25-year-old Dakota Johnson has stepped into the Hollywood A-list with her star role in the smash hit "Fifty Shades of Grey." 

But this is not the first time we've seen Johnson on screen. The actress, who comes from a long line of Hollywood royalty, famously played a young Stanford student and Sean Parker's one-night-stand in "The Social Network."

In the movie, she's the one who tells Parker about Facebook blowing up on college campuses. This inspires Parker to track down Mark Zuckerberg.

Watch the clip below. 

SEE ALSO: MEET DAKOTA JOHNSON, the 25-year-old Hollywood royalty at the center of the 'Fifty Shades' phenomenon

MORE: How to save big money on your internet bill

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The New York State Republican Party decided to jump into the discussion surrounding the hit erotic romance movie "Fifty Shades of Grey."

On Tuesday, the state GOP tweeted a fake movie poster for "Fifty Shades of Bill" that appears to have New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) as the film's female protagonist and the Rev. Al Sharpton as her lover: 

The satire also included quips about the film's famous bondage scenes. On their mock poster, the state Republicans jokingly promised their de Blasio flick would feature the mayor "TIED UP by his habitual tardiness, "DOMINATED by the duties of his office," and "HANDCUFFED by his poor management of the NYPD." 

De Blasio's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the poster from Business Insider.

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NOW WATCH: Learn what all the fuss is about — here's the regular guy's guide to 'Fifty Shades of Grey'

Amy Bonomi, a public health researcher and the chair of the human development and family studies department at Michigan State University, has taken several people to see the movie "Fifty Shades of Grey"— but she doesn't exactly recommend it.

"It's horrible," she says. Bonomi's biggest problem with the movie is not that it is overwrought or poorly written, but that it popularizes a dangerous relationship, misrepresenting abuse as consensual bondage play or kink.

The women Bonomi has brought to the movie, she says, are taking part in a series of focus groups that will help her assess how young women perceive the relationship between Christian and Anastasia, the movie's central characters.

This ongoing research builds on two studies by Bonomi that focused on the "Fifty Shades of Grey" book.

Bonomi's first study, published in 2013, used the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's definitions of emotional abuse and sexual violence to conclude that "emotional abuse is present in nearly every interaction" between Christian and Anastasia and that "sexual violence is pervasive." The second, published in 2014, found that women who read "Fifty Shades of Grey" were more likely than those who didn't to have had an abusive partner and to have engaged in risky health behaviors like binge drinking and disordered eating (though certainly the research did not imply that the book caused these effects).

We talked to Bonomi about what piqued her interest in "Fifty Shades of Grey" and what she had learned so far. (Warning: Possible spoilers ahead.)

BUSINESS INSIDER: How did you decide to study "Fifty Shades"?

AMY BONOMI, PH.D.: I was teaching a graduate class on relationship violence, and as we were studying theories of what domestic violence is and what causes it in relationships, my grad students kept saying: "This is a lot like what we're reading in 'Fifty Shades.'" So I said OK, well let's take the second half of the semester to apply the readings to the books. We started by analyzing the first book using the national definitions of domestic violence.

BI: What struck you on your first read-through of the book?

AB: Every interaction involves abuse. Christian stalks Anastasia, intimidates her verbally, and socially isolates her. That's the name of the game in abusive relationships: isolating someone from family and friends.

She tells him she feels demeaned, debased, and abused, and he says, "Well, you need to embrace those feelings and deal with them the way a real submissive would." He minimizes her concerns. And he uses alcohol and sexual violence to impair Anastasia's consent — he begins a lot of sexual interactions when he is genuinely angry with her. Those are two big red flags.

BI: What do you suspect is going on with the association you found between women who read "Fifty Shades" and risky behaviors/abusive partners?

AB: A lot of studies have looked at the association between violent television and the use of aggression, so this was following the same lines. We're not claiming that "Fifty Shades"causes these behaviors. But the problematic abuse message in "Fifty Shades" creates an underlying context that normalizes abuse.

For young women today, if we think about the messaging we're given in television and music videos — Rihanna and Eminem's "Love The Way You Lie" also normalized abuse — it can make it challenging for someone at risk for abuse or experiencing it to recognize it when it's occurring.

BI: Some people argue that "Fifty Shades" is just fantasy.

AB: People have been making that argument about porn for a long time, but the empiricalstudies show that those who are interacting with porn are much more likely to hold attitudes that support violence against women and more likely to be violent against women in their own relationships.

There is an association that we really need to be paying attention to in society. If it is fantasy, then we need to be working with young people to look at those visions of fantasy with a critical eye.

BI: How do you respond to the argument that "Fifty Shades of Grey" is just showing a healthy BDSM relationship?

AB: "Fifty Shades" is very different from what a traditional BDSM relationship is. First off, in traditional BDSM relationships, both parties are consenting to the activity, and any use of alcohol or drugs is seen to negate consent. Second, both parties mutually agree upon what the activities will be before engaging in them.

In "Fifty Shades," both of those concepts are violated. Alcohol is used to violate Anastasia's consent, and Christian pressures Anastasia into participating in activities that she's uncomfortable with.

BI: Did you notice any important differences between the movie and the book?

AB: One thing that's very different about the film is that more elements of romance are woven in. There's a scene where Christian takes Anastasia and says "let's go for a walk in the park," and it's a tender moment that's not in the book. There's also a scene where they're dancing in his condo — a lot of people see that as a romantic scene.

BI: Does that added romance change any of your core criticisms about "Fifty Shades"?

AB: Not at all. Shame on Hollywood for romanticizing a highly problematic abusive relationship. But of course that's what Hollywood does.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

SEE ALSO: The top 10 things people fantasize about

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NOW WATCH: Forget 'Fifty Shades' — the 'Magic Mike XXL' trailer is out and it's intense

"Fifty Shades of Grey" may have dominated the box office this weekend, but it wasn't exactly easy adapting E.L. James' best selling novel for the big screen.

While Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan ended up playing Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey, respectively, finding the right chemistry between two actors with available schedules proved fairly difficult.

Initially, "Sons of Anarchy"actor Charlie Hunnam was cast as Christian Grey, but many fans of the book didn't approve of the choice.

