Fifty Slightly Darker Shades of Physical and Emotional Abuse (continued), a book review by The Dom

The Dom finishes his review of the horror that is Fifty Shades Darker, the second book in the Fifty Shades of Grey Trilogy.
Watch the first half of this review: • Fifty Slightly Darker ...
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[@Dominic-Noble]

If anyone would like to read the full news article that Nash and Tata were reacting to its on my twitter page: twitter.com/Dominic__Smith/status/968977867047448576

[@nahte123456]

Which episode is it exactly? Just like the name of the episode, as I thought I would try watching the full episoe, but I wanted the right one to start with.

[@Dominic-Noble]

Its not in an episode they filmed that for me specially.

[@nahte123456]

Ah, alright thanks. I'll just try some random episode then.

[@josiebenitez9411]

do you borrow the wardrobe for your reenactments or buy your dresses lol btw love your commitment 😎

[@SolstaceWinters]

You truly are a legend. You must've enjoyed your cameos on their show more than you let on, to get them to do that for ya.

[@AndiLang8146]

I recently found out that domestic abuse survivors have tried to reach out to EL James on social media and point out that she is romanticizing extremely alarming and abusive behavior, only to get instantly and permanently blocked on claims of harrassment. This woman's head is so far up her own arse that she point blank refuses to listen to constructive criticism, and yet at the same time she dares claim that she feels for those that have been abused. Pretty full of herself for someone who ripped off Twilight, of all things.

[@SallySueSaywhatagain]

Wait, the psychiatrist talked to the girlfriend of one of his patients about intimate details of the patient's diagnosis and treatment? Welp, he's losing his license for HIPAA violations!

[@NWolfsson]

I mean, the same therapist enabled his patient's behaviour during the charity and doesn't seem to catch that his client is an abuser, rather puttin him under the BDSM umbrella so "iT's NoT a PrObLeM aNyMoRe!"

[@NinjaGidget]

@The Hittite Same! That is 100% not allowed. I'm also a little iffy about him scheduling a doctor's appointment for her to get back on the pill. How does he have authority to do that on her behalf?

[@sallywhite2009]

@@NWolfsson I love Cristine lol.

[@iaindenham8924]

Plus he can also be sued to kingdom come.

[@MaticTheProto]

In Europe the punishment would be so mich worse

[@HaliaStone]

As much as I don't like Twilight, and am quite dubious about Stephenie Meyer, I do really feel for her; someone literally turned HER IDEA into a shitty rip off fanfiction, got way more sales and money, and even stole her male hero POV book idea. Like, say what you want about Twilight and/or Meyer if you've ever had an idea stolen from you, twisted a little and praised much more than your original idea, you'll know it's an incredibly shitty thing to happen.

[@TheQuashingoftheTub]

Not to mention how E.L. James gets angry at the thought of someone making fanfics and "plagiarising" her "works." She's as hypocritical as Christian Grey..

[@link_fd1729]

and say what you will about edward at least at his worst he is creepy not abusive as far as I know

[@definitelynotabby8555]

@@link_fd1729 exactly! the worst thing he does is get jealous over jacob, which he does eventually get over. bella is never scared of him, even when he is jealous because she KNOWS he wont hurt her. even the baby subplots in the last books are handled similarly yet completely differently. both christian and edward ask her to get an abortion but edward does it because he's genuinely afraid for bella's life whereas christian just doesnt want to "share" ana. Disgustang.

[@amandahowell1240]

Apparently Stephanie Meyer got flip the table mad when she saw James was publishing the male POV book. That's what pushed her to finish midnight sun

[@definitelynotabby8555]

@@amandahowell1240 grey was published in 2015 and midnight sun is coming out this summer, i was under the impression that the existence of grey essentially made her abandon midnight sun for a little while (plus the first few chapters of midnight sun got leaked, which i would imagine was disheartening and was probably what inspired james to write Grey anyway)

[@blooddragon805]

I love the fact that EL James used several times the "wrapped around me like ivy" comparison, when you remember that most people think of the ivy as a parasitic plant that chokes trees to death

[@dysmissme7343]

😂😂😂💀

[@Bahr-im7pn]

Or posion ivy. Just saying.

[@mellansilverleaf3078]

It feels like she was *so* close to writing a create deconstruction of toxic relationships, but stumbled, well, pretty much everywhere. Maybe not so close.

