Two years ago, any talk of “Fifty Shades of Grey” was likely slapped with a “for mature audiences only” disclaimer. But as a stunning amount of Americans are expected to succumb to the seductive pull of the film adaptation, in theaters this weekend, the phenomenon is hardly taboo anymore.
Since it skyrocketed into the pop culture stratosphere in 2012, the erotic book, the first in a trilogy by author E.L. James, has brought discussions previously reserved for pillow talk and internal thoughts, such as sadomasochism and bondage, a bit more mainstream.
The story, much like how critics perceive James’ prose, is simple: Anastasia Steele, a Seattle college student, becomes enamored of Christian Grey, a handsome and intense CEO, only to learn that he likes to maintain dominance and discipline in the boardroom as well as the bedroom.
Khalilah T. Olokunola, an event planner based in Wilmington, first read the book and its sequels about six months after hearing of them, and at first blush was put off by James’ writing.
“That first time, it was tough to get through. I actually put it down a few times,” she said. “It was like she didn’t really have command of the language. There is a lot of repetition.”
It wasn’t until a second and third read-through that Olokunola began to find merit in the novels, particularly the character of Anastasia.
“It was all about Anastasia for me. I wanted to know about her. I wanted to know how her mind evolved to be willing to put herself in these situations,” she said.
To date, the book has sold more than 100 million copies worldwide, been translated into 52 languages and, on a local level, has been checked out from across the New Hanover County Libraries 571 times. The library system has only five available copies in circulation, with an 11-person wait list, because 10 copies have never been returned.
“I would say that is a higher than average percentage, but racier books tend to have much higher loss rates,” said Dorothy Hodder, spokesperson for the library. “Some people just can’t bring themselves to part ways with a book.”
The new film continues to fan the flames around the series and deepened the divide between fans and dissenters. Still a target for critics, the film has been picked apart for months before its release by those who love it (out of fear the lead actors are miscast and the erotica has been toned down) and those who despise it (who claim the film’s rumored 20 minutes of sex scenes borders on pornography).
Regardless of individual opinion, awareness for the film is high.
A trailer aired during Feb. 1’s Super Bowl XLIX telecast, while Target announced last week it now carries a “Fifty Shades of Grey”-inspired line of erotic accessories, including a vibrating “love ring” and a “No Peeking Soft Twin Blindfold Set.”
The marketing is aimed at piquing the interest of Americans looking for the perfect Valentine’s Day date, and to hush concerns surrounding James’ reported tension with director Sam Taylor-Johnson and rumored lackluster chemistry between leads Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan.
Now that the film has hit theaters, Olokunola said she is excited to see its page-to-screen interpretation, and hopes it will spark conversation.
“So frequently, we look at something from the surface and judge it. If we don’t look deeper, we are missing things,” she said. “There are themes of self-worth and self-discovery that are worth mining.”
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