Fifty Shades of Grey

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For the upcoming film adaptation, see Fifty Shades of Grey (film).
Fifty Shades of Grey
50ShadesofGreyCoverArt.jpg
2012 paperback cover
Author E. L. James
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Series Fifty Shades Trilogy
Genre Erotic romance
Published 20 June 2011 (Vintage Books)
Media type Print (Hardcover, Paperback)
Pages 514
ISBN 978-1-61213028-6
OCLC 780307033
Followed by Fifty Shades Darker

Fifty Shades of Grey is a 2011 erotic romance novel by British author E. L. James. It is the first installment in the Fifty Shades trilogy that traces the deepening relationship between a college graduate, Anastasia Steele, and a young business magnate, Christian Grey. It is notable for its explicitly erotic scenes featuring elements of sexual practices involving bondage/discipline, dominance/submission, and sadism/masochism (BDSM). Originally self-published as an ebook and a print-on-demand,[1][2] publishing rights were acquired by Vintage Books in March 2012.[3][4]

The second and third volumes, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed, were published in 2012. Fifty Shades of Grey has topped best-seller lists around the world, including those of the United Kingdom and the United States.[5][6] The series has sold over 100 million copies worldwide and been translated into 52 languages,[7] and set the record as the fastest-selling paperback of all time.[8] Critical reception of the book, however, has been mixed, with the quality of its prose generally seen as poor. Universal Pictures and Focus Features plan a film adaptation scheduled for a February 13, 2015 release.[9]

Plot[edit]

Anastasia "Ana" Steele is a 21-year-old college senior attending Washington State University in Vancouver, Washington with her best friend Katharine "Kate" Kavanagh, who writes for their student newspaper. Due to an illness, Kate persuades Ana to take her place and interview 27-year-old Christian Grey, an incredibly successful and wealthy young entrepreneur. Ana is instantly attracted to Christian, but also finds him intimidating. As a result she stumbles through the interview and leaves Christian's office believing that it went badly. Ana tries to console herself thinking the two of them will probably never meet again. However she is surprised when Christian appears at Clayton's, the largest independent hardware store in the Portland area, where she works. While he purchases various items including cable ties, masking tape and rope, Ana informs Christian that Kate would like some photographs to go along with her article about him. Christian leaves Ana with his phone number. Later that day, Kate urges Ana to call Christian and arrange a photo shoot with their photographer friend José Rodriguez.

The next day José, Kate, and Ana arrive for the photo shoot at the hotel where Christian is staying and Christian asks Ana out for coffee. The two talk over coffee and Christian asks Ana if she's dating anyone, specifically José. When Ana replies that she isn't dating anyone, Christian begins to ask her about her family. During the conversation Ana learns that Christian is also single, but is not "a hearts and flowers kind of guy". This intrigues Ana, especially after he pulls her out of the path of an oncoming cyclist. However, Ana believes that she is not attractive enough for Christian, much to the chagrin of Kate.

After finishing her exams Ana receives a package from Christian containing first edition copies of Tess of the d'Urbervilles, which stuns her. Later that night Ana goes out drinking with her friends and ends up drunk dialing Christian, who informs her that he will be coming to pick her up because of her inebriated state. Ana goes outside to get some fresh air, and José attempts to kiss her but is stopped by Christian's arrival. Ana leaves with Christian, but not before she discovers that Kate has been flirting with Christian's brother, Elliott. Later Ana wakes to find herself in Christian's hotel room, where he scolds her for not taking proper care of herself. Christian then reveals that he would like to have sex with her. He initially says that Ana will first have to fill out paperwork, but later goes back on this statement after making out with her in the elevator.

Ana goes on a date with Christian where he takes her in his helicopter to his apartment. Once there, Christian insists that she sign a non-disclosure agreement forbidding her to discuss anything that they do together, which Ana agrees to sign. He also mentions other paperwork, but first takes her to his playroom full of BDSM toys and gear. There Christian informs her that the second contract will be one of dominance and submission and that there will be no romantic relationship, only a sexual one. The contract even forbids Ana from touching Christian or making eye contact with him. At this point, Christian realises that Ana is a virgin and agrees to take her virginity without making her sign the contract. The two then have sex.

