Edited ‘50 Shades Of Grey’ Trailer Causes Outrage: Did It Air Too Early?
Yesterday, The Inquisitr reported that Universal Pictures released the official trailer for 50 Shades of Grey, Sam Taylor-Johnson’s hugely anticipated adaptation of E.L. James’ novel.
But the trailer has already upset some parents who saw an edited version of it air on NBC’s The Today Show. According to a report from The Telegraph, the Parents Television Council — whose mission is “to protect children and families from graphic sex, violence, and profanity in the media” — blasted NBC for airing the 50 Shades of Grey trailer at 8am, when children are most likely watching.
“‘The Today Show’ and ‘Good Morning America’ and shows of that ilk,” said PTC spokesperson Melissa Henson. “They’re on while you’re getting your morning situated. They’re on while you’re getting your kids situated for school or for camp… trying to get breakfast before you go off to work.”
With the airing of the 50 Shades of Grey trailer, Henson also criticized NBC for “romanticizing sexual violence” and called that “very troubling.”
The version shown left out some of the more suggestive scenes contained in the official trailer. An NBC spokesperson said they had the “audience in mind” when they made the decision to run the edited trailer on The Today Show.
“We are always sensitive to the content we air on our program,” the spokesperson added.
In a statement, Morality in Media — a non-profit, anti-porn organization — said the 50 Shades of Grey trailer “normalizes sexual violence.”
“The main character is a childlike, mousey, young woman, lacking confidence and capability, who becomes the target of a powerful, intimidating, older man who puts her under contract to serve as a sexual ‘submissive,'” the group wrote.
The group added that the success of 50 Shades of Grey is sending men the message that “this is what women really want.”
“Even more dangerous, it also sends the message to women that they can ‘fix’ violent, controlling men by being obedient and loving,” the statement read.
On his website, blogger and radio host Matt Walsh urged “the women of America” to not buy a ticket to 50 Shades of Grey when it releases. Walsh writes:
“Not one ticket. Weekend box office total: $0. The biggest flop of all time.”
Walsh added that he wants 50 Shades of Grey to be “a more massive bust than Battlefield Earth and Gigli combined.” He wants the film to fail so badly that “it results in the immediate termination of every employee at the movie studio responsible for producing it.”
His post continued by chastising The Today Show for airing the trailer when there’s the possibility that “kids were in the room” with their parents at that time. In a very sarcastic tone, Walsh wrote:
“Silly moms and dads, what makes you think you can do something like that without being greeted by a nice dose of sadomasochism and stylized sexual violence? Besides, why do you even have problem with a trailer for a movie based on a book that romanticizes a sociopathic pervert who sexually dominates a young, impressionable woman? Puritans. Your kids are in preschool now, it’s about time they learn about this stuff.”
In Ireland, moviegoers may not be able to see the original version of the film. According to the Irish Independent, producers of the 50 Shades of Grey film say there are plans to have two separate versions.
The first, which releases on February 14, will be R-rated and have “an 18 classification” in Ireland. The second version, scheduled for a later release, will be NC-17. A spokesperson for the Irish Film Classification Office said the country doesn’t have a rating equivalent to America’s NC-17.
