50 Shades Series: Fan Fiction Run Amok

[Julia]

I haven't read the book and I don't plan to see the movie. Not because I have a problem with BDSM, but because people whose judgment I trust have told me that it'll make me claw my eyeballs out from the bad writing.

 

I have read Twilight, and I don't know if it's possible for this story to be more degrading and supportive of spousal abuse against women and male/female power imbalance than Twilight. What's more, I doubt there are social conservative moms out there reading 50 Shades with their daughters because it promotes virginity, so I don't think this will do a fraction of the damage.

Edited February 19, 2015 by Julia

[harrie]

I haven't read the book and I don't plan to see the movie. Not because I have a problem with BDSM, but because people whose judgment i trust have told me that it'll make me claw my eyeballs out from the bad writing.

 

 

They did not lie.

[dusang]

Okay, in addition to my dislike of this being classified as "BDSM" when it is not BDSM, the other thing that bothers me is that it is a really bad book.  Like, regardless of the content, the stalker crazy behaviour, the psuedo-BDSM, whatever, this book is terrible.  I literally could not read the whole thing it was so bad.  And, although I know that many writers are rewarded far beyond their talent, it still hurts me on some deep (yet irrational) level.  As many other people on this board have noted, there are really good erotica writers out there writing crazy hot BDSM sex.  I just want people to read that!!

 

ETA: Jamie Dornan was on Graham Norton and I thought this was hilarious -- Graham surveys the audience and finds only one man who has read the books and, when asked if he like them, he says "no, they're shite."  (at about 1:20)

 

Edited February 19, 2015 by dusang

[Shannon L.]

 

I literally could not read the whole thing it was so bad.  And, although I know that many writers are rewarded far beyond their talent, it still hurts me on some deep (yet irrational) level.  As many other people on this board have noted, there are really good erotica writers out there writing crazy hot BDSM sex.  I just want people to read that!!

I've been reading this thread with interest and have read two of the summaries that were linked because I didn't read the books.  The summaries quoted many sections of the books and I'm stunned at how bad the writing is.  Let's put aside the BDSM stuff for a minute:  The sentence structure, plot, grammar, punctuation--if it wasn't incorrect, it was at such a low level that my book fiend 13 year old could write better stories than that. 

 

I'm not going to see the movies and I do see the abuse that people are talking about.  The books have been discussed in this family with our 13 year old daughter and our 16 year old son because, unbeknownst to us until recently, a couple of years ago, a friend of my son's had the book at school (apparently it was everywhere) and they were reading excerpts at lunch.  So, the whole "whatever people do in the privacy of their own home.....consenting adults.....doesn't make them 'weird' or mean that anything's wrong with them....etc, etc," conversation was back in full force.  This time, though, it included BDSM and different kinds of abuse (especially when my son said "why do people think it was abuse?  She consented to it."). 

 

I agree that it's just a movie and I think most women understand that (although I don't see how it was ever considered sexy), but I do think that it can be harmful for the teenagers who got their hands on it--especially ones with low self esteem to begin with and whose parents haven't had open communication with them about such things. 

Edited February 20, 2015 by Shannon L.

[methodwriter85]

Of course she does.

 

E.L. James Demands to Write Script for Fifty Shades Darker

 

Universal really screwed themselves here by giving her too much power. LOL.

 

Hey though, they might as well go for it. Trainwrecks are fun to watch. I think people will watch this shit no matter how bad it gets.

 

Honestly though, this was pretty damn faithful to the material. It's ridiculous how nitpicky she's apparently getting. I'm going to feel bad for Dakota if she's forced to make Ana sound like a stupid 14-year old girl because of the script.

Edited February 20, 2015 by methodwriter85

[Zuleikha]

I admire E.L. James' moxie. She knows her writing is the most laughed-at thing about the books and what absolutely no one reads the books for. And yet... here she is, demanding to do something she's completely unqualified to do and, judging by the books, unlikely to do well. She has her vision, and she is darned well going to do everything in her power to realize it.