[@j.c.2240]

Ivy is beautiful on the surface, but it's extremely destructive.

[@blooddragon805]

@@j.c.2240 not to other trees To buildings yeah, but the choking other trees to death is a myth

[@salt3598]

When I heard "Fixed Christian" my first thought was "Neutered Christian" And to be honest, that would probably do a world of good

[@UsonoHoushi]

Sophia Castellana honestly if the guy never wanted kids he would have done that YEARS ago. He has the money after all.

[@thegayghost872]

Sophia Castellana oh god please don’t let them reproduce

[@ChasehaWing]

Ghostwriter Sorry.

[@Toneill029]

UsonoHoushi Yeah but he has a huge ego and often enough a man equates his worth as a man by his genitals especially his potency. It’s really stupid. On the realistic side there are no major side effects, even then they are not life threatening however for some people can face psychological issues like regret, depression, change in mood, and feeling lethargic. Which is thankfully fixable through pre surgery discussing things with your doctor as I had read. Christian for all his idiocy would feed into the lies of him losing his sex drive, chance of getting prostate cancer or some other excuse people give to say it’s bad.

[@Xehanort10]

@Sophia Castallena. Him throwing a tantrum when Ana gets pregnant is pathetic. I was thinking "It's on you too Grey. You both had sex."

[@BadWolf739]

When you're wearing rose colored glasses all the red flags just look like flags.

[@RozehKakes]

Someones watching Bojack

[@kenny-ek9ns]

actually red flags look red through rose glasses as pink isnt a colour so theyd be red and im fairly sure that looking through red glass doesnt make red flags not red flags. it just also makes white flags red flags. other colour flags would be dark greyish or sth. sorry. its early and im bored so ya. i might be wrong tho. so idk

[@BadWolf739]

@@kenny-ek9ns Well, someone missed the point.

[@kenny-ek9ns]

@@BadWolf739 idk i was bored ok dont attack weird time of day me

[@--LOVE-U-ff1cu]

@@kenny-ek9ns you must be fun at partys

[@elimidd6626]

"Shes comfortable as long as she gets to define the limits" you mean like a healthy BDSM relationship?

[@NWolfsson]

"I'm actually developing a taste for vanilla since I'm with you!" ... Did... Grey... Vanilla-shame... Anna... after ALL that she has done to try and get into his kinks?!

[@NWolfsson]

Oh, and victim-shaming on top of that. Clearly an attractive and decent character. Fuck you E L James.

[@doriavaltorne5341]

I want to write a fan fiction of 50 Shades of Gray. Set 10 years in the future. It's a about Anna's realization that her husband is a psychopath and an abuser. She rans away, but Christian Grey is going to use all his influences to hunt her down. Will Ana live to see another day? #Epic Thriller #Epic Horror

[@Wormwoodification]

Red Dreamer I totally want to read that. Dude.

[@strawberrybunny.2983]

Bruh If you do that stuff link me up here

[@rockbeauty3439]

This is a better plot than any of the books.

[@heloanazolla777]

If you write it, please link me up!

[@MsKristinaRose]

Reminds me of the Enough movie. I’ll definitely read that still

[@CharlieHorse4363]

"Does the Master want to take Igor into the playroom and punish him...?" I hate that so much 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 so well put

[@eazy8579]

Blursed

[@laurenescarcha3246]

As someone who left an abusive relationship a long time ago, thank you. I hate this series. I stopped reading the first one when I realized what was going on. Your reviews give me hope. The more people who watch them the more the message gets out that this material is unsafe. The relationship type is unsafe. You nail every point. I hope men and women in these situations will learn what is not normal and what the red flags are. So, again, thank you.

[@gracehaven5459]

Lauren Frost it's so true, I'm sorry you were in that situation and I hope you are doing better now Lauren 🌹💜 At 22 I was in a "relationship" like this from 14 to 18 and by god the aftermath still follows me around in my relationships with my family, friends, coworkers, and I still haven't seriously dated anyone since cause I just straight up don't even trust my own judgment anymore. Doing somewhat better now with therapy but it just pisses me the fuck off anytime someone calls this series romantic and/or "healthy" by the end cause she "changed him" 😑....

