I came out from living under a rock to discover that E. L. James' "50 Shades of Grey" was being talked about on almost all of my diverse media sources. The general news sources (MSN, Google News) discussed its bestselling status and my women focused sources pored over its titillating contents. The feminist sites gave more in depth (pardon the pun) reviews of the erotic novel, discussing desire, empowerment and feminist fantasy (are you still a feminist if you fantasize about submission?). Frank Santo's review was the first masculine review of the book that I have come across and I think that his probably best captures what the other women reviewers have left out, also the reason why I probably won't be buying this particular book. However, if you want to wade into the shallow end of the bondage pool, or perhaps pick up a few new phrases to liven up that annual management retreat, by all means get this book.
But conversely, "50 Shades" describes acts of female sexual submission written by a woman, for women, from a woman character’s perspective, presumably for the purpose of the same aforementioned enthusiasms. Just as the majority of men who watch pornography do not actually think of their significant others as lascivious, orange-skinned, clearly-faking-it sexual acrobats, I seriously doubt that most women would prefer their men like Christian Grey: domineering, stalking, devoid of any humor or personality whatsoever.
- Frank Santo, reviewing "50 Shades of Grey" for the New York Daily News
Link here: It's all porn to me: One man's review of '50 Shades of Grey'
But conversely, "50 Shades" describes acts of female sexual submission written by a woman, for women, from a woman character’s perspective, presumably for the purpose of the same aforementioned enthusiasms. Just as the majority of men who watch pornography do not actually think of their significant others as lascivious, orange-skinned, clearly-faking-it sexual acrobats, I seriously doubt that most women would prefer their men like Christian Grey: domineering, stalking, devoid of any humor or personality whatsoever.
- Frank Santo, reviewing "50 Shades of Grey" for the New York Daily News
Link here: It's all porn to me: One man's review of '50 Shades of Grey'
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