 

I'm bummed that the director is leaving the series. The most exciting thing about 50 Shades was that it had a female writer and female director (although apparently the rewrites were done by a male writer). It will be a disappointment if this goes the way of Twilight and hires a male director once it's a proven commodity.

[Dejana]

Of course she does.

 

E.L. James Demands to Write Script for Fifty Shades Darker

 

Universal really screwed themselves here by giving her too much power. LOL.

 

Hey though, they might as well go for it. Trainwrecks are fun to watch. I think people will watch this shit no matter how bad it gets.

 

Honestly though, this was pretty damn faithful to the material. It's ridiculous how nitpicky she's apparently getting. I'm going to feel bad for Dakota if she's forced to make Ana sound like a stupid 14-year old girl because of the script.

 

The first one ended up with 25% on Rotten Tomatoes and that was with the consensus (even among the bad reviews) generally being that the movie was better than the book. Perhaps Fifty Shades Darker, as scripted by EL James, will go for the goose egg, with no positive reviews (seriously, a sub-10% result would not be surprising). I don't really feel that sorry for the actors because they did willingly sign on for this franchise, knowing full well that there was always the chance that the movies would be just as bad as the books. Whenever the next one gets released, the promo tour and the Vanity Fair-type profiles about EL James' reign of terror will be glorious.

[methodwriter85]

I do have to laugh at the fact that Universal is basically being held hostage by a frumpy, middle-aged woman. It's like the exact opposite of what you'd expect.

 

I'm hoping that if she does write the sequel, we'll get campy "so bad it's good" like the book instead of the failed artistic endeavor the movie was.

 

I really, really hope though that Ana is allowed to keep the brain they allowed her to have in the movie instead of seeming like a 12-year old girl from another century.

[Julia]

I do have to laugh at the fact that Universal is basically being held hostage by a frumpy, middle-aged woman. It's like the exact opposite of what you'd expect.

Well, that'll teach them to try to interrogate the text from the wrong perspective.

[Nidratime]

I do have to laugh at the fact that Universal is basically being held hostage by a frumpy, middle-aged woman.

 

 

It's not great to be held hostage by anyone whatever their age or level of frump.... (I don't know if she's "frumpy" or not, although I am aware she's not a 20-something.)

[dusang]

I admire E.L. James' moxie. She knows her writing is the most laughed-at thing about the books and what absolutely no one reads the books for. And yet... here she is, demanding to do something she's completely unqualified to do and, judging by the books, unlikely to do well. She has her vision, and she is darned well going to do everything in her power to realize it.

 

Does she know that?  I don't know much about her but I somehow feel like she might be a little closer to the "delusional American Idol auditioner" side of self-awareness, if you know what I mean.

 

The real kick in the pants is that, not only do the critics hate it, the audience rating is dropping rapidly (pre-release it was over 80% and ow it's down to 49%).  I really wonder how it will fare at the box office in weekend #2.

Edited February 20, 2015 by dusang

[Chrissytd]

Does she know that?  I don't know much about her but I somehow feel like she might be a little closer to the "delusional American Idol auditioner" side of self-awareness, if you know what I mean.

 

The real kick in the pants is that, not only do the critics hate it, the audience rating is dropping rapidly (pre-release it was over 80% and ow it's down to 49%).  I really wonder how it will fare at the box office in weekend #2.

They've already dropped 74% from opening day.

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=4028

Edited February 21, 2015 by Chrissytd

[Julia]

I'm finding it really funny that the ads for the Oscars they're showing in my market are featuring "Hollywood's biggest stars," and they specifically namecheck Dakota Johnson. Who, bless her, may survive this but she's not even as big a deal as her parents yet, and they were never Hollywood's biggest stars.

 

. 

[methodwriter85]

Gotta love the hype machine.

[millennium]

I always wondered how the NYT felt about that.

 

This article from Vanity Fair, last July, may interest you.   It's not about 50 Shades, but it does address the question of poorly-written best-sellers, their impact on the public and the future of literature itself.