[@smileymctrashbag]

Lauren Frost I was in one, too. This book sucks so much. The message it spreads is awful.

[@laurenescarcha3246]

Grace Haven I'm sorry too :( I completely understand. It took me a while to trust a new partner. I wasn't looking for anything serious, intentionally. Luckily my friends and family have good taste. I have a wonderful husband now. It took me a long time to start letting go of things. I think it was three years of marriage and two years of dating to let all of it go. Now we've been together for 10 years. I am confident you will find the right person too. As long as you're happy that's all that matters. I also completely understand what you mean by following you around. It's a heavy burden to carry. When the Dom mentioned where Anastasia says "please don't hit me" I shuddered. Abusive jerks should be put on an island to fend for themselves. Just keep in mind, you are no longer in that. You were strong to leave and you're still a strong badass for not falling into the same pattern again. You're okay, with or without a partner. You're also not alone.

[@gracehaven5459]

Lauren Frost thank you, I appreciate you saying that, and I'm glad to hear you've recovered

[@WobblesandBean]

Same here. :/ I'm so happy you got out in one piece, and I sincerely hope you're happy and in a safe place.

[@d.n5287]

"Doesth the master want to bring Igor into theth play room and punisth him?" Rule34: "write that down, *WRITE THAT DOWN"*

[@eliasvasquez7322]

😩😩😩😩😩😩😭😭😭😭😭

[@18Hongo]

I'm gonna go out on a very short, stout limb and say they already did.

[@TheQuashingoftheTub]

Look man, I'll resd anything if it's actually well written-

[@HalloweenMonarch]

"Christian, you do love me, don't you?" "Yeah I guess." "Good enough!" *super sexy dancing* 😂😂😂

[@merrittanimation7721]

hellokittyninjastar "See you a few hours. Love you" *head explodes*

[@Juliett-A]

"As long as she gets to decide the limits." Yeah, like how real, healthy BDSM actually works.

[@degenerategringo5028]

Fifty shades of "it's not rape, I swear!"

[@dalbrecht]

The books are bad, i agree. But Gray never raped her, Anastasia always gave consent.

[@raisusan]

Müffel Mopp It's on very shaky grounds though. As he just assumes that she would like sex, which yes she does want sex with him, making him spontaneous lover. However, they never established that in the first place, if Gray knew that, this part of the book wouldn't have been THAT bad.

[@dalbrecht]

ri ce Yeah, fair enough. I just think that calling it rape is very over the top, because that is a word that should never be used lightly.

[@pasta3166]

Müffel Mopp It's not being used lightly. Don't be a rape apologist.

[@dalbrecht]

MsCreepyPasta Ok, i am NOT a rape apologist. If she gave condent it is not rape, so calling it that is just inaccurate and could have a bad effect on those who have actually suffered from it. And calling people rape apologists is one of the most disgusting things one could do, unless you are sure that person is actually one.

[@OverdramaticAngel]

I want to preface this by saying that I'm NOT stating any of this as a fact, it's just how it feels to *me* personally. E.L James seems SO familiar with abusive relationships.... except it seems as if she's familiar with the TOXIC person's view, not a victims. One reason I think so is the fact she thinks this bullshit is ROMANTIC doesn't make me think she was on the receiving end of any of the abusive behavior. She just goes so hard at trying to justify it even WITHIN the books that it's just disturbing to me. I'll reserve my final opinion until your third review, but it would be a fucking miracle if it's anything other than a garbage fire. Bless you for suffering so we don't have to!

[@Matthias-of-Redwall]

Star Hunter well I mean she did say that she made her husband try some of the stuff for the book and according to her he really wasn't into it

[@OverdramaticAngel]

Jaimie Bainborough I don't mean the sexual stuff or true BDSM, more the emotional abused and attempts at manipulation, the controlling and toxic behavior. Just because you have the things I mentioned doesn't mean physical abuse is ABSOLUTELY happening at the same time. People can lose sight of the fact (or don't believe) that women can be abusers as well. I won't claim the type of abuse in the books happens at the same rate of men, because I don't know for sure, but I do doubt it. That seems like me rambling, and my original comment wasn't fantastic either. I've watched all his 50 Shades videos it in about two weeks and I was trying to convey several thoughts I'd had in that period of time but obviously I did a bad job remembering/expressing it! I've been awake for about two days at this point so trying to pin my thoughts down properly is mostly impossible. I probably should have waited to sleep before I commented! I'll try and be more coherent next time.

