Fifty Shades trilogy by E.L. James

Started by Damnedangel, April 22, 2012, 09:55:58 AM

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Oniya

You know, it could get an entire MST3K treatment - assuming anyone wants to sit through it long enough to do it.
"Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women.~*~*~Don't think it's all been done before
And in that endeavor, laziness will not do." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think we're never gonna win this war
Robin Williams-Dead Poets Society ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think your world's gonna fall apart
I do have a cause, though.  It's obscenity.  I'm for it.  - Tom Lehrer~*~All you need is your beautiful heart
O/O's Updated 5/11/21 - A/A's - Current Status! - Writing a novel - all draws for Fool of Fire up!
Requests updated March 17

Jag

Quote from: Oniya on August 30, 2012, 06:13:12 AM
You know, it could get an entire MST3K treatment - assuming anyone wants to sit through it long enough to do it.

I could sit through it if I was allowed to make funny commentaries about it the whole time. >.>
Ons/Offs // Request Thread (Updated 3/10/24) // Slow to Reply at the Moment

Oneiros

#377
I think that's the only way I could remain sane throughout.

Was greeted by this on my facebook newsfeed today:



I'd seen said person (an old family friend my mom's age that I can't bear to remove from my FB friends list) fan-girling over 50 Shades on facebook before, but I'd always politely hidden those posts and ignored them despite wanting to retch. This, however, went too far. I said "Good lord, no. For the love of god, do NOT use this as an instruction manual to women."

Chris Brady

If all women were like 'Ana' in that book (as in the rampant dishonesty she displays), I would thank my stars I am single.  But I know for a fact, that a fair amount are not.

Most of them hang out here, lucky me. :)
My O&Os Peruse at your doom.

So I make a A&A thread but do I put it here?  No.  Of course not.

Also, I now come with Kung-Fu Blog action.  Here:  Where I talk about comics and all sorts of gaming

Star Safyre

Ana is not as mature as a 12 year old.  Many 12 year-olds know how to do internet research and start-up a email account.  I'm pretty sure there are 12 year-olds with enough sexual knowledge and internet research skills to apply to E, let alone find entry-level information on BDsM.  Ana does not, despite the fact that she's supposed to be an English Literature major.

I repeat: Ana earned a BA in English Literature and has no clue how to research using the internet.
My heaven is to be with him always.
|/| O/O's / Plots / tumblr / A/A's |/|
And I am a writer, writer of fictions
I am the heart that you call home
And I've written pages upon pages
Trying to rid you from my bones

Oniya

Quote from: Star Safyre on September 02, 2012, 01:49:37 PM
I repeat: Ana earned a BA in English Literature and has no clue how to research using the internet.

That was possible 20 years ago, but not with today's classes.
"Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women.~*~*~Don't think it's all been done before
And in that endeavor, laziness will not do." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think we're never gonna win this war
Robin Williams-Dead Poets Society ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think your world's gonna fall apart
I do have a cause, though.  It's obscenity.  I'm for it.  - Tom Lehrer~*~All you need is your beautiful heart
O/O's Updated 5/11/21 - A/A's - Current Status! - Writing a novel - all draws for Fool of Fire up!
Requests updated March 17

Star Safyre

Not even with the classes I myself took almost ten years ago.

Quote from: Fedora on August 30, 2012, 02:45:23 PM
I think that's the only way I could remain sane throughout.

Was greeted by this on my facebook newsfeed today:



I'd seen said person (an old family friend my mom's age that I can't bear to remove from my FB friends list) fan-girling over 50 Shades on facebook before, but I'd always politely hidden those posts and ignored them despite wanting to retch. This, however, went too far. I said "Good lord, no. For the love of god, do NOT use this as an instruction manual to women."

Maybe if you were looking for an instruction manual on how to emotionally, physically, and sexually abuse a mentally handicapped woman, then yes, you've found your manual.
My heaven is to be with him always.
|/| O/O's / Plots / tumblr / A/A's |/|
And I am a writer, writer of fictions
I am the heart that you call home
And I've written pages upon pages
Trying to rid you from my bones

Oniya

Hell, the little Oni knows how to use Internet search tools, and she's only 11.
"Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women.~*~*~Don't think it's all been done before
And in that endeavor, laziness will not do." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think we're never gonna win this war
Robin Williams-Dead Poets Society ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think your world's gonna fall apart
I do have a cause, though.  It's obscenity.  I'm for it.  - Tom Lehrer~*~All you need is your beautiful heart
O/O's Updated 5/11/21 - A/A's - Current Status! - Writing a novel - all draws for Fool of Fire up!
Requests updated March 17

Star Safyre

So I stumbled onto a post floating around the internet (because I am an English Lit major who knows how to research) that stated that Twilight hit up every sign of an abusive relationship as the Domestic Violence and Abuse Hotline lists.  I decided to put up (what I do know about the characters) Fifty Shades against this list.