 

http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2014/07/goldfinch-donna-tartt-literary-criticism

[Dejana]

Box office update:

 

So now we’re at a point where not only are we not terribly shocked when Sam Taylor-Johnson’s Fifty Shades of Grey drops 73% on its second weekend, going from $85.1 million to $23.2m, but we expect it and it’s all-but-taken into account when the studio plans the release. The converted showed up last weekend in massive numbers and no one else (comparatively speaking) cared to sample the goods this weekend. Of course, we’re still talking about a $40 million R-rated erotic drama that has earned $130.1m domestic in ten days and has earned $410m worldwide, so I think the amount of tears that will be shed over at Universal/Comcast Corp. will be minimal. Heck there is a real chance that the film could be among the few $600m+ R-rated films ever on the strength of its overseas muscle.

 

The author speculates about the merits of toning down the sex (did they annoy the fanbase, while still failing to capture more casual fans who were expecting something sexier and people who never would've bothered to see a 50SoG movie regardless?) and puts the box office into perspective:

 

If we use Valentine’s Day as a guide, we can expect Fifty Shades of Grey to end its domestic run with around $165m, terrific for a $40m R-rated erotic picture aimed at women but not quite besting Catherine Hardwicke’s Twilight ($192m) for the biggest domestic live-action “directed by a woman” grosser ever. It will still best Fatal Attraction‘s $156m 1987 cume for the biggest “sex movie” ever in America and even adjusted for inflation will come in under only Fatal Attraction, Basic Instinct, and Indecent Proposal. Maybe Universal should hire Michael Douglas to play Christian’s father in the sequel.

Edited February 22, 2015 by Dejana

[harrie]

 

This article from Vanity Fair, last July, may interest you.   It's not about 50 Shades, but it does address the question of poorly-written best-sellers, their impact on the public and the future of literature itself.

 

http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2014/07/goldfinch-donna-tartt-literary-criticism

Thank you, millennium, that was interesting. 

Edited February 22, 2015 by harrie

[millennium]

University of Illinois student said ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ inspired sexual assault: prosecutor

 

A Chicago college student is behind bars while accused of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman during what prosecutors said was a "Fifty Shades of Grey" re-enactment.

 

What allegedly began as a consensual visit back to Mohammad Hossain's University of Illinois dorm room Saturday ended with the young woman being tied up, stripped and violently beaten to tears, the Chicago Tribune reported.

 

The victim, who's also a student at the school, said she had "previously been intimate" with Hossain but the two weren't dating and the abuse was far from consensual, said Assistant State's Attorney Sarah Karr.

 

She told police she removed all of her clothing at his direction, except for her underwear, before her hands and feet were bound and she was tied to a bed.

 

Once constrained by several belts, a knit cap was lowered over her eyes and a neck tie was stuffed into her mouth, she said.

Hossain allegedly then removed the woman's bra and underwear and began striking her with a belt.

 

The alleged victim told him to stop and even "began shaking her head and crying," Karr said.

 

The college freshman instead continued to whip her and even hit her with his fists, according to an arrest report.

 

After the woman wriggled her arms free, Karr said, Hossain held them behind her back as he continued to sexually assault her, despite her ongoing pleas for him to stop.

 

It was the arrival of Hossain's roommate that allegedly stopped the assault.

 

Once the roommate returned, Hossain allegedly held the door shut to prevent him from getting in, but in the process the young woman was able to escape and notify someone who called police.

 

Hossain, who was arrested later that night, allegedly admitted to assaulting the woman and "doing something wrong," according to the arrest report.

 

He additionally named the S&M drama as inspiration for the vicious attack.

 

Hossain was arrested on a charge of felony aggravated criminal sexual assault and is being held on $500,000 bail.

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/student-50-shades-grey-inspired-sexual-assault-article-1.2126688

 

 

Sucks for him that he's not wealthy, powerful and mysterious.   

[methodwriter85]

Or hot. That's the most important thing here.

[harrie]

Hossain, who was arrested later that night, allegedly admitted to assaulting the woman and "doing something wrong," according to the arrest report.

