It’s spent 14 weeks on the New York Times’ bestseller list – perhaps you’ve heard of Fifty Shades of Grey? If you haven’t, The Fifty Shades of Grey Trilogy chronicles the relationship of a couple named Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey. Sounds innocent enough, right? Not so: controversy abounds with the so-called “erotic trilogy.” It’s been banned from libraries – and put back in – and derisively called “mommy porn” by its detractors. So, what’s so risque about it? It focuses on the sexual part of their relationship: namely S & M sex.
We’ve talked about BDSM here on the Feronia Project before and we believe at the Feronia Project that BDSM can be a totally healthy part of a sexual relationship (as long as it’s consensual, of course). The sex in Fifty Shades of Grey is just that – and many people are saying that its success is improving relationships. So, what’s the benefits of erotic literature?
Erotic literature is nothing new, but it can be a gateway to asking for something new; many people theorize that Fifty Shades of Grey is so popular because it is a novel where couples can learn new sexual techniques and women or men can ask for them. And it seems to be doing just that: The New York Post reports that at Babeland, an adult store in New York, sales of kinky products are up nearly 30 percent in the last few months and visits to the bondage section of their Web site have spiked 81 percent. Erotic literature also allows the reader to fantasize in a way that any other sexual medium can’t, which can also make for a more pleasurable masturbation experience.
In the age of the Kindle and the Nook, we can hide the covers of what we’re reading – and maybe that’s why Fifty Shades of Grey and its ilk are selling like hotcakes. However, if you’re a Fifty Shades of Grey fan and want to see what it would look like on the big screen, expect a movie out sometime next year or the year after. After all, when books are selling less and less, it looks like “women’s desire can be big business, and [media companies are acting] accordingly.”
Have you read Fifty Shades of Grey? What did you think?
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Fifty Shades is horrible. It started out as a Twilight fanfic and you can tell in the horribly abusive, controlling relationship. It also advocates bad BDSM practices (ie. “real lovers don’t need a safe word”)
Oh, it is definitely not “good” literature and there is real debate about the healthiness of the relationship. However, women HAVE used it to ask for what they want in the bedroom, which is a positive sex practice – that part of it, I can at least applaud. -e