[@Matthias-of-Redwall]

Star Hunter Ok I think a few assumptions were made about my original comment and I'd like to clear them up 1) men can be abused by women 2) emotional abuse is still abuse and can be just as terrible and painful as physical or sexual abuse 3) I wasn't talking about true BDSM What I meant to convey was that it was in fact likely that E.L. James does hold harmful beliefs about consent, abuse, and sex, and that this probably did lead to toxic behaviour. Her willingness to joke about what sounded like rape (coerced sex) in an interview was disturbing, and likely indicates a pattern of behaviour especially if she jokes about it

[@NeoNovastar]

I can't hit like any harder on this.

[@g.strobl4458]

Well, the mental hoops Anna goes through might also be very, very familiar to her. Let me compare this to severe child abuse: the victims tend toward one of two choices, so far as I know. Either they close off the experience, trying to seperate it from who they are (which does not necessarily stop them from choosing a partner who is just like the perpetrator). Or, and this is the relevant part in this case, they sort of identify with the perpetrator, siding with him/her, often becoming a child abuser themself. Psychologically speaking, abusive behaviour and accepting abuse from another are far more akin than one would expect on the basis that they are opposites.

[@wrmsnicket]

Actually, mentioning what song is playing during a sex scene is extremely common in fan fiction. Some even go as far as to intercut the song lyrics with the smut.

[@RyuPendragon]

wrmsnicket Really? I think we're reading different fandoms then. This is the first I've heard of this technique and considering that I've been reading fanfiction since 2011...

[@zealouszombie5658]

RyuPendragon just finished reading a fan fic this morning where they did just that with the song lyrics, it is super common

[@tscimb]

I've noticed that its use depends on the quality-level of the story, including how well it's written. Even then, sometimes it works and sometimes it absolutely doesn't.

[@RyuPendragon]

Ah, that explains it. I'm SUPER picky.

[@darylchurch2115]

I was reading one a while back that had youtube links to the songs, It is very common.

[@Piti_Pingu]

The red flags behind you remind me of the gif Alex Meyer made of the Big Ol' Red Flag for his videos XD

[@wandanemer2630]

Good times.

[@farinafarani938]

Same here 😂😂

[@mindofmatt7999]

Every time that someone says red flag, I remember that gif and song

[@snowhitescrow]

Yes 👏

[@hannahleal1896]

You may be suffering reading and reviewing these books, which I totally get, but by addressing them and the serious issues within the novel you are doing a lot of good. So props to you man.

[@ASMRBookclub]

*LOVED* the ending of this video. I rage-read this trilogy a while back and I could not believe this was marketed (successfully!) as romance. Pop culture has an impact in real life, and this book has already done so much damage convincing people that abuse and stalking are done "because they care". I think it's important to be loudly critical of it because its message is actually dangerous and has real life consequences. Bravo on another great review of this terrible book.

[@OpalPhoenix]

Twilight had the same problem. It’s stupid how actual creepy behavior like stalking is portrayed as romantic. Both of these series’s problem is it tries to justify unacceptable behavior and even call it romantic. Considering the fact that the Fifty Shades series was originally Twilight Fanfiction, it makes sense that it has the same problem. Doesn’t make it suck any less though.

[@ASMRBookclub]

True, I think it's a common trope in YA, but Fifty Shades really took that problematic content and turned it up to 9000. Christian Grey doesn't have one redeeming moment or quality, is an abusive partner in every single scene he's in, it blows my mind that some people read this book and did not see that. I have trouble accepting the argument that "it's all in good fun, yes it's trashy, but it's escapism". It's had real life consequences, and there's better romance/erotica out there if you want to indulge in something light and cheesy

[@ASMRBookclub]

Depressing how much money EL James made copying someone else's work. Granted, not the best book ever, but it was still Stephanie Meyer's intellectual property...

[@OpalPhoenix]

Not to mention the fact that crappy fanfiction getting published and making a lot of money gives the rest of fanfiction a bad rap. I’ve read some fan stories that are fantastic, but people will see works like this one, which are trash, and assume all fanfiction is bad. The fact that these books have really bad lessons in them makes it worse.

