General Discussion

el_bryanto

(11,804 posts) Sat Jul 26, 2014, 10:07 PM Jul 2014

The furor around 50 Shades of Grey isn't about what happens in private bedrooms [View all]

It's about the message of the book and now the movie, which many find to be akin to glorifying rape and abuse.

What you or I or E.L.James does in the privacy of their own bedroom is nobodies business.

What you decide to take into a public space, by say, publishing a book or producing a movie, is fair game to be argued against and criticized.

It's really not that complicated.

I don't see anybody arguing that this movie or this book should be banned, and if anybody is, I staunchly disagree with them. But once you say something people have the right to disagree with you.

It's ironic that people in the name of free speech are arguing that those who disagree with the depiction of rape and abuse in 50 Shades of Grey should be silenced.

Bryant

136 replies

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The furor around 50 Shades of Grey isn't about what happens in private bedrooms [View all] el_bryanto Jul 2014 OP

Haven't read it, don't intend to, nor do I intend to see the movie Xipe Totec Jul 2014 #1

+10,000 Katashi_itto Jul 2014 #2

This message was self-deleted by its author lady lib Jul 2014 #130

That seems like an odd stance to take el_bryanto Jul 2014 #3

I believe in upholding the first amendment on general principles Xipe Totec Jul 2014 #4

I believe in upholding the first amendment as well el_bryanto Jul 2014 #5

For the record, I consider Ann Coulter's writing political pornography Xipe Totec Jul 2014 #8

Who has argued that we should burn books? el_bryanto Jul 2014 #16

Ha ha! Then we're on the same page. Xipe Totec Jul 2014 #18

OK - Fair enough - than I will happily continue to enjoy condemning this book and movie el_bryanto Jul 2014 #24

Absolutely! Proceed, that is your right. Xipe Totec Jul 2014 #26

The book and movie ... NanceGreggs Jul 2014 #45

So, you support applying the same standard to 50 Shades as one would Ann Coulter. progressoid Jul 2014 #23

In a way, yes. Both are crap based simply on the subjects. Xipe Totec Jul 2014 #29

+1000 smirkymonkey Jul 2014 #87

Funny, I don't recall your takaing that position toward Fox News or Rush Limbuagh BainsBane Jul 2014 #11

Post removed Post removed Jul 2014 #15

I'm pointing out a contradiction BainsBane Jul 2014 #17

Please tell me who I'm trying to silence. Xipe Totec Jul 2014 #19

Me, for one BainsBane Jul 2014 #21

Did you miss the IF? Xipe Totec Jul 2014 #22

So could you explain this sentence please? alp227 Jul 2014 #30

Touche! smirkymonkey Jul 2014 #82

+1000 smirkymonkey Jul 2014 #88

His response was revealing BainsBane Jul 2014 #95

And who is actually doing that to you? smirkymonkey Jul 2014 #86

There's a big difference SwankyXomb Jul 2014 #36

And nobody has said that. Nobody has said you aren't allowed to see it. el_bryanto Jul 2014 #40

..... +10 840high Jul 2014 #32

Moi aussi shanti Jul 2014 #41

However, by posting in this thread you are making it your business to an extent. cui bono Jul 2014 #128

I call BS. joeglow3 Jul 2014 #134

Sounds like wealth porn to me leftstreet Jul 2014 #6

Ugh Action_Patrol Jul 2014 #37

It pretty much is. JoeyT Jul 2014 #56

The idea that Christian Grey ... NanceGreggs Jul 2014 #79

Isn't most romance fiction based on wealth? leftstreet Jul 2014 #123

I wouldn't say they're based on wealth ... NanceGreggs Jul 2014 #129

Holy shit, thank you joeglow3 Jul 2014 #135

Like that Dragon Tattoo book/movie, no desire to read this one or see the movie due to uppityperson Jul 2014 #7

