The most common guess seems to be that it'll actually be a watered down version of the book, which means it will compound the problem by adding boring and mediocre sex scenes on top of a boring and mediocre plot.

Taking on the mantle of Christian Grey also requires the actor who plays the role to accept that he’ll forever have his name attached to Fifty Shades of Grey, which strikes me as a far worse fate than just playing a sex object.

More or less the only reason I'm still around.

That, or we're just more aware of the issue and more comfortable talking about it openly than we used to be.

Step one: don't be an asshole.

Maybe they really hate their jobs?

Definitely going to be a lot of counseling in their immediate future.

exhibiting good citizenship

I know the feeling. I was practically raised on the line "you're not a starving African child, so you have nothing to complain about." Completion was defined as four walls, a ceiling, and sufficient food and water as to not die. Anything more than that was an unnecessary luxury. Just because you can live without…

I feel like this is talking about a very specific, vary narrow view of "completion," as applied by certain people in certain parts of the world to their lives. None of these things are going to magically make life perfect, but that's because nothing can or ever will. That doesn't mean, however, that they can't improve…

It's times like this that really make one appreciate having an apolitical head of state.

It's the how-are-you effect in action: nobody wants to know how you really are, or if your life is presently a never-ending torrent of misery and despair. They're happy as long as you're happy, and would really rather not add your problems to their own. And so, smile!

I fake-smile way more often than I real-smile. Smiling is work: you've got to get the mouth just right, avoid showing too many teeth, try and match your eyes to your mouth, keep the angle of your head in mind, and time it properly so that it doesn't disappear too quickly or go on for too long. Why this is supposed to…

Not just easier to disassociate - easier to pull off, too. If you want to physically bully someone, there are logistical issues. You need time, and a place you have access to where you're not likely to be discovered. The internet is like being able to leave thousands of letters in someone's desk without ever having to…

Largely a side-effect of the ludicrous popularity of reality television, I imagine, but I don't think it has any particular connection to the cruelty of children. Even if you isolated them from media influences completely, I don't think they'd turn out any kinder or gentler. They'll still beat each other, pitch rocks…

No, I'm pretty sure some of them are, in fact, pursuing an ultimate end.

I don't think it's that they're meaner - it's just that they have more convenient avenues through which to harass their favored targets. They are, essentially, now able to penetrate your homes and bedrooms at all hours of the day and night. Couldn't do that quite as easily in 1990.

Are 12 year olds dating now?

Children are exceedingly good at hiding things, particularly from overworked teachers and parents who may not have the time, energy, or inclination to look beyond the surface.

While it might be true in this case, I wouldn't necessarily put it down to sociopathy in every case. Perfectly normal and ordinary people, especially children, are entirely capable of astounding amounts of cruelty.