>>>
back now at 8:10. what started as a whisper among friends has turned into a loud roar in
book clubs
across the country. we are talking about a racy novel called "fifty
shades of grey
." be warned. it contains graphic subject matter and language. but with more than 120,000 copies sold now it's appealing to more
women
than you might imagine. "today" national correspondent
amy robach
has more.
>>
good morning to you. there are entire industries devoted to telling men how to satisfy a woman. who would have thought a
romance novel
would answer the age old question what do
women
really want?
>> reporter:
there is a
dirty little secret
in the suburbs.
>>
i was like -- ooh!
>> reporter:
and it's not the change of a diaper.
>>
it was captivating, i have to say. things are going around. i could not stop.
>> reporter:
the truth may shock you.
>>
amazing.
>> reporter:
the
fantasy
isn't in a tropical paradise.
>> reporter:
it's in a
book club
.
>>
fastest read ever. nine years, haven't
read a book
.
>>
john saw the light of the ipad. what are you doing? nothing!
>>
do you think it's an issue that i downloaded it to my daughter's kindle?
>> reporter:
what's going on between the covers has to do with the story
between the sheets
. it's called "fifty
shades of grey
." if you're thinking fabio, forget it. this story, which is part of a trilogy by e.l. james, a 40-something british woman, is not a tender romance. it's a submission
sex fantasy
.
>>
the most common female
fantasy
is a domination
fantasy
or a submission
fantasy
where she's swept off her feet, it's out of her control.
>> reporter:
sex therapist
laura berman said she's not surprised the bodice-ripper is back.
>>
if we look at history we have the
women
's movement which was really about empowering
women
not to be submissive to men anymore. now we have a new generation where
women
are more empowered than ever before. the
glass ceiling
has been broken. we have as much control as we want. what are we longing for? a little bodice-ripping.
>> reporter:
even the
women
in this
boca raton
book club
agree. although they like control in the
board room
they would like less in the bedroom.
>>
it's nice for a man to take over in the bedroom than you having to please the man after you have just made dinner and did everything else.
>> reporter:
a word of caution about taking the
fantasy
into reality.
>>
it's one thing to fantasize about your neighbor when they're mowing the lawn. it's another to actually really want to act on that
fantasy
.
>> reporter:
although these "50 shades" fans say their husbands aren't complaining.
>>
my husband and i shared some very good times together because of this book.
>> reporter:
and maybe the book should land on the other side of the
night stand
.
>>
every man should read the book.
>>
if men read it, maybe it wouldn't be such a
fantasy
.
>>
well, we have already been getting a huge viewer response about "fifty
shades of grey
" on the website. some viewers have been writing in concerned that the author plagiarized from a story called "
master of the universe
" on a twilight
fan fiction
site. we can confirm that e.l. james was also the author of the same story. back to you.
>>
amy, thank you. dr. drew pinske and logan lebcock join us. we have a doozy here. this is snot harlequin or
jackie collins
. it's explicit, graphic and parts of it are disturbing. what is the appeal, logan?
>>
first of all, i think we differ. i don't think it's disturbing. i think it taps into a
fantasy
women
have in terms of role playing, getting out of the
comfort zone
. it's about
women
being able to turn on their imagination. with erotica it's not visual. we explore things we could not explore in
real life
.
>>
it's not just steamy
sex scenes
. the context is bondage and submission and, stripped bare,
violence against women
. the man take as a
young woman
, a virgin, college age and introduces her to a world of, in some cases,
physical pain
. does this disturb you at all?
>>
it does actually. we are going beyond the issue of when people often start by saying men are aroused with visual material.
women
are aroused by using more of the brain. but this is going beyond that. as laura berman said in the piece, the
swept away
fantasy
is common. but it's going beyond that into actual
violence against women
. i have to tell you. this is the part maybe i'll get heat for. but there is a lot of violence against children in this country. there are various kinds of
physical abuse
. people subjected to those experiences are especially aroused by these images. i'm not saying the average
women
can't be, but it's especially arousing for them.
>>
i have read the books. as a woman and also as a professional from two different lenses. i don't see this particular book as
violence against women
. i really don't.
>>
hold it there.
women
being taken out of control, held against their will?
>>
the girl does have different control and senses. i want us to be clear. the particular community has very orchestrated rules and negotiations. this is, you know, a romantic romanticized version of that.
>>
this is consensual. it doesn't depict rape.
>>
why would that be arousing?
>>
that's the question. do
women
really want to fantasize about someone causing them
physical pain
? the book deals with that.
>>
the answer is people are doing it.
>>
but in some cases, different sensations. it's not as simple as pleasure versus pain. it's not that
women
want to fantasize about these things.
>>
they are.
>>
sometimes we do. sometimes we can be turned on and it doesn't mean we are acting it out or have a desire to.
>>
the books are selling. bottom line. they seem to be interested in this material and they seem not to be able to put it down.
>>
i couldn't put it down.
>>
you were disturbed by it. you liked it. i think i would be disturbed.
>>
one ocf the
women
said it spiced up her relationship.
>>
that's good. particularly
women
who may be having a drop in libido, don't take medication,
read a book
. it says something socially about us that's a little bit disturbing.
>>
is that where we have come after 50 years?
>>
i don't think it's political. we have to get out of it. sometimes fantasies are ways to explore things we wouldn't tap into. what's important to me is
women
's
story telling
. being able to say something enhanced my marital
sex life
and i want to share it with you. that's interesting.
>>
it gets people talking.
>>
here we are.
>>
thank you so much. we
