This post isn't about my 50th birthday - which will occur next Saturday, 8/18. (Yes, I'm an 8 kind of gal!) It's about the other one - the one people actually care about - Fifty Shades of Grey.
Linda E. Savage of Huffpo posted a piece entitled "Why We Love Fifty Shades" that goes deeper than Christian and Ana in the red room. The piece delves behind the sex and grubbing and analyzes the real reasons women love the books. IMHO, Ms. Savage's piece is dead on. If you've read my analysis of the trilogy then you know that my position has always been that women may have read the trilogy for the hot sex, but they fell in love with it because of the love story.
Ms. Savage's 5 reasons we love Fifty:
#1 His intense focus of attention to Ana and his ability to understand her non-verbal cues, using sexy words of affirmation and encouragement.
#2 His ability to build the sexual tension, staying behind her arousal curve by teasing her expectations rather than simply constant groping or rubbing.
#3 The scenes are edgy.
#4 Christian is very creative in his options for sex play, an aspect which may seem impossible for the men reading this blog to duplicate.
#5 Ana and Christian develop the quality of emotional transparency which deepens their intimacy as the story unfolds.
Read the story for the author's explanation of each reason. I'm particularly drawn by Ms. Savage's conclusion and advice to men everywhere:
The characters in the trilogy never stop growing and the moments of anguish and conflict are essential parts of the process. This is no simple boy meets girl/fall in love and live happily-ever-after story. It is raw and gritty and very romantic. And here's the message to the men out there:romantic is not only flowers and cards. It is intense sexual interest and taking time to build the fire. It is edgy, it is creative sexy talk and action and it is emotional risk-taking. Wow, now that is HOT.
Kudos to Ms. Savage. I think her analysis of why so many of us have been feeling fifty lately is right on target. To borrow her metaphor, the Fiftymania proves that a well-stoked fire can burn hot enough to change the world. I find the analysis out there in the blogosphere (generally by folks who didn't read the whole series) pigeonholing the trilogy as "Mommy porn" especially offensive for the very reason that the books are not about sex. The spark and sizzle of Fifty Shades comes from being right in the center of circle when the fire starts, and having it kindle around you until it's destroyed preconceptions and labels and plunged you into a world built of mania and moonlight.
Come to think of it, if Feeling Fifty is that exciting - then bring it on! I might not mind my birthday so much after all. Maybe I'll celebrate Feeling Fifty by re-reading Fifty 😀