Fifty Shades of Conflicted

Brianna Myers for Race, Gender, and the Media

There hasn't been many books that I've read that I didn't enjoy. I wouldn't have completed the book. If I didn't like the writing style that bad in the book, I would probably just read a spoiler online just to save myself the trouble and the time. I read The Twilight Saga in middle school and I read the Fifty Shades in High School. I enjoyed them both, especially since Fifty Shades started off as a fan fiction of Twilight, but this was before I was "woke."

I'm going to talk more about the books rather than the movies because we all know: Books > The Movie it was turned into. The female protagonists of the books posses the same qualities. They're weak, delicate, and both ultimately gain their self worth from the male lead in the story. Throughout both series, the women immerse themselves in their significant other's lifestyles. Hell, Bella DIED to be with Edward. Anastasia signed a contract to start her relationship with Christian (to simply things immensely). One thing, these women also have in common, they're both white.

Even without the physical description of all these characters, one's mind just assumes they're white. These kind of scenarios (even in the land of vampires and werewolves) only appear to happen to white people. I cannot imagine a black woman letting a man dictate their relationship with a piece of paper. The media just would never cast black actors to play any of these roles because that's not the stereotype. Can't say if this is a good or bad thing. Because there are black females who are very passive and probably black men who are interested in the BDSM lifestyle. It shouldn't be abnormal or controversial to see them cast in these positions, but I don't think I ever want to see a black woman abused on camera, emotionally and physically, for the pleasure of middle America.

I want to see people that look like me cast in roles that are more like the everyday me. On the daily, I am not going to be walking down the street and meet a guy who buys me a car and pays off my student loans or one who has been living for centuries but looks like he's 20.No matter what, books that gain this kind of publicity are definitely going to be made into film. And while yes, I would like to see more people of color in major motion pictures, if they’re going to be depicted this way the activist side of me says don’t cast them.

Disclaimer: I probably will continue to watch The Fifty Shades trilogy in theaters and probable reread the series a couple more times. I hate to say I’m attached and can’t stop. Please pray for me.