He additionally named the S&M drama as inspiration for the vicious attack.

 

 

After which, the Twinkie defense was declared officially obsolete. 

 

I'm really not blaming the victim - something like this happened to me, without the FSOG embellishments, when I was younger - but I wonder if it started out with her consent, which was later withdrawn but not heeded.  Either way, what a bad deal -- lots of therapy for all involved, I would guess. Plus the potential jail time and placement on the sex offender registry for Hossain, of course.  (I'm not saying this in a "oh, poor misunderstood guy" way.  I mean, if people would think about the consequences before they act like idiots, maybe they'd reconsider, and everyone could go on with their lives like nothing bad happened, because nothing did.) 

[harrie]

Sorry, didn't mean to kill the forum.  As you were.

[Julia]

Sorry, didn't mean to kill the forum.  As you were.

 

I don't think you did. It's just creepy to read about something like that. Because I doubt that young woman would have given him the PIN number to her debit card, but it apparently didn't occur to her that giving that level of control over her to someone she didn't know was a bad idea.

 

I still maintain that we're hearing about this because it's the spotlight story of the moment, and that almost everybody isn't that stupid. Still, it's depressing to talk about.

[magdalene]

I have a question  for people who have read all three books (I have only read the first and disliked it). Is it true that the - err - "hero" in a later book 

physically abuses the heroine while she is pregnant with his baby?

 

Every thing about this 50 Shades phenom squicks me out. I don't mind all these older women going gaga over it, they are adults and it's none of my business what crap turns them on. But a lot of the devoted readers and now viewers seem to be these really young girls and women. One thing that remained with me from reading the first book is how young and naive the heroine is, and how much of a doormat she is. It's very disturbing to me.

[Zuleikha]

but it apparently didn't occur to her that giving that level of control over her to someone she didn't know was a bad idea.

 

Per the quoted article, she had previously been intimate with Hossain. So she did know him and presumably thought he was someone she could trust. Other than Hossain claiming 50 Shades inspired him and thus making it topical, it's not any different from any other case of date rape in which the rapist betrays someone's trust. 

 

I'm glad he's been arrested, and I hope the violence of the attack has the silver lining of getting him convicted. 

 

But a lot of the devoted readers and now viewers seem to be these really young girls and women.

 

I'm not sure what the demographics of the fanbase are. 50 Shades was originally mocked for being Mommy Porn. But teens have been reading equally smutty and disturbing fanfic for a while. I read both the Story of O and the Claiming of Sleeping Beauty series when I was in high school and neither confused me about what a consensual, healthy relationship should look like.

[Julia]

Per the quoted article, she had previously been intimate with Hossain. So she did know him and presumably thought he was someone she could trust. Other than Hossain claiming 50 Shades inspired him and thus making it topical, it's not any different from any other case of date rape in which the rapist betrays someone's trust.

I've been off the market a long time, but I distinctly recall in my long-ago youth having sex (which is not always synonymous with intimacy) with people I would never have given my keys to sit with my cat when I was out of town. Shockingly, it's been known to happen. It doesn't mean she knew enough about him to safely give him this level of control.

And no, it's not any different than any other case of date rape in culpability.

Edited February 25, 2015 by Julia

[millennium]

Except perhaps that the movie's "romantic" spin on that type of behavior -- and Fifty Shades's widespread popularity among  the female population -- may have led this idiot to think it was okay to behave like that, because it's what women really want.

Edited February 25, 2015 by millennium

[Dandesun]

This is an example of needing to be clear what BDSM is because while many find it weird, distasteful and off-putting the absolute most important concept of it is consent -- which is why there are safewords, which is why even if safewords aren't being used it's important for the dom to check in with the sub to be sure that they are okay and if they want to continue. It requires significant amounts of trust, openness and honesty... things that 50SoG ignore completely.

 

So while you can argue that the majority of people out there recognize a good trashy book that may or may not get them off is not a means of living their actual life, you have to take into account those that will read it, or hear about it, or whatever and will consider that it's the way you're supposed to play in the bedroom.

