According to the New York Times, advance ticket sales for Fifty Shades have skyrocketed in Mississippi, Arkansas, West Virginia, Kentucky and Alabama, those stalwarts of the Bible belt. Perhaps we are in the midst of some massive cultural rethinking, some seismic shift away from Puritanism and judgement toward the interesting notion that kinky premarital sex between consenting adults can be good, clean fun?
Beautiful Jamie Dornan. Click for source.
I think not. Three of these states (Mississippi, Kentucky and Alabama) still have sodomy laws on the books. Furthermore, premarital sex is against Biblical principles, and each of these states is in the top ten when it comes to the percentage of residents who are Evangelical Christians.
But let us charitably assume that the enthusiasm is coming from ladies whose desire for a thorough spanking is to be fulfilled within the hallowed bonds (giggle) of marriage. In that case, it is sad that many feel free to follow their own marital bliss whilst denying same-sex couples the ability to marry. Except for West Virginia, all the states in question have gay marriage bans that have been declared unconstitutional by lower courts–yet the states are appealing these rulings to higher courts.
But there is another possible explanation. These states also have a rather high concentration of persons with Scotch-Irish ancestry. So maybe the ladies there simply have a major grá for Beauteous Northern Irish actor Jamie Dornan. In that case, I wouldn’t blame them at all.
Linnet Moss 
I’m supposed to be writing a boooring report and am totally stressed on the Friday but i couldn’t resist this! adverts for the 50 are papered all over London 😉 Didn’t read it and don’t think i’ll watch it but if it is Dornan they are after, good on them! 🙂 Had no clue who he was until i watched the Fall!
Yes, I just watched Ep 1 of “The Fall.” I have to admit that seeing him as a serial killer did nothing to hot me up. But I will watch the film (eventually) in the hope that they have made something good from the hot mess of the books.
oh the series is brilliant! It’s one of the best i’ve seen recently from the BBC. And he is totally chilling. But it doesn’t hurt the eyes to look at him 🙂
I was stunned by Gillian Anderson. She doesn’t look a day older than when she did the X Files.
yesss, i was surprised too, she’s a lucky lady 🙂 I like how grey her character is too in the series. I must make time to see her at the Young Vic next year as i think she’ll be back.
clicked to early, sorry If they watched the Fall i can totally understand how they could possibly be attracted to a serial killer if he is Dornan 😀 .. oh my did i just go there? which makes me think about… and i had totally discarded that possibility!
Not that i ‘fell’ for Dornan, but he is in weird ways totally riveting in the Fall, very good actor indeed! I wonder if i will ever be able to watch him in anything and not be slightly creeped out and weirdly attracted at the same time 😉 I hope the exposure 50 will give him will bring many more interesting roles his way.
As to those counties going to see it… well isn’t it the case that the more you prohibit something the more attractive it becomes? Human hypocrisy at it’s best 🙂
its! best (sorry for the misspelling! )
Hmm, I am sensing that I need to see more of Dornan 🙂
keep watching the Fall then, i strongly suspect it’s his best work so far
speaking of the Fall i had a laugh in S2 when they introduced yet more eye candy 😉 http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/3VVpldyryLlD5nTv0v719N2/detective-sergeant-tom-anderson
Wow, he’s easy to look at! I like the idea of watching him interact with Gillian 🙂
I was right there with you, Hariclea. Actually, I found him intensely attractive, and could even relate to the teen babysitter’s infatuation with him. Something about that combination of sinister and gorgeous that just mesmerized me. I did read FSOG, the first book only, and was terribly un-impressed with the writing. I had no intention of watching the film, until I found out Jamie Dornan would be in it. Now I’m thinking I might have to watch it, if only for more of his peculiar combination of hotness and intensity… =)
!ah the teen 😉 watch out for S2! not saying more as i don’t want to spoil it. it was at least as good as S1. I find it fascinating how plain and boring and almost cheap it looks, shabby old police station, plain & normal houses, nothing glamorous at all. And then you have these complex personalities, all flawed, all different shades of damaged, even more so in S. i find the contrast fascinating and i like the fact that such a good story and such good acting happens in such plain and cheap surroundings. And it makes it more tense because it is plain and normal. Enjoy 🙂
I actually watched S2 of The Fall just last weekend… as soon as I was done with Hannibal… Loved it. Fantastic series, and I really hope they continue it. Dornan and Anderson were both brilliant in their roles, and I agree with you about the relative simplicity of the settings… the production team still managed to make it very dark, and haunting through their use of cinematography.
