The Fifty Shades challenge

As many have noticed, the Fifty Shades fever is back in full swing. Fans of the book rejoiced as the global trailer of the movie premiered in the early hours of July 25 on “The Today Show.” Men and women watching received only a partial tease from the trailer, as some of “the bondage scenes were too raunchy for daytime television.”

When Fifty Shades of Grey debuted in bookstores, readers were mesmerized, captivated, and salivating for more. Audiences raved that they couldn’t put down the book, which has been described as female erotica and pornography without pictures. Now the book comes to life, pictures and all, depicting the relationship of an experienced sadist preying on an innocent, impressionable girl. Not to mention the movie set to be released right before Valentine’s Day of 2015. The “I don’t do romance” mentality of the book’s protagonist seems to have already charmed the hearts of the masses.

The book dives into the world of one man’s BDSM (bondage/discipline, dominance/submission, sadism/masochism) fetish. A world where the words “no” and “stop,” which should be absolute, merit no authority and where sexual practices resemble violence and abuse.

The troubling aspect from the Fifty Shades phenomenon is the impact it has had on women, men, and young people. Because the book is essentially female erotica, its purpose is to entertain and arouse sexual feelings. This becomes problematic to the human brain reading the pornographic material. Any form of pornography can dramatically change the wiring of your brain. For example, “when you eat something delicious, your brain releases dopamine, a chemical that makes you feel good. Just like other addictive substances, porn floods the brain with dopamine.” Consequently, once these feelings are triggered, the addictive element of porn causes consumers to want not only more of those “good feelings,” but also more intense forms of pornography to increase the release of dopamine.

In a 2012 survey of 1,500 guys, 56% said their tastes in porn had become increasingly extreme or deviant. One study found that people exposed to significant amounts of porn thought things like sex with animals and violent sex were twice as common as what those not exposed to porn thought. And when people believe a behavior is normal, they’re more likely to try it.

BDSM is just one of those extreme and deviant forms of sexual practices. Fifty Shades of Grey has helped fueled audiences’ belief that such dehumanizing sex is normal – so much so that even Planned Parenthood recommends the book to young, impressionable teens in order for those teens to educate themselves on more extreme forms of sex. Live Action recently exposed Planned Parenthood’s dangerous sex education advice being solicited to young girls:

Planned Parenthood: “… ‘Fifty Shades of Grey.’ Have you read it?”

15-Year-Old: “I’ve heard of it. I haven’t read it.”

Planned Parenthood: “Ok, you need to read it…”

The dangerous, violent, and inappropriate material in Fifty Shades can only leave young girls and boys in fifty shades of black and blue from being tied up, whipped, and gagged. The relationship in the book is not one to be enthralled with or emulated. It degrades, dehumanizes, and deceives society, particularly the vulnerable younger generation.

In conclusion, I would like to echo the same challenge that Matt Walsh issued in his recent blog post:

Your task, ladies, is simple. All you must do is not buy tickets to 50 shades of Grey when it’s released in theaters on Valentine’s Day. Not one ticket. Weekend box office total: $0. The biggest flop of all time.

Take this challenge seriously, as small as it may or may not seem. Let your actions speak loudly.

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