I bolded the situations I've read in excerpts.

Source

Quote
To determine whether your relationship is abusive, answer the questions below. The more “yes” answers, the more likely it is that you’re in an abusive relationship.

SIGNS THAT YOU’RE IN AN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP

Do you:

feel afraid of your partner much of the time?
   
avoid certain topics out of fear of angering your partner?

believe that you deserve to be hurt or mistreated?

wonder if you’re the one who is crazy?

feel emotionally numb or helpless?

Does your partner:

humiliate or yell at you?
   
criticize you and put you down?

feel that you can’t do anything right for your partner?
   
treat you so badly that you’re embarrassed for your friends or family to see?

ignore or put down your opinions or accomplishments?
   
blame you for their own abusive behavior?
   
see you as property or a sex object, rather than as a person?

Does your partner:

have a bad and unpredictable temper?

act excessively jealous and possessive?

hurt you, or threaten to hurt or kill you?

control where you go or what you do?


threaten to take your children away or harm them?

keep you from seeing your friends or family?

threaten to commit suicide if you leave?

   
limit your access to money, the phone, or the car?

force you to have sex?

destroy your belongings?

constantly check up on you?

...And I haven't even read the entirety of one book, let alone the entire trilogy.
My heaven is to be with him always.
|/| O/O's / Plots / tumblr / A/A's |/|
And I am a writer, writer of fictions
I am the heart that you call home
And I've written pages upon pages
Trying to rid you from my bones

Lady Grey

I've heard readings of this book and each time I giggle like a school girl. Not because it's naughty, but because it reads like bad fanfiction.

Oniya

*points towards the beginning of the thread*

Not surprising.  ::)
"Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women.~*~*~Don't think it's all been done before
And in that endeavor, laziness will not do." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think we're never gonna win this war
Robin Williams-Dead Poets Society ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think your world's gonna fall apart
I do have a cause, though.  It's obscenity.  I'm for it.  - Tom Lehrer~*~All you need is your beautiful heart
O/O's Updated 5/11/21 - A/A's - Current Status! - Writing a novel - all draws for Fool of Fire up!
Requests updated March 17

Star Safyre

So Friday morning, a female student whose in my first hour comes in early, sits at her desk, and starts reading.  Typical for her.

I look up and recognize the cover of the book.  Three guesses what it is.

So manage to not completely lose my shit on her.  She's a senior, a legal adult, and can read whatever she wants during her free time.

First I had to say, "I know you're 18, but not everyone at school is.  Please don't be waving that around on campus."  She seemed surprised I knew about it (lol), and she asked what I thought of it.  So I talk to her about how poorly the protagonist is characterized (pointing out how naive and ignorant she is about basic things like how to do research online or start up an email account, things the student herself knew how to do easily), how everyone involved in a relationship (regardless of its type, I added) should enthusiastically want everything they do together (which there's a lot of non-con in there), and how his behavior is creepy, stalkerish, and violent regardless of how the character feels about him.  She says she's just in the first chapter and she had been lent to her by her older sister.  I ended up bribing her with a snack pack of cookies if she promised never to bring it in my classroom again.

Damn, I hoped I handled that well enough...
My heaven is to be with him always.
|/| O/O's / Plots / tumblr / A/A's |/|
And I am a writer, writer of fictions
I am the heart that you call home
And I've written pages upon pages
Trying to rid you from my bones

Torch

Quote from: Star Safyre on October 06, 2012, 02:08:21 PM

Damn, I hoped I handled that well enough...

While I personally loathe 50SOG as a lousy piece of fiction, speaking as the parent of a 17year old almost-legal adult, I'd be mighty unhappy if a teacher gave her personal opinion about anything my child was reading on her free time, and then attempted to bribe said child not to read that book, no matter what it is. Because if my child is reading it, then you better believe she has my permission to read it, which is all that is needed.

Just sayin'...
"Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve. It doesn't matter whether you're a lion or a gazelle, when the sun comes up, you'd better be running."  Sir Roger Bannister


Erotic is using a feather. Kinky is using the whole chicken.

On's and Off's

Oniya

I can't tell you how many books I read without my parents' permission - because I knew they wouldn't give it.  Also, Star didn't bribe her not to read it, she bribed her not to bring it into her classroom - which says nothing about what the 17-y-o does during Math class, History class, Science class, etc.