A petition to re-cast the movie garnered 20,000 signatures on Change.org, and due to scheduling conflicts and reported clashes between Hunnam and Universal Pictures, Hunnam eventually dropped out of the project.

Just 11 days later, "Once Upon A Time" actor Jamie Dornan was cast in the role.

Amid all of the casting back-and-forth, the film's producer Dana Brunetti tweeted somewhat of an explanation:

"There is a lot that goes into casting that isn't just looks. Talent, availability, their desire to do it, chemistry with other actor, etc … So if your favorite wasn't cast, then it is most likely due to something on that list. Keep that in mind while hating and keep perspective."

Brunetti was apparently hinting at the handful of actors who actually turned down the leading roles.

While "50 Shades" author E.L. James has said actor Ryan Gosling was the original prototype for Christian Grey, he doesn't do sequels.

"50 Shades" is a guaranteed trilogy.

Before Hunnam got the gig, Garrett Hedlund reportedly turned it down.

"Hedlund was heavily courted by Universal, but the 'Tron: Legacy' star passed in July because he couldn't connect with the character," according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Backing for "White Collar" actor Matt Bomer was so strong that a petition started by fans to cast him garnered almost 100,000 signatures.

Other actors in the mix included "Magic Mike" star Alex Pettyfer, who auditioned for the role, "Gossip Girl" actor Chace Crawford, who publicly stated he would "love the challenge" of the role, Alexander Skarsgård said on "Access Hollywood" he was "born to play" Christian Grey, and "The Vampire Diaries" star, Ian Somerhalder, told Ryan Seacrest that being cast "would be an incredible thing. Hopefully that could pan out."

Fans had their own casting ideas, pushing for Somerhalder as Christian Grey and Alexis Bledel to play Anastasia Steele, in a fan-created mashup trailer that received over a million views.

The role of Anastasia Steele was also a tricky one to cast.

According to Newsweek, "'Pretty Little Liars' star Lucy Hale auditioned, as did 'The Carrie Diaries’' Chloe Bridges, but neither was quite prepared to tackle the subject matter. Hale said the audition made her 'uncomfortable.'"

Bridges, meanwhile, told Cosmopolitan the role was too risqué.

"The scene was, like, the girl telling her friends about some sexcapade she had," explained Bridges. "But it goes into extreme detail and uses the word 'sperm' a couple times. I was like, 'I don’t know, guys, I have to go home to my grandparent’s house in a few months at Christmas, I don’t know if I can do this.'"

Despite early rumors that Emma Watson was being considered, the "Harry Potter" actress tweeted:

And so, the role went to Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson's 25-year-old daughter, Dakota Johnson, who had previously only appeared in minor but memorable roles in "21 Jump Street" and "The Social Network."

Whether "Fifty Shades" fans agreed with the Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan casting or not, they clearly have star power as the duo pulled in a record-breaking $266 million worldwide over President's Day weekend.

SEE ALSO: MEET DAKOTA JOHNSON, the 25-year-old Hollywood royalty at the center of the 'Fifty Shades' phenomenon

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NOW WATCH: 14 things you didn't know your iPhone headphones could do

"Fifty Shades of Grey" is a story that features sex enhanced with bondage, sadism, and masochism.

It has been credited for heating up a lot of bedrooms around the world.

That's fine.

But the sex between the characters Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele functions as a distraction for what appears to be a rationalization for abusive relationships.

Here's what public-health researcher Amy Bonomi told Business Insider:

Every interaction involves abuse. Christian stalks Anastasia, intimidates her verbally, and socially isolates her. That's the name of the game in abusive relationships: isolating someone from family and friends.

She tells him she feels demeaned, debased, and abused, and he says, "Well, you need to embrace those feelings and deal with them the way a real submissive would." He minimizes her concerns. And he uses alcohol and sexual violence to impair Anastasia's consent — he begins a lot of sexual interactions when he is genuinely angry with her. Those are two big red flags.

There are less-subtle red flags in the story.

The release form

Perhaps the most disturbing interaction between the two is when Christian tries to manipulate Anastasia into signing a form, releasing him of any liability for all of the awful things he plans to do to her.

There is something brilliantly evil about putting that language on paper. It reduces sexual relations down to a cold business arrangement. But it implicitly, perhaps unconsciously, includes a very dark emotional transaction: Christian gets the satisfaction of knowing Anastasia willingly got into this, and Anastasia more or less surrenders the right to blame him for being anything less than a gentleman.

In the minds of Christian and Anastasia, the release form marks the moment in which blame shifts from the abuser to the victim.

Anastasia never signs the release form, and on multiple occasions she walks away.

But that is when things arguably get worse.

Christian entices Anastasia with expensive gifts. (In the movie, she gets a MacBook, a new car, and at least one ride on a glider.) That's in addition to a lot of fantastic, nonviolent sex. This is the "manipulation" Dr. Bonomi is referring to.

At some point, Anastasia confuses Christian's actions for gestures of love. It is unclear exactly when it happens, but she falls in love with him.

That's when she really gets herself into trouble.

Rationalizing the violence

As their unorthodox relationship proceeds, Anastasia learns more about Christian's dark history. In the movie, she sees what appears to be cigarette burns on his body, which we later learn were put there by his abusive mother. She also learns that one of Christian's mother's friends used him as a sex slave for years when he was a boy.

Unfortunately, the actions of many of history's worst people can be explained by upbringing. What's the difference between Christian Grey and some other run-of-the-mill violent sociopath?

Anastasia loves him.

She desperately wants to understand him because she sympathizes with him.

At the climax of the story, Christian becomes very violent.

This chapter ends with her, once again, walking away.

The reality

It is very upsetting to hear about women who fall victim to their abusive lovers. It is even more frustrating to hear that those victims stay.

We hear these stories all too frequently, and many of us are left wondering, "Why?"

If you were one of the people who read or watched "Fifty Shades Of Grey" and found yourself even briefly fantasizing about what it would be like to be Anastasia, then maybe you know.

Abusive men don't reveal their truths when they first meet you. They are — in one form or another — Christian Grey. On the surface they are harmless. Importantly, they fill some sort of need.

