#FiftyShadesisAbuse and #50DollarsNot50Shades campaigns
calling for support of women’s agencies
London Abused Women’s Centre, Canada, Collective Shout, Australia, and Culture Reframed and The National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE), USA are joined by dozens of groups already speaking out around the world to combat the normalization of sexual and domestic abuse portrayed in the Fifty Shades of Grey book and film franchise ahead of the release of Fifty Shades Darker on February 14.
The campaign webpage, FiftyShadesIsAbuse.com highlights how the Fifty Shades franchise (based on the book series by E.L. James), perpetuates the normalization of sexual and domestic violence. This page also provides various actions that the public can take, including social media memes and donating 50 dollars—or any amount—to women’s agencies such as shelters or counseling centers and using the hashtag #50DollarsNot50Shades to promote the giving campaign.
London Abused Women’s Centre, Collective Shout, Culture Reframed, and The National Center on Sexual Exploitation issued a joint press release stating:
“Hollywood is portraying the Fifty Shades story as a risqué, passionate romance, but it’s actually a story of sexual and domestic abuse. Christian Grey, the male lead, consistently displays the traits of an abuser through possessive, manipulative, coercive, and violent behaviors, including frequent stalking. Anastasia Steele, his ‘lover’, is consistently isolated, threatened, and manipulated, yet she comes back to Christian time and time again because she thinks her love can change him. As the story progresses, Ana, who was first fearful and disturbed by Christian’s controlling behaviors and dark sexual practices, gradually becomes desensitized to his harsh treatment.
The Fifty Shades series is permeated with graphic scenes of violent sex and sexual abuse. Its lead male character exhibits classic hallmarks of a sexual and domestic abuser, and yet Hollywood is portraying his relationship with Ana as a sexually titillating Cinderella story.”
In 2015 when the first movie of this series came out, the #FiftyShadesIsAbuse campaign went viral. Once again, the partnering organizations urge the public to support survivors of abuse and help educate the public on the realities of Fifty Shades relationships.
To learn more, sign the petition and join the #50DollarsNot50Shades campaign, please visit: FiftyShadesisAbuse.com.
To schedule an interview with:
National Center on Sexual Exploitation – please contact Haley Halverson at (202) 393-7245 or haley@ncose.com
Culture Reframed – please contact Dr. Gail Dines at 617-733-6915 or gdines@culturereframed.org
Collective Shout – please contact Caitlin Roper at 0418 437 420 or caitlin@collectiveshout.org
London Abused Women’s Centre – Megan Walker or Jennifer Dunn at (519) 432-2204 or mwalker@lawc.on.ca or jen@lawc.on.ca