Wow, you are both way ahead of me. I’ve only seen Episode 1. But you have inspired me to get beyond my ick factor at watching anything involving serial killers. The duel between these two would be worth watching.
That babysitter scene made me laugh. She was extremely flirtatious! I am sorry to say that I never got to babysit for anyone that gorgeous.
They sound like the people most in need of a good spanking…
I think they should be sent to bed with no pudding.
Not my cup of tea… The book and the film, Mr. Dornan is indeed a beautiful man. Sorry, a beautiful young man. I never realise that time flies until I see pics like that. Gorgeous Venice in the background at least is older than me 😀
Yes, I like the background in that picture. I agree, looking at him feels like visually robbing the cradle! I tend to prefer a more *mature* man! But the occasional ephebe will catch my eye 🙂 I may be getting on in age but I haven’t gone blind yet!
I looked him up on wiki to see what else he worked on and noticed his birth year… sigh.. younger than me now i feel bad for ogling.. well, not really 😀
LOL, I am old enough to be his mother. Now that’s a horrifying thought!
I concur in recommending The Fall, but I’m also interested in what might be the real reason for the rush for tkts for 50 shades in the Bible Belt states. I wonder if it has to do with limited screens in rural areas? ( I know – downer comment – but still wondering).
Yeah, I don’t know how they determined the numbers, but apparently it is something unusual enough to get the attention of Fandango. I think they were the source that provided the data.
Don’t know either, but when you buy your tickets on Fandango, you choose your theater, zip code and all.
How fascinating that there has been a rush of pre ticket booking there? And amen to the right for all to get married. When will people understand that it is a civil and legal right, just like the right to vote?? I loved The Fall, both seasons, it was riveting, creepy and thought provoking. He is a bit of all right that young and beautiful Jamie. But I still wouldn’t want him to ‘leave his shoes under my bed’ when he was in serial killer mode. But as Mr Shades? Maybe. We saw the trailer for Fifty Shades when we were watching another movie before Christmas and for some reason, I giggled like a schoolgirl. Maybe because it was such a public forum? I did read the books out of natural curiosity (didn’t finish them) and enjoyed some of it. I do like the way that the popularity of them seemed to make reading erotica a little less, well, covert and dirty? I agree, hopefully they have produced something finer with the movie?
I agree. I read the first one and thought she had a flair for the sex scenes. I bogged down in the second one. I disliked the plot and found the writing weak. BUT I am pleased that these books made erotica more mainstream and that they focus on female pleasure. I want to see the film.
All this talk of Dornan has peeked my curiosity may just go and watch Just not on Valentine’s lol (have Persuasion planned for that 😉 )
Oh yes, Persuasion definitely trumps Fifty Shades 🙂 And all the Jamie Dornans in the world can’t hold a candle to Ciarán Hinds at the peak of his masculine Beauty. Thank goodness that film exists to document it 😉
I didn’t read the books and I won’t see the film. But it is interesting to note where the ticket sales for it are hottest, if you will.
I did read the Gawker piece on “The Disastrous 50 Shades of Gray Press Tour” though, and that was fascinating. The leads hated each other. They hated making the movie. She kind of wishes no one would go see it. Wow!
Anyway. I should really watch “The Fall”.
Wow, I am shocked that their contracts permitted them to give such negative publicity for the film!
I am actually looking forward to seeing the movie. It’s got to be better than the book. I know that’s usually not the case, but. Well.
Yes, I have hopes for the film. It wouldn’t be difficult to improve on the books.
What surprises me with these southern states is the fact that people would be so bold as to purchase tickets to see the movie in public in the first place. Wouldn’t that be risking some serious judgement if a member of your community spotted you in line? I’d have thought this would be an area where pirated versions of the film would run rife or people would wait to see it when it was available to stream or via DVD. Go figure. Change is in the air?
Shame he couldn’t keep the Irish lilt for the film.
I agree about the Irish lilt. It would be so much sexier!
I hadn’t thought of the “blush” factor about going to see this in public. Maybe the fact that it will be in the cineplex somehow legitimizes it? But no doubt the DVD and streaming video sales will be phenomenal.