The furor around 50 Shades of Grey isn't about what happens in private bedrooms

[BainsBane]

74. I could say a lot of things

Last edited Sun Jul 27, 2014, 02:15 AM - Edit history (2)

I could say someone who dismisses the severity of rape--which is what critics of the book have said it shows--is far worse than conservative.

Here is the actual situation. Few of us have read that piece of shit book. We don't actually know what is in it. We don't actually know if it depicts consensual BDSM or rape. People have twisted this discussion in every which way. Many of those voicing concerns about the movie have read that it depicts rape. They, as well as any other decent human being, are not going to think rape is okay. They don't think it should be celebrated or applauded. Others want to carry on the same old war against feminists by claiming we are 'sex negative" and "prudes." They want to pretend like this is about two consenting adults, when in fact it is not ANYONE's private sex life. Get that? It's a movie. People are allowed to criticize movies without being called conservative. Now, you may consider liberal and libertine to be one in the same, but they are in fact not. Moreover, insisting that characters in a film or a movie should not be critiqued simply because they are having sex is ridiculous. This isn't about your sex life. It's about a movie. Got it?

As for me, I don't give a shit about the movie. I heard an excerpt of David Sedaris reading the book and it was absolutely appallingly written, a complete and utter defilement of the English language, which is essentially what I've heard about it. What I object to is the incredible stupidity of telling people they have no right to comment about a film and pretending characters are a couple whose privacy rights need to be respected. This is popular culture. It gets talked about.

What you consider conservative is really irrelevant. I consider most of what you write quite conservative. So what? We don't share common values, so our ideas of what matters in liberal politics differ. Such is life. We don't have to agree. What is clear is that you are using "conservative" as a rhetorical device to attack those who see this issue as different from you, and in the process you are ignoring what they are actually concerned about.