I was discussing the 50 Shades phenomenon with a male friend today, and he sent me a link to a GQ article on the subject. The article basically said women are using 50 Shades to create an environment where they can be a stand in for the Anna character, and this is simply the new version of the sitcom trope where pudgy men have hot wives: wish fulfillment.
I said this fit my theory of why Twilight was so popular. Teenage girls used the blank-slate character of Bella to project themselves into a story where a beautiful man could love a plain, awkward girl.
Kevin replied with:
“But to me it’s one of those wooden cut-outs at tourist spots where you can put your face in and have a picture taken. You’re supposed to look like a viking, or a moose, but you usually just end up looking like an asshole with his head in a piece of plywood.”
And that, my friends, is the greatest summary of 50 Shades as wish fulfillment that I have ever, EVER read.
Honestly, I think the 50 Shades “phenomena” is like most things these days. Money enhanced advertising. All the “hype” was obviously well paid for.
Personally, I think it’s utter trash. Any woman who finds herself thinking otherwise is naive, at best. I wouldn’t spend money on such trash. I wouldn’t even read it were it free!
I enjoyed the Fifty Shades Trilogy. Sure it’s not great literature, but it was fun to read.
You’re not alone. Tons of people love it. I even love it because it brought erotic fiction into the mainstream.
lol that’s one way to put it. I didn’t read them myself. I might sometime. I’m to busy reading review books all the time and work etc to read much outside of that. I know a lot of people have read them. You either love it or hate it i guess. It did bring erotica to the forefront though. That’s not a bad thing. I think the whole 50 shades was driven by heavy promotion though on the idea of naughty reading and curiosity. Hell if your neighbor is reading it then i can too right? lol No longer taboo reading. What really killed it was the copycat books that came after. To many versions of 50 shades this and that. Didn’t read any of those either. The ladies at my salon all read the books but all said they wouldn’t read anything like it again although they loved it. SOOO that is the only example of erotica they’ll ever get possibly. Unless i corrupt them of course.
Lisa B
my girlfriend is reading them, and oh my, what expectations can do to an ego! hah. i surely cannot fulfil the requirements of a modern day romanceur? hehe…. ps. ashley, you were always an amazing person in HS, whose poignant comments in english were much appreciated in an otherwise ordinary class… I want to wish the best of luck in the future with your writing, and i am truely excited and honoured at the chance to both read and have known its author.. im especially fond of vampires
best regards
myles
I don’t know about expectations, but if your girlfriend needs recommendations for BETTER books, I can handle that.