Matters of Taste
When was the last time a movie, a book, or a television show left you cold despite all your friends (and/or all the critics) raving about it? What was it that made you go against the critical consensus?
WARNING: I feel very strongly about this topic and I’m assuming you will feel the complete opposite of how I do. Don’t argue with me, please. I will cut you!
I’m going to try and explain myself without the hostility and cuss words that actually express how I feel about this series.
It is not atypical for me to like things that other people do not and hate things that the general population of the world seem to love. Even so, I am actually surprised at how much this book pisses me off and how much women love it. I did not half heartedly read it, I read all three books in the series and did not skip one sentence.
The writing is horrible, the two main characters are one dimensional, awfully desperate and sissy children, who can’t even be left alone to eat breakfast without an argument. Christian Grey is not sexy. He may be gorgeous and rich and the sex is hot (it’s really not) with the virginal, “omg, I’m so innocent and can’t call my vagina what it is! A vagina! Why does this perfect man love me?” Anastasia Steele………. but all of that shallow mess aside, he is mean, arrogant, bossy, needy and downright abusive and she’s pretty dumb. I kind of wish, he would’ve just stayed in his Red Room of Pain with the desperate women who felt the need to be tortured and stayed out of my life. I seriously had no respect for either of them.
Yes, I do get invested in books this much. I don’t know why I let myself succumb to “the hype” of 50 Shades.
The main theme of this series: BDSM is amazing. If you are into that, okay. Fine. But I wish a man would hit me or spank me to where I can’t sit down and then say he ENJOYS hurting me. That man needs to go work out his Mommy issues. Maybe it was giving me flashbacks of abuse when I was a child and I’m taking this too seriously but experiencing abuse and having someone enjoy inflicting pain on you is not showing you love…
I really don’t get it!! Everyone who loves this book acts like they’ve never had an orgasm before. I understand everyone has different things that turn them on… but DAMN abuse, withholding, someone controlling you from the moment you wake up to when you lay your head down? He’s treating you like a circus animal and you’re letting him. Yes, she stood up for herself sometimes and she went back and forth with him constantly, but where did she end up… in a beautifully designed cage with two kids and still yielding to his control to feel the “delicious clench down there.”
Here are some pictures to express my disgust, shock and horror and deep rooted sadness…
I understand… the shock! oh the horror!! it’s too much!!
This is also my reaction to the 50 shades Trilogy
Thank you, JWoww… for expressing my disgust.
And finally…
Sigh.
Your friend,
Precious
Grrr, I hate this book series as much as you do!! It was so cringe-worthy I couldn’t even finish it and gave up after being about halfway through the second book. If I read “delicious clench down there”, “my subconscious” or “arched her back” once more I’m going to be sick in my mouth. I had put the book down once before when Miss Steele received the “contract”…how ridiculous, I mean, this man dictates even how often she’s getting her pubic hair removed. WTF?! And she is not allowed to masturbate. Seriously, Anastasia would be better off exploring her sexuality by visiting a sex toy shop and getting started.
Your summary was pretty much spot on. I wonder if the author has a serious inferiority complex and never experienced an orgasm before otherwise how can you create such a dumb character and wish for her to be treated like sh*t by an arrogant man with some serious brain damage.
Great post!
Mel 🙂
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You are so right! She could have explored her own sexuality, healthily and on her own terms. Then she would’ve known being disrespected and degraded isn’t sexy at all.
I could be in a relationship where my partner controls every minute of my life. Agh! It drives me crazy just thinking about it.
Thanks Mel!
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I couldn’t either, it seems ridiculous if you think about it. Yet, fluff up the story with a hunk that has gorgeous blue eyes that are so captivating (bla, bla), add the BDSM element to spice things up for the unsatisfied house wive and you have a bestseller! It doesn’t change that she is beaten and controlled though 😦
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OMG! I agree wholeheartedly, it makes me feel sad that millions and millions of women don’t think passed blue eyes and a penthouse. I’m not even saying that everyone has to be bra burning feminists with hairy armpits but… since when is abuse sexy?
Never.
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Hahaha I love this so much!!! I couldn’t even get past the first sex scene in book one it was so badly written. I hung on for dear life up until then, hoping that somehow the author would make the miraculous discovery of how to write. Thanks for this. I love it. Couldn’t agree more.
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You’re welcome! LoL. I think that’s why I read all three… I was hoping that the author would give me some redemption and these characters would all of a sudden grow up….
never happened!
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You did well to read them all, I didn’t have the patience. I almost felt annoyed I got sucked in to the hype. She repeated herself so much it hurt. Then I had to endure the scores of swooning Facebook status updates from fully converted Christian Grey fans. Puke!
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Not having read the books, I probably shouldn’t say a word, but I think I get the idea from everything I’ve heard. I have to wonder if so many women would have appreciated these books if the story’s leading man had been a homely blue collar worker rather than someone rich and gorgeous.
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I wonder the same thing Matthew… and I think not. At least, the shallow women of my generation wouldn’t.
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50 Shades of Poop. Only read one chapter and it was enough. Loathed the writing. Hated the incredibly horrid characters (one blatant misogynist, one bimbette). After that, I simply read the backlash, and it was glorious.
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Yesss!!! I love how you describe them lol.
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Ha …ha! Liked the post and seriously, you are not the only one. Perhaps you did not see this in the daily prompt responses.
http://ripplesnreflectiontimes.wordpress.com/2014/08/13/a-matter-of-distaste/
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I immediately thought of 50 Shades for this prompt too! I seriously cringe every time I see a status on Facebook about it. Ugh!
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So happy others are coming out of the shadows to talk about the real deal of this book.
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Pingback: Daily Prompt: Matters of Taste – ADULT SITUATIONS | tnkerr-Writing Prompts and Practice
I still can’t imagine why they are making a movie out of this book. If this book is what turns people on there is a serious problem…
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