August 19, 2012 Fifty Shades
Fifty Shades of Frustration would be an appropriate title for the past few days. I just started reading Fifty Shades of Grey, which is why I thought of that. The EL James trilogy is all the rage these days. The mildly erotic S&M romance has caused quite a stir, so I had to see what it was all about.
Fifty Shades of Darker is the 2nd book in the series, but the first book I read by EL James and I wasn’t impressed. I thought that the Beauty Trilogy by Anne Rice was better. The Story of O and Secretary were more straightforward BDSM that Fifty Shades. Honestly, Fifty Shades promotes unhealthy relationships more than an alternative lifestyle. It reminds me of Twilight. What is up with the public embracing co-dependent relationships as normal—exciting even? Are more relationships unhealthy than not these days? How is it so relate-able? So popular?
Bad Behavior is the title of a collection of short stories by Mary Gaitskill. One of the stories, “Secretary,” was made into a movie with Maggie Gyllenhaal in 2002. Having enjoyed the quirky, cute movie on BDSM, I thought I’d check out the original story that inspired it. Gaitskill’s writing is less sentimental than the movie, but still good. Her exploration of sexuality is unapologetic and nonjudgmental. The movie, however, went a step further in pushing toward an acceptance of the alternative life style.
I connected to the idea that Debby needed a partner who completely accepted and understood her to make her happy. She had a perfectly good boyfriend and a perfectly healthy relationship, but it wasn’t enough. Some might think she needed therapy to cure her of her submissive tendencies, but others realize that her needs are not necessarily unhealthy. Bondage or Dominate and Submissive relationships are no longer considered symptoms of perversity or illness.
carilynn27 