In the real world, there's a point at which, like Anastasia, you fall in love. You struggle to articulate why, but you are trapped. Perhaps it is because love is a loaded emotion with lots of strings attached like patience and understanding.

None of this is new. But historically this type of story would have been filed in the horror or psychological thriller genres. This time, however, the material landed in a romance novel.

Regardless, it's just fiction, right?

Wrong. Here's Bonomi:

People have been making that argument about porn for a long time, but the empirical studies show that those who are interacting with porn are much more likely to hold attitudes that support violence against women and more likely to be violent against women in their own relationships.

There is an association that we really need to be paying attention to in society. If it is fantasy, then we need to be working with young people to look at those visions of fantasy with a critical eye.

Rather than perpetuating a harmful narrative, we should see "Fifty Shades Of Grey" as an opportunity to open a dialogue about abusive relationships.

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NOW WATCH: Learn what all the fuss is about — here's the regular guy's guide to 'Fifty Shades of Grey'

The best-selling novel "Fifty Shades of Grey" was written by a woman for women. But what if it were written for men? Would the titillating plot be the same?

Probably not, according to some studies of erotic literature, sexual fantasies, and pornographic consumption.

The reason lies in the fundamental differences found between the kinds of material some men and women consume for pleasure and, ultimately, what each often prefers to think about in their sexual fantasies.

Here's how a male-focused "Fifty Shades" might have been different:

Getting down to business

The story revolves around two main characters, Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey, and their relationship that begins with attraction and quickly snowballs into a love affair. But the affair is an unconventional one, driven by Grey's obsession with bondage, dominance, sadism, and masochism — also known as BDSM. 

In the beginning, author Erika Mitchell (who wrote the book under the name E.L. James), takes the time to introduce the characters, establish the sexual attraction and tension between them, and build up readers' anticipation for the climatic moment of sexual release.  But it's not until Chapter 8 that Steele and Grey start to get hot and heavy in the bedroom.

That would be eight chapters too many if the novel had been written for men.

In a paper that probed differences in male and female sexual fantasies, published back in 1990 in the Journal of Sex Research, the authors wrote:

"The most striking feature of male-oriented pornography is that sex is sheer lust and physical gratification, devoid of encumbering relationships, emotional elaboration, complicated plot lines, flirtation, courtship, and extended foreplay."

This harkens back to the nature of what men fantasize about, which includes women (or men) who will never reject them and readily consent to sex at any time, according to another paper that reviews the scientific literature on sexual fantasies and was published in 1995 in the Psychological Bulletin. And the advent of the internet has only accelerated the consumption of porn and the pervasiveness of fantasies further.

As a result, the entire beginning of James's book would be of little interest to a male audience. Grey would never have pursued Steele the way he does in the novel by appearing at her place of work or inviting her to his parents' home. Instead, the two of them would likely have got right down to business in Grey's office, when he meets Steele for the first time.

Tell, don't tease

Getting to the heated parts sooner wouldn't be the only difference. 

Whether it's images in a magazine, scenes in a movie, or words on a page, pornography for men often evokes images of naked bodies, particularly the genitals. The reason for this can be explained by the fact that male brains react differently to explicit sexual images than female brains, according to a study published in 2004 in Nature Neuroscience. 

A team of researchers at Emory University studied neural activity in the brains of 14 men and 14 women as they looked at images of sexual and social interactions for 30 minutes. An emotional center of the brain, called the amygdala, showed notably higher levels of activity in male brains when they saw sexual images than in female's brains. This can help explain why, in numerous studies including one published late last year, men's sexual fantasies are more detailed and visual than women's.

Although James's bedroom scenes take the fantasy one step farther into the realm of BDSM, the writing itself leaves much to the imagination. For example, during one of the oral sex scenes, the only body parts referred to by name are the mouth, tongue, and throat. And the closest James gets to mentioning genitalia by name is the word "popsicle."

While "popsicle" does a good job as an analogous term, if James had been a man writing erotica for a male audience, this scene would have likely involved another "p" word. Moreover, it also might have included more visual imagery and explicit mentions of other body parts.

The more the merrier

It's likely that Steele would not be the only person getting spanked and whipped in a version of "Fifty Shades of Grey" written for men.

In fact, according to a study published last year in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, one of the ten things a sample of 717 men in Canada fantasized about the most was having sex with more than three women at once.

In addition to having sex with multiple partners simultaneously, men also tend to fantasize about different partners more often than women, studies show. So, instead of chasing after Steele the entire time, Grey would have probably been soliciting other women as well as Steele. A BDSM player, of sorts. Who else he might have lured into his "play room" is left to your imagination.

So, while men might wonder why "Fifty Shades of Grey" is such a hit with the ladies, opening the book will probably just satisfy their curiosity — not their fantasies. 

CHECK OUT: The top 10 things people fantasize about

LEARN MORE: The foremost academic expert on 'Fifty Shades of Grey' tells us why the movie is truly horrible

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NOW WATCH: Learn what all the fuss is about — here's the regular guy's guide to 'Fifty Shades of Grey'

Movie theaters are not making money on movies, they are making money on food.

On Tuesday, AMC Entertainment reported fourth quarter adjusted earnings and revenue that beat Wall Street estimates. 

But admissions revenue, or money paid for movie tickets, actually declined 4.5% over the prior year as both ticket prices and attendance fell. And in a statement, AMC CEO Gerry Lopez admitted that the movies released during the quarter weren't all that great, calling it a "lackluster film slate."

So where did the company make money? Food. 

During the fourth quarter, AMC reported concessions revenue rose 8.8% over the prior year to $215.3 million as average spending per customer rose 13.5% to $4.46.

In a note to clients following the report, analysts at Stifel put the strength in concessions into context like this:

Concessions were very strong: Even excluding the impact of a $5mn tax refund (aiding sales which are inclusive of tax), concessions were +10.9% with no margin erosion. The increase per patron (+$0.40/excluding tax) came from both new initiatives (+$0.25), ranging from the dine-in-theaters to bars to self-serve options while (+$0.16) came from a move to price excluding tax, similar to standard retail, allowing for price increases. For some sense of magnitude, the addition of a bar increases concession/patron at a venue by $0.35 alone. The result is that we anticipate a $0.40/patron concession increase for the first three quarters of 2015 based on these trends. With no increase to attendance estimates, this concession increase adds $50mn in EBITDA to our estimates.

