Let me begin by saying this: I have never considered myself a feminist. I don't like to wear power heels and step on the faces of men around me while I claw my way up the corporate ladder. I don't wear hiking boots and go to rallies about how women are still oppressed in society, even though it's the 21st century. I don't think that I'm more capable of doing every single job better than a man could-if I were a roofer, people would laugh at me, and I've never started a lawnmower in my life (and don't plan on it, I should mention). In contrast, I'm the kind of woman who knows how to cook and enjoys baking brownies. I'm not the cleanest person in the world, but I know that I have to attempt to clean the house and do chores, and I don't look down my nose at my boyfriend as if they've just asked me to eat a toad when they ask for the occasional back massage or a sandwich after a really long work day. But today, my modern feminist side spiked in me when I started reading "Fifty Shades of Grey".
Now, maybe it's the writer/reading enthusiast in me. Because, speaking as a writer, and as someone who reads A LOT of books, I just don't feel all of the characters. I don't understand why Anastasia Steele would let Christian Grey talk to her like she's a piece of trash. Because he's good looking? That doesn't sound like a modern woman to me. I don't understand why Christian Grey would pursue someone like Ana when he keeps telling her to stay away, especially after he reveals that he doesn't normally sleep with women and that the only relationships that he has are of the S&M/Bondage variety. I don't understand why we need to have yet another story centered around a mousy, quiet girl who suddenly discovers her dark, "tigress" side. And quite frankly, the writing falls pretty flat until the erotic scenes in the book-which, by the way, account for about 90 percent of the book.
I think mainly, I'm just surprised that so many women have taken to this book-nay, trilogy of books (I shudder as I type those words) considering the contents. Am I surprised that women like porn? No. But why this kind of erotica? My thoughts are that, since this is s&m bondage erotica with about 10 percent of the book masking as an actual story, and with no pictures of men riding steeds on the front cover and a plain, unassuming title, the only real appeal to this book is that it is a way for women to read porn around people and defend it. It's a way for women to sit around at work and eat yogurt and fantasize without being embarrassed by the fact that they're reading porn. Is this what our society has come to? Is porn for women cleverly disguised as actual literature the next big thing in writing culture? Because honestly, I'm pretty sure that Bronte, Austen, Dickins-geez, even Stephenie Meyers, whose own "Twilight" books were the original inspiration for this ill-conceived series-would probably be extremely disheartened if this is the direction that books begin to take.
As I write this, I'm beginning to realize that the reason "Fifty Shades of Grey" has its appeal with women in popular culture and literary culture is purely because it's something forbidden. A female author has finally figured out a way to write a mainstream trash novel: just write your trash novel, replace the normally puddle-brained characters with arrogant, young college students and entrepreneurs who "raise the class" of the book by quoting British literature and speaking uncomfortably proper, businesslike English, give it an ambiguous name, and bam! There you have it. The next New York Times Bestselling novel. If these are the depths that American literature has sunk to, I'm highly disappointed.
I understand that these "books" are just for entertainment. I understand that there are people out there who enjoy this sort of thing, and hey-who am I to judge them for it? I understand that I shouldn't be so deeply annoyed by the 127 pages that I read today-and yes, I gave up on page 127, and that's why I know how many pages I read. I do not plan on reading the other two books, or even finishing this one. What I don't understand is how women can complain that they're still being paid less than men, that they're still not respected as much as men, and that men see them as nothing but sexual objects, and then fawn and swoon over a book that basically degrades the whiny, virgin main character to nothing but a submissive, silent pawn in a man's game of rough, unforgiving, harsh, cold, sadistic sex. Isn't this what we've been trying to avoid for decades now? Why should we degrade ourselves back down to that?
Again, I don't see myself as a feminist. Many of you probably don't either. Maybe this book just isn't my cup of tea. But I sincerely dare you to, as a modern woman with a working mouthpiece that is probably used on a daily basis, begin reading "Fifty Shades of Grey", and, if you can make it through the beginning of the book with its poorly formulated characters (except for Christian Grey, of course), I dare you to not close this book (or at least balk in disgust) when the following passages regarding Christian's "rules" for Ana if she wishes to be his submissive, comes up on pages 105 to 106:
"Food:
The Submissive will eat regularly to obtain her health and well-being from a prescribed list of foods (Appendix 4). The Submissive will not snack between meals, except for fruit."
"Clothes:
During the Term, the Submissive will wear clothing only approved by the Dominant."
"Exercise:
The Dominant shall provide the Submissive with a personal trainer four times a week in hour-long sessions at times to be mutually agreed upon between the personal trainer and Submissive. The personal trainer will report to Dominant on the Submissive's progress."
"Failure to comply with any of the above will result in immediate punishment, the nature of which shall be determined by the dominant"
Erotic? Maybe some see it that way. But definitely not me. I don't wish to be taken into some fantasy world where I'm treated poorly by an arrogant, imaginary man and used for sex. The book may have some redeeming qualities about it further down the line, but I'm already turned off. I'm not sticking around to see.
