Is Fifty Shades of Grey "good" for women? It's an interesting question. To answer it, you also have to examine not only whether the book itself is good for women, but whether the pop culture phenomenon that ensued is a positive thing. I think they have two different answers.
The books themselves are fantastic for women who want to read them. Remember, some women are put off from books that are hyper-sexual, and the Shades of Grey trilogy is over-flowing with graphic sex. Ana is a sexually-naïve virgin when she first encounters Christian, a domineering man deeply into S&M.
Christian is used to getting what he wants- and he immediately wants Ana to be one of his submissives, something Ana isn't exactly prepared to agree to. They end up coming to a compromise, and that means tons of sex scenes that sometimes border on being a little too graphic. But the fact that a series of books with sexual comment has become available for women in a socially acceptable way is surely good for women, right?
It's high time women be able to discuss sex openly and admit that they have desires that were once considered to be completely outside the norm. And the books provide a conversation starter for women who want to talk about their fantasies with their own sexual partners- also a good thing.
So what's the 'not so good' thing for about Fifty Shades of Grey when it comes to women? For starters, it has introduced the term 'Mommy Porn' which is both insulting and creepy. Notice that men don't have any term even resembling 'Daddy Porn' to describe their entertainment. Who wouldn't cringe at just hearing that term, which brings to mind perverted old men preying on young girls? Why is is OK to coin the phrase for women? Aren't women's and men's sexual needs equally normal?
Also, the pop culture aspect of Fifty Shades has made women's needs a source of laughter. Saturday Night Live spoofed the series with a skit about mom's desperate for personal time alone with the book so that they can masturbate. Selena Gomez did a Funny or Die skit called Fifty Shades of Blue that also satirized the books. Should women's sexual urges be fodder for humor?
Or does the fact that they are being talked about at all overshadow that question? The Movie Fifty Shades of Grey is planned for release late next year and it will be a sure hit.
Fifty Shades Fan site dedicated to the Fifty shades of grey trilogy for fans to read the latest news on the movie casting and much more.
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