[@ASMRBookclub]

True

[@lauralmiller8852]

As someone who was raised in an abusive home, ended up in an abusive marriage... and nearly remarried another unhealthy, controlling, man... This video gives me so much hope that there are people out there that can see these patterns and denounce them wholeheartedly. By my almost second marriage, I had been going through therapy and had lots of support and finally began listening to my gut... I noticed red flags super early in the relationship but was still struggling with my confidence so I ignored them for way to long. He was a classic manipulator/controller who tried to guilt me all the time, control who I hung out with, and constantly tried to tell me that I was enough for him and that he should be enough for me. When I began to assert my self and set boundaries and flat out told him he would never be enough for me because that is unreasonable and unhealthy... he got mad, he resisted any boundaries I set in place... so I finally left him (three months before our wedding) and I was so relieved... he, however, made me into the bad guy.... attempting to tell me what a mistake I was making and how I was the real problem in the relationship... He then, within a month of our breakup, had a new girlfriend and was married to her within a year... Needless to say, I dodged a bullet and am happily single living my best life (In France I might add). I listen to my gut feeling and I am no longer willing to put up with controlling BS.... I call it out, so it is really nice to see content that also calls this type of horrible behavoir out.

[@Bahr-im7pn]

I don't know what to say. Sorry for what you went through. Congrats on saving yourself. Scary to know that there are countless others who go through this kind of stuff, and don't get a happy ending like you. Again, congratulations. I was just really moved by your story and wanted to say something.

[@paulapierrot9542]

As someone who was in a toxic relationship for too long due to lack of self esteem I can relate to a protagonist who tries to justify her abuser's behaviour, tries to ignore the red flags and doesn't talk with friends about her relationship because she fears their judgement. If this was a book series about a woman who learns that she deserves better and finds the courage to leave the abuser for good, this could have been a powerful story. Instead it's just harmful.

[@terracannon876]

"This is *fixed* Christian!" made me think of neutering...

[@newperve]

I'm not the only one who thinks this would be a good idea am L?

[@sammygfilms9393]

@@newperve no, you aren't the only one.

[@eazy8579]

An absolutely fantastic plan IMO

[@gabbyabbott4965]

If only.

[@patrickrodriguez9124]

Please remember to spay or neuter your abusers. If you only have a rusty kitchen knife on hand, well that's just a bonus.

[@JeanetHenning]

The scary thing is that your message at the end of the video can also be applied to toxic friendships but its something that isn't addressed often and as such flies under the radar more often. Speaking from personal experience, if this sounds familiar, regardless of whether its just a friendship and not a relationship, its still toxic and something you need to distance yourself from.

[@littlesnicket606]

Jeanet Henning yeah, and they can be way more common just...no one else really knows or realizes it.

[@pinkbunny6272]

I had a friendship that was shaped by my loneliness, when I was too mentally unstable, with a hiding anxiety. When I got better it started to feel suffocating, it was a hangover from my earlier teen years, it felt like she had a weird relationship with her family. It was starting to get to me

[@teaforthepoor]

i had a very toxic friendship that actually was a huge reason for my attempted suicide. she would gaslight me constantly and tell me off for being extremely depressed and traumatized because i was, at that time, a recent rape victim. she made an entire list of reasons against me that was because of grooming, victim blamed me, and gaslit me for the next year until i cut her off after spreading rumours that i was cheating with her boyfriend because i "did it before" with my rapist. she was the most vile friend i've ever had. i only wish toxic and abusive friendship were more talked about because they can be just as traumatizing.

[@sarahnour5561]

THANK YOU. I've had several abusive friendships with people who took advantage of the fact that I'm autistic and unable to read social cues and red flags. It took me years of therapy to recover.

[@anna_in_aotearoa3166]

Ugh. Not just friendships either sadly!! The one which really disturbs me is parent/child, in either direction? Because the bonds of family can be so strong - makes it SUPER super hard for people to get perspective and to walk away from these situations that suck the life out of them. If they finally do, then they often have that guilt: "if I'd only tried harder, nobody else cared, if only I kept trying I could've saved them from themselves..." Really nasty and difficult stuff 😭

[@silverbrumbyfan]

I think the more messed up thing with this whole Oedipus complex is that a lot of men ARE attracted to women who resemble their mothers BUT Grey doesn't just want to have sex with Anna he wants to treat her like shit and practically beat her and expects her to be ok with it because its 'kinky'. This is the kind of thing that starts off serial killers, especially if the object of their desires is not showing enough interest, and yet we as the audience are supposed to be ok with this because he's one of the main characters WTF James

[@josephpeck8723]

The more I hear about this series, the more I despise this series.

