--- title: '50 Shades of Grey' Boycotted for Glorifying Violent Sex description: Some say the movie glorifies violence against women canonical: https://time.com/3696254/50-shades-of-grey-boycott/ author: Charlotte Alter article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-02-04T23:33:11.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:42:41.040Z og:title: There's Already a Backlash to '50 Shades of Grey' og:description: Some say the movie glorifies violence against women og:url: https://time.com/3696254/50-shades-of-grey-boycott/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7bb033cd4265d081/69869dde810bbb3082c92d25/phvkpbpvgfbfzx_1_m.jpg?branch=production&width=391&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 391 og:image:height: 220 og:image:alt: 50 Shades of Grey Trailer og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: There's Already a Backlash to '50 Shades of Grey' twitter:description: Some say the movie glorifies violence against women twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7bb033cd4265d081/69869dde810bbb3082c92d25/phvkpbpvgfbfzx_1_m.jpg?branch=production&width=391&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # There's Already a Campaign to Boycott _Fifty Shades of Grey_ > Sponsored content. 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Worth Your Time is TIME's culture newsletter, published Tuesdays and Saturdays to 40,000 subscribers as of August 2026. #### Who writes TIME's culture recommendations? Culture editor Eliza Berman writes Worth Your Time, drawing on TIME's critics and culture desk. #### Is Worth Your Time free? Yes. It is a free newsletter available at time.com/newsletters.  by [Charlotte Alter](https://time.com/author/charlotte-alter/)  ## Charlotte Alter Senior Correspondent Feb 4, 2015 11:33 PM UTC  Universal Pictures  by [Charlotte Alter](https://time.com/author/charlotte-alter/)  ## Charlotte Alter Senior Correspondent Feb 4, 2015 11:33 PM UTC Not everyone is eagerly anticipating the release of _Fifty Shades of Grey._ While some fans of E.L. James’ steamy novels are looking forward to seeing the graphic S&M scenes on the big screen, others are pre-emptively objecting to the glamorization of violence, especially violent sex. They’re trying to start a social-media movement to boycott the much anticipated movie, encouraging would-be moviegoers to donate money to domestic-violence victims instead. **MORE** [Here’s How The Shot the Sex Scenes in _50 Shades of Grey_](http://time.com/3693065/fifty-shades-of-grey-sex-scenes/) Using the hashtags [#50DollarsNot50Shades](https://twitter.com/search?q=%2350DollarsNot50Shades&src=tyah) and [#50ShadesIsAbuse](https://twitter.com/search?q=%2350shadesisabuse&src=tyah), some protesters are calling for viewers to boycott the movie and donate the 50 bucks they would spend at the movie theater (on tickets, babysitter, drinks and popcorn, etc.) to help domestic-violence victims instead. Run by [www.stoppornculture.org](http://stoppornculture.org/), the campaign’s [Facebook page ](https://www.facebook.com/50dollarsnotfiftyshades/info?tab=page%5Finfo)suggests making donations to domestic-violence shelters instead of going to see the movie, because “Hollywood doesn’t need your money; abused women do.” “We realize it’s a movie, and we also realize it’s supported by many women,” says Ruth Glenn, executive director of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. “The thing that concerns us about _Fifty Shades of Grey_ is that anytime people are operating in that lifestyle, it should be a choice,” she says. **MORE** [These Were the Hardest Scenes to Shoot for the Stars of _50 Shades of Grey_](http://time.com/3690811/fifty-shades-of-grey-jamie-dornan-dakota-johnson-interview/) Is this the beginning of the backlash to the movie? The book had its [own well-documented backlash ](http://jezebel.com/5902258/fifty-shades-of-greys-success-has-nothing-to-do-with-repressed-feminist-fantasies)when it came out in 2012, but that was before all the headlines about domestic violence and sexual assault that have come to the forefront since then, as has the debate over the definition of “consent” when it comes to sexual behavior. Boycotts not withstanding, the film is expected to be a hit. So for those who do see it, Glenn has this advice: “Violence against women is one thing, choosing to operate in an alternative lifestyle where there are parameters and choice is another. For any young person who is seeing this movie, I hope someone is having a discussion with them about choice vs. coercion.” ### Fifty Shades of Grey: TIME's Exclusive Portraits of the Cast and Director  Dakota Johnson (Anastasia “Ana” Steele) and Jamie Dornan (Christian Grey) photographed at Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles on Jan. 13, 2015. Malerie Marder for TIME  Dakota Johnson (Anastasia “Ana” Steele) photographed at Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles on Jan. 13, 2015. Malerie Marder for TIME  Sam Taylor-Johnson (director) photographed at Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles on Jan. 13, 2015. 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