Top 10 Ridiculous Fifty Shades of Grey Facts
Close the blinds, dim the lights and turn the volume down low. Join http://www.WatchMojo.com as we count down our picks for the top 10 ridiculous ““Fifty Shades of Grey” facts.
For this list, we'll be focusing on the 2011 E.L. James erotic novel that took the world by storm, and will be listing a few bizarre, hilarious or flat-out ridiculous facts about the franchise. Be sure to have your whips at the ready…
Script written by Angela Fafard
#10: Tie-In Products
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Building on the popularity of her already successful brand, author E.L. James launched a ““Fifty Shades of Grey” wine label, featuring two delicious wines: Red Satin and White Silk – Oh My! These wines pick up on story elements in the novel, and can of course be enjoyed while reading your favorite edition of “Fifty Shades.” However, buyer beware: some reputable critics have described it as tasting like “pain” and “wet saddle leather.” Yum. On a completely different tack, if you’ve got a little one, you can now dress him or her in the perfect outfit: the “Fifty Shades”-inspired onesie. These onesies range from “9 months ago my mommy read Fifty Shades of Grey” to “I’m a product of Fifty Shades of Grey” – Indeed!
#9: The “Fifty Shades” Effect
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The story of Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele has not only stimulated book sales around the world, it’s also boosted sales of sex toys! Helping more adventurous sex become mainstream, James’ novels also impacted sales of things like whips, handcuffs, paddles, and even pleasure beads significantly around the world. It seems that couples were more than ready to explore the world of BDSM, as the “Fifty Shades” effect swept through the bedrooms of the world. Of course, it’s also credited with causing a rise in sexually transmitted diseases – especially among the over-50 crowd. Oh my!
#8: A Mid-Life Crisis Project
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E.L. James has gone on the record as saying that “Fifty Shades” was her version of a mid-life crisis. Last time we checked, a midlife crisis typically included vast amounts of spending, a fancy car and an inappropriate affair – not a reported income of $95 million in 2013 alone! That’s right, $95 million – more than Michael Bay, Jerry Bruckheimer and Lady Gaga in the same period, to put it in perspective –and on top of that Universal Pictures is also rumored to have bestowed Mrs. James with a $5 million dollar paycheck for the movie rights to her story – Really!?
#7: Less-Than-Perfect Prose
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Unfortunately, “Fifty Shades of Grey” will never win a Nobel Prize in Literature. This might have something to do with the fact that the words “Oh My” appear, in that order, a whopping 178 times in the “Fifty Shades” book series. Sentences like “Her curiosity oozes through the phone” leave readers wondering if curiosity really can ooze… Further confusion ensues as the book, which is set in Seattle with American characters, is littered with British slang terms and expressions like “throwing toys out of the pram” and “reread his epistle” (present tense).
#6: Celebrity Readings
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The sexcapades of a dominant businessman and his submissive college girl lover have not only inspired legions of fans to dabbled in BDSM; they also whipped up several celebrity fans, many of whom have shown their love for the book through readings and parodies. Oh Yes! One can listen to the soothing voice of Gilbert Gottfried as he takes you through the luscious world of “Fifty Shades.” Better yet, have George Takei accompany your reading journey with his signature “Oh My.” Or perhaps you’d rather enjoy watching Ellen DeGeneres portray the leading lady in “Fifty Shades”? Hmmm maybe not.
#5: Movie Casting Fiasco
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There’s no business like show business, and that saying could not be more true when than when it’s applied to the “Fifty Shades” casting debacle. After much public debate, casting calls and tears, Charlie Hunnam and Dakota Johnson were cast in the lead roles. Unfortunately, this pairing didn’t last long as Hunnam backed out of the role in order to focus on his “Sons of Anarchy” role… right. After much soul searching, the part was eventually given to Jamie Dornan, a former underwear model for Calvin Klein and lead serial killer in the popular British crime drama “The Fall.” “Oh My!”
#4: Online Petitions
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With a fan base as exuberant and hungry as that of “Fifty Shades,” it was only natural that dissention within the ranks would occur at some interval. In this case, the breaking point came with the official casting of the lead characters. In fact, a petition on Change.org was launched demanding the roles of Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele be recast with Matt Bomer and Alexis Bledel in place of Hunnam and Johnson. By the time the petition had closed, it had amassed a mind-blowing ninety three thousand signatures! The petition pushing for all Target stores to stop selling the book altogether only has 7,700 signatures. “Yes Indeed”
#3: Most-Watched Trailer of 2014
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In a year that saw trailers released for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” “Jurassic World” and “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” a literal teaser trailer for a little movie by the name of “Fifty Shades of Grey” came out on top in terms of online views with 93 million. Sure, to be fair it was released early in the year, but we guess there are a lot of hot and bothered moms in the world just salivating to catch even a glimpse of this fantasy world. The public was further teased when Universal Pictures released an extended trailer during the Golden Globes, surprising fans with enticing glimpses of previously unseen characters. Yumm!
#2: “Fifty Shades” Hits 100 Million Copies Sold
A year before its movie adaptation was scheduled to hit theaters; the “Fifty Shades of Grey” book trilogy had already sold over 100 million copies worldwide! Think of it this way, “Fifty Shades” has sold more copies than books like “Lolita,” “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “The Da Vinci Code,” and “The Catcher in the Rye.” It’s also become the fastest-selling paperback ever and the best-selling book EVER in Britain, over even the likes of “Harry Potter” – quite the accomplishment for something that started as a mid-life crisis project.
Before we get to our top fact, here are a few honorable – or depending on your POV dishonorable – mentions:
- Rated R for “Unusual Behavior”
- Celebrity Fans: Oprah
- Survey Says: Reading Erotica > Having Sex
- New Term: “Mommy Porn”
- British Hotel Swapped Its Bibles for “Fifty Shades”
- Brazilian Libraries Must Remove “Fifty Shades” or Keep It Away from Kids
#1: Origins As “Twilight” Fan Fiction
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Something you may not know about the world’s most popular erotic novels is that the series began its days as “Twilight” fan fiction. That’s right: the main characters in E.L. James story were originally Edward Cullen and Bella Swan, and the story was initially posted on popular fan fiction forums. As you can imagine, due to its copious amount of sex and general inappropriateness, James was forced to take it down. She then re-vamped the plot (get it?), changing character names and characteristics before rebranding it as “Master of the Universe.” However, the author of the “Twilight” series, Stephenie Meyer – who is a devout Mormon who doesn’t smoke or drink – has since stated that she won’t read “Fifty Shades of Grey” as she considers it “not her kind of book.” But, based on the sales, her approval isn’t necessary – Oh My!
Do you agree with our list? Which 50 Shades facts did you find the most ridiculous? For more titillating top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
