From Book to Movie to Human Trafficking?

Fifty Shades of Gray and Pretty Woman

I saw a post on Facebook urging people to boycott the book trilogy to movie—Fifty Shades of Gray—for promoting human trafficking and brutalizing young girls with sadistic practices. Obviously critics of the books and movie would consider it wrong to read the books.

The main story line is about an abused boy who grows up into a damaged man—not much older than the young girl who is the main character—and can only tolerate relationships where he is in complete control. Because he loves the girl, he changes and finds healthier ways to deal with his past after he hurts her and she leaves. She can’t tolerate this side of him and he realizes he loves her too much to hurt her.

Realistic? As much as Pretty Woman—Fifty Shades of Gray is an edgier take on the same theme except only the unhappy rich guy needs saving in the current movie. Anyone believe that young women decided after the very popular Pretty Woman to become prostitutes in the hope of catching a rich man? Is Fifty Shades a path to sex slavery?

Maybe the poor actor playing the character in the story, who says he fears violent fans’ reactions, ought to fear critics instead. Let’s keep a rational perspective. Don’t take impressionable youngsters to the movie. Adults who disapprove of it can stay away. Giving the things you don’t like even negative press tends to backfire and makes them more likely to gain notice.

Chicken and the Egg

We’ve all heard that violent video games and movies encourage kids to be violent. It’s a theory. No one has proved it to be so, and that is a fact. Kind of like the NRA’s mantra—guns don’t kill people, people do. Both are simplistic thinking and leave a whole host of problems that should be addressed in a civilized, cooperative manner swinging in the empty breeze of self-righteousness.

Chicken and the egg—which came first? Does it really matter? What matters is having a discussion about boundaries, self-respect, and compassion for others with our kids and providing them with safe, stable homes and healthy role models (their parents or caregivers) so they don’t seek harmful activities or people to fulfill something missing.

How to keep kids from predators is a global concern far outside my expertise, though the Facebook post does make a point that everyone should be concerned about it. I have no argument with that.