About a handful of protestors from StopPatriarchy.org stood outside the IFC Theater on 42nd St off 8th Avenue today handing out fliers and protesting the newly released film 50 Shades of Gray. One protester I spoke with on film said the movie “promotes violence against women”. “There’s a Rape epidemic and this movie heavily concentrates violence against women”. She went on to say that the film promotes this “unnatural and archaic relationships between men and women as natural and needs to be Sharply opposed”.
The Stop Patriarchy Flier that was being handed out to patrons coming in and out of the very busy movie theater on Valentine’s Day 2015 on 42nd St in the Theater district read, 50 Shades of Gray, Fuck That!
On Valentine’s Day, couples and friends across the country will go to see the movie based on the bestseller, Fifty Shades of Grey. This is NO GOOD; in fact it’s real bad. Fifty Shades of Grey is a tale of stalking, domestic violence, abuse, and torture, dressed up like a love story! Fuck that.
Around the world: An epidemic of rape, gang-rape, “date” rape, rape porn, rape culture, is on the rise. Still with us and/or making a huge comeback: “honor” killings, acid attacks, genital mutilation, murder, forced motherhood (denying women the choice of abortion), forced sterilization (denying women the ability to get pregnant), forced marriages, coercion of every kind imaginable. All this, along with sexual harassment, sexual violence, sexual exploitation, and sexual stigma teach women “their place.” The women of the world are already wearing the blood-soaked ropes and chains of patriarchy – so let’s break them off, not slap new ones on!
Every single day, a multi-billion dollar industry of violent and degrading porn is saturating boys and men with the notion that the torture of women is arousing. Now, Fifty Shades of Grey is a big part of selling that lie to women. Fuck that.
One passerby I spoke to on camera was grateful to the small group of protestors for resisting the image the film portrays. A few others denounced the film also saying they would not go see it. Many took the fliers being handed out, many didn’t.
More videos from this event can be seen on at the April Watters YouTube Channel. Also take a look at these photos of the event taken by April Watters:
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