I make fun of Fifty Shades of Grey. A lot. From the unrealistic relationships to the fact that it’s a literal fanfiction based on Twilight, to the humorous parodies of stalking and love. But despite all the common sense we’ve thrown at it, people still flock to it. Why? Perhaps it’s because it fulfills many women’s deepest fantasies. Maybe it allows us to indulge ourselves in a purely erotic sense, where we don’t have to deal with something as troublesome as common sense. But while many books do engage in this mindset, in the end, Fifty Shades of Grey drew the attention of concerned readers, all of whom say it perpetuates harmful stereotypes and the like. So what makes Fifty Shades of Grey so controversial? And how does this controversy differ from its vampiric predecessor?

Fifty Shades of Grey is about a young woman named Anastasia “Ana” Steele, who interviews successful billionaire Christian Grey. After a series of awkward encounters, the two decide to sign a contract, where Anastasia will participate in a twisted version of BDSM with Christian. All the while, Christian showers Ana with many gifts and dates. However, Christian doesn’t allow himself to become emotionally attached to Ana. Things come to a head when he pulls out his belt and begins spanking her. This causes Ana to leave Christian. There are more complicated twists in the relationship, all of which were shown in the sequels, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed.

One of the reasons why the Fifty Shades series attracted so much attention was because of its depiction of the BDSM community. Ironically, many members of the community accused the series of confusing BDSM with abuse, with some even suggesting that what Ana and Christian are partaking in isn’t BDSM at all, since the relationship isn't based on consent. What’s more, when the book was released, it was found that there had been a spike in injuries that were related to the use of sex toys and BDSM in general.

Social scientists have also weighed in on the book. Amy E. Bonomi, a social scientist, stated that the relationship between Ana and Christian isn’t a healthy one, and in actuality, mirrors that of an abusive relationship, with some of its elements including isolation, intimidation, and sexual violence. What’s more, a study published in The Journal of Women’s Health found a correlation between young women who read the first book, and the development of an eating disorder and the involvement with partners who were sexually violent towards the women, and other deviant behavior. Though the researchers don’t know if these behaviors were caused by the book, they do acknowledge that the book displays a lot of problematic behaviors between Ana and Christian, behaviors that are glorified. This, of course, has led to the book garnering many negative reviews, and even censorships in Brazil and Malaysia.

Nonetheless, Fifty Shades of Grey has garnered national and international attention. The film trilogy was considered a financial success, even though they were met with mixed reactions. The series also brought fanfiction into the light, becoming a prime example of the eroding barriers between traditional publishing and self-publishing. And while inaccurate in its depiction of the BDSM community, it has also sparked discussion about how to have safe sex properly, and the differences between abuse and love.

Fifty Shades of Grey has sparked massive controversies and discussions. But whether or not you’re a fan, it’s clear that the series has impacted contemporary society on a certain level. It forced us to realize just how powerful literature can be, especially with a society that’s still unveiling its own complexities.