Dragon tatoo surely didn't glorify those things betterdemsonly Jul 2014 #10

Don't call me Shirley. uppityperson Jul 2014 #12

Lol! NealK Jul 2014 #52

Agreed. TDale313 Jul 2014 #34

Yeh, quite the opposite, in fact. Zorra Jul 2014 #127

Maybe you should read the book or see the film, because it glorified nothing ProudToBeBlueInRhody Jul 2014 #125

It was a hyped book betterdemsonly Jul 2014 #9

Not possible LTR Jul 2014 #51

Not every book or movie ... NanceGreggs Jul 2014 #13

I see it as conditioning and desensitizing. Like the Handmaiden's Tale. freshwest Jul 2014 #14

Excellent points BainsBane Jul 2014 #27

excellent post, freshwest Skittles Jul 2014 #31

These points are exactly ones made by seabeyond and thank you for this, freshwest = Tuesday Afternoon Jul 2014 #70

I didn't see that post. Is that the one that got hidden? freshwest Jul 2014 #71

no that is not any one post by her but, it is the message and tone of all her posts (to me) Tuesday Afternoon Jul 2014 #73

+1000 smirkymonkey Jul 2014 #90

Thanks. Great ideas here, but I prefer the semantic difference of 'conditioning' over 'teaching.' ancianita Jul 2014 #122

"What you decide to take into a public space... is fair game to be argued against and criticized." nomorenomore08 Jul 2014 #20

I haven't seen anyone do so BainsBane Jul 2014 #25

That's what I saw as well... Whiskeytide Jul 2014 #38

I would believe that BainsBane Jul 2014 #39

"Neither person is wrong, but they really aren't talking about the same thing." nomorenomore08 Jul 2014 #47

That is kind of bizarre, yes. And I didn't mean to imply that DUers are calling for a ban nomorenomore08 Jul 2014 #42

50 Shades is poorly written Harmony Blue Jul 2014 #28

Cave art of suave, successful cavemen... Whiskeytide Jul 2014 #35

Cave Johnson? Warren DeMontague Jul 2014 #94

It reads like bad fan fiction krawhitham Jul 2014 #96

Good post, succinct and dead on ... Whiskeytide Jul 2014 #33

The furor from me is that it is so horrifically written: Hissyspit Jul 2014 #43

Same here. I would never burn a book, but this stuff is a crime against literature. nomorenomore08 Jul 2014 #50

LOL! So true. Of course this type of book is not even something smirkymonkey Jul 2014 #91

This Harmony Blue Jul 2014 #57

maybe she unconsciously wants someone to bind and discipline her rambling prose n/t zazen Jul 2014 #117

the furor of the gullible GusBob Jul 2014 #44

This is a rerun of "The Story of O". Spitfire of ATJ Jul 2014 #46

Yeah, I was also thinking of "The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty".... moriah Jul 2014 #64

"A Handmaid's Tale" is another one. Spitfire of ATJ Jul 2014 #68

I don't think anyone has ever seen "The Handmaid's Tale" as anything other than dystopian muriel_volestrangler Jul 2014 #114

Life is too short to read bad books or see bad movies or listen to bad music... NRaleighLiberal Jul 2014 #48

talk about erotic--those plant photos of yours are Georgia O'Keefe-like hot :-) zazen Jul 2014 #116

Anyone has the right to be a conservative douchebag LittleBlue Jul 2014 #49

TRIGGER WARNING ON THIS POST FOR ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN IN AN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP. Luminous Animal Jul 2014 #55

What does her blog have to do with the replies I got in the other thread? LittleBlue Jul 2014 #58

Well, you offered zero links to that alleged "moral" argument. So I won't discuss that with you Luminous Animal Jul 2014 #60

If I linked, I would be hidden LittleBlue Jul 2014 #62

Actually, you won't be hidden unless you say something uncivil. You are free to link to any Luminous Animal Jul 2014 #65

I sent the link in a PM LittleBlue Jul 2014 #67

Okey-doke. You have one post from one morality police while ignoring the substantive criticism of Luminous Animal Jul 2014 #75