Now, the question is whether this increased spending is being aided — getting what economists call a "tailwind"— from the decline in gas prices, as spending at movie heathers is right in the wheelhouse of the kinds of discretionary consumer spending economists expect to increase when the price of gas tumbles like it has over the last several months. 

On AMC's conference call, Citi analyst Jason Bazinet asked if the company has seen increased spending due to the decline in gas prices, and AMC CEO Gerry Lopez responded saying, "I have honestly not thought about it in the context of what’s been happening at the gas pump."

In talking about the strength of the current quarter, Lopez said that right now, it's about the big movies that are currently in theaters: American Sniper, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, and of course, Fifty Shades of Grey. 

Lopez also noted that the strength of these movies helps the theaters because there is limited overlap in the target audiences.

SEE ALSO: Restaurants and bars are crushing it

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NOW WATCH: Learn what all the fuss is about — here's the regular guy's guide to 'Fifty Shades of Grey'

"Fifty Shades of Grey"stormed the box office, raking in $85.2 million over its three-day opening weekend. Fans, hate-watchers, and those who were just curious flocked to see the virginal college student Anastasia Steele (played by the surprisingly charming and funny Dakota Johnson) surrender to the washboard abs and kinky tastes of billionaire Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan).

Thanks to the film's early press and wild ticket sales — as well as the enormous popularity of E.L. James' "Twilight"-based series— two sequels are already in store for the subsequent books "Fifty Shades Darker" and "Fifty Shades Freed."

Despite the adaptation's success, the first film received pretty terrible reviews. It is sitting at 25% on Rotten Tomatoes for its lack of sexiness and its general tameness. It should have been way steamier considering its provocative source material.

The movie is still a vast improvement from the book, but given the film's widespread criticism, now may be a good time to get started on some improvements. Here are some ways to improve the future installments.

1. Give Ana an iPhone 

Or at least give her an Android. It's wildly out of step for Ana not to have a smartphone. You can argue that some folks can't afford fancy phones, but given the looks of Ana's two very nice apartments — particularly her post-grad digs in Seattle — it is likely that she can afford a smartphone. 

Yes, iPhones were less ubiquitous when the first book was published in 2011, when more people used Blackberries. (Some even preferred the Blackberry to the iPhone!) Christian uses one in the book, and he even gives Ana one, too. In the film, however, Christian gets an upgrade to an iPhone. Granted, Ana has an old flip phone in the books, but shouldn't she also receive an updated cell?

2. Make Christian and Ana's relationship less characterized by abuse

The "Fifty Shades" books are problematic because they fetishize unhealthy relationships and suffer from less-than-mediocre prose, but the movie heightens the problems. It may be tough to see it at first because the book is told from Ana's perspective and readers get caught up in the book's vivid sex scenes, but Christian's behavior is actually abhorrent. The movie liberally stripped the plot of most of its sex scenes and toned down the remaining sex scenes, allowing Christian's awful behavior to be highlighted. 

There's a scene in which Christian randomly appears in Ana's apartment one evening with a bottle of wine in hand. That's not romantic — it's stalkerish, and even creepy. 

Worse, his behavior glamorizes abuse, giving men the idea that it is OK to treat women terribly. With cinematic shots that look like engagement-ring commercials — specifically one shot with Christian playing the piano shirtless while Ana traipses toward him wrapped in nothing but a sheet — the film makes it look as if an abusive relationship with a billionaire is a luxury. 

Unlike in the book, in which Christian is humanized a bit more in detail, it is slightly unclear to movie viewers why Ana decides to stick around. If the next movie makes Christian less glaringly abusive — and more genuinely interested in Ana — it will help explain why Ana decides to stick around for at least two sequels. That said ...

3. Don't forcefully insert luxury

Two drawn-out scenes, both of them set to upbeat music, involve Ana and Christian flying above the skies.

An early scene has Christian sweep Ana away in his personal helicopter to his luxurious home in Seattle. Another scene late in the film serves to mitigate the fact that Christian spontaneously shows up while Ana is visiting her mother in Georgia. He takes her for a ride on a glider when they are supposed to meet for breakfast.

It's not that the extravagant plane rides are problematic — it's just that they come across as forceful attempts to reconcile coercive behavior. Instead of letting these moments come across as sincere romance, the movie makes them look like out-of-place makeups. The scenes look like music videos. The odd juxtaposition of creepy behavior with a helicopter rides sends a message that it is OK to coerce a woman into doing something she may not be comfortable doing, so long as you can take her for a ride above the skyline. Is that the message the next two movies really want to send?

4. Let the BDSM consultant overrule some technical choices

Kinky behavior in the bedroom — ropes, ties, whips, whatever you choose to stock in your own personal Red Room of Pain — is your business, but it's not synonymous with abuse. The movie problematically links Christian's tastes in the bedroom with abusive behavior, which ultimately demonizes and shames people in the kink/BDSM communities. The movie also inaccurately represents how a submissive/dominant relationship works. Dominatrix Lady Velvet Steel wrote in The Hollywood Reporter:

Christian Grey, played by Jamie Dornan, is supposedly a dominant in Fifty Shades. He isn't a dominant. He's a stalker. He breaks into Anastasia's house, he bullies her friend, he buys her expensive gifts. He is constantly crossing boundaries. And S&M is all about respecting boundaries.

Another dominatrix, Mistress D. Sandoval, told The Daily Beast, "No kinkster would ever use cable ties, harsh rope, or duct tape in their play sessions." Those accoutrements come right out of the book, but on screen it is way easier to see. As Ana puts it, Christian seems like a "serial killer."

Yet oddly enough, the movie had Liam Helmer credited as a "BDSM consultant," so how could this misrepresentation happen so blatantly? He reportedly informed Jamie Dornan how to work with his BDSM props, but we can speculate that he couldn't change the source material because author E.L. James had a very tight grip.

5. Try to break free of E.L. James' handcuffs

E.L. James adamantly insisted on making sure specific details of the book made it to screen. This included Ana's incessant lip biting and an exchange of "laters, baby" between Christian and Ana.