The following morning Ana and Christian once again have sex, and his mother, who arrives moments after their sexual encounter, is surprised by the meeting, having previously thought Christian was homosexual because she had never seen him with a woman. Christian later takes Ana out to eat, and he reveals to her that he lost his virginity at fifteen to one of his mother's friends and that his previous dominant/submissive relationships failed due to incompatibility. They plan to meet up again and Christian takes Ana home, where she discovers several job offers and admits to Kate that she and Christian had sex.

Over the next few days Ana receives several packages from Christian. These include a laptop to enable her to perform research on the BDSM lifestyle in consideration of the contract as well as for the two of them to communicate, since she has never previously owned a computer, and a more detailed version of the dominant/submissive contract. She and Christian email each other, with Ana teasing him and refusing to honor parts of the contract, such as only eating foods from a specific list. Ana later meets up with Christian to discuss the contract, only to grow overwhelmed by the potential BDSM arrangement and the potential of having a sexual relationship with Christian that is not romantic in nature. Because of these feelings Ana runs away from Christian and does not see him again until her college graduation, where he is a guest speaker. During this time, Ana agrees to sign the dominant/submissive contract.

Ana and Christian once again meet up to further discuss the contract, and they go over Ana's hard and soft limits. Ana is spanked for the first time by Christian; the experience leaves her both enticed and slightly confused. This confusion is exacerbated by Christian's lavish gifts, and the fact that he brings her to meet his family. The two continue with the arrangement without Ana having yet signed the contract. After successfully landing a job with Seattle Independent Publishing, Ana further bristles under the restrictions of the non-disclosure agreement and the complex relationship with Christian.

The tension between Ana and Christian eventually comes to a head after Ana asks Christian to punish her in order to show her how extreme a BDSM relationship with him could be. Christian fulfills Ana's request, beating her with a belt, only for Ana to realize that the two of them are incompatible. Devastated, Ana leaves Christian and returns to the apartment she shares with Kate.

Background[edit]

The Fifty Shades trilogy was developed from a Twilight fan fiction series originally titled Master of the Universe and published episodically on fan-fiction websites under the pen name "Snowqueen's Icedragon". The piece featured characters named after Stephenie Meyer's characters in Twilight, Edward Cullen and Bella Swan. After comments concerning the sexual nature of the material, James removed the story from the fan-fiction websites and published it on her own website, FiftyShades.com. Later she rewrote Master of the Universe as an original piece, with the principal characters renamed Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele and removed it from her website before publication.[10] Meyer commented on the series, saying "that's really not my genre, not my thing... Good on her—she's doing well. That's great!"[11]

This reworked and extended version of Master of the Universe was split into three parts. The first, titled Fifty Shades of Grey, was released as an e-book and a print on demand paperback in May 2011 by The Writers' Coffee Shop, a virtual publisher based in Australia. The second volume, Fifty Shades Darker, was released in September 2011; and the third, Fifty Shades Freed, followed in January 2012. The Writers' Coffee Shop had a restricted marketing budget and relied largely on book blogs for early publicity, but sales of the novel were boosted by word-of-mouth recommendation.

