Why do you think 50 Shades of Grey is so popular?

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   cfinposted 11 years ago

   Why do you think 50 Shades of Grey is so popular?
   
   I understand that it is an erotic novel, but aren't there a few hundred thousand erotic novels on the shelves. What is it that women find so fascinating about this particular story?

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2. 0

   dunja-88posted 11 years ago

   The bad sex. Apperently the sex is "real". That's why people love it. At least that's what I read in Cosmo I don't watch T.V. shows with sex in them.. or avoid them at least.

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3. 74

   NC4Life078posted 11 years ago

   Good marketing. As you said there are plenty of erotic novels on the shelf’s so why 50 Shades of Grey? Well how often do you hear of those on the radio or the TV, never. But, I heard of 50 Shades of Grey on Dr. Oz and it didn't stop there. Once it became "popular" it pretty much sold its self and everyone had to read it. I'm sure there are plenty of better novels than 50 Shades of Grey, yet, sell much less.
   
   A book that talks about similar phenomenon’s is "Outliars" by Malcolm Gladwell which I suggest you read if you enjoy this type of research and spectacles.

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      cfinposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I'm actually just curious as to why it did so well. I'm actually a guy, and not one who enjoys erotic novels. Its just that everywhere I go, I hear people talking about it.

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4. 83

   barbergirl28posted 11 years ago

   It only takes one thing to happen to make something go viral. It is a matter of luck. Someone out there pushed this and someone else pushed it and suddenly everybody was talking about it. At least I assume that is how it happens. Since I have yet to go viral I am still working on that. But, it got popular because of a few people that kept pushing for others to spread the word.
   
   On a different note - I am on the border of whether or not to call this a decent book. The writing wasn't horrible, but it wasn't great either. The characters weren't really even relateable. But, if you can get past the 1000 pages of sex scenes, it wasn't too bad of a plot. And to top it off, because of the simplicity of writing, it is actually a fairly easy read. Sometimes people write too complicated which for me is an immediate turn-off.
   
   But for the 50 Shades of Grey - I think the popularity has more to do with luck than anything else. Oh - and knowing that it was Twilight fan fiction probably helped some to. If anything - it had Twilight fan's interest piqued!

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   uNicQueposted 11 years ago

   I personally don't think it's just about the sex (which can be shocking at first). The first novel is really focused on that, but the plot expands over the trilogy. The characters are really developed by the author, and I think they are really interesting and unique, and surprisingly relatable, so I think that has a lot to do with the appeal. It's also a unique but touching romance, which almost always draws a crowd. I wrote hubs on each one if you'd like to read more opinions!

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      V L Claytonposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I completely agree. Having read all three books, i find that the author has done quite a decent job at developing depth in each of the characters making them much more than they first appear.

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   MountainManJakeposted 11 years ago

   Things that become a trend become popular for no reason.  Someone really well known probably started reading it and liked it and therefore people who trusted that person followed in their footsteps and so on and so on.  It takes on event for anything to become viral, that event, however, changes every time.

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7. 49

   TravisMartinposted 11 years ago

   I think its rather obvious that it is in fact the sex thats solely responsible for its unprecedented rapid succession into the "Fasting Selling Novel of All Time." The entire narrative when it comes down to it is based on Control. And the sex is as far as i'm concerned as Outlandish. What type of guy rips a girl tampon out just so that she'll have no choice but to have intercourse. America is obsessed with control and sex. And those two components are the lonely facades of this book

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   Lady Wordsmithposted 11 years ago

   I think it's just because of the sex, combined with the link to Twilight.  People read it in the first place because it was a Twilight fan fiction.  But the reason it grew so rapidly in popularity was because word quickly spread that it was filthy!!  Twilight isn't filthy enough, and 50 Shades of Smut fills that gap that so many Twilight fans wanted filled.
   
   I have steered well clear of it, because I can't be bothered to read it.  I've read Twilight and co. and they were fine, harmless romantic nonsense.  Actually, I've read those books four times, because I'm a little bit in love with Edward Cullen!  But I don't like reading sex scenes - I just find them really dull.  I'll never read 50 Shades of anything because I've got better things to do with my time - I prefer to read original stories by authors who can take the time and effort to come up with their own ideas rather than cashing in on someone else's.

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