The notorious fan fiction “Fifty Shades of Grey” – starring Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson – premiered this Thursday in London’s Leicester Square. While over 500 individuals – including my roommate Caroline Ellis – crowded the square in the hopes of spotting celebrities, not all of it was in support of the movie. Caroline relayed to me how protesters held signs reading, “50 Shades of ABUSE. Stalking, threatening abusing. Boy, that Mr. Grey is a CATCH!” to demonstrate their outrage for the movie.
My flatmates had a particularly intense “discussion” about whether the movie was worth seeing. Since I did not read the book and have only heard of the risqué nature of the movie in passing, I considered myself an impartial listener.
In accord with the protestors at the premiere, one of my flatmates argued that the movie reinforces toxic ideas, namely the subjugation of women. Another was excited to see the former Twilight fan fiction make it to the big screen.
My flatmate, Corie Law, told me she read the book, but will not be seeing the movie.
“He [Christian Grey] breaks into her [Ana’s] apartment, ties her up [and] tells her if she screams, he will gag her,” she says. “And this entire time, she’s begging for him not to hurt her or have sex with him. And he rapes her.”
The debate isn’t limited to the confines of my flat, either.
Many critics argue that the movie glamorizes the rape and abuse of women. On Facebook, there are pages dedicated to the protest of the movie such as “Protest 50 Shades of Abuse”. There’s another Facebook group that has a “#50dollarsnot50shades” campaign in order to boycott the film and instead raise money for women abuse shelters.
Part of the Facebook description reads: “Hollywood doesn’t need your money; abused women do.”
Law says she believes people will see the movie and believe it accurately represents a healthy relationship.
“He turns her over, forces her to do it doggy-style while she’s crying. That’s not love. That is not romantic. That is abuse,” she says.
Early projections for the film estimate that it will make at least $45 million dollars over Valentine’s and President’s Day Weekend. With that much money on the table, it’s hard to say whether enough people see the movie as abuse for a boycott to hurt the financial goals of the movie.
What do you think? Does Fifty Shades romanticize abuse? Tell us in comment box below!