“Fifty Shades of Grey” blew this weekend’s box office statistics out of the water with a total of $81.7 million from 3,646 locations over the course of three days. Variety Editions announced this newest hit is now the highest- grossing President’s Day opener of all time, and it will go on to be one of the biggest R-rated premieres in movie history.
The popularity of erotic romance was more evident than ever when author E.L. James sold over 100 million copies of her novel and inspired its recent cinematic movie debut that earned Universal Pictures a promising spot in the marketing world. Most Valentine’s Day hits are focused toward younger audiences; however, people of all ages came to see the newest cinematic sensation over the holiday weekend with 60 percent of the ticket buyers being over the age of 25.
We might ask ourselves what makes the erotic trilogy — originally a “Twilight” fanfiction — popular with modern audiences. The plot mirrors the “Twilight” saga with a young woman falling in love with a powerful or successful man. In “Fifty Shades,” a timid young college student is instantly charmed by a successful billionaire. The impossibility of their budding romance unravels upon the introduction of bondage/domination/submission/masochism (BDSM) sex practices. “Fifty Shades of Grey” follows the formula for the average romance in that a barrier is set in place to dominate — or be overcome by — love.
Although “Fifty Shades” is no more than typical in terms of a romantic storyline, it still tops today’s sales records. It is difficult to pinpoint an exact reason why the trilogy has so much success. In gentler terms, it could be audiences love the idea of impossible romance. “Twilight,” the story on which “Fifty Shades” is based, presents a love story in which a human falls in love with a non-human being. E.L. James presents a scenario in her novel in which two humans fall in love, but one is influenced by the practices of the BDSM community and refuses to deviate from his ways despite his feelings for the female lead of the story. Romantic genres are centered on the fact audiences love to see these romances play out.
The most obvious assumption made evident by the success of both the novel trilogy and, most recently, the film is that erotic romance sells. The entertainment industry arguably has just as much power as political parties since societyv has the ability to decide what is acceptable — and the entertainment industry greatly impacts society. The industry influences us by reflecting these values in books, films, music and other pieces. If erotic romance or anything else sells, it is bound to make a smash hit appearance in the entertainment industry. Entertainment is a powerful influence in its relevance to our everyday lives. Everyone likes some form of entertainment. It appears things are no different for “Fifty Shades.”
The presence of BDSM in this story could have adverse influences on modern audiences. It is essential to enforce the ideals of a healthy relationship in today’s society, which does not include any form of submission or abuse, in regards to this trilogy and others like it. For whatever reason “Fifty Shades” hit a sales peak, but it would be more favorable to leave the fiery trilogy as a top-selling story rather than an influence on today’s culture and our view of pleasure and relationships.
