“50 Shades of Grey,” the R-rated movie based on the controversial erotic novel of the same name, smashed Presidents Day weekend records, raking in over $81 million domestically February 13-15th—with a lot of help from the Bible Belt.
According to movie ticket website Fandango, the South snatched up more pre-release tickets to see the film than any other region in the US.
Ticket pre-sales in Mississippi were almost 4 times the national average, almost three times the national average in Arkansas and West Virginia, and twice the national average in Alabama.
The “50 Shades” book series has drawn massive amounts of controversy, particularly from evangelical Christians, being compared to pornography, and a romanticization of both child and domestic abuse.
Others have excused the story of handsome billionaire Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele, the demure college student he seduces, as simply a harmless opportunity to slip into a world of fantasy.
The movie has been panned by critics, earning a rating of only 4.2/10 and a score of 25% on RottenTomatoes.com’s tomato meter.
While regional numbers for overall ticket sales have yet to be published, it can safely be deduced that the trend of southerners going to see the movie will hold.
In a bit of irony, “50 Shades” is the largest February opener in history. The second biggest?
“The Passion of the Christ.”
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— Elizabeth BeShears (@LizEBeesh) January 21, 2015