[justcris]

Having read 2 books from both Twilight and now this, I maintain that the worse thing ever is still Bella putting herself in danger just to hear from Edward, in book 2 I think. 

Is Christian a jerk? Sure!

Are the books repetitive? Yup!

Is there any plot at all in book 1? Not a one in sight!

Still wasn't more offensive than that whole scenario in New Moon, imo.

 

I thought it was a decent read. Book one doesn't even have that much sex in it, BDSM or otherwise (or maybe it just looked that way to me because of all the hype, the way everyone was talking I expected a lot more).

 

I think the lack of plot is more glaring in the movie. It definitely ends knowing it will have a sequel. Gorgeous shots of Seattle though, I've always wanted to go there! Plus I thought the glider scene was kinda cool. I really liked Ben & Kate, and Dakota is just so likable here too. I've also liked Jamie Dornan ever since Once upon a time, and I've seen him in the Fall as well, which is very very good too. But I think they made a mistake in shaving him, keeping the beard would have been so much better! And the lighting didn't do him any favours, I've noticed his eyes have this really cool colour but in the movie they look almost black in most shots.

 

Anyway, that's my 2 cents.

[UMAngela]

I enjoyed the book / movie for what it was, a silly fantasy.  I'm the type of theater goer who jokingly exited the movie after a long and tiring work week saying, "I want a Christian Grey" because work is hard, and making decisions can be stressful (don't ask me where I want to go to dinner... I never know), and every once in a while it's fun to escape into an absurd alternate reality.  

 

Did I have to cover my face and laugh into my scarf after Christian made that infamous "I don't make love..." quote?  You betcha.  Have I been texting that line to my friends non-stop since we saw the movie?  With glee.

 

I thought Dakota was ridiculously charming, and I liked her Anna a lot more than the character we got in the books.  I think the movie benefits from the lack of Anna's inner monologue; if anything made me want to stop reading the books, it was that.  I had higher hopes for Jamie; I also struggled with his accent and what seemed like a lack of commitment to the role.  

 

I actually really became invested in the movie once Christian (creepily) followed Anna to Georgia.  When they were flying in the glider thing (how do those things work?  Terrifying.), I felt that we saw a genuine reaction from Jamie, and thought there was potential between the leads.  And when the movie ended, I wanted more because I felt as though something was finally happening in the story.  

[methodwriter85]

Fifty Shades of Grey has made 420 million dollars globally. Just think about that for a moment.

Edited February 28, 2015 by methodwriter85

[Julia]

It makes perfect sense. The real international blockbusters are the movies that don't owe anything to dialogue. I guess alongside blowing shit up and slapstick comedy we can add metastasized Cinemax specials.

Edited March 1, 2015 by Julia

[Rick Kitchen]

Dakota is hosting Saturday Night Live tonight.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

Sucks for him that he's not wealthy, powerful and mysterious.   

 

 

Or hot. That's the most important thing here.

 

[Cirien]

I enjoyed the book / movie for what it was, a silly fantasy.  I'm the type of theater goer who jokingly exited the movie after a long and tiring work week saying, "I want a Christian Grey" because work is hard, and making decisions can be stressful (don't ask me where I want to go to dinner... I never know), and every once in a while it's fun to escape into an absurd alternate reality.  

 

Did I have to cover my face and laugh into my scarf after Christian made that infamous "I don't make love..." quote?  You betcha.  Have I been texting that line to my friends non-stop since we saw the movie?  With glee.

 

I thought Dakota was ridiculously charming, and I liked her Anna a lot more than the character we got in the books.  I think the movie benefits from the lack of Anna's inner monologue; if anything made me want to stop reading the books, it was that.  I had higher hopes for Jamie; I also struggled with his accent and what seemed like a lack of commitment to the role.  