If you're a diehard fan of the series, these additions make sense. If you're experiencing only the film, their importance may be slightly unclear as both items are introduced pretty briefly before becoming repeated over and over.

James' persistence didn't make it easy for director Sam Taylor-Johnson, who reportedly argued with James about what should — and shouldn't — make it into the film. James had the final say. 

For instance, Taylor-Johnson wanted to change the ending of the film slightly. The Hollywood Reporter disclosed that James wanted Ana to yell out "stop!" as Christian beat her, but Taylor-Johnson requested that the word be changed to "red," which is their "safe word" to indicate that Ana is still a willing participant even though she has reached her limits. James ultimately won the battle. 

When "Fifty Shades"first sold the rights to the film to Universal and Focus Features in 2012, James' agent Valerie Hoskins told Deadline the goal was to "protect the material and its manifestations into movies." However, if handled delicately enough, perhaps with the right words, the new director (Taylor-Johnson reportedly wants out now) will be able to at least tweak some of the original content.

6. Show a little male nudityIt doesn't need to be pornographic, but it seems odd that in a movie targeted at females, with the intention of sexually empowering them, that there is little to no male nudity. Instead there are enough breasts to satisfy a middle-school boy in puberty. That seems counterintuitive, doesn't it?

A quick shot of a man isn't going to immediately catapult a movie into NC-17 territory: Ben Affleck did it ever so briefly in "Gone Girl." Jason Segel did it in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall." The latter is a comedy.

Showing male nudity isn't about satiating the appetites of women in heat. It's about parity in nudity, which ultimately is parity in sexuality and, further, in gender equality.

7. More sex, please.

Sorry, "Fifty Shades" producers, but people aren't coming out to see the film to be wowed as they would when seeing a Shakespearean play. Give the people what the want — lowbrow as it may be.

Reviewers said it pretty loudly: For a movie about sex, there was barely enough of it. The 100-minute film features about 20 minutes of sex, but the first installment in the book series is loaded with sex. No one is asking for straight-up pornography, but isn't there at least a happy medium between tepid and steamy?

SEE ALSO: The foremost academic expert on 'Fifty Shades of Grey' tells us why the movie is truly horrible

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NOW WATCH: Learn what all the fuss is about — here's the regular guy's guide to 'Fifty Shades of Grey'

The “Fifty Shades of Grey” effect knows no bounds — not even for the gags, restraints, ticklers and toys its helping move in sex shops across the country.

TheWrap spoke with standalone boutiques and national chains about sales spikes following the film’s staggering $94.4 million opening weekend, and they’re reporting back with record numbers and rampant interest in the BDSM toys central to the Jamie Dornan-Dakota Johnson romance.

Babeland, a bi-coastal operation that markets largely to females, said sales of accessories in the BDSM category are up 90 percent from last February with their locations in Seattle and New York posting best-ever in-store numbers. Their official website also posted a five-year high in online purchases.

“In more than twenty years of business, I’ve never seen a cultural force like this,” Claire Cavanah, co-founder of Babeland, told TheWrap.

The range of products available include riding crops, leather cuffs, anal plugs, blindfolds and paddles. The chain also hosts sex workshops in select markets, and this February’s theme is “Fifty Shades.” The workshop scheduled for this Friday at the Soho location has attracted a record-breaking 1100 RSVP’s and counting.

Purple Passion, a high-end fetish boutique in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood, said foot traffic has been dialed up since “Fifty Shades” won the President’s Day weekend box office.

“We specialize in BDSM and fetish wear, so we carry a lot of clothing here, latex, leather and shiny toys,” a spokesperson for the shop said, “we’ve definitely had people running in who have seen the film.”

Some clientele haven’t even seen the movie, but their significant others have sent them out to purchase gear for exploratory fun.

“I just had a woman whose boyfriend went to see it and now he wants to try, she bought an outfit, a cane, blindfolds and french tickler,” the rep said. And given that the film has inspired a rush of purchasing, it’s done the same for instructional material and what to do with those whips and chains.

Adult video site Pornhub.com said searches for video clips related to bondage increased 45 percent over the Valentine’s Day weekend. Specifically the phrases “naughty swinger wife,” “make her scream” and “cupid” saw 636 percent, 518 percent and 433 percent increases in search activity.

“Fifty Shades of Grey” based on the blockbuster novels by E.L. James, made $245 million around the globe last weekend. Expect those bondage sales to surge for years to come, as sequels based on the books — “Fifty Shades Darker” and “Fifty Shades Freed” — are rumored to be in motion.

SEE ALSO: Everything you should know about 'Fifty Shades of Grey' if you don't want to read the book

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Of course, that's a rough estimate. Depending on the lighting conditions, surface texture, and background color, people may be able to distinguish a few more or a few less shades. Note that the image at the top of this story is an optical illusion, in which the bar is actually one shade of gray. The graded background makes the bar appear to have different shades along its horizontal axis.

Meanwhile, human color vision is much richer. People are thought to be able to detect about 10 million unique colors. And some can see even more than that.

We wanted to share with you these bits of science trivia for no particular reason whatsoever. We learned them from a paper called “Biological versus electronic adaptive coloration: how can one inform the other?” The paper is about research into e-book display technology and is very cool. E-books are also a totally unrelated subject we just pulled out of thin air.

This article originally appeared on Popular Science

This article was written by Francie Diep from Popular Science and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.

SEE ALSO: The foremost academic expert on 'Fifty Shades of Grey' tells us why the movie is truly horrible

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Brayden Olson is not a billionaire. He doesn't own a helicopter. And he won't admit to having ... non-traditional relationships with the opposite sex.

In many ways, he's a typical young entrepreneur pursuing the American dream.

But his story somehow took an unexpected turn when the erotic thriller "Fifty Shades of Grey" blew up in popularity.

A real-life "Christian Grey"?

Brayden Olson, a 27-year-old Seattle-based entrepreneur, says tons of women have reached out to him because they think he is the real-life Christian Grey, the fictional male character in "Fifty Shades of Grey." 

