In response to Lesley Ferguson, (Feb 27), re comments on Fifty Shades of Grey.
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While the writer may be able to dismiss this low grade movie as "fantasy/fiction", the same cannot be said for everyone and that is what concerns those critical of this film.
It is not about "insulting your intelligence", it's about compounding already unacceptable beliefs and behaviors some men can have about women.
Unfortunately some men with low self esteem, who have experienced a fractured or dysfunctional childhood and are removed from a decent male role model, can develop a blurred and distorted sense of what is right and acceptable when it comes to relationships with women.
When men use mistaken prowess to dominate women in any form, it is completely unacceptable no matter the circumstances.Fifty Shades of Grey shows as acceptable, a dangerous relationship between a powerful man and an unworldly woman. It depicts emotional abuse and kinky sexual behaviour, verging on what most respectable sexually aware people would call violence.
The fact that this movie was advertised as a suitable attraction for Valentine's Day says a lot of how promoters of such movies read society today.
Sadly the hype surrounding the book of the same name lured people in, resulting in a box office surpassing $400 million world wide.
Such success can only be viewed as a sad indictment on today's society and this trend needs to be curtailed.
While such movies seem to be widely accepted as worthy viewing, along with the all too common TV programs containing violence, questionable sex and coarse language, plus uncontrolled access to material on hand-held gadgets, values once held dear in society will continue to rapidly deteriorate, resulting in moral mayhem.
Rosie Batty, 2015 Australian of the Year, when speaking on violence says, "Family violence is the greatest social epidemic of our time; it is corroding the fabric of Australian society."(Observer, 2nd March).
How right she is. But do we do enough to show we care?
Adults need to recognise the serious nature of this epidemic and in all ways lead by example. Rosie cannot do it alone.