The book's erotic nature and perceived demographic of its fan base as being composed largely of married women over thirty led to the book being dubbed "Mommy Porn" by some news agencies.[12][13] The book has also reportedly been popular among teenage girls and college women.[13][14][15] By the release of the final volume in January 2012, news networks in the United States had begun to report on the Fifty Shades trilogy as an example of viral marketing and of the rise in popularity of female erotica, attributing its success to the discreet nature of e-reading devices.[16][17] Due to the heightened interest in the series, the license to the Fifty Shades trilogy was picked up by Vintage Books for re-release in a new and revised edition in April 2012. The attention that the series has garnered has also helped to spark a renewed interest in erotic literature. Several popular works, such as Anne Rice's The Sleeping Beauty trilogy and M.M. Majer's Ero 4, have been republished to meet the higher demand.[18]

On 1 August 2012, Amazon UK announced that it had sold more copies of Fifty Shades of Grey than it had the entire Harry Potter series combined, making E. L. James its best-selling author, replacing J. K. Rowling, though worldwide the Harry Potter series sold more than 450 million copies compared to Fifty Shades of Grey's sales of 60 million copies.[19] It was number one on USA Today's best-selling books list for twenty weeks in a row, breaking a previous record of 16 weeks set by In the Kitchen with Rosie: Oprah's Favorite Recipes by Rosie Daley and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

Reception[edit]

Critical reception of Fifty Shades of Grey has been mixed to negative, with most reviews noting poor literary qualities of the work. Sir Salman Rushdie said about the book: "I've never read anything so badly written that got published. It made Twilight look like War and Peace."[20] Maureen Dowd described the book in The New York Times as being written "like a Bronte devoid of talent," and said it was "dull and poorly written."[21] Jesse Kornbluth of The Huffington Post said: "As a reading experience, Fifty Shades...is a sad joke, puny of plot".[22]

Princeton professor April Alliston wrote, "Though no literary masterpiece, Fifty Shades is more than parasitic fan fiction based on the recent Twilight vampire series."[23] Entertainment Weekly gave the book a "B+" rating and praised it for being "in a class by itself."[24] British author Jenny Colgan in The Guardian wrote "It is jolly, eminently readable and as sweet and safe as BDSM (bondage, discipline, sadism and masochism) erotica can be without contravening the trade descriptions act" and also praised the book for being "more enjoyable" than other "literary erotic books".[25]

However, The Telegraph criticised the book as "treacly cliché" but also wrote that the sexual politics in Fifty Shades of Grey will have female readers "discussing it for years to come."[26] A reviewer for the Ledger-Enquirer described the book as guilty fun and escapism, but that it "also touches on one aspect of female existence [female submission]. And acknowledging that fact – maybe even appreciating it – shouldn't be a cause for guilt."[27] The New Zealand Herald stated that the book "will win no prizes for its prose" and that "there are some exceedingly awful descriptions," but it was also an easy read; "(If you only) can suspend your disbelief and your desire to – if you'll pardon the expression – slap the heroine for having so little self respect, you might enjoy it."[28]

The Columbus Dispatch also criticised the book but stated that, "Despite the clunky prose, James does cause one to turn the page."[29] Metro News Canada wrote that "suffering through 500 pages of this heroine's inner dialogue was torturous, and not in the intended, sexy kind of way".[30] Jessica Reaves, of the Chicago Tribune, wrote that the "book's source material isn't great literature", noting that the novel is "sprinkled liberally and repeatedly with asinine phrases", and described it as "depressing".[31]

The book garnered some accolades. In December 2012, it won both "Popular Fiction" and "Book of the Year" categories in the UK National Book Awards.[32][33] In that same month, Publishers Weekly named E.L. James the 'Publishing Person of the Year', causing an "outcry from the literary world". For example, "What was Publishers Weekly thinking?" asked LA Times writer Carolyn Kellogg, while a New York Daily News headline read, "Civilization ends: E.L. James named Publishers Weekly's ‘Person of the Year’."[34]

Controversies[edit]

Origin as fan fiction[edit]

Fifty Shades of Grey has attracted criticism due to its origin as a fan fiction based on the Twilight novels, with some readers predicting copyright issues due to this connection.[35] Amanda Hayward of The Writer's Coffee Shop responded to these claims by stating that Fifty Shades of Grey "bore very little resemblance to Twilight" and that "Twilight and Fifty Shades trilogy are worlds apart".[35] In April 2012, E. L. James was listed as one of Time magazine's "100 Most Influential People in the World",[36] with Richard Lawson of The Atlantic Wire criticising her inclusion due to the trilogy's fan fiction beginnings.[37]

