Episode #10 - 50 Shades of Grey

Author and traveling winemaker Amira Makansi joins the podcast to discuss 50 Shades of Grey. Topics include: Power dynamics in relationships, sexual taboos, wine and writing, politics, and more.

The Sowing (Seeds Trilogy #1):
https://www.amazon.com/Sowing-Seeds-Trilogy-1/dp/0989867110/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1524779418&sr=1-1&keywords=the+sowing+makansi

Literary Libations: What to Drink with What You Read
https://www.amazon.com/Literary-Libations-What-Drink-Read/dp/1510736581

Amira’s Blog: https://thezaxis.co

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Show Notes:
0:00:00 - Introducing Amira Makansi and 50 Shades of Grey
0:05:47 - Boozes: Dailance Cabernet Sauvignon (John) and Ridgecrest Merlot (Amira)
0:07:18- Amira’s wine industry expertise
0:09:30 - Amria’s literary work
0:15:45 - Christian Grey the super-hero?
0:17:56 - The allure of power and a Sexual Batman
0:29:54 - Christian Grey as a model of good?
0:32:31 - Power and consent
0:38:36 - Why is this book so popular?
0:42:11 - Anastasia’s quirks
0:47:20 - Genitalia terms: medical vs erotica
0:50:16 - BDSM vs Vanilla
0:55:01 - Are large information asymmetries between sexual partners problematic?
0:57:16 - Why John can’t be the Christian Grey apologist
0:58:11 - Honesty in relationships
1:00:22 - The taboos of negotiating sex and power
1:10:36 - Hegel’s Master-Slave dialect
1:16:42 - On Birds & Rocks, or How to Squash Your Inner Nerd
1:25:12 - Wine tasting notes
1:32:01 - Do you think the world is getting better?
1:37:42 - Is it okay to acknowledge progress?
1:42:36 - Presentism, morality, and one giant historical asterisk
1:50:52 - Nuance, tribalism, and compromise