If you were awake this morning and on twitter, I'm sure you're aware of all the outrage that Dr. Drew's appearance on The Today Show has created. This is the gist - apparently the Fifty series by E.L. James is starting an epidemic among bored housewives who haven't read a book in 10 years. Women who've read the Fifty series are getting turned on and want to re-enact some of the sex scenes and claim that the series have saved their marriages. They are bringing their own brand of BDSM into their suburban homes.
The segment on The Today Show was 100 Shades of Wrong! They interviewed a group of suburban women who look like they are straight out of Sex and the City. Cue the bad background music (Kenny G and then Barry White) and a woman who admitted she hadn't read a book in 9 yrs (!) and I could tell this segment was going to fire up the masses (the masses that read and find this piece full of shtick and sensitization).
I haven't read the Fifty series. I own all 3 books but haven't found the time to read them. But I've read the reviews, read the twitter chatter and think I know enough about the series to say that the Today Show segment is a crock of shit. They did zero research. They interviewed a suburban "book club" full of women who are not avid readers. A pseudo-doctor was there to give his opinion on why women are liking this series and how damaging it can be. The entire piece was a cluster fuck of miss-information and uninformed opinions.
First, I would not admit that I haven't read a book in 9 years like one of the book club members did. That statement alone gives her zero credibility. That's like admitting that you only shower once a week. That's information you need to keep to yourself. Second, Dr. Drew was a condescending ass wipe who's smugness needed to be bitch slapped off his face. This Dr turned reality TV whore had the gall to say that the book encourages violence against women and that if you read the series and get turned on, you're no better than the people who get off on abusing children. Say what? Mind you, Dr. Drew has not read any of the books in the Fifty series but he has Dr. and M.D at the beginning and end of his name so of course he's an expect on D/s relationships and BDSM. Except he's not a sex therapist or psychologist. I went to his wikipedia page and he is an "internist and addiction medicine specialist". So what makes Dr. Drew an expert on people's sexual appetite?
During the entire segment, Dr. Drew was condescending. Apparently we women don't know what the hell we want in the bedroom and shame on us for having non-vanilla sexual appetites. The Today Show interviewer wasn't any better. She called it a "disturbing" trend. As if women who were reading this series were going out and committing acts of violence. You could tell that she is straight missionary position only, with sex scheduled for Tuesdays and Thursdays. Thank goodness they had an informed person on the panel who actually READ the books and defends the books and women's right and need to read erotica. But unfortunately she was constantly talked over by Dr. Drew and the interviewer. But she managed to get her point across which is this - The bottom line: There's nothing wrong with it. It's normal! Women want to get turned on like men! Whoop-de-freaking-do! Get over it!
Of course, twitter was buzzing after the segment aired. The Today Show created a shit storm and the person at the center of it - Dr. Drew. He's a quack. A smug, know-it-all douche-bag who probably is in need of a good flogging himself.
I guess 2012 is the year of Women Need To Be Told What They Want By Men Because Women Obviously Don't Know Any Better. And to that I say - kiss my ass.
Below is the segment is below. Be prepared to be pissed and offended.
