Two weeks ago, I blogged about the latest literary sensation to cause shock waves throughout the entertainment world, Fifty Shades of Grey, and things have only become more interesting since then, especially in the adult industry. In the first of two major Fifty Shades porn-related tie-ins, Eldorado Trading Company and Pipedream Products have joined forces to offer readers and retail customers, offering a 30% discount to Eldorado’s successful Fetish Fantasy line of lingerie and sexual aids and allowing Fifty Shades fans a chance to indulge in some fan-fic role-play of their own. Eldorado is providing adult retailers with a plan for assembling the ultimate in kinky Fifty Shades of Grey in-store advertisements. So sayeth Briana Honz, Pipedream’s merchandiser, “The Fetish Fantasy line and its offshoot brands cover all the bases for fetish enthusiasts,” plying them with such naughty novelties as hand-cuffs, various varieties of rope, breathable ball gags, Love Masks, and the aforementioned lingerie line. Eldorado and Pipedream have done their part, now we’ll just have to see if retailers pick up on the offer and extend it to their customers.
In more explicit adult-related news, Smash Pictures has announced the casting of Allie Haze and Ryan Driller in their forthcoming parody film, 50 Shades Darker XXX, based on the second of the three Fifty Shades novels and directed by Jim Powers. With Haze’s recent departure from the Vivid Entertainment stable and Driller’s continued success in parody roles – his turn as Clark Kent/Superman in Axel Braun’s Superman XXX: A Porn Parody scored him an AVN Best Actor nomination this year – the pair were clearly the best choices for their respective roles, beating out all other hopefuls who turned up to Smash’s open audition just a few days ago.
Whether the Fifty Shades Darker parody will beat out the other adult effort, Adult Source Media’s already announced and as-yet-untitled hardcore parody of the first book of the best-selling trilogy, remains to be seen. So too, though, does the longevity of this recent pop-culture phenomenon. Flash-in-the-pan or a genuine advancement of BDSM culture? Does author EL James (no periods for this literary genius) have the legal right to halt production of porn movies parodying her best-seller, which in turn has its origins in copyright-infringing Twilight fan-fiction? You be the judge! (And jury and sexy, sexy executioner! Ooh!)