Depiction of BDSM[edit]

Fifty Shades of Grey has also attracted criticism due to its depictions of BDSM, with Katie Roiphe of Newsweek asking "But why, for women especially, would free will be a burden? ... It may be that power is not always that comfortable, even for those of us who grew up in it; it may be that equality is something we want only sometimes and in some places and in some arenas; it may be that power and all of its imperatives can be boring."[38] Zap2it '​s Andrea Reiher expressed frustration at Roiphe's depiction of the series, stating that "[b]eing submissive sexually is not tantamount to being the victim of abuse" or that they're "giving up their power or their equality with their partner".[39] Other sites such as Jezebel have responded to the article, with Jezebel listing reasons for Fifty Shades of Grey '​s popularity, stating that "the vast majority of fans fawn over the emotional relationship Anastasia and Christian have, not about the sex."[40]

In an interview with Salon, several dominatrices have responded that while submission can be an escape from daily stresses, they also frequently have male clients and that trust is a big factor in dominant/submissive relationships. One interviewed former dominatrix and author, Melissa Febos, stated that even if the book's popularity was a result of women's "current anxieties about equality" that it "doesn't mean that it's 'evidence of unhappiness, or an invalidation of feminism,' ...it might actually be a sign of progress that millions of women are so hungrily pursuing sexual fantasies independent of men."[41]

Writing in The Huffington Post, critic Soraya Chemaly argued that interest in the series was not a trend, but squarely within the tradition and success of the romance category which is driven by tales of virgins, damaged men and submission/dominance themes. Instead, she wrote, the books are notable not for transgressive sex but for how women are using technology to subvert gendered shame by exploring explicit sexual content privately using e-readers. Instead of submission fantasies representing a post-feminist discomfort with power and free will, women's open consumption, sharing and discussion of sexual content is a feminist success.[42] At the beginning of the media hype, Dr. Drew debated sexologist Logan Levkoff on The Today Show,[43] about whether Fifty Shades perpetuated violence against women; Levkoff said that while that is an important subject, this trilogy had nothing to do with it – this was a book about a consensual relationship. Dr. Drew commented that the book was "horribly written" in addition to being "disturbing" but stated that "if the book enhances women's real-life sex lives and intimacy, so be it."[44]

Glorification of abusive relationships[edit]

Several critics and scientists have expressed concern that the nature of the main couple's relationship is not BDSM at all, but rather is characteristic of an abusive relationship. In 2013, social scientist Amy E. Bonomi published a study wherein the books were read by multiple professionals and assessed for characteristics of intimate partner violence, or IPV, using the CDC's standards for emotional abuse and sexual violence. The study found that nearly every interaction between Ana and Christian was emotionally abusive in nature, including stalking, intimidation, and isolation. The study group also observed pervasive sexual violence within the CDC's definition, including Christian's use of alcohol to circumvent Ana's ability consent, and that Ana exhibits classic signs of an abused woman, including constant perceived threat, stressful managing, and altered identity.[45]

A second study in 2014 was conducted to examine the health of women who had read the series, compared to a control group that had never read any part of the novels. The results showed a correlation between having read at least the first book and exhibiting signs of an eating disorder, having romantic partners that were emotionally abusive and/or engaged in stalking behavior, engaging in binge drinking in the last month, and having 5 or more sexual partners before age 24. The authors could not conclude whether women already experiencing these problems were drawn to the series, or if the series influenced these behaviors to occur after reading by creating underlying context.[46] The study was limited in that only women up to age 24 were studied, and no distinction was made among the reader sample between women who enjoyed the series and those that had a strong negative opinion of it, having only read it out of curiosity due to the media hype or other obligation.[47]

Censorship or removal of books[edit]

