Fifty Shades of Grey made $158M, globally, this weekend, breaking box office records everywhere. It’s rare for a movie like this one to rack in those kind of numbers, and it’s also rarer that such a popular film can generate this much controversy.
Fifty Shades is a sexy and provocative romance, but it also deals with a bunch of other topics, including abuse and the misrepresentation of the BDSM community.
We decided that it’s worth diving into these issues and discussing the Fifty Shades of Grey phenomenon. Four of The Young Folks writers with different perspectives on the film and books talk about the film, its characters, and their situations. Please note that we will be discussing spoilers from the movie and book series.
Gaby: Thanks for joining in our Fifty Shades of Grey discussion! I am Gabrielle Bondi, and here with Melissa Berne, Jon Espino, and Allyson Johnson.
Jon: Mr. Grey will see us now.
Gaby: So… what did you all think of the movie? Overall reaction?
Allyson: I’ll sit this one out.
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Gaby: Allyson, you can briefly explain why you chose not to see and support the film.
Jon: I thought it was fairly innocuous up until they revealed what was to be the explanation for why he is the way he is. I completely hated it after that point.
Melissa: I surprisingly really like it. It was entertaining, sexy, and Dakota is a highlight of the film. There was no voice-over, and you had to depend on her acting to understand her. She did great. I loved the music as well. It was well-placed.
Allyson: I find that the film is promoting sexual and emotional abuse and wrapping it up in a perverse love story package.
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Gaby: I thought it was such a lazy adaptation, and nothing was memorable about it cinematically. Also, for a romantic movie, it wasn’t romantic at all.
Jon: Dakota was great. Dornan was so stiff (and I’m not just talking sexually).
Gaby: LOL! I agree. Dornan was bad in it, which is a shame because he is talented. Dakota surprised me. She made Ana a little more interesting.
Melissa: While I wouldn’t say it was romantic, it was sexy as fuck. Not surprised it pulled in the numbers it did during this weekend.
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Allyson: I hope Johnson finishes this trilogy and runs far, far away.
Gaby: Speaking of the box office numbers, why do you think it’s so popular?
Jon: Sex sells.
Melissa: Because besides the sex, there is a love story there.
Gaby: There are a ton of books about sex though. It’s nothing new. Why did this particular story surge to such popularity?
Allyson: Sadly, it’s one of the few pop culture phenomenons that allows women to explore their sexuality, and women are huge supporters of film.
Jon: The sexual fantasy fills a basic need that our sexually repressed society has yet to fill.
Allyson: Even though the book is problematic—so to speak—there are few popular books that allow this type of sexual point of view for women.
Jon: I completely agree with this kind of sexual exploration as long as it’s consensual and limits are talked about beforehand.
Click [NEXT] to read our thoughts on Anastasia Steele.
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