 

I actually really became invested in the movie once Christian (creepily) followed Anna to Georgia.  When they were flying in the glider thing (how do those things work?  Terrifying.), I felt that we saw a genuine reaction from Jamie, and thought there was potential between the leads.  And when the movie ended, I wanted more because I felt as though something was finally happening in the story.  

I think Christian had the controls...such as they were.

 

In all fairness to Jamie, that not that much characterisation for him to go on since the books are all in Ana's POV. Which is why (IMO) Dakota was able to give a charming nuanced performance....she had it all written out for her

[dusang]

I actually really became invested in the movie once Christian (creepily) followed Anna to Georgia.  When they were flying in the glider thing (how do those things work?  Terrifying.), I felt that we saw a genuine reaction from Jamie, and thought there was potential between the leads.  And when the movie ended, I wanted more because I felt as though something was finally happening in the story.  

 

I think the only serious emotion I felt during the entire movie was sincere anxiety at the very concept of that glider. Like even knowing that they weren't going to kill Ana and Christian the very concept of the glider freaks me out.

[Dejana]

Passes $500 million globally at the box office

 

Secrets of the sex scenes:

 

“Jamie [Dornan] had a cover over his penis. Dakota [Johnson] had kind of a patch that went over her pubic area, and right round her whole body.” This meant that the coverings had to be hidden and more natural bodily details had to be added back in while editing those scenes.

 

“We were in the curious situation, in postproduction, of adding [pubic hair],” the cinematographer, who has earned Oscar nominations for his work in Atonement and Anna Karenina, said. “I wouldn’t say it was one of the highlights of my career, but it certainly was one of the most surreal scenarios.” Another surreal scenario: “We did have a butt double for Dakota. I had the pleasure of casting a nontattooed bottom.”

 

"So, how was work today?"

[Julia]

Passes $500 million globally at the box office

 

What's interesting about that number is that it passed $450 million the first weekend.

[Shannon L.]

A Middle School Student Showed Up To School Dressed As Christian Grey

 

The parents don't see what the big deal is.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

A Middle School Student Showed Up To School Dressed As Christian Grey

 

The parents don't see what the big deal is.

 

Shannon L., that link just takes me to the top of this page.

[Shannon L.]

Sorry about that!  Here's the right one:  A Middle School Student Showed Up To School Dressed As Christian Grey

 

(I hope that's not a satire site--I'll be rather embarrassed if it is).

Edited March 6, 2015 by Shannon L.

[Julia]

Um, yeah. The 11yo thought it would be cute if he went to school as the character in the turgid epic stroke book/movie that he knew all about because 11yo boys are totally into that shit. Not at all mommy's idea. Bet he sewed the suit himself.

Edited March 6, 2015 by Julia

[DeLurker]

Wow. So I guess I won't be dressing my daughter up as Lolita next year.

I'm having difficulty fathoming why Mom doesn't see the concern. Are we to assume the 11 yo read the book?

[dusang]

I had long imagined that I would be comfortable and open discussing sex with my (theoretical future) children, until I was confronted with explaining AIDS prevention to a class of 11- and 12-year-olds.  Looking into the faces of these children, the ability to casually, calmly, and openly discuss condoms and alternatives to penetrative intercourse died on my lips.  So, on the one hand I can see a mother think that it's okay to discuss sex with her 11yo but, on the other hand, BDSM sex with blindfolds and cable ties??????  I hate to clutch my pearls but... jayzus.

[DeLurker]

I was confronted with explaining AIDS prevention to a class of 11- and 12-year-olds.  Looking into the faces of these children, the ability to casually, calmly, and openly discuss condoms and alternatives to penetrative intercourse died on my lips.  .

You just gave me a new worst nightmare.

[Shannon L.]

 

I had long imagined that I would be comfortable and open discussing sex with my (theoretical future) children, until I was confronted with explaining AIDS prevention to a class of 11- and 12-year-olds.  Looking into the faces of these children, the ability to casually, calmly, and openly discuss condoms and alternatives to penetrative intercourse died on my lips.  So, on the one hand I can see a mother think that it's okay to discuss sex with her 11yo but, on the other hand, BDSM sex with blindfolds and cable ties??????  I hate to clutch my pearls but... jayzus.

