Fifty Shades - "We Deserve Better"

So I am definitely not the target audience for a book like this, or just about any book of the romance genre. I did not know these books even existed. I would have probably have ignored this thread, but it would seem that this book has now become controversial in the sense of should public libraries even purchase it, or remove it from shelves once purchased? A Wisconsin Public Radio program on that subject. I gather that the real controversy is not about it having explicit sexual content, libraries stock romance novels with that all the time. It is not about poor quality writing, if so why would any library system purchased so many copies of the Twilight series? It seems to be that the sex involves S&M, and in particular male domination of a woman. If this controversy expands I suppose sales will really boom.

[BeccaPrice]

Smart Bitches Trashy Books has a great discussion on 50 Shades and libraries - including an excellent letter by SB Sarah to a Florida library that has problems with 50 Shades, but no problem with a western series called Longarm that has just as objectionable sex in it, but since it's aimed at men, there doesn't seem to be a problem with it.

http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/b...es-from-circul

[covingtoncat73]

Originally Posted by Hamlet53

So I am definitely not the target audience for a book like this, or just about any book of the romance genre. I did not know these books even existed. I would have probably have ignored this thread, but it would seem that this book has now become controversial in the sense of should public libraries even purchase it, or remove it from shelves once purchased? A Wisconsin Public Radio program on that subject. I gather that the real controversy is not about it having explicit sexual content, libraries stock romance novels with that all the time. It is not about poor quality writing, if so why would any library system purchased so many copies of the Twilight series? It seems to be that the sex involves S&M, and in particular male domination of a woman. If this controversy expands I suppose sales will really boom.

Oh, I didn't even think of the library issues. Many libraries have the Jean M. Auel books, and there are some quite explicit scenes in those. I don't care for explicit sex scenes but the bad writing would bother me more re "Fifty Shades."

[Blossom]

I think it's silly for libraries to pull this series. The sex scenes are very tame. I know of romance books they have hotter scenes than these do.

[Asawi]

The sex scenes I came across during my quick browse-through weren't very explicit at all. There was a lot of "he was inside me" and as far as I could tell the only part of the anatomy that was actually mentioned straight out was "nipples". I may be wrong here (after all I just browsed through the book), but there were a lot eufemisms.

[faithbw]

If libraries pull 50 Shades, they'll have to pull every book with "objectionable" sex scenes. Then you'll have to determine what's objectionable and why. It's a slippery slope that I think most librarians won't want to go down. Most librarians are not keen on censorship anyway. My library had 50 Shades displayed prominently in the new books section. If people want to read it they should be able to.

[faithbw]

Originally Posted by BeccaPrice

Smart Bitches Trashy Books has a great discussion on 50 Shades and libraries - including an excellent letter by SB Sarah to a Florida library that has problems with 50 Shades, but no problem with a western series called Longarm that has just as objectionable sex in it, but since it's aimed at men, there doesn't seem to be a problem with it.

http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/b...es-from-circul

Thanks for the link! This is exactly what I'm talking about. What one person considerable objectionable, another will not. Who's to decide what is or isn't appropriate to read. The person that should decide this is the reader, not a librarian.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Asawi

The sex scenes I came across during my quick browse-through weren't very explicit at all. There was a lot of "he was inside me" and as far as I could tell the only part of the anatomy that was actually mentioned straight out was "nipples". I may be wrong here (after all I just browsed through the book), but there were a lot eufemisms.

You're correct. The sex scenes are done from Ana's view and she never uses any blatant body part words that you normally find in Erotica. Other than the BDSM theme in the book they are very innocently written. Most Romance books are much more descriptive in those type of words than 50 Shades. It's written in YA language even though it is an Adult book.

[Xanthe]

If that's so, then damn, those women getting all hot and bothered by it have really led a very sheltered reading existence.

[Sydney's Mom]

Originally Posted by Blossom

I think it's silly for libraries to pull this series. The sex scenes are very tame. I know of romance books they have hotter scenes than these do.

I don't know, but I have heard of hotter scenes. Some of which I could recite from memory.

I have read hotter scenes, I have read S&M that I enjoyed, and thought romantic. This was pathological - the female was such a doormat and the male was so sick, it was a perversion of the genre. So sad that this made the top of the bs list.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Xanthe

If that's so, then damn, those women getting all hot and bothered by it have really led a very sheltered reading existence.

Yes it seems to be hitting with those who wouldn't normally read erotica or romance. They don't have any idea how poorly it is written because they never read anything to compare it to.

Originally Posted by Sydney's Mom

I don't know, but I have heard of hotter scenes. Some of which I could recite from memory.

I have read hotter scenes, I have read S&M that I enjoyed, and thought romantic. This was pathological - the female was such a doormat and the male was so sick, it was a perversion of the genre. So sad that this made the top of the bs list.

Agreed but they are pulling it because it's suppose to porn which it is not. So if they pull 50 Shades they need to pull other books which are much more blatant and explicit.

[wyndslash]

Originally Posted by Xanthe

If that's so, then damn, those women getting all hot and bothered by it have really led a very sheltered reading existence.

that's true. i was shocked when a male friend of mine (who is very erm...horny, let us say) said he was reading it and that he was getting turned on. so after reading the comments on this thread, i was wondering why and how he was getting turned on if it was so tame and badly written. i'm sure i've read far more erotica/romance than he ever will (not that i'll admit it to anyone irl xD)

[QuantumIguana]

Originally Posted by wyndslash

that's true. i was shocked when a male friend of mine (who is very erm...horny, let us say) said he was reading it and that he was getting turned on. so after reading the comments on this thread, i was wondering why and how he was getting turned on if it was so tame and badly written. i'm sure i've read far more erotica/romance than he ever will (not that i'll admit it to anyone irl xD)

You never know what's going to push people's buttons.

[ApK]

Note that of the few people in the thread poll who said they read it, more than a third of them liked it. I wonder if they'll be kind enough...or brave enough...to tell us what they liked.

[Joykins]

Originally Posted by wyndslash

that's true. i was shocked when a male friend of mine (who is very erm...horny, let us say) said he was reading it and that he was getting turned on. so after reading the comments on this thread, i was wondering why and how he was getting turned on if it was so tame and badly written. i'm sure i've read far more erotica/romance than he ever will (not that i'll admit it to anyone irl xD)

Some people get turned on by the very idea of sex, I think...even very "tame" scenes (not sure how BDSM is tame, but I have yet to read these books).