Pinoy readers weigh in on 'Fifty Shades of Grey'

If you're frequently online or watch a lot of television, then chances are you've probably already seen the “Gangnam Style” music video, that fun and earworm-inducing song by Korean hip-hop artist Psy.  

 

How the song and the video went viral is already the stuff of Internet and entertainment industry legend, but just at the beginning of this year, the literary world was rocked by a similar phenomenon in the form of “Fifty Shades of Grey”.

 

Written by Brit TV executive E. L. James, “Fifty Shades” has been drumming up a lot of interest since it was published as an e-book and print-on-demand paperback in 2011, and it has been breaking sales records since it hit the mainstream consciousness. Its success is still the subject of much debate among industry experts, book bloggers, and critics.

 

What is now the “Fifty Shades” trilogy began as fan fiction set in the world of Stephenie Meyer's “Twilight” series. It was known back then as “Master of the Universe”, and was posted in various fan fiction hosting sites under the pseudonym “Snowqueens Icedragon.”

 

James later removed all references to “Twilight” and revised the story as an original trilogy, posting it on her website and selling thousands of copies before The Writers' Coffee Shop offered to publish the books.

 

“Fifty Shades” is told from the point of view of Anastasia "Ana" Steele, a 22-year-old college student, and tells of her relationship with 27-year-old entrepreneur Christian Grey. Much of the buzz around the series is attributed to its depiction of erotic scenes and aspects of bondage, dominance and submission, and sadism/masochism (BDSM).

 

Sex sells

 

At the recent 2nd Filipino Reader Conference, “Fifty Shades” was one of the featured books in a series of discussions moderated by different local book clubs. During the discussion, readers weighed in on what they did and did not like about the first book, as well as on the tome’s relevance and popularity.

 

When asked about the phenomenal sales of “Fifty Shades”, some readers were quick to reply that "Sex sells!" They have a valid point, considering the series has earned the nickname "mommy porn" for being allegedly popular among mothers and women above 30 years old, although the ReaderCon discussion attendees were more diverse than that.

 

Author Kate Evangelista, who was a guest discussion panelist, also pointed out that the viral nature of the publicity for the book and its controversial themes has made a lot of people very curious about it.

 

"People start off as curious, especially if they don't know about BDSM or erotica, that’s why they buy the book," she explained. "And for those who are familiar with the genre, they get curious about how it was tackled in ‘Fifty Shades’."

 

Readers who were familiar with icons of erotica literature like Anne Rice's “Sleeping Beauty” trilogy and Pauline Réage's “Story of O” contended that “Fifty Shades” did not live up to their expectations.

 

One reader commented that the book focused more on the relationship between Ana and Christian, and that the characters spent more time negotiating the merits of their written Dominant-Submissive Contract rather than actually going through the acts that are described there.

 

A member of The Mysterious Reading Society, the book club that sponsored the discussion, argued that reader expectations will vary depending on whether they've read erotica before. His point was seconded by readers who discussion participants have dubbed "erotica virgins."

 

"E.L. James is still pretty conservative when it comes to her writing. As it says in the books, everything was actually very vanilla," Evangelista added. "But if I were indeed a virgin to the genre, I might have found it shocking, especially since we live in a culture where erotica and BDSM are not talked about as openly."

 

Empowerment or degradation?

 

Among the varied feedback about “Fifty Shades,” perhaps one that elicits a lot of heated debate is some readers’ claims that the book actually empowered them as women. This is violently opposed by those who feel that the themes of domination and submission, as well as Ana’s decisions in the story, are degrading if not downright insulting.

 

One participant shared that the feelings of “empowerment” that some readers experience mostly stem from discovering depictions of female sexuality that are unfamiliar or unconventional for them. Evangelista maintained that this feeling is less about empowerment or becoming a better woman but more about taking something away from the story that enhances their respective relationships, especially on the physical level.  

 

The Twilight formula

 

“Fifty Shades” also appeals to some readers on a personal level because it employs a writing style that “Twilight” has often been criticized for but is an undeniable factor in its success: its main character is almost a blank slate that allows readers to insert themselves into the story and makes them feel that they are living the fantasy.  

 

That is not to say that everyone who reads “Fifty Shades” wants to live a BDSM fantasy, of course. Readers agree that, ultimately, the series really is a romance—it is about the relationship between Ana and Christian—and it is also what makes the story work. 

 

Ana is innocent and naïve, and yet she attracts someone worldly, powerful and messed-up like Christian. This “Good Girl Who Can Change The Bad Guy Using The Power of True Love” trope is used in more romance novels than you can count the number of times Ana utters the words “oh my” in the book. (She says it 79 times.)

 

However one views this phenomenon, Evangelista said that the series will likely keep selling because it has the elements of a bestseller. “It can make you laugh, make you cry, it’s a page-turner, and it has a Hollywood ending.”

 

Speaking of Hollywood, “Fifty Shades of Grey” will be coming soon to a cinema near you. And no matter what they think of its literary merits, many big name actors and writers have been actively lobbying to be a part of the project.  

 

Whether one likes it or not, it looks like there’s no escaping this phenomenon in the foreseeable future. There's even “Fifty Shades” merchandise for sale, a magazine, and yet another installment apparently in the works.  

 

As for me, I’d much rather sit in front of my computer and watch the “Gangnam Style” music video several times over. (Photo credits: Danica Cervantes and Filipino Reader Conference) — TJD/KG, GMA News