunate that it's still perpetuated.

[Scooter]

The Luke and Laura storyline on General Hospital is probably one of the more notorious examples of that - their first sexual contact was unambiguously a rape, and yet eventually they went on to become one of the soap world's most celebrated and enduring couples.

[Gob]

A charity for abuse victims will use donated copies of an erotic bestseller as compost and toilet paper, it said.

Clare Phillipson, of Wearside Women in Need, originally asked people to donate their copy of Fifty Shades of Grey to be burned on 5 November in a bonfire.

She said the themes of sadism and masochism were "vile". The charity received about 24 copies and said they will now be cut up and recycled.

Publisher Random House said: "The sex scenes are entirely consensual."


The books are about a steamy romance between a businessman and a student.

The charity, based in Washington, originally planned to burn the donated books on a bonfire.

Ms Phillipson said: "There were a range options.

"We discussed the book burning while getting the message across that this book is a dangerous trend.

"I think we've got a culture now which has completely sexualised women and in which women feel obligated to take part in that culture. We want to draw a line under that.

"We will be cutting them up, using them for toilet roll and sticking them on our compost heap and they will go back into the ground... although the ideas they represent will continue."

Ms Phillipson said in August that money used to buy the book would be better spent supporting victims.

[Jarlaxle]

Nope...she DEFINITELY has not read 9 1/2 Weeks.

How many of the idiots that sent in their books have Harlequin and similar romance novels at home, I wonder?