[@thomasjeppesen3055]

Wait, so they've only dated for like 2 months and then they decide to get married? What.

[@krahvata]

thomas jeppesen LMAO. WHAT EVEN. I CAN'T. BITCH I BARELY BECOME FRIENDS WITH SOMEONE AFTER 2 MONTHS. Someone needs to burn these books.

[@anarchomando7707]

@@krahvata Anakin fucking Skywalker is better than this,

[@Xehanort10]

That's a really annoying cliche of most romances. People who barely know each other think they're the love of each other's lives.

[@BLZ231]

@@Xehanort10 To be fair, I have heard of people who realized that they were extremely compatible really quickly after they started dating, and ended up getting married fairly quickly and ended up having a happy and stable long term relationship, so it can work out in some cases. But yeah, most of the time getting married quickly is a bad idea, and in this particular story it was a terrible idea.

[@dysmissme7343]

Not only have they only been dating for 2 months, they’ve only KNOWN each other for 2 months

[@pinhead1988]

The Dom at the very least, should be in consideration for the medal of valor award for being brave enough to battle through this absolute garbage of a so-called novel lol.

[@Alumnia91]

Yes please!

[@DieAlteistwiederda]

And there is still one book more to go. I don't know if he will survive another one.

[@pinhead1988]

DieAlteistwiederda I know that's the saddest part and I don't know if he'll survive either. Halfway through the last review his head might explode like in scanners.

[@DieAlteistwiederda]

Pinhead 198 I know that I wanted to stab my eyes out after just a little over half of the first book. Couldn't even finish that poor excuse of a bad fanfic. My older sister loves this shit.

[@pinhead1988]

DieAlteistwiederda I know exactly how it feels and its funny you say that because my sister is obsessed with the books too and I really don't get it. Its absolute trash, she's better than that.

[@nomdeplume1771]

9:01 I have an idea for why James was so blatant on why Ana wasn't raped: on most fanfiction websites, the author updates chapter by chapter and people review them as they come. So, if someone with a brain read any of the sex scenes as rape in the first book and wrote a review or sent James a message about, "why would you write these people together when Grey raped Ana?" I can sincerely see her getting angry and writing it into the story that Ana wanted to have sex to get rid of any idea that it was non-consensual.

[@ShatteredShadowXx]

Okay that kinky Igor impersonation had me in stitches, thanks Dom 😂

[@geraldgrenier8132]

Reginald was that you?

[@WielkaAutorkaaD]

It sounded more like Dobby to me

[@BL00DYR0S31]

ShatteredShadowXx ugh 😑 somebody shove bleach in my brain.

[@laurenbarnes1020]

ShatteredShadowXx al As a hypnotist I’m highly offended by this book and the movie series

[@lesley-annfenwick]

Me too

[@EditsByLyra]

"They will drain what they want out of you, give nothing back and leave you empty." That part was so real.

[@liwest511]

i watched a whole ad for this one, hope it helps your suffering.

[@Rikku147]

Li more money for shelters!

[@jakefarmer]

I have KZbin red sooooooooooooooooo

[@Angie-qw1qx]

Me too hahaha

[@littlesnicket606]

Li same

[@Angela-iv9np]

I never saw an add. I'm wondering it was demonetized.

[@victorvaldez8869]

The only person who has the job description of fixing people is a trauma surgeon. Unless you have a Medical Degree & need to sew a limb back on, it's not your job to fix someone. Even a trained psychological expert can only point the way to mental health & stability, to get there you must make the journey on your own.

[@soloman3444]

Unfortunately with the psychiatrist example there are real people with that job that belive it is their job to fix peoples minds, of course with the definition of fix being "make conform to ones beliefs."

[@introvertedgamer8584]

This would have been a brilliant physiological thriller / horror story if a competent author would have written it.

[@strawberrybunny.2983]

Alissa D yup. What a waste

[@DonnaBrooks]

Ooooo. I never thought of that! I could def see that.

