Religious Right In Knots Over 50 Shades

Religious organizations are disguising their moral critiques of ’50 Shades of Grey’ as being about health, welfare, and women. Is anyone buying?

02.15.15
Jay Michaelson

“Fifty Shades of Grey” has naturally evoked protest among Christian conservatives. Unlike past protests, however, this time the objections are couched in psychological and public health language, rather than in overtly religious terms. Indeed, the objections are ostensibly secular—until you look a little closer.

For example, one of the leaders of the #50dollarsnot50shades campaign is the National Center on Sexual Exploitation—tellingly, their name was “Morality in Media” until this year. Their website says that the book and film “promote torture as sexually gratifying and normalize domestic violence. … This type of material cultivates a rape and sexual violence culture and is now permeating our society.”

So far, the critique wouldn’t be out of place on a feminist anti-porn site. But then the NCSE goes further.

Even consent, the NCSE tells us, does not make BDSM okay. “There are many things we consent to that are psychologically disturbed, illegal, or morally corrupt. For example: People are freely consenting to wash their hands 400 times a day, but they probably have a compulsive disorder.” Note the slippery language: disturbed, illegal, or immoral. Those are different things, but they’re blended together on the website.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/02/15/religious-right-in-knots-over-50-shades.html

I saw this with my wife kast night. I don't think it was as horrible as people are saying. More like a Lifetime movie with whips and feathers.