Blog post #3

1. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-04-14/entertainment/ct-prj-0415-50-shades-grey-20120413_1_american-women-shades-execution

2. While searching for review examples, I came across a review of E.L. James' popular novel 50 Shades of Grey. The review, titled "50 Shades of Retrograde" was written by Jessica Reaves and was published on April 14th, 2012 in the Chicago Tribune.

I was drawn to the article, because like nearly every other woman I know, I personally read the series. In one week. Including one stint of staying up 72 hours straight. I have never met anyone who felt indifferent to  the 50 Shades series after reading it; they either love it, or hate it.

Reaves was originally enthusiastic about the book series as she thought it was empowering women and encouraging them to embrace their sexuality. Actually reading the book brought a quick end to that enthusiasm.

"Let me be clear: There's absolutely nothing wrong with "Fifty Shades of Grey" as a concept; erotic fiction can be, and often has been, beautifully written. It's the book's execution that's problematic. Well, the execution and the characters. And the writing. And also the plot.

 

Put simply, author E L James — who is now officially invulnerable to criticism because she has more money than God — is not a very good writer.

 

Her dialogue is stilted, the descriptions of place overwrought, and the characters and plot so predictable that a reader could theoretically skip over several dozen pages of text and still be utterly unsurprised by new developments. (Hey, what do you know? They're having violent sex again. And both appear to feel vaguely conflicted about the violence aspect, but apparently not conflicted enough to actually stop doing it)."

 

If I had not personally read the series myself, I would have found this article to be very informational. Reaves made good use of referencing material directly from the book, and the article was easy and fun to read through.  She kept the review light-hearted and I think she effectively connected with her intended office. According to Reaves, the bottom line is that the series failed to deliver, and while there is a lot of hype around these books, it does not change the fact that the writing is inexcusable.

 

"Anastasia's doubts are no match for the sultry erotic power of Grey's really fabulous hair and his judgmental and controlling eyes (which "blaze" at all times, except when they are glaring sensually).

 

Women have always loved escapist fiction: romantic, erotic or a combination of both. And women — of all ages, orientations and yes, predilections — should absolutely continue to enjoy and even revel in the genre. But regardless of our tastes, I hope we can all agree on this much: We deserve better than this."

 

3. Have you ever heard of a Goldendoodle? Increasingly, "designer dog breeds" are becoming more popular. I purchased a standard Goldendoodle in April of 2013. Fancy (I named her after the amazing Reba McEntire song by the same name) is the product of a Golden Retriever mother and a Standard Poodle father. Fancy was very expensive-and was purchased from a nice local pet store where they assured me that Goldendoodles do not shed. I however, assure you that MY Goldendoodle DOES shed, and I can prove it with the light colored hair tumbleweeds that roll across my dark wood hardwood floor each day.