[@Bahr-im7pn]

You know, Stephanie Meyer is good at horror writing, according to Dominic... perhaps it's time for a little revenge rip-off?

[@TheLovablekc]

‘Master has never let anyone sleep in his bed before, he’s acting very strange..’ 🤣 That was brilliant

[@MELONeyWATERson]

Omg the Igor part was PERFECT! ‘Master dominate me in play room~’ 😂

[@geraldgrenier8132]

Reginald that you?

[@nickievison1134]

I think this book demonstrates a scary theory about why women are drawn to "Bad boys", which is based off my own experience. My theory is that a woman may believe if she helps a damaged man through his issues and stands by him she may eventually be rewarded for her commitment. Whereby said man will eventually reward her with unconditional love and adoration. However this is very rarely, if ever the case and is more likely to result in a person staying in an unhealthy relationship.

[@bbnl4276]

Nicki Evison the theory I heard is that many women like the idea of having a man who puts them on a pedestal/dotes on them. Twilight and other teen romances are basically female power fantasies. Writing a story without conflict is boring, so the simplest plot thread is fixing the OTHER person because giving the main character development might alienate the audience. hence f’d up guy who can only be fixed/loved by the audience surrogate character. TLDR - twilight and fifty shades are just the female equivalent of really terrible harem anime

[@nickievison1134]

Bb NL That's a really good point. Plus with the overwhelming blandness of Bella and Anastacia there's a bit of a self insert fanfiction vibe.

[@DonnaBrooks]

I could hear the old country music song, "Stand by your man..." when I read, "My theory is that a woman may believe if she helps a damaged man through his issues and stands by him she may eventually be rewarded for her commitment."

[@Anon-rt3fx]

I honestly hate all “bad boys” they’re just delinquents who have massive egos and aren’t worth any girls time or effort.

[@trequor]

It's a simple distortion of a woman's evolutionary role. One of the female roles is legitimately to improve men. Women are fierce critics and men so value their affection that they are willing to make themselves better to earn it. At least that's how it's supposed to work. Plenty of people abuse these natural inclinations and plenty more misinterpret this abuse as the natural, healthy process of protecting the species.

[@wilsonkierankitsune]

Dominic thank you for this video it really helped me get through something I've had trouble with in the real-world lately. I've been in a relationship with someone who I was afraid was being abusive towards me and they dumped me last month after I apparently didn't show enough commitment. Two weeks later he said he wanted me back and I was elated until I thought about it and realized how controlling he was I was confused over what to do until I watch your so far 2 part episodes on Fifty Shades Darker. My ex shows a lot of similar traits of Christian Grey, albeit not as strong as him, most recently he has said that when I want to get some space and have real-world things to do that I'm "running and hiding"and now I see how he's trying to stay relevant in my life despite my attempts to get some space he hasn't given me the space I need to think about things and is trying to make it so I am dependent on him emotionally. This video helped me recognize his behavior and now I do feel confident in at least standing on my own if not being confident in myself at the very least I can give myself a space I need to think on my own terms now. Thank you Dominic Smith I am eternally grateful for this video even though it was not directed at me and I hope others in my situation can find this inspiration from you.

[@krahvata]

Im so happy for you! Your ex is a piece of shit and I hope you find happiness in your life. You definitely don't need him.

[@DonnaBrooks]

The Film Theorists channel has a good video on Christian Grey using the same tactics on Ana that cults use to indoctrinate their recruits. It's worth a watch: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aYe5qpuVfrJmf80 Congrats for getting away from that guy.

[@rainbowbears1627]

Stay safe, and never get with him again, no matter how hard he's trying to convince you that he has "changed"

[@shannonfick788]

I’m so proud of you for getting out of there and not letting that bastard hurt you anymore!! I wish you all the best on your healing process ❤️❤️❤️

[@msjkramey]

A partner not being into kinks *would* be a deal breaker for me, but we would just part ways. I would never guilt someone into doing anything that they weren't comfortable with

[@VelkanKiador]

Someone needs to write a fanfic where Igor is Grey's former lover and link it too me XD

[@nerdy-kat1293]

My mother is in a verbally, emotionally (and previously physically) abusive relationship. The fact is that she tolerates it on the basis of "true love" and his mental disorders / own absuive past. She also compares the 50 shades movie series to "Romeo and Juilet" and will even defend Gray in the same way she does her own abuser. Its depressing and sickening to see, and I hope that your video will help to educate others so that they will not fall into the same toxic relationship my mother has.