In March 2012, branches of the public library in Brevard County, Florida removed copies of Fifty Shades of Grey from their shelves, with an official stating that it did not meet the selection criteria for the library and that reviews for the book had been poor. A representative for the library stated that it was due to the book's sexual content and that other libraries had declined to purchase copies for their branches.[48] Deborah Caldwell-Stone of the American Library Association commented that "If the only reason you don't select a book is that you disapprove of its content, but there is demand for it, there's a question of whether you're being fair. In a public library there is usually very little that would prevent a book from being on the shelf if there is a demand for the information."[48] Brevard County public libraries later made their copies available to their patrons due to public demand.[49]

In Macaé, Brazil, Judge Raphael Queiroz Campos ruled in January 2013 that bookstores throughout the city must either remove the series entirely from their shelves or ensure that the books are wrapped and placed out of the reach of minors.[50] The judge stated that he was prompted to make such an order after seeing children reading them,[51] basing his decision on a law stating that "magazines and publications whose content is improper or inadequate for children and adolescents can only be sold if sealed and with warnings regarding their content".[52]

Universal Pictures lawsuit[edit]

In June 2012, pornographic film company Smash Pictures announced its intent to film an adult version of Fifty Shades trilogy entitled Fifty Shades of Grey: A XXX Adaptation.[53] A release date of January 10, 2013 was announced.[54] In November 2012, Universal, which had secured the film rights (see below), filed a lawsuit against Smash Pictures, stating that the film violated its copyright in that it was not filmed as a parody adaptation but it "copies without reservation from the unique expressive elements of the Fifty Shades trilogy, progressing through the events of Fifty Shades of Grey and into the second book, Fifty Shades Darker".[55]

The lawsuit asks for an injunction, for the profits from all sales of the film, as well as damages,[56] saying that "a quickly and cheaply produced pornographic work that is likely to cause Plaintiffs irreparable harm by poisoning public perception of the Fifty Shades Trilogy and the forthcoming Universal films."[57] Smash Pictures responded to the lawsuit by issuing a counterclaim and requesting a continuance, stating that "much or all" of the Fifty Shades material was part of the public domain because it was originally published in various venues as a fan fiction based upon the Twilight series.[58] A lawyer for Smash Pictures further commented that the federal copyright registrations for the books were "invalid and unenforceable" and that the film "did not violate copyright or trademark laws".[58] The lawsuit was eventually settled out of court for an undisclosed amount of money and Smash Pictures agreed to stop any further production or promotion of the film.[59]

Media[edit]

Film adaptation[edit]

A film adaptation of the book is to be produced by Universal Pictures, Focus Features,[60] Michael De Luca Productions, and Trigger Street Productions.[61] Universal is also the film's distributor. The projected release date is February 13, 2015.[9] Charlie Hunnam was originally cast in the role of Christian Grey alongside Dakota Johnson in the role of Anastasia Steele,[62][63] but Hunnam gave up the part in October 2013,[64] with Jamie Dornan announced for the role on October 23.[65]

Classical album[edit]

An album of songs selected by James was released on September 11, 2012 by EMI Classics under the title Fifty Shades of Grey: The Classical Album, and was number four on Billboard's charts for classical music albums in October 2012.[66][67] A Seattle PI reviewer favorably wrote that the album would appeal both to fans of the series and to "those who have no intention of reading any of the Grey Shades".[68]

Parodies[edit]

The Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy has inspired many parodies in print, online, and on the stage. Amazon.com lists over fifty book parodies, ranging from Fifty Shames of Earl Grey[69] by Fanny Merkin (a/k/a Andrew Shaffer) to Fifty Shades of Oy Vey[70] by E.L. Jamesbergstein. Parodying the fan fiction origins of Fifty Shades of Grey, Ivy league MBA students have created Erotic FinFiction, a blog containing steamy entries written in business jargon.[71] Numerous Internet meme collections contain comedic versions of the Fifty Shades of Grey book cover.[72] Stage productions include Spank! The Fifty Shades Parody and Cuff Me: The Fifty Shades of Grey Musical Parody.[73]

