1. Violence Against Women in Film

2. What the movie industry craves Appealing to men and women alike Men: The attractive damsel in distress Women: Attractive, strong male protagonist

3. Aesthetic element The violence lets filmmakers indulge in their erotic, sexually abusive fantasies The lazy filmmaker’s way of getting the action going Often perverted, pervasive, and slightly pornographic The audience (mostly male) taps into their curiosities

4. Example: Jessica Alba in Sin City

5. Sin City example cont.… Jessica is continually whipped, while dressed in provocative clothing, and moaning as her hair flies around in slow motion With these settings, the chauvinistic, curiosities of the male audience will find these scenes sexual and erotic, despite the fact that they’re abusive

6. Ashley Judd in Kiss the Girls

7. Kiss the Girls example cont.… Story is set in motion with a series of women who’ve gone missing/murdered A college student (Ashley Judd) is drugged and kidnapped while being kept prisoner in a secret lair She tries to escape and is severely injured This is an exhilarating, abusive track-wreck to keep watching

8. Why it’s dangerous (Besides it being unoriginal) Having the woman always as the damsel in distress: Gives the impression that women are only good for being kidnapped and abused Little hope of there ever being a strong, independent women as the protagonist Introduces false social norms: the woman is weak and defenseless and needs the aid of a man Introduces the idea that abuse can be sexy, erotic

9. 50 Shades of Grey Christian & Anastasia’s relationship: romantic or physically/emotionally abusive?

10. The tactics of Christian Grey Emotional Abuse Stalking (via phone, computer, and showing up at Anastasia’s work) Intimidation (Routinely threatening to punish Anastasia in the playroom) Isolation (Limiting social contact, traveling) Pervasive (Alcohol to compromise Anastasia’s consent) Christian ignores “safe words” and the word “no” Anastasia’s Reactions Constant perceived threat (feels stomach churning, gets nervous if she angers him) Altered identity (views herself as a “pale, haunted ghost”) Stress managing (acts in certain ways to “keep the peace” and hiding information to make sure Christian is not angered

11. You decide… The actions of Christian Grey and reactions of Anastasia Steele are ones that fit those involved in partner abuse Others view the book and film as a romantic, fictional story Either way, people have the freedom to choose how they feel about 50 Shades of Grey

12. Work Cited http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119468/ http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/in-movies-violence-against- women-lets-filmmakers-indulge-toxic-fantasies/2014/09/19/36ea6e36- 3f3d-11e4-b03f-de718edeb92f_story.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/in-movies-violence-against- women-lets-filmmakers-indulge-toxic-fantasies/2014/09/19/36ea6e36- 3f3d-11e4-b03f-de718edeb92f_story.html http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23931257