[@dysmissme7343]

💜

[@user-jz2tx5fk3n]

I hope that your mother is doing better now

[@Taizu314]

"When they say 'Think of the Children' this is not what they're talking about." 😂😂😂😂😂

[@bluejay43]

That’s probably the best quote of the video

[@PhantomStella]

I laughed out loud at the reason why Christian didn't call anyone after the helicopter crash...that is the worst reason I've ever heard.

[@Alumnia91]

The other day I was heartbroken when a KZbinr I was following for years got an opportunity to attend the premiere of the third film in Paris and she couldn`t stop moaning about how great the clothes were and how handsome the male leads are and how sexy is the way they act and omg this story is so romantic and omg how this is the most passionate relationship she ever saw on film... I don`t know if she was saying these because she was sponsored and taken to Paris, but all her other videos are makeup, fashion haul and giving advice to her viewers who are mostly 11-14 year old children/teens. LOL a few months ago she made a promo video for a new cartoon on the Disney channel in my home country targeted to preteens!!! I couldn`t help, but since nobody brought this up, I wrote a comment (which I don`t do often, or if I do then only positive) about why does she not include any disclaimers that hey young viewers please don`t take this movie seriously or please only watch it if you are above 18 or please don`t read the books if you are still in elementary school (yep, happens in my country, some boys read Garfield while girls are gushing over Grey). As well I mentioned that earlier she recommended Caitlin Moran`s book on feminism (How to be a woman, which puts quite some critic on the 50Shades hype) and I got interested for a second but then she said, "yeah the author is all hip, but be careful reading this if you are not a feminazi or if you like men and I don`t want to disturb my young viewers talking about feminism". When I mentioned that she said, yes this is why she will never talk about feminism ever again on her channel, because she is not a radical manhater and unless you don`t have a degree in Gender Studies people will criticize you and you won`t be able to say anything". I got shocked by this response so I detailed what the exact problem is with 50 Shades including a few video essays (including yours). I am sad that this is what is going on right now, and the damage this book and Twillight did to gender equality, sexual freedom and the representations of mental health issues. I am training to become a Psychosocial counselor focusing on sex education and relationship counselling and I am hopeful that it stays only a nightmare that when the now young girls exploring their sexuality and relationships grow up will stand in lines to my office to get help with their traumas due to sexual and domestic abuse, men freaking out about the expectation of toxic masculinity and unrealistic amount of "affection" expected from them. My comment is getting very long and ranty by now, but I just want to let you know that I extremely appreciate and adore you and the work you put into your videos, doing so much research to be able to give a grounded opinion. You offering the revenue of these videos for charity is something I rarely see on KZbin, and I just want you to know that even despite being a student going through therapy because of sexual assault and PTSD due to a decade of abuse in childhood, doesn`t matter how tight my budget is, I try to make sure to support you (and Kati Morton) on Patreon each month. Thank you for all the work you do. P.S.: I love it when you call me your beautiful watcher ♥;D

[@shadowspider9]

I think the worst thing is the hypocrisy. We are in the middle of a 'speak out if you where sexually harassed' movement, yet at the same time people are flocking to see/eating up stuff like Twilight and 50 Shades that romanticizes those very same things and trys to portray harassment and abuse as signs of love.

[@caladeuka7319]

No, thank you to think of both boys and girls Alike.

[@daughter-of-loki1062]

Only young girls?

[@DonnaBrooks]

I had to stop reading when you mentioned that woman who was gushing about the third film on her YT channel which she uses for "giving advice to her viewers who are mostly 11-14 year old children/teens." UGH! What a horrible message for someone to give kids!! Sounds to me like $$ is more important to her than the wellbeing of her viewers. I can't help but think that a lot of people "love" these books & movies b/c they want to seem keeewl & hip & edgy, & they think these books & movies are romantic just b/c pop culture & E L James say they are romantic!! And kids that age are influenced by these messages before they develop the critical thinking skills or have the life experience to question what they are being sold! Hell, obviously millions of ADULTS fall for this marketing! It's truly disturbing that someone is promoting this garbage to kids! God, I hope you post links to