50 Shades - Great, or the Greatest?

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  • vkdarling
    vkdarling Posts: 161 Member
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    Looks like a great thread to find fellow slaves and Masters! Add me if you live the lifestyle and would like MFP friends who do too lol...
  • devil_in_a_blue_dress
    devil_in_a_blue_dress Posts: 5,214 Member
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    Looks like a great thread to find fellow slaves and Masters! Add me if you live the lifestyle and would like MFP friends who do too lol...

    Which lifestyle do you mean, reading crappy erotic so mundane and poorly written even a desperate housewife can love it?
  • delicious_cocktail
    delicious_cocktail Posts: 5,797 Member
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    No, that doesn't make her a great artist. That simple proves, as I stated, that people are stupid and unoriginal.

    I was discussing a movie, "Under the Skin", with a friend recently. It stars Scarlette Johanssen and is unwatchable tripe. He was confused, because it was so bad, about why it got so many positive critical reviews. So was I, so we got to thinking about it and discussing it.

    Like most art-house "art", it is intentionally unpleasant, unprofessional, uncomfortable, and at turns plodding, droning and boring. Compared to the average film, there is ten times more "T and A" (and quite a bit of erect C) but absolutely no tittilation; a cynical destruction of sex appeal and sexuality. The plot is extremely narrow but the implications and social commentary are quite broad. It leaves plenty of questions unanswered and in so doing engages the 'critic's brain' without actually delivering much.

    It is like a complex flavor profile that isn't so much enjoyable as it is "something to think about". Personally, I like my food to taste good, rather than be complicated.

    Unoriginality has a place! I vote for the flavorful predictability of McDonald's over haute cuisine any day. You cannot live on amuse bouche. Originality for originality's sake is frequently applauded disproportionate to merit. Art that merges populism/accessibilty with complexity is where the true meat lies.

    McRib.
  • Yurippe
    Yurippe Posts: 850 Member
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    Appalled at the closed-mindedness. It's like 1692 in here.

    Think so? I happen to write erotica and have had some things published. Difference is I write GOOD erotica.

    How, precisely, do you measure "good erotica"? Whether is sold? Whether it got good reviews? Bad reviews? She's sold MILLIONS of copies and is now making it into a movie. A good major have loved the books. She also doesn't go around bashing other people's writings..........

    Depending on your definition of "good"... I'd say she writes better erotica than you. :glasses:

    Based on your logic, Bieber is a better musician than Mozart. Hint - he's not.

    Metallica ain't bad and neither are the Beatles.
    Metallica are not good anymore either......haha

    :mad: Lies! (With the exception of St. Anger. That was not great.)
  • delicious_cocktail
    delicious_cocktail Posts: 5,797 Member
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    .
  • Yurippe
    Yurippe Posts: 850 Member
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    No, that doesn't make her a great artist. That simple proves, as I stated, that people are stupid and unoriginal.

    I was discussing a movie, "Under the Skin", with a friend recently. It stars Scarlette Johanssen and is unwatchable tripe. He was confused, because it was so bad, about why it got so many positive critical reviews.

    We fast forwarded through half the movie to get the gist of what was going on without having to sit through it. I can't watch someone drive around doing nothing for 15 minutes. I was motion sick and bored.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    No, that doesn't make her a great artist. That simple proves, as I stated, that people are stupid and unoriginal.

    I was discussing a movie, "Under the Skin", with a friend recently. It stars Scarlette Johanssen and is unwatchable tripe. He was confused, because it was so bad, about why it got so many positive critical reviews. So was I, so we got to thinking about it and discussing it.

    Like most art-house "art", it is intentionally unpleasant, unprofessional, uncomfortable, and at turns plodding, droning and boring. Compared to the average film, there is ten times more "T and A" (and quite a bit of erect C) but absolutely no tittilation; a cynical destruction of sex appeal and sexuality. The plot is extremely narrow but the implications and social commentary are quite broad. It leaves plenty of questions unanswered and in so doing engages the 'critic's brain' without actually delivering much.

    It is like a complex flavor profile that isn't so much enjoyable as it is "something to think about". Personally, I like my food to taste good, rather than be complicated.

    Unoriginality has a place! I vote for the flavorful predictability of McDonald's over haute cuisine any day. You cannot live on amuse bouche. Originality for originality's sake is frequently applauded disproportionate to merit. Art that merges populism/accessibilty with complexity is where the true meat lies.

    McRib.
    What I meant by "unoriginal" is the vast number of people who "like" it because it's popular.

    Someone way back in this thread said she recognized it was crap but it turned her on. I respect that. It's the people who go on and on and on about it being a great love story and calling James a great writer I can't respect. Neither of those things are the case. Of course you can enjoy crap. But when you can't (or won't) admit or recognize it's crap, you are dumb and unoriginal.

    I'm not saying I don't enjoy certain things that are crap. Of course I do. But I know they're crap and I don't try to put dresses and makeup on them and insist they're anything other than crap.

    ETA: I also don't live and breathe by the critics. Hereafter, an amazing and profound movie, has something like 36% on Rotten Tomatoes. Reading through the critics' reviews is a lesson in, "These people did not get it at all."
  • DamePiglet
    DamePiglet Posts: 3,730 Member
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    WOW! This thread surely evolved!
    Went from "themes masterfully explored" to "McRib"

    I'm lovin' it!
  • catic32
    catic32 Posts: 105 Member
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    I'm reading the final book right now, ( I have been putting the series off for years) and I 'm not sure how I feel about it. She tried to incorporate a story into the kinky f*ckery but it's a very unbeleivable story... and all they do it argue then have sex and profess their undying love.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
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    Looks like a great thread to find fellow slaves and Masters! Add me if you live the lifestyle and would like MFP friends who do too lol...