Games and other merchandising[edit]

Imagination Games, an Australia-based game company, has created a licensed board game based on the trilogy, Fifty Shades of Grey Party Game, as well as various expansion packs of cards.[74] KBW Global Corp. has also created licensed Fifty Shades Darker masquerade masks based on the ones described in the novel.[75]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ ‘50 Shades of Grey,’ a Self-Published E-Book, Is the Future of Publishing. Lizzie Shurnick. The Daily Beast. 17 March 2012. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  2. ^ Bestseller Success Stories that Started Out as Self-Published Books. Ronald H. Balsom. 8 October 2013.
  3. ^ Julie Bosman. Fifty Shades of Gray Hits a Sales Milestone. The New York Times. 27 February 2014. page C3.
  4. ^ "Fifty Shades of Grey" Sales Hit 100 Million. Andy Lewis. The Hollywood Reporter. 16 February 2014.
  5. ^ "EL James' Fifty Shades of Grey tops New York Times list". UK: BBC. 11 March 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2012. 
  6. ^ "Erotic book Fifty Shades of Grey becomes UK bestseller". UK: BBC. 19 April 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2012. 
  7. ^ Fifty Shades of Grey Release Date Pushed Back to February 13, 2015—Just in Time for Valentine's Day!
  8. ^ Bentley, Paul (18 June 2012). "Fifty Shades of Grey outstrips Harry Potter to become fastest selling paperback of all time". Daily Mail (London). Retrieved 18 June 2012. 
  9. ^ a b "Universal Shifts ’50 Shades’ Release Date to February 2015". Variety. Retrieved 18 November 2013. 
  10. ^ Boog, Jason (21 November 2012). "The Lost History of Fifty Shades of Grey". Media bistro. 
  11. ^ "Fifty Shades of Grey: Stephenie Meyer Speaks Out". MTV. 29 May 2012. 
  12. ^ Bosman, Julie (20 March 2012). "Discreetly Digital, Erotic Novel Sets American Women Abuzz". The New York Times. 
  13. ^ a b Goudreau, Jenna (19 March 2012). "Will Fifty Shades of Grey Make 'Mommy Porn' The Next Big Thing?". Forbes. Retrieved 7 May 2012. 
  14. ^ "Fifty Shades of Grey author EL James reveals real-life secrets to her readers". The Belfast Telegraph. 4 July 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2012. 
  15. ^ Lewak, Doree (11 July 2012). "The hot sex text". New York Post. 
  16. ^ "Erotic novel 50 Shades of Grey unites gals, unnerves some guys". Fox News. 14 March 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2012. 
  17. ^ Bennett-Smith, Meredith (15 March 2012). "50 Shades of Grey: What is the appeal?". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 7 May 2012. 
  18. ^ "Publishing world is turned on by 'Fifty Shades of Grey'". USA Today. 29 August 2012. Retrieved 15 March 2013. 
  19. ^ Meredith, Charlotte (1 August 2012), Fifty Shades of Grey becomes the bestselling book of all time, Daily Express (UK) 
  20. ^ Irvine, Chris (9 October 2012). "Sir Salman Rushdie: 'Fifty Shades of Grey makes Twilight look like War and Peace'". The Daily Telegraph (London). Retrieved 30 April 2013. 
  21. ^ Dowd, Maureen (31 March 2012). "She’s Fit to Be Tied". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 April 2013. 
  22. ^ Kornbluth, Jesse (12 March 2012). "'Fifty Shades Of Grey': Is The Hottest-Selling Book In America Really Just 'S&M For Dummies?'". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 30 April 2013. 
  23. ^ "'Mommy porn' novel has retro message". CNN. 29 March 2012. 
