Not everyone is down with highly erotic, poorly written S&M literature.
Several public libraries in Georgia, Florida and Wisconsin have pulled the “Fifty Shades of Grey” trilogy from circulation, citing either budget contraints or the bad writing and sexual nature of the books as reasons for keeping it out of the sweaty palms of mommies in the vicinity.
The books revolve around the sexually deviant relationship between Christian Grey and his naive sex prisoner, Anastasia Steele. Dubbed “mommy porn” by some for the series’ appeal to middle-aged women, “50 Shades” has been credited with a sort-of sexual awakening among housewives.
A representative from Random House, the publisher of the top three New York Times bestsellers, says that the book ban is a violation of First Amendment rights.
“We believe the Brevard County Public Library System [in Florida] is indulging in an act of censorship, and essentially is saying to library patrons, ‘We will judge what you can read,'” the rep told TMZ. “These events resonate as unfortunately considered decisions, especially as the actions withdraw from circulation a book with one of the highest demand curves in recent history.”
Cathy Schweinsberg, library services director of the Brevard County library system, stands by her decision to keep the books off shelves — even though some Florida citizens are not happy about the ban.
Linda Tyndall, a citizen of Brevard County and “Fifty Shades” fan, started an online petition at Change.org to get the book back in circulation. Currently, the petition has over 1,500 signatures.
Tyndall told Florida Today, “How can they say this is what Brevard residents want? How do they determine that?” she said.
“Why is it numbers one, two and three on best-seller lists if it’s not what people want? This is a lesson for my daughter, in speaking out for what you believe in.”