'Fifty Shades of Grey' Costume Gets British Boy in Hot Water

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When a cultural phenomenon is as big as Fifty Shades of Grey, it’s hard to keep kids in the dark. That became very apparent at an British middle school this week, when 11-year-old Liam Scholes showed up dressed as Christian Grey. The Manchester school was celebrating World Book Day, so the students were invited to come as their favorite literary character. However, Liam was excluded from the event, because his Fifty Shades outfit — a suit-and-tie ensemble, accessorized with a blindfold and cable ties — was deemed “inappropriate.” And his mother thinks the whole thing is ridiculous.

“It has been massively blown out of proportion. It was meant as a laugh and tongue-in-cheek,” Nicola Scholes told BBC News Manchester on Friday.

Liam’s mother, who is herself a teacher, said that her son has not read the E.L James novel Fifty Shades of Grey or seen the R-rated film (which was no. 1 at the box office for two weeks in both the U.S. and the U.K.). However, Scholes pointed out that the ads and commercials have been everywhere, and are naturally the talk of Liam’s 11- and 12-year-old friends.

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Jamie Dornan as Christian Grey

“He understood what the cable ties are supposed to be represent, as did other children of his age,” said Scholes. “Liam is a character. He was allowing himself to go to school to be the butt of jokes amongst his friends, and nothing more. That was all it was ever intended to be.”

Scholes noted that other students at World Book Day were dressed up as “adult” characters, including Chris Kyle from American Sniper and James Bond. “If they’re allowed to go to school carrying guns,” she told the news station, “then I consider that a lot more offensive than my son taking cable ties in with him.”

Watch a featurette about Christian in the movie: