JHJH member's Story
When I started the freedom programme we were told that at some point we will all have a light bulb moment where everything we learn sinks in and we understand what the programme is all about and why we have ended up on it.
For me, my light bulb moment was when we were learning about the ‘sexual controller’ and how much this behaviour aligns with Mr. Grey from the well known Fifty Shades of Grey books/films.
These books were the best selling books in the UK and USA, selling over 5.3 million copies - people were hooked. Including me.
The way the books are written portray that young, innocent Anastasia Steele is “shocked yet thrilled by Mr Grey’s singular erotic tastes”. It grips you in a story about how they enter a passionate physical affair and “for all the trappings of success- his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving family - Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control.” The fact that the books describe Mr. Grey as “tormented” and “consumed” already forces people to believe that his abusive behaviour is acceptable and justified and it reinforces his controlling behaviour.
At the start of their relationship Mr. Grey makes Anastasia sign a contract of their relationship which describes both the roles and responsibilities of the “dominant” and the “submissive”. A few “rules” that were listed in this contract were:
The Dominant shall take responsibility for the well being and the proper training, guidance, and discipline of the submissive - can women not look after themselves?? The submissive is to serve and obey the dominant in all things - we are not men’s slaves!
The dominant and submissive enter into this contract for a period of three calendar months - not only does this completely take any romance out of a relationship, it is complete control over the length of the relationship!
The submissive will make herself available to the dominant from Friday evenings through to Sunday afternoons each week - women should not sit around waiting to be beckoned to a mans needs, we have our own lives!
The dominant accepts the submissive as his, to own, control, dominate, and discipline during the Term - are you kidding?! The biggest red flag I have ever seen in writing !!
The dominant shall provide the submissive with all the necessary training and guidance in how to properly serve the dominant - Makes women sound incapable of how to make a man happy.
The submissive shall accept without question any and all disciplinary actions - so a women should accept and take any physical or emotional abuse without question? No way!
The submissive shall not look directly into the eyes of the dominant - this completely degrades women’s status and self worth.
On top of all this, Mr. Grey controlled how much sleep Anastasia had each night, what food she ate and how often she ate it, what clothes she wore to work and in public, what exercise she did and how often she done it each week, when she washed and lastly what personal qualities she must have during this contractual relationship.
When you pick these qualities out and isolate them, it is so clear to see he is a perfect and relevant example of an abusive man but the books/films very cleverly distort this in to a love story that get you to feel sorry for him and his troubled past because she loves him and accepts the way he is.
I completely fell for this, as the writer intended, and I ended up on the freedom programme after leaving an abusive relationship for this very reason - you think you love that person so you accept the abuse. So what about the other 5.3 million readers that also fell for this book and believed Mr. Grey’s behaviour was acceptable?
One of the most valuable lessons I have learnt from the freedom programme and a message I want to pass on to everyone reading this is; there is no excuse for abuse. Know your self worth and do what you need to do to heal.
Find your Mr. Right not your Mr. Grey!