I know I'd be thinking that way back at the age of 17-18.
"Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women.~*~*~Don't think it's all been done before
And in that endeavor, laziness will not do." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think we're never gonna win this war
Robin Williams-Dead Poets Society ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think your world's gonna fall apart
I do have a cause, though.  It's obscenity.  I'm for it.  - Tom Lehrer~*~All you need is your beautiful heart
O/O's Updated 5/11/21 - A/A's - Current Status! - Writing a novel - all draws for Fool of Fire up!
Requests updated March 17

Torch

Quote from: Oniya on October 06, 2012, 10:12:00 PM
I can't tell you how many books I read without my parents' permission - because I knew they wouldn't give it. 

Neither can I. I brought Harold Robbins' novels to middle school to read in my spare time, and I read my mother's copy of "The Story of O" before I got my period.

All are beside the point, however. Asking a student not to bring reading material into the classroom because it violates policy (a brochure from a White Supremacist organization, for example) is one thing. Asking a student not to being reading material into the classroom (along with giving a lecture on the material itself in the guise of an educator and authority figure) because the teacher doesn't personally care for it is something else entirely.

Theoretically, a teacher could have the personal opinion that Ayn Rand was an objectivist blowhard and ask a student never to bring a copy of "Atlas Shrugged" into the classroom again. I doubt that would go over too well.


QuoteAlso, Star didn't bribe her not to read it, she bribed her not to bring it into her classroom

I stand corrected.

"Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve. It doesn't matter whether you're a lion or a gazelle, when the sun comes up, you'd better be running."  Sir Roger Bannister


Erotic is using a feather. Kinky is using the whole chicken.

On's and Off's

Silverfyre

It has more to do with the nature of the material being adult and rather pornographic (it's also a very mainstream book, so any administration that walked into the classroom and seen the book would probably know what it was about, if only by reputation) than anything on a personal opinion level.  Her job would be on the line if an administrator seen a student reading that in a reading class and it would create issues with them.  There are policies in place within our county that do not allow such things.  We can't play R-Rated movies in the class room and this extends to books of that sort as well.

So yes, it is about policy.  The student asked the teacher's opinion and they are free to give it.  The student and the teacher were the only ones in the classroom so it wasn't a soapbox issue but rather a personal opinion given from one adult to another.  That's still allowed, last time I checked.


Stone

Quote from: Oniya on October 06, 2012, 10:12:00 PM
I can't tell you how many books I read without my parents' permission - because I knew they wouldn't give it. 

When I was a couple of years younger than that age, if I knew my parents wouldn't permit me to do something, I'd do it just because they wouldn't permit it. That's how Slayer and Iron Maiden happened.
The sphere was solid with Plunkett, and only waited for someone to be in; like, like the meaning of a word waiting for a word to be the meaning of. - John Crowley, Engine Summer.

To manipulate a man is a careful project. Too light a hand, and he follows his own whim; too heavy a hand, and he will turn on you. - Thief II: The Metal Age.

Torch

Quote from: Silverfyre on October 06, 2012, 10:55:03 PM
It has more to do with the nature of the material being adult and rather pornographic (it's also a very mainstream book, so any administration that walked into the classroom and seen the book would probably know what it was about, if only by reputation) than anything on a personal opinion level.  Her job would be on the line if an administrator seen a student reading that in a reading class and it would create issues with them.  There are policies in place within our county that do not allow such things.  We can't play R-Rated movies in the class room and this extends to books of that sort as well.

So yes, it is about policy. 

A policy which wasn't referred to at all in Star's post. She didn't say to the student "It's against school policy for you to bring this into the classroom." Remember, I can only respond to what was written in her post. Her post gave the impression, to me, that she expressed a personal distaste for the material, and expressed those concerns to the student. If she referenced school policy regarding pornographic material to the student, she didn't relate that in her post.

"Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve. It doesn't matter whether you're a lion or a gazelle, when the sun comes up, you'd better be running."  Sir Roger Bannister


Erotic is using a feather. Kinky is using the whole chicken.

On's and Off's

Oniya

Quote from: Stone on October 06, 2012, 11:10:34 PM
When I was a couple of years younger than that age, if I knew my parents wouldn't permit me to do something, I'd do it just because they wouldn't permit it. That's how Slayer and Iron Maiden happened.

