3 of 5 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars Is anyone concerned that this book advocates male dominance that borders on abuse?, May 30, 2012
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This review is from: Fifty Shades of Grey: Book One of the Fifty Shades Trilogy (Kindle Edition)
As a literature instructor and avid reader of fiction and romance, this is THE first time I've actually stopped mid way into a book due to physical nauseau. Besides that fact that I agree with most reviews that the wording is childish and the sex scenes are unbelievable, the fact that a young girl is masochistic and feels the need to please a billionaire by being his pet slave is disgusting. What kind of message does this heroine send to young women reading it? As a survivor of an abusive relationship, this brought back memories of control and oppression that I never want to experience again, even in a fictional novel.Question--Is Anyone Concerned?
Answer--No.
This is what the audience wants.
You give them something else and they're really not all that gung ho about it.
Stupidly I thought women's liberation was about some kind of equality. We don't have to get into the politics of it--I have a lot to say but this isn't the place. I grew up in an era in which girls had a lot of expectations on them, they were supposed to dress a certain way and behave in a certain way. Then wow. Women's lib. Oh finally the end. Women can be photojournalists (Not at the Danbury News-Times they couldn't be) they could whatever and great. What did it turn out to be. A catastrophe over all but no change if not losing ground. We have younger girls being sexualized, more expectations on their conformity and behavior than ever and the perception that abuse is love is now a huge bestseller and soon to be a major movie picture. Refer back to Lesley Gore. "What can I do?" The complete opposite of empowerment alive and well today.
But no one reads for meaning and no one listens to the lyrics. It's all there in front of us. It's always been there.
It's not what people want to think about.
2 comments:
I've been worried about this trend of abuse=love for awhile now. It started with Twilight. There's a book called Beautiful Disaster that takes it to a lower level. Don't get the appeal at all.
I love Lesley Gore - but I prefer her song, You Don't Own Me. Better message.
For message, you are completely right about You Don't Own Me. The song of hers that seems to get the most play (and is among the sappiest ever) "It's My Party".
What a great talent she is and I love her, too.
I never heard of Beautiful Disaster. Sounds scary!
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