Fifty Shades Of Grey is still several weeks away from release, but it is already courting controversy because of its allegedly insufficient R-rating. The anti-pornography watchdog group Morality in Media (who, let’s face it, hardly sound like a posse that know how to have a good time) have complained that its current rating is far too lenient for what the content that the movie features.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Morality in Media has claimed that Fifty Shades Of Grey’s current rating doesn’t adequately inform moviegoers of the film’s content. By this point, I’m pretty sure everyone who is planning to go and see Fifty Shades Of Grey knows exactly what they are going to put themselves, through. In fact, a few individuals are probably saving up their pennies and preparing to see Fifty Shades Of Grey numerous times in order to really savour the "strong sexual content including dialogue, some unusual behavior and graphic nudity" that led the film to receive its aforementioned R-rating.
Morality in Media are having none of it, though. They believe that Fifty Shades Of Grey should have been given a much more severe rating - though not in terms of G, PG, PG-13, R and NC-17. Instead, they seem to believe that the term "unusual behaviour" doesn’t fully describe what is actually included in Sam Taylor-Johnson’s adaptation of E.L. James’ monstrously successful erotic novel. Instead, the would prefer the description to read:
"Promotes torture as sexually gratifying, graphic nudity, encourages stalking and abuse of power, promotes female inequality, glamorizes and legitimizes violence against women."
The group's central issue with Fifty Shades Of Grey seems to be the acts of sexual violence, female inequality and BDSM themes, and this isn't wholly inaccurate given that the book that the upcoming film is based on is packed to the brim with acts of sexual debauchery. Morality in Media says that they worried that younger viewers could jump to the conclusion that humiliation and torture are synonymous with sex. When the film’s first trailer was released, they also complained that the melodramatic love story between Dakota Johnson’s Ana Steele and Jamie Dornan’s Christian Grey could entice less-mature viewers to see the film unaware of the more adult themes that are present in the narrative.
But do Morality in Media have a point? Perhaps. At this point though it’s impossible to know just how perverse Sam Taylor-Johnson’s Fifty Shades Of Grey is simply because none of us have actually seen it. Rumors have previously suggested that it is just as graphic as E.L. James’ novel, which, if it is, will only infuriate the individuals who make up Morality in Media and their ilk. That being said, Universal Pictures and Focus Features are probably hoping that more and more controversy and complaints are generated before Fifty Shades of Grey hits cinemas on February 13, 2015. Because, as they say, any publicity is still good publicity. Well, except for when North Korea gets involved. Then it gets a tad more complicated.