Never Say No - The Fantasticks
"Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women.~*~*~Don't think it's all been done before
And in that endeavor, laziness will not do." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think we're never gonna win this war
Robin Williams-Dead Poets Society ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think your world's gonna fall apart
I do have a cause, though.  It's obscenity.  I'm for it.  - Tom Lehrer~*~All you need is your beautiful heart
O/O's Updated 5/11/21 - A/A's - Current Status! - Writing a novel - all draws for Fool of Fire up!
Requests updated March 17

Silverfyre

#394
Quote from: Torch on October 06, 2012, 11:19:26 PM
A policy which wasn't referred to at all in Star's post. She didn't say to the student "It's against school policy for you to bring this into the classroom." Remember, I can only respond to what was written in her post. Her post gave the impression, to me, that she expressed a personal distaste for the material, and expressed those concerns to the student. If she referenced school policy regarding pornographic material to the student, she didn't relate that in her post.

Fair enough.  You are completely right that it wasn't written plainly in her post so I understand your reaction. Trust me, if it were the case that it was a teacher telling my own child not to read a certain book because of a personal reason, then my reaction would be the very same as yours.  I see where you are coming from. :)

But yes, it is more of a policy thing than anything else. 


TheGlyphstone

Quote from: Torch on October 06, 2012, 11:19:26 PM
A policy which wasn't referred to at all in Star's post. She didn't say to the student "It's against school policy for you to bring this into the classroom." Remember, I can only respond to what was written in her post. Her post gave the impression, to me, that she expressed a personal distaste for the material, and expressed those concerns to the student. If she referenced school policy regarding pornographic material to the student, she didn't relate that in her post.

Her first line to the student was, "I know you're 18, but not everyone at school is.  Please don't be waving that around on campus." I took that as, if not literal school policy, at least the inference of 'that's not appropriate for under-18 people to see/read'. She only gave her opinions once the student asked for them, which seems fair.

Torch

Quote from: Silverfyre on October 06, 2012, 11:27:00 PM
Fair enough.  You are completely right that it wasn't written plainly in her post so I understand your reaction. Trust me, if it were the case that it was a teacher telling my own child not to read a certain book because of a personal reason, then my reaction would be the very same as yours.  I see where you are coming from. :)

Thank you, that's exactly the point I was trying to make.   :-)

I have no problem whatsoever with a teacher asking a student to adhere to school policy. In fact, I would expect them to do so, and apply that policy fairly to everyone, including my child.

"Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve. It doesn't matter whether you're a lion or a gazelle, when the sun comes up, you'd better be running."  Sir Roger Bannister


Erotic is using a feather. Kinky is using the whole chicken.

On's and Off's

Silverfyre

Hence why I think you are an awesome parent.


Torch

"Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve. It doesn't matter whether you're a lion or a gazelle, when the sun comes up, you'd better be running."  Sir Roger Bannister


Erotic is using a feather. Kinky is using the whole chicken.

On's and Off's

Star Safyre

If I ever tell a student to not read anything, someone seriously needs to come take my certification away.  That being said, I've a professional and moral obligation to teach students to read with a critical eye, to deeply consider and make value judgements regarding what they read, and to advise toward and model positive interpersonal relationships.  I also am required to shield students who are minors from adult and erotic material.  (Last year, a staff member was reprimanded and ultimately released from his position because he had a habit of reading and writing erotic material during class time while students were present in the room.)  I made two requirements for personally selected reading for class (which is a large part of what we do) 1) It has to be a printed, bound book or magazine (no hate for e-readers; it's just easier to monitor if the students are actually reading and what they're reading when it's a physical book) and 2) No erotic material (pornographic magazines or erotica).  If I can't show a rated R movie for any purpose in class, there's no way I can make a convincing argument in favor of my knowingly allowing underaged students to pass around erotica.  Do I hate the book?  Gawd, yes, both personally and academically as evaluated as a piece of literature.  The relationship it touts as being romantic and exciting is flat out abusive, something I don't enjoy seeing glorified to an audience of young women.  I honestly have similar discussions about poor characterization and unhealthy relationships when I notice a student reading Twilight.  Now being that Twilight is YA and available in the school library, there's no reason for me to limit its availability in the classroom, but as with all reading material, I want very much for the students to read it critically, not merely accepting the author's message without giving it any filter or thought.  Are underaged kids going to read 50 Shades?  Of course!  I read quite a few things that were blatantly sexual as a teenager.  However, I understood there was a time and place for reading those kinds of things, and it wasn't at school. 

And I think I hijacked the thread a bit...
My heaven is to be with him always.
|/| O/O's / Plots / tumblr / A/A's |/|
And I am a writer, writer of fictions
I am the heart that you call home
And I've written pages upon pages
Trying to rid you from my bones