  24. ^ Schwarzbaum, Lisa (21 March 2012). "Fifty Shades of Grey". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 24 June 2012. 
  25. ^ Colgan, Jenny (13 April 2012). "Fifty Shades of Grey". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 24 June 2012. 
  26. ^ Barnett, Laura (13 April 2012). "Mommy porn?: Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James: review". The Daily Telegraph (London). 
  27. ^ Sorich, Sonya (11 April 2012). "Fifty Shades of Grey: The undressed review". Ledger-Enquirer. 
  28. ^ Sheehy, Christine (13 April 2012). "The 'mommy porn' seducing women". The New Zealand Herald. 
  29. ^ Osterheldt, Jenee (26 March 2012). "Book Review – Fifty Shades of Grey: Sultry subject spells success". The Columbus Dispatch. 
  30. ^ Napier, Jessica (16 April 2012). "Fifty Shades of Grey as dull as a razor blade commercial". Metro News Canada. 
  31. ^ Reaves, Jessica (14 April 2012). "Fifty shades of retrograde". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 25 April 2012. 
  32. ^ Flood, Alison (5 December 2012). "EL James comes out on top at National Book awards". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 5 December 2012. 
  33. ^ Flood, Alison (26 December 2012). "Fifty Shades of Grey voted the most popular book of 2012". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 26 December 2012. 
  34. ^ Driscoll, Molly (3 December 2012). "E L James as 'Publishing Person of the Year' draws outcry from literary world". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 5 December 2012. 
  35. ^ a b Deahl, Rachel (13 January 2012). "E.L. James and the Case of Fan Fiction". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 19 August 2012. 
  36. ^ "The 100 Most Influential People in the World: 2012". Time. Retrieved 10 August 2013. 
  37. ^ Lawson, Richard (18 April 2012). "Five Things Wrong with This Year's 'Time 100'". The Atlantic Wire. 
  38. ^ Roiphe, Katie (15 April 2012). "Spanking Goes Mainstream". The Daily Beast. Newsweek. 
  39. ^ Reiher, Andrea (16 April 2012). "Katie Roiphe's Fifty Shades of Grey diatribe misses several points". Zap2it. 
  40. ^ "Fifty Shades of Grey '​s Success Has Nothing to Do with Repressed Feminist Fantasies". Jezebel. 16 April 2012. 
  41. ^ Clark-Flory, Tracy (20 April 2012). "Fifty Shades of Grey: Dominatrixes[sic] take on Roiphe". Salon. 
  42. ^ Chemaly, Soraya (20 April 2012). "Virgins, Bondage and A Shameful Media Fail". The Huffington Post. 
  43. ^ Logan Levkoff on The Today ShowFifty Shades of Grey on YouTube
  44. ^ "Dr. Drew: 50 Shades of Grey pathological, poorly written". WTOP-FM. 22 May 2012. 
  45. ^ Bonomi AE, Altenburger LE, Walton NL (September 2013). ""Double crap!" abuse and harmed identity in Fifty Shades of Grey". J Womens Health (Larchmt) 22 (9): 733–44. doi:10.1089/jwh.2013.4344. PMID 23931257. 
  46. ^ Bonomi AE, Nemeth JM, Altenburger LE, Anderson ML, Snyder A, Dotto I (August 2014). "Fiction or Not? Fifty Shades is Associated with Health Risks in Adolescent and Young Adult Females". J Womens Health (Larchmt). doi:10.1089/jwh.2014.4782. PMID 25144515. 
  47. ^ "Reading 'Fifty Shades' linked to unhealthy behaviors". ScienceDaily. Retrieved 2014-08-22. 
  48. ^ a b Schwartz, Meredith (11 May 2012). "Florida County Pulls Fifty Shades of Grey From Shelves". Library Journal. 
  49. ^ Clarke, Suzan (30 May 2012). "Florida County Library Lifts Ban on 50 Shades of Grey". ABC News. 