Go read Gravitycollapse's posts in the other thread, if you don't want to discuss it out of a vacuum moriah Jul 2014 #66

Which is a entirely different argument than one based on morality. And an interesting argument Luminous Animal Jul 2014 #77

If that's how you read it.... moriah Jul 2014 #78

Yep. I did not see anything that GravityCollapse wrote come from a moral objection. Luminous Animal Jul 2014 #80

Very good summation of the issues, LA hlthe2b Jul 2014 #118

+1 agree slippery slope lunasun Jul 2014 #59

Right, so ban speech BainsBane Jul 2014 #69

Where did I say "ban speech"? LittleBlue Jul 2014 #72

I could say a lot of things BainsBane Jul 2014 #74

Not true LittleBlue Jul 2014 #76

Here is a synopsis of the book BainsBane Jul 2014 #81

"I don't expect that will deter you in the slightest." LittleBlue Jul 2014 #85

Funny, I see this as about BainsBane Jul 2014 #112

Different things turn different people on LTR Jul 2014 #53

Uh? What is more seduction than rape? Examples please. Luminous Animal Jul 2014 #61

"Let me fuck you or I'll hit you" is more rape than seduction. pnwmom Jul 2014 #83

Yeah, breaking into a woman's house BainsBane Jul 2014 #113

Gawd, I need to write something badly written and full of weird sex. bravenak Jul 2014 #54

Are you guys going to force me to actually read this piece of tripe? moriah Jul 2014 #63

You don't need to read a lot of it. Just google 50 shades and rape. pnwmom Jul 2014 #84

Ah, but see, just because rape is depicted doesn't automatically make a book ban-worthy to me. moriah Jul 2014 #89

I'm NOT saying it's ban-worthy. Just avoid-worthy. pnwmom Jul 2014 #98

I was referring to the "punishment" scene at the end of the book, per Wiki. moriah Jul 2014 #101

The Red Room scene is when she first sees his sadistic side -- pnwmom Jul 2014 #102

I think bringing race into the discussion is silly, which is why I didn't address it. moriah Jul 2014 #104

I think it's bad no matter what the race of the female. It's just not as obviously bad pnwmom Jul 2014 #105

"Ana" rejects such a state, even if the matter is explored. moriah Jul 2014 #106

That is the real problem. bravenak Jul 2014 #107

It glamorizes it by associating it with this man's wealth, his helicopter rides, pnwmom Jul 2014 #111

I think a deeper feminist issue is why women find this kind of story to be erotic in the first place davidn3600 Jul 2014 #92

Well done ClarkeVII Jul 2014 #99

You have seen the link showing that the book is in fact depicts rape BainsBane Jul 2014 #109

It depicts rape, non-consensual BainsBane Jul 2014 #108

50 Shades? 50 Threads, More like. Warren DeMontague Jul 2014 #93

+1 krawhitham Jul 2014 #97

Now all it needs is 50 recs... Violet_Crumble Jul 2014 #103

You get 16 recs and whaddaya get, another day older and deeper in debt Warren DeMontague Jul 2014 #110

Moralizing about fiction is absurd. Marr Jul 2014 #100

I have to agree. Thomas Mann must have been a real perv to write, "Death in Venice" way back in 1912 Douglas Carpenter Jul 2014 #115

That's funny - i don't feel ridiculous. But if I'm providing you with amusement, enjoy. nt el_bryanto Jul 2014 #119

I have no objection to anyone's opinion on the themes or quality of the FSOG series....HOWEVER brooklynite Jul 2014 #120

I suspect it's about trying to distract from this: woo me with science Jul 2014 #121

I suspect you're right. nt. sibelian Jul 2014 #124

I thought it was about selling movie tickets. Iggo Jul 2014 #126

I think the book should be banned because it's so poorly written justiceischeap Jul 2014 #131

Curious. Does 50 shades of Grey mention FGM? Quantess Jul 2014 #132

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