    How you doin?

    Eta: I'm the slave (but I can switch)
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
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    I'm reading the final book right now, ( I have been putting the series off for years) and I 'm not sure how I feel about it. She tried to incorporate a story into the kinky f*ckery but it's a very unbeleivable story... and all they do it argue then have sex and profess their undying love.

    With a few helicopter explosions. Yep. Great synopsis.
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
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    If your three-year-old can convince 100 million people to buy her work, then she's a great artist.

    I kind of feel the same way about Madonna.

    The difference is between madonna and a three year old, though, is that in thirty years the three year old will have matured a little.

    Madonna certainly has her finger on the pulse of something or other. There are few other popular musicians with her staying power, especially women.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    If your three-year-old can convince 100 million people to buy her work, then she's a great artist.

    I kind of feel the same way about Madonna.

    The difference is between madonna and a three year old, though, is that in thirty years the three year old will have matured a little.

    Madonna certainly has her finger on the pulse of something or other. There are few other popular musicians with her staying power, especially women.
    I really loved the period where she was trying to land the role of Evita. She put out some good music over about two years. I don't know what she sounds like live, though. And there are still a couple things from the very early years I like. I get tired, though, of the need to shock. It stinks of a lack of talent, even if there is actual talent.

    If you've ever seen Lady Gaga before she was Lady Gaga ... She was pretty amazing.
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
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    No, that doesn't make her a great artist. That simple proves, as I stated, that people are stupid and unoriginal.

    I was discussing a movie, "Under the Skin", with a friend recently. It stars Scarlette Johanssen and is unwatchable tripe. He was confused, because it was so bad, about why it got so many positive critical reviews. So was I, so we got to thinking about it and discussing it.

    Like most art-house "art", it is intentionally unpleasant, unprofessional, uncomfortable, and at turns plodding, droning and boring. Compared to the average film, there is ten times more "T and A" (and quite a bit of erect C) but absolutely no tittilation; a cynical destruction of sex appeal and sexuality. The plot is extremely narrow but the implications and social commentary are quite broad. It leaves plenty of questions unanswered and in so doing engages the 'critic's brain' without actually delivering much.

    It is like a complex flavor profile that isn't so much enjoyable as it is "something to think about". Personally, I like my food to taste good, rather than be complicated.

    Unoriginality has a place! I vote for the flavorful predictability of McDonald's over haute cuisine any day. You cannot live on amuse bouche. Originality for originality's sake is frequently applauded disproportionate to merit. Art that merges populism/accessibilty with complexity is where the true meat lies.

    McRib.

    There is a HUGE playing field between Osetra Caviar and the McRib. There ARE people who can tell a good, compelling story and leave you something to think about (Gone Girl, for instance) while employing top-of-the-line writing.

    I've just always liked the hack, formulaic stuff too. It's like a good pun. Not the best form of humor. But charming and real in its simplicity.
  • devil_in_a_blue_dress
    devil_in_a_blue_dress Posts: 5,214 Member
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    .

    I hear periods play a fundamental role in this novel.

    Can anyone confirm or deny?
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
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    Looks like a great thread to find fellow slaves and Masters! Add me if you live the lifestyle and would like MFP friends who do too lol...

    Which lifestyle do you mean, reading crappy erotic so mundane and poorly written even a desperate housewife can love it?

    I think you are hugely underestimating desperate housewives...and the appeal of the book.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    No, that doesn't make her a great artist. That simply proves, as I stated, that people are stupid and unoriginal.

    Now there's an original comment...
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    Unoriginality has a place! I vote for the flavorful predictability of McDonald's over haute cuisine any day. You cannot live on amuse bouche. Originality for originality's sake is frequently applauded disproportionate to merit. Art that merges populism/accessibilty with complexity is where the true meat lies.

    McRib.

    A very good post.

    At the end of the day, the essence of the human experience can be captured in half a dozen plot lines, everything else is window dressing. There hasn't been a truly original story written down since the ancient greeks (and even those were derivative, we just can't find much material older than that).
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
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    Bad reviews? She's sold MILLIONS of copies and is now making it into a movie.

    That just proves the masses are stupid. *shrug*

    I used to think that about Michael Jackson and Prince. Sad me. The masses are less stupid than they seem. Name a great artist who wasn't celebrated in their own time.

    (Of course, I can name some mere hacks who were popular in their own time and never heard of now - I think 50 Shades is one of these. I rate it right about at the "Undomestic Goddess" level. Airplane lit, you know.

    Of course there are some priceless ones few have ever heard about either. And I've never been able to tell where "Three Penny Opera" falls on this scale.)
    LMAO

    Seriously? You're trolling, right? If EL James is a "great artist" in her art of choice, then so was my 3-year-old daughter a great artist with her stick figures and drawing suns in the corner of the paper.

    If your three-year-old can convince 100 million people to buy her work, then she's a great artist.

    I kind of feel the same way about Madonna.
    No, that doesn't make her a great artist. That simply proves, as I stated, that people are stupid and unoriginal.

    Except they're really not. Witness how they don't celebrate your three-year-old.

    They celebrate Grandma Moses and Jackson Pollock.
  • devil_in_a_blue_dress
    devil_in_a_blue_dress Posts: 5,214 Member
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    Looks like a great thread to find fellow slaves and Masters! Add me if you live the lifestyle and would like MFP friends who do too lol...

    Which lifestyle do you mean, reading crappy erotic so mundane and poorly written even a desperate housewife can love it?

    I think you are hugely underestimating desperate housewives...and the appeal of the book.

    I have a few degrees in things like English Literature and Women's Studies. Suffice to say, I have a pretty academic understanding of what makes these books popular, with whom and why but that's really not why I am commenting in this thread.

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