A hugely popular erotic novel, "Fifty Shades of Grey" follows the BDSM relationship between 27-year-old Seattle billionaire Christian Grey and his college-student partner, Anastasia Steele. More than 100 million copies of the book have been sold worldwide, and the newly released movie adaption has dominated the box office since its debut over Presidents Day weekend.

During a Skype call from London, Olson told Business Insider that a few years ago a woman he dated briefly pointed out over lunch that he was similar to Grey. He had not yet read the book series, but over time more and more people started making the same association, he said. 

"I started getting messages from people I didn't know." 

Leading up to the movie, he said, about 1,000 fans of the book reached out over e-mail and through Facebook messages and friend requests.

"I knew the movie would bring more attention, but I continue to be really surprised by the whole matter," he said.

He said some women have even flown out to Seattle to meet him. He acknowledged he had gone on dates with some of them, too. 

Olson, who has now read the book and seen the film, said some of the similarities were "pretty mind-numbing."

First, he feels as if he relates to Grey in professional aspects. 

"So, I like to point out the professional and bibliographical similarities. I do run a holding company. I live in Seattle. I was voted Seattle's 'best man.' I'm the youngest entrepreneur ever admitted to the entrepreneurs' organization in my region," he told us, listing off other achievements. 

Olson, who like Grey wears suits most days, told us he runs a holding company called Wilhelm Enterprises. The company, which is derived from Olson's middle name, supposedly involved in education gaming technology and real estate.

In the series, Grey, who runs his namesake firm Grey Enterprises, is a billionaire. Olson is not. 

"Christian Grey has got me beat," Olson said. "He is a character from a book. I don't think a real person can compete. I claim to be the real Brayden Olson. I'm sure you can relate to how strange it would be to have a fictional character made up and so many things true about you in your real life."

Olson, who said he was proud of his professional accomplishments so far, pointed out that it seemed as if Grey never has to actually work.

"I definitely have to actually work." 

"I have a successful career; I do not have a Charlie Tango, yet," he said, referring to Grey's helicopter. 

Olson would not really have a use for a helicopter in Seattle anyway, as he would have to get laws passed there to fly — only news and medical choppers are allowed within city limits. 

One toy Olson has that Grey doesn't is a BMW i8. Grey drives an Audi R8. 

"I think it's definitely a Christian Grey type of car," Olson said.

There's a waitlist for the BMW supercar. Olson said this was one way he had been able to capitalize on this association to the character of Christian Grey. 

"The guy who owns one of the dealerships in Washington essentially gave up his car so that I could have it because he saw it as an opportunity to associate it with the real Christian Grey," Olson said. 

He continued: "There's some things money can't buy — I know at Bellevue BMW they had someone offer $250,000 to skip the waitlist — where influence and power are more important than cash." 

He declined to name the price he paid for the BMW. The car starts at about $136,000.

Beyond the professional parallels, Olson pointed out a subtler similarity people close to him have noticed. 

In the series, Grey refers to Anastasia Steele as "Miss Steele." Olson picked up this habit of using "Miss"and "Mr." back in college. 

"It was always Miss and Mr.," he said. "I stopped doing that when the association was brought to my attention." 

Olson also said he always had an interest in flying like Grey before he was introduced to the series. He decided to take up scuba diving instead. 

As for those other extracurricular activities Christian Grey is drawn to, Olson has used it as an opportunity to advocate a good cause. 

"The popularity of this work gives us an opportunity to discuss a different difficult topic — domestic violence," Olson said. "It exists in every community and affects a significant portion of our society. I donate to my local domestic violence program called LifeWire, and I encourage others to become active in the conversation however they can. The line between choosing to show affection more non-traditionally as seen in '50 Shades of Grey' and moving into the category of domestic violence is consent and desire. Remember, Ana and Christian negotiated their contract in the boardroom!" 

Right now, Olson is single. He hasn't found his Anastasia Steele, yet. 

"This is just a moment in my life," he said. "Christian's story is over a two- or three-year period. This is just the beginning of my career, and this is what I want to do in business and politics and nonprofit work — I want to leave a legacy with someone who is capable of building it with me." 

*Editor's Note: We should mention that Business Insider didn't think it was worth the resources to confirm Olson's whole story, so take this post for what you will. Regardless, Olson's story is certainly an unusual one.

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A theater in Colorado accidentally showed "Fifty Shades of Grey" to an audience of children.

The Coloradoan reports that the Loveland theater began playing the explicit movie instead of the movie that was meant to be on: The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water.

Only the start of the film was shown, but even so, parents "were moving pretty fast" to try and hurry their children away from the movie, said Joe Jaramillo, who took his granddaughter to what he thought would be a screening of the new Spongebob Squarepants movie.

The theater refused to comment on the incident to The Coloradoan, saying "There's no story here."

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DALLAS (Reuters) - A Fort Worth jury has decided that a Texas woman was defrauded out of royalty rights to the tantalizing best-selling novel "Fifty Shades of Grey" and stands to earn a large award, her lawyer said on Friday.

Court papers showed that Jennifer Lynn Pedroza of Arlington was victorious in her lawsuit against former business partner Amanda Hayward of Australia, who the jury determined cut Pedroza out of rights to the lucrative book deal.

Pedroza was part of The Writers Coffee Shop, a small independent publisher of ebooks, that originally published the “Fifty Shades” trilogy in 2011 as an e-book and print-on-demand book.

The right to the books written by British author E.L. James were sold to Random House and the deal led to the sale of more than 100 million copies worldwide. A blockbuster film based on the first book, "Fifty Shades of Grey," earned $81.7 million during its Valentine’s Day opening weekend in the United States and Canada.

"For us, this is a very good verdict," Pedroza's attorney, Mike Farris of Dallas, said on Friday.

Attorneys for Hayward did not respond to a request for comment.

No award amount was given by the jury. Pedroza was seeking an amount over $1 million, according to court papers.

Pedroza filed suit in Tarrant County in May, claiming Hayward tricked her into signing an agreement that cut her out of a fair share of the royalties to the trilogy of books.

"Hayward signed a contract on behalf of the Coffee Shop with Random House for the rights to the 'Fifty Shades' trilogy in exchange for millions in advances and future royalties but, because of her chicanery, all payments flowed to her and not the partnership," according to the suit.

