No Shades of Grey - Protest the Glamorisation of Abuse
Since Fifty Shades of Grey first went big in 2012, there have been memes saying things like:
"One Shade of Grey - She said 'No'. I respected that."
Yesterday I read this cartoon by Tatsuya Ishida:
One Shade of Grey - A Feminist Fantasy
It was well-timed, because I had just written a short book centred around a six-word story, called No Shades of Grey.
"Fancy some S&M?"
"No thanks."
"Okay."
So many people are concerned about the glamorisation of an abusive relationship in Fifty Shades, that I decided to put the book on Amazon and run a free promotion on the day that the film of Fifty Shades is released. If we can get the book into the charts, it will encourage more people to think about the central themes in the book and the fallacies it propagates.
Christian and Ana's relationship is fundamentally toxic. Christian has all the hallmarks of an abuser. I'm not opposed to BDSM between consensual adults, but this is not BDSM, it's grooming.
No Shades of Grey is linked to the novel I shall be launching on 13th, called Two Shades of the Lilac Sunset, which addresses my concerns about the Fifty Shades trilogy by contrasting an abuse relationship with a healthy one.
See the Official No Shades of Grey website.
Campaigners in North America are calling people to boycott the new Fifty Shades of Grey film and instead donate the money they would have spent to organisations that fight domestic violence, using the hashtag #50dollarsnot50shades.
If you wish to donate to a charity fighting domestic violence in the UK, may I recommend Women's Aid, Refuge or Respect.
Do you know what I find romantic? Consent.
