It’s been a while since I talked about Fifty Shades of Grey, but since the first trailer is out and nothing else is happening, let’s talk about this.
This isn’t about the quality of the book or the movie. That’s a matter of personal taste and for the sake of an objective view point, I can’t bring in my own personal standards. Here’s the problem I have with it … the vibe coming off the trailer is that it’s supposed to be a dark romance sort of deal, and the fact that it’s coming out on Valentine’s Day reinforces that fact. But as The Academy of Women’s Health points out, the relationship in the movie is less “romantic” and more “abusive.”
As someone who actually works teaching BDSM in real life, believe me, this isn’t a good representation of a kinky relationship for those out there who actually want to learn more or practice it. Not to say the book doesn’t have its place. As a fantasy? Sure, go nuts. With the right partner and a lot of careful planning, edge play can be fun. But actual mental, social, and psychological manipulation isn’t “fun” so much as it is “incredibly dangerous with real-world consequences.” There are plenty of ways to make a safe, sane and consensual BDSM relationship work, but what’s shown in Fifty Shades of Grey is not f*cking one of them.
The new version of Beyoncé’s “Crazy In Love” is pretty cool though.