After a nine-day trial, the jury determined that Pedroza was one of the four original owners of The Writers Coffee Shop and that Hayward fraudulently restructured the partnership under the guise of tax reasons to mask her intention to keep payments from the sale to Random House for herself.

Lawyers for Hayward have contended they did nothing wrong.

Random House is owned by German media group Bertelsmann and British publisher Pearson Plc.

(Editing by Jon Herskovitz)

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NOW WATCH: Learn what all the fuss is about — here's the regular guy's guide to 'Fifty Shades of Grey'

The "Fifty Shades of Grey" movie has already made more than $266 million at the box office.

In 2012, the erotica trilogy by E.L James became a phenomenon dubbed "mommy porn."

Women openly read it without shame on the subway and went nuts fan-casting the full-length movie.

The raunchy books follow naive college student Anastasia Steele and her billionaire boyfriend Christian Grey; however, you probably do not know much about series' creator.

E.L. James is just a pen name.

E.L. James' real name is Erika Leonard.

James grew up in Buckinghamshire.

There she was privately educated and took up English literature and history at the University of Kent.

The author now resides in West London with her family.

She's a mom.

James is a 51-year-old British mother of two teenage sons.

She has said in interviews her sons are "mortified" their mother wrote the explicit novels.

"Fifty Shades of Grey" broke box-office records this weekend after raking in over $266 million worldwide.

The film centers around the handsome yet tormented billionaire Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) and young literature student Anastasia Steele, played by Dakota Johnson.

While "Fifty Shades" is Johnson's breakout role, the 25-year-old is no stranger to Hollywood.

Dakota's father is "Miami Vice"actor Don Johnson.

Her mother is actress Melanie Griffith.

And her maternal grandmother is "The Birds"actress Tippi Hedren.

After Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith split in 1996, Griffith went on to marry Antonio Banderas later that year. 

Dakota has a half-sister, Stella, from her mother's marriage to Antonio Banderas, which ended last year. 

In total, she has six half-siblings, four on her father's side and two on her mother's side.

Dakota remains close to both of her parents.

Dakota grew up in Aspen, Colorado, before attending high school in Santa Monica, California. 

After graduating from high school, she signed with the William Morris Agency and started her acting career.

But she has been accompanying her mom to movie premieres and Hollywood events throughout her life.

The two attended Teen Vogue's young Hollywood party in 2003.

The Carousel of Hope Ball in 2008.

And the "Biutiful" premiere in 2010.

In 2010, Johnson landed her first role in "The Social Network."

From 2011 to 2012, Johnson had a few bit roles in films like "Beastly,""The Five-Year Engagement," and "21 Jump Street."

In 2012, Johnson got the lead role as "Kate" in the Fox TV series "Ben and Kate."

The show lasted one season but led to a string of small movie roles in 2014 before Johnson eventually landed the coveted role of Anastasia Steele in "Fifty Shades of Grey."

The casting immediately made Johnson a star in her own right.

She attended the Met Ball in May.

And later that month made an appearance at the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic with Olivia Munn and Aaron Paul.

In January, she presented at the Golden Globes.

In February, she made the cover of Vogue magazine.

And this weekend appeared at the "Saturday Night Live" 40th anniversary special.

Ahead of the "Fifty Shades" February 13 release, Johnson and her costar Jamie Dornan hit the press circuit hard, attending a screening in New York earlier this month.

Appearing on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon."

Flying to Berlin for the film's Germany premiere.

And London for the UK premiere of "Fifty Shades Of Grey," alongside director Sam Taylor-Johnson and author E.L. James.

After the film's succeess opening weekend, "Fifty Shades" is already rumored to have two sequels lined up.

SEE ALSO: Everything you should know about 'Fifty Shades of Grey' if you don't want to read the book

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With Fifty Shades of Grey looking to top out at more than $550 million worldwide, it should come as no surprise that stars Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan will be seeking a big payday for a second outing in the red room of pain.

Sources say the pair received $250,000 each (plus tiered box-office bonuses) to star in Universal's erotic hit based on the first of EL James' trilogy of novels, and both signed three-picture deals. But like most stars of franchise films, they will try to renegotiate for seven-figure raises for Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed. Neither Johnson, 25, nor Dornan, 32, received any backend compensation on the first film, according to sources.

Though the two leads probably are six months away from any renegotiations, insiders say they'll take a page from the Twilight stars and Jennifer Lawrence's Hunger Games deal as a jumping-off point (Lawrence landed a $10 million payday for Catching Fire — a significant bump from her $500,000 Hunger Games salary).

"It was a very basic franchise starter deal," says an insider of the terms of Johnson's and Dornan's contracts. "Look at Twilight and Hunger Games, and that's where it is heading."

Fifty Shades certainly lived up to the hype of James' best-selling novel, in a similar vein as Stephenie Meyer's first Twilight ($392.6 million worldwide in 2008) and Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games ($691 million in 2012). But unlike those YA hit adaptations, Fifty Shades performed its box-office feat — $528 million worldwide to date — while saddled with an R rating thanks to ample sex scenes.

While the film has far exceeded the hopes of Universal, which acquired rights to the trilogy in March 2012, a steep 70 percent drop-off between its Valentine's Day weekend opening and its second frame might suggest the initial curiosity among the books' fans hasn't translated into a full-fledged film franchise.

Still, the last thing Universal chair Donna Langley wants is two unhappy stars — or even one willing to ask out of his or her contract. The studio already must find a new director (Sam Taylor-Johnson is not expected to return after clashing with James) and writer (original scribe Kelly Marcel will not return).

Because there is no script or director yet, Johnson and Dornan have been told to plan on an early 2016 shoot for a 2017 release, possibly around Valentine's Day again.

Fifty Shades producer Dana Brunetti declines to talk specifics on potential renegotiations but says he is looking to keep the first film's $40 million budget from skyrocketing because of salaries.

"That was the great thing about this film — we knew we were going to be able to make stars," he says. "Now it's their opportunity to get paid on other projects. It's been a breakout role for both of them. I'm sure they are getting tons of offers on other things."