  50. ^ "BRAZIL JUDGE ORDERS '50 SHADES OF GREY' SEALED". Associated Press. Retrieved 18 January 2013. 
  51. ^ "Brazil judge orders '50 Shades of Grey' removed". USA Today. 18 January 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2013. 
  52. ^ "Brazilian bondage browsers tied down by court order". Global Legal Post. Retrieved 1 March 2013. 
  53. ^ Davenporte, Barbie (5 June 2012). "'Fifty Shades of Grey' Porn Parody Will Be Written/Directed by Mr. Filth. How Romantic.". LA Weekly. Retrieved 30 November 2012. 
  54. ^ Romero, Dennis (29 November 2012). "Fifty Shades Porn Parody Targeted In Big Hollywood Lawsuit". LA Weekly. Retrieved 30 November 2012. 
  55. ^ Strecker, Erin (29 November 2012). "Company behind 'Fifty Shades of Grey' porn sued by Universal". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 30 November 2012. 
  56. ^ "Universal files lawsuit against ‘Fifty Shades’ porn ‘rip-off’". Times Live. 30 November 2012. Retrieved 30 November 2012. 
  57. ^ Costanza, Justine Ashley (1 February 2013). "‘Fifty Shades Of Grey’ Porn Lawsuit Heats Up: Is The XXX Adaptation Illegal?". International Business Times. Retrieved 1 March 2013. 
  58. ^ a b Gardner, Eriq (4 March 2013). "'Fifty Shades' Porn Parody Countersuit Claims Books Are In Public Domain (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 6 March 2013. 
  59. ^ Romano, Aja (12 March 2013). ""Fifty Shades" porn parody lost its lawsuit, but everyone wins". Daily Dot. Retrieved 7 April 2013. 
  60. ^ Fleming, Mike (26 March 2012). "Universal Pictures and Focus Features win Fifty Shades of Grey". Deadline.com. PMC. Retrieved 7 May 2012. 
  61. ^ Miller, Julie (10 July 2012). "Fifty Shades of Grey Film Gets Oscar-Nominated Producers, Christian Grey–Casting Inspiration". Vanity Fair (online). Retrieved 12 August 2013. 
  62. ^ "Fifty Shades Of Grey Movie Casts Dakota Johnson In a Lead Role". EntertainmentWise (Yahoo! UK). Retrieved 3 September 2013. 
  63. ^ Rice, Lynette (2 September 2013). "'Fifty Shades of Grey' casts Dakota Johnson and Charlie Hunnam". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 3 September 2013. 
  64. ^ [1]
  65. ^ Kroll, Justin (October 23, 2013). "Jamie Dornan Will Play Christian Grey in ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’". Variety. Retrieved October 24, 2013. 
  66. ^ "Fifty Shades of Grey Classical Album Coming in August", Billboard.com, 7 August 2012
  67. ^ "Billboard Charts Top 5 Classical Music Albums". Classicalite. Retrieved 16 November 2012. 
  68. ^ Goodstein, Jack (15 September 2012). "Music Review: Fifty Shades of Grey: The Classical Album". Seattle PI. Retrieved 16 November 2012. 
  69. ^ Merkin, Fanny; Shaffer, Andrew (2012). Fifty Shames of Earl Grey: A Parody. 
  70. ^ Jamesbergstein, E.L. (2013). Fifty Shades of Oy Vey: A Parody. 
  71. ^ Edwards, Peter (December 17, 2013). "Business students steam up spreadsheets with ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ treatment". The Star (Toronto). 
  72. ^ e.g. http://fiftyshadesmeme.com
  73. ^ Cuff Me: The Fifty Shades of Grey Musical Parody, http://www.broadway.com/shows/cuff-me-fifty-shades-grey-musical-parody/
  74. ^ http://www.amazon.com/Fifty-Shades-Grey-Party-Board/dp/B00A2QAIFO
  75. ^ http://www.amazon.com/Fifty-Shades-Darker-Masquerade-Mask/dp/B008V9R9ME/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1406220630&sr=1-1&keywords=fifty+shades+mask

External links[edit]