Fifty Shades of Grey
Since its availability to the reading public, the novel Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James has all but exploded in sales. The buyers are mostly women. Another phenomenon since then is the wide array of opinions the book has solicited, either intentionally or unintentionally. Some have maligned the book for being little better than porn, while others have lauded it for its in-depth understanding of women, their secret desires, and their fantasies. The book's extreme popularity, or notoriety, is proved by the fact that it is about to become a film, and the choice of actors, especially for Mr. Grey, has been the subject of at least as much speculation as the book itself. And certainly, the content of the book and the way it deals with the challenges its main characters face can be the subject of much interesting discussion. Major themes in the book, for example, include gender performativity, bondage, and pornographic exploitation. The question in these themes should revolve around consent. Some related questions include: Is there equality between the genders when bondage occurs? Does it amount to exploitation when there is consent from all the parties involved? What is expected of the genders and are these expectations violated? For all the criticism, the book at least makes a very tantalizing read and the way it has left bookstore shelves empty of its presence is simply an indication of how curious, fascinated readers can themselves exploit the sexual aspect of humanity.
In terms of gender, the book appears to make an extreme distinction between the predatory nature of the male main character, Christian Grey, and the female lead, Ana. Ana reacts to Grey in the typically flustered female fashion generally reserved for romance novels and the style of prose somewhat snidely described as "purple." A good example of this is when she sees him again for the first time after her initial interview with him, which she agreed to only as a favor to her ill friend, Kate. She describes his voice, in "purple" terms, as "…warm and husky like dark melted chocolate fudge caramel…or something." Also, her heart pounds "a frantic tattoo." This type of diction is romantic to the extreme and juxtaposes itself strongly with the types of activities the two ultimately engage in, cable ties and all. By thinking and talking in these terms, the main character, and possibly the writer herself, shows herself as naive and reactionary to men; a typically submissive woman, who could be expected to fantasize accordingly. This in itself speaks to the realistic edge of the novel, or lack thereof.
It is unlikely to think that a self-respecting, professional woman such as Ana in today's world would respond to the mere huskiness of a man's voice with a frantically beating heart. Personally, I found myself wondering if she has had any experience with men at all, since this reaction appears to be more immature than her nature or years should dictate, even before she knew about Grey's propensity for interesting sex games. Which is another difficult point in terms of realism.
According to those who are familiar with BDSM, or bondage, domination, and sado-masochism, in terms of both its physical and psychological nature, it is lamentable that the book perpetuates the ignorance and myths that many have of this sexual preference. In fact, the novel is accused of demonizing BDSM to such an extent that it is presented as both physically and psychologically unrealistic. First, there is Grey's use of cable ties. These are generally avoided by both novices and experts in the art of BDSM for their tendency to cause both scarring and nerve damage. It is more usual to use soft, thick rope to bound the submissive party. The character of Christian Grey is also unrealistic in that, despite frequent references to his expertise and somewhat wildness in the "playroom," he is also remarkably inept when interacting with his new submissive. He does not assess her naivety in a very competent way and terrifies her by using advanced BDSM techniques, including fire. This, according to those in the know, is not something that a BDSM practitioner, and especially and experienced one such as Grey, would even dream of doing. Grey is not only physically and mentally inept at his art; he is also mentally unstable, which is another point lamented by BDSM experts. The uninformed public and even many professionals, as pointed out by a blogger...
Chocolate One of the most seductive and pleasurable foods, enjoyed everywhere in the world, is chocolate. Chocolate is a slightly psychoactive substance but it has some health benefits when consumed in its purest forms and in moderation. Much of what is sold as chocolate today, such as the candy bars in the check-out aisles in grocery stores, barely approximates the richer varieties of the confection like the brands produced in Europe.
L.; Hutfless, S.M.; Ding, X. & Girota, S. (2006). Chocolate and Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review. Nutrition and Metabolism, 3(2), Halliwell, B. (2003). Health benefits of eating chocolate? Nature, 426(6968), 787. Hannum, S.M. & Erdman, J.W. (2000). Emerging health benefits from cocoa and chocolate. Journal of Medical Food, 3(2), 73-75. Hudnell, J. (2006). The Secret History of Chocolate. World Famous Comics Community. Online at http://www.comicscommunity.com/boards/hudnall/?frames=n;read=985 Keen, C.L. (2001). Chocolate: Food as Medicine/Medicine as
Big City Chocolate Company Challenge Proposal for Chocolate Gift Baskets for Big City Tech's Baseball Tournament Bryan Thompson, Athletic Director 1804 Technology Way, Big City, Florida 33999 Dear Mr. Thompson: Thank you very sincerely for your interest in the Big City Chocolate Company providing unique chocolate presentations for the teams that are coming to your campus for the regional postseason baseball tournament. Our company is proud and pleased to have provided your fine school with unique
Chocolate Chip Cookies and Rubrics: Helping Students Understand Rubrics in Inclusive Settings by Elizabeth W. Hall and Susan J. Salmon explains the importance of using rubrics in the classroom and contains useful information about the use of rubrics for the teachers and students alike. The article effectively explains the usefulness of rubrics for students in understanding the performance expectations of different assignments, as a self-evaluation tool for assessing their strengths
Symbolism, Advertising and Chocolate By far, the most overused symbolism to sell chocolate is sex. Chocolate is sexy and women eating chocolate are even sexier. Beyond sex, chocolate is synonymous with fun, love, and even patriotism. Let us consider some of the most obvious advertising schemes. What they are really asking the consumer to buy? An old but very common image is found in the Hershey Company's advertising for its chocolate bar.
Thinking of his father, he defies even the coach's remark that he is too puny to play. Jerry must overcome his own sense of powerlessness, and the sickness that overtakes his body after being buffeted from all sides. Emotionally and physically, although he may appear weak, Jerry has inner resources of steel that he discovers when he is, literally and figuratively, down for the count and up against the
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