SEE ALSO: 7 ways to fix the 'Fifty Shades of Grey' sequels before they even happen

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Let me start by explaining how this happened: My boyfriend, let's call him "Dave," and I are in a long-distance relationship. Therefore, we have to come up with activities that we can do together without actually being together.

Last month, he suggested we read a book. After discussing possible genres, then arguing over what constitutes a "good" mystery novel, I only half-jokingly suggested "Fifty Shades of Grey." After all, it was just in time for Valentine's Day and I had been seeing the seductive trailers for the film "Fifty Shades of Grey," based on the 2011 novel. I was admittedly more than a little curious.

To my surprise, Dave agreed, after a few seconds of hesitation. And here we are, more than 500 pages of mediocre plot and cringe-inducing porn later, and I must say that our relationship is better for it. Here's why:

Experts will tell you how important communication is for a healthy relationship, and while E.L. James's novel isn't the best piece of literature around, it's a classic example of a relationship gone sour because of poor communication.

As we read the book, Dave and I could objectively discuss where the main characters went wrong, who was to blame, and ultimately what they could have done to avoid the miserable situations they find themselves in by the end.

Over the course of our five-year relationship, Dave and I have had our fair share of arguments. Many of them spawned from miscommunication by one or both of us. And if you and your partner have ever fought because of some kind of miscommunication, then you know how difficult it is to see any side but your own.

Reading "Fifty Shades of Grey" gave Dave and me the unique chance to see each other's perspective on how couples should communicate.

More importantly, we were detached from the characters, thanks to their bizarre qualities and poor character development. This detachment meant that if we disagreed how one character acted or miscommunicated we could calmly discuss our opinions without getting into a heated dispute where someone's pride was left beaten on the floor.

During one memorable conversation we even managed to resolve a major misunderstanding we had early in our relationship.

About two-thirds into the story, the two main characters, Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey, have an in-depth discussion on Steele's feelings about their relationship, which at that point has escalated from just sex to semi-serious. The discussion, however, is conducted through a series of back-and-forth emails.

Dave strongly felt a conversation like that should take place in person and did not understand why the author had it happen any other way. While I agree a topic that important should be discussed in person, the emails were a perfect example of Steele's inability to express herself when she's with Grey.

As it turns out, I sent a few angry emails to Dave during our first year together because I, too, used to struggle with communicating my emotions. (I eventually stopped when I learned those emails ruined his entire day.)

As we discussed the example in the book, I mentioned my angry emails as a way to defend both the author's choice and Steele's actions. To my surprise, Dave had thought that I was sending those emails to be a killjoy. To his surprise, I'd sent those emails to communicate.

Needless to say, I was reminded of the importance of clear communication in a relationship and it all came from a very unexpected source. Thanks, E.L. James.

CHECK OUT: How 'Fifty Shades of Grey' would be different if it were written for men

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NOW WATCH: Learn what all the fuss is about — here's the regular guy's guide to 'Fifty Shades of Grey'

Emilia Clarke, who plays Daenerys Targaryen on HBO's "Game of Thrones," is no stranger to onscreen nudity.

Yet, this was the exact reason she turned down the lead role in "Fifty Shades of Grey."

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Clarke said that she doesn't want to build an entire career off of it.

"I'd done nudity before and was concerned with being labeled for doing it again," she explained. "No regrets."

Clarke was not the only big name to turn down"Fifty Shades," which has grossed about $558.6 million worldwide since its February 13 release.

Shailene Woodley was an early favorite to play Anastasia Steele, but she had to turn it down because of press obligations for "Divergent." Ryan Gosling was a possible contender for Christian Grey, because of his strict "no sequels" philosophy. 

Because of her busy "Game of Thrones" shooting schedule, Clarke has had to turn down several other films as well, including Oliver Stone's "Snowden."

But with a reported salary of $7 million per season for "Thrones" (Clarke denies this number, and simply says that the show "takes very good care of [her]"), and a starring role in the upcoming "Terminator: Genisys," out July 1, the 28-year-old actress is doing all right for herself.

SEE ALSO: I read 'Fifty Shades of Grey' with my boyfriend and it changed our relationship

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Emilia Clarke, who plays Daenerys Targaryen on HBO's "Game of Thrones," is no stranger to onscreen nudity.

Yet, this was the exact reason she turned down the lead role in "Fifty Shades of Grey."

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Clarke said that she doesn't want to build an entire career off of it.

"I'd done nudity before and was concerned with being labeled for doing it again," she explained. "No regrets."

Clarke was not the only big name to turn down"Fifty Shades," which has grossed about $558.6 million worldwide since its February 13 release.

Shailene Woodley was an early favorite to play Anastasia Steele, but she had to turn it down because of press obligations for "Divergent." Ryan Gosling was a possible contender for Christian Grey, because of his strict "no sequels" philosophy. 

Because of her busy "Game of Thrones" shooting schedule, Clarke has had to turn down several other films as well, including Oliver Stone's "Snowden."

But with a reported salary of $7 million per season for "Thrones" (Clarke denies this number, and simply says that the show "takes very good care of [her]"), and a starring role in the upcoming "Terminator: Genisys," out July 1, the 28-year-old actress is doing all right for herself.

SEE ALSO: I read 'Fifty Shades of Grey' with my boyfriend and it changed our relationship

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Editors Note: This story contains mature subject matter. Reader discretion is advised.

Bernie Sanders is still in damage-control mode for something he wrote decades ago — and he’s comparing his work to modern erotica. 

The Vermont senator — who’s running for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination — has come under fire for an essay he wrote in which he claimed that women fantasize about being gang-raped.

On “Meet the Press” Sunday, he compared his very old essay to a very new literary phenomenon.

“This is a piece of fiction that I wrote in 1972, I think,” Sanders said. “That was 43 years ago. It was very poorly written and if you read it, what it was dealing with was gender stereotypes, why some men like to oppress women, why other women like to be submissive, you know, something like ‘Fifty Shades of Grey.’”

On Thursday, Sanders’ campaign had referred to his essay as a “dumb attempt at dark satire.”

See the 1972 essay below:

SEE ALSO: Here's why Bernie Sanders is a serious presidential candidate

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