In the name of digital development and
contemporary progress, combined with the fast-paced cyber lifespan of media,
pop culture trends or hypes are usually short-lived. When I say short, I’m referring to weeks (and
sometimes, months).
Late last year, a best-selling fan fiction
turned the world of literature and ultimately society upside down. It changed
our perception and consumption of erotic literature – a new genre encompassed
these books doused with explicitly descriptive words and scenarios. Yes, I’m
referring to the “50 Shades of Grey” trilogy, written by EL James. I shall
begin to refer to it as Fifty, because 50 Shades of Grey is a handful to type.
In the after shock of its release, it dominated the top spot in the New York
Times’ best-sellers list under the category of print and e-book fiction for 30
weeks. It continued to stay in the top 5 for numerous weeks thereafter.
As of December 2013, Fifty has sold more than
70 million copies in paperback in the U.S. alone and broke a record, according
to The Guardian, for the highest paperback novel sales record in a week in the
U.S. alone – selling 205,130 copies. Fifty will be adapted into a film and
Universal Studios paid $5 million for film rights, beating out 10 big names in
the industry such as Fox Studios, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros. and Paramount.
But what exactly is Fifty? Are there really
50 different shades of gray in the color chart? Upon browsing a reliable source
of information (the internet), apparently there are more.
As a
book enthusiast and an adventurer with a nose for sarcasm and controversy,
let’s analyze this cultured piece of published gold. Many have called out on
its apparent plagiarism. If you were to search for BDSM under Wikipedia, the
content is almost identical to that of the contract featured in the first book.
As this started as a fan-fiction based on the hit series Twilight, grounds on
plagiarism are vague because it was first released online and the author was
open about how it was based on Twilight and how the plots were similar. In
terms of plot, it contains the romance standard we see in existing trashy
novels (think Harlequin or Mills & Boon) – the mature, experienced and
imperfect man meets the innocent and naïve girl. What sets Fifty apart from the
already marketable romance stories is the open acceptance of BDSM and kink –
giving consumers a thrill and fresh perspective.
Enough
criticism, let’s move on to how it reached its international stardom. The
commerciality of Fifty has affected how we consume sexually-empowering (though
this concept can be debatable) material. It’s become a common sight to see
readers engrossed in a smutty and pseudo-erotic novel in the public sphere.
Before, pocketbooks resided in your bedside table or in your closet but now,
they’re being read on the jeep, in the café, at school – everywhere. If you
aren’t brave enough to face the glares and judgmental stares of passers-by as
you indulge yourself in your titillating hard copy book, the kindle or other
electronic readers have made it easier for you to do so discreetly.
In a
Yahoo! News article last December, firefighters in Britain have complained of
the number of calls they’ve been receiving of people who’ve accidentally
handcuffed their partners in compromising positions and can’t set them free.
There’ve been a noticeable number of hotel packages, which offer the complete package – handcuffs and whips –
to cater to their customers who have specific eclectic tastes.
Fifty
has been translated into at least 50 different languages (including Filipino)
to widen its reach and make it more accessible. It became a common conversation
starter in the bookstore and rekindled the issue of banned literature in more
conservative countries (not that banning literature in the era of the internet
is feasible).
Not that it ends there – new books to grace
the shelves of the Romance section at your local bookstore (because for some
people, BDSM is romantic, and you can’t exactly label these books as erotic in
a place where children can see them) include classics garnished with sexual
detail such as “Jane Eyre Laid Bare” (Austen’s classic novel with an
interesting twist), “Erotica for the Not-too-modern Male”, a supposed memoir of
Louisa May Alcott and retellings of fairytales to oblige its mature
audience. The names “Grey”, “Ana” and
“Anastasia” were featured at the top of suggested baby-name lists online. Not
to mention, there isn’t a specific profile in terms of age for Fifty readers –
women as old as 60 years to teens as young as 13.
Aside
from the fact that Fifty has been translated into Filipino and made available
at most local bookstores, the demure Philippines has had its curiosity piqued
since the book came out. Threads on PinoyExchange.com featured questions such
as “are there BDSM classes offered in the Philippines?” to “most popular kinky
shops” and “is it possible [to perform the scenes enacted in Fifty]?”.
Pop culture trends undoubtedly
have an impact on our taste, product consumption and lifestyles. The 50 Shades
of Grey phenomenon is a perfect example of that and its long lasting affects
can still be found everywhere. An understatement would be how the popular
phrase from the novel, “up and down like whore’s drawers” has been translated
into 30 different languages – now that’s international vocabulary.
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