The More You Know

Lady Who Cried After Meeting E.L. James Needs Reminder That ‘Fifty Shades’ Is Just A Book

Have you ever loved a movie or series so much that it consumed you way more than necessary? I’ve been there, but I was 13 the last time I let a pop culture obsession of mine get the best of me. Childhood is a funny thing. Grown-up life can be just as bizarre: Upon meeting “Fifty Shades” trilogy author E.L. James at Comic-Con, 29-year-old Lola De La Cruz wept.

“The relationship that’s in the book is something that I’ve always wanted and haven’t gotten in previous relationships, so it kind of gave me that hope that there’s something still out there,” a weepy De La Cruz, who had waited since 4 a.m. to chat with James, told the Washington Post of seeing the novelist in person. “It brought me back to life, so to speak.”

I’m not sure whether you’ve seen “Julie and Julia,” but De La Cruz’s second quote brings me back to an ending scene in the movie. Bored cubicle employee Julie Powell starts a cooking blog to channel her pent-up energy and feel like less of a corporate employee. She commits to making all the dishes in Julia Child’s book, idolizing the tall iconic television personality along the way. Without giving too much away, I’ll say Julie is in a good place by the end of the flick, and she tries to attribute her newfound happiness to Julia: “I was drowning and she saved me.” Thankfully Julie has a nice husband by her side to say Julie saved Julie, not Julia. In this scenario, De La Cruz saved De La Cruz. James was merely instrumental in helping her change for the better.

That’s not the first instance of a “Grey” fan getting a little carried away with the, if I do say so myself, underwhelming books. At the Union Square signing two months ago, I encountered women who lamented that heartthrob character Christian Grey is not a real person. One reader went so far as to say she had missed him since finishing the series. It’s great to have a passion for something, and I’m so glad De La Cruz’s life could have meaning again thanks to James, but at the end of the day it’s all a work of fiction. No matter how many hotel packages or “Fifty Shades” themed bed sheets a person has, Anastasia Steele and Mr. Grey exist only in the pages of the erotica, and you can’t keep them alive by waiting to be swept away as Ana’s character is.

TAGS: e.l. james | el james | fifty shades of grey

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