why I will not go to see “50 Shades of Grey”
It is a
common known fact that each year on Valentine’s Day, Hollywood releases several
films to quench women’s thirst for romance; but this year, Hollywood has gone
too far when they announced the release of a film version of the well-known,
erotic novel, “50 Shades of Grey.” For those who are unfamiliar with the novel,
“50 Shades of Grey” is the story of a young college graduate who is drawn into
a “romantic” relationship by an older, successful businessman. The story is
known for its erotic scenes featuring elements of sexual practices involving
bondage-discipline, dominance-submission, and sadomasochism
As a woman
in my twenties, I find the implications of this novel being released on
Valentine’s day, a day of love, completely out of place. “50 Shades of Grey”
has nothing to do with love. Isn’t sex meant as an expression of love? Sex in
this film expresses detached, self-serving narcissism—it lacks every aspect of
trust and protection. Is that what we have come to desire as women? Are we
going to let Hollywood romanticize sexual violence and pay them billions of
dollars to do so?
Though I am
confident hundreds of thousands of women will flock to the movie theater on
February 14, 2015 and support this trash, I am also confident that many will
see the blatant lack of respect Hollywood is showing towards women through the
creation of this film. The trailer of this film gave us just a short preview of
how Hollywood will mislead the public by depicting a relationship with
coercion, sexual violence, and abuse of power as normal and even romantic.
The
problems that could stem from a message like this are massive. Several concerns
that immediately come to mind are
“ "50 Shades of Grey”
encourages people to engage in sexual violence
S&M
sex has led to serious injuries of its practitioners as well as death in
countless situations.
“50 Shades of Grey”
tells men it is okay to abuse and even rape women
The
main character Christian Grey is emotionally abusive and sexually exploitative
and gives no heed to the concerns of his female partner Ana (the other main
character). One defender of the film already went as far as to say “many women fantasize
about being raped” as her argument for why the film was okay.
“50 Shades of Grey”
gives young women an unhealthy view or romance and relationships
If
a teenage girl ends up viewing this film, it is likely that she will question
if this kind of behavior is required of a relationship and possibly develop a
confused view of emotional connections in a relationship.
These are just a few of many
concerns that arise from this sorry excuse for a romance story. If you are a
woman planning to see and support this film, I ask you to take a minute to
reflect on the implications for our society if this film succeeds. Moreover,
don’t fall back on the excuse of “I just like the story.” It’s not that good of
a plot. Man is emotionally unavailable; woman saves man from himself…like we
haven’t heard that one before! Please, join me in boycotting this film. Let’s
take our culture back and tell Hollywood women deserve our respect, we are not
sex objects waiting for exploitation.