I didn't have a problem discussing this with my kids (although, I don't know if I could've done it in front of a whole classroom of them), but BDSM would've been discussion for much later on.  However, because of all the talk about the movie and the fact that kids at their school were reading it (ugh!!), we had to talk about it.  It went much better than expected (right now, they are almost 14 and almost 17).  So, either mom had to talk to him because he'd heard things, or he said "Christian Grey" because he'd heard all over the tv for the past few weeks.  I just can't imagine agreeing to let him go dressed as that character.  That's what bugs me!

[ennui]

unbeknownst to us until recently, a couple of years ago, a friend of my son's had the book at school (apparently it was everywhere) and they were reading excerpts at lunch.

Didn't we all experience a book that was passed around, though? I still remember being handed a paperback and being told, page 28. And that was many, many years ago. Edited March 7, 2015 by ennui

[Shannon L.]

 

unbeknownst to us until recently, a couple of years ago, a friend of my son's had the book at school (apparently it was everywhere) and they were reading excerpts at lunch.

Didn't we all experience a book that was passed around, though? I still remember being handed a paperback and being told, page 28. And that was many, many years ago.

Of course!  But, in my case anyway, it was plain old sex--I wasn't aware of BDSM or other things until I was older.  Not because my parents didn't teach me anything or were embarrassed by anything, but because it never came up. 

[methodwriter85]

Yeah, I don't think even Judy Blume or M.E. Kerr described S&M sex during their books about a teenager's initiation into sex.

 

 

Wow. So I guess I won't be dressing my daughter up as Lolita next year.

 

The movie dropped a lot of the stuff about Ana acting as if she were a 14-year girl, thank god. In the pancake scene, Ana's actually supposed to be wearing pigtails, with Christian remarking about how young and innocent the pigtails make her look.

 

I would not be surprised if there was a pitched battle about Ana not wearing pigtails there, either. LOL. God, E.L. really just sounds like a nightmare. Universal should just bribe her to go off somewhere. I mean, I get not wanting to be screwed over like Lois Duncan or the guy who wrote Endless Love, but not allowing Christian to wear double-breasted suits because they're not sexy? That's just fucking ridiculous.

 

It's kind of funny to watch this Fifty Shades parody in retrospect:

 

Because THAT E.L. James seems very sweet and not the total monster she seems to be in real life.

 

Back to the actual movie though...they also seemed to really tone down the love triangle aspect of it. NotJacobBlack was pretty minimal, and Hardware Store guy pretty much was blink-and-you-missed-him.

Edited March 7, 2015 by methodwriter85

[Betweenyouandme]

What was the Endless Love drama? I really enjoy watching that movie (because the girl is intoxicating...so charmed in real life, too)?

I would love to know the outcome of a study about how many people's initial thoughts about sex are related to BDSM. I don't doubt some people have a natural wish to dominate or be dominated. I guess the ins and outs are tricky, but TMI here...I wished when I was little a prince would see me and have his guards kidnap me and lock me up just for the prince to have.

Anyway...I still haven't seen this movie. I can't work up the courage to see it alone. I hope it's soon in Redbox or the movie channels.

[methodwriter85]

Endless Love was an adaption of a 1979 novel...the 1981 adaption with Brooke Shields was pretty terrible but still at least somewhat resembled the book, while the 2014 version of the movie basically changed everything about the novel except David and Jade's names and turned it into a Nicholas Sparks story. (From what I've read- I didn't see the movie.) The author of the book was pretty pissed as he detailed here, but there was nothing he could do because he sold the movie adaption rights, and back when he sold them authors really weren't given any creative control.

 

Also, I mentioned Lois Duncan because she was basically banned from the set of I Know What You Did Last Summer, and they took any of the pathos the book had.

 

John Green seems like the best medium between people like them, and authors like E.L. James. He was actively involved, but he didn't strangle the production like E.L. apparently has.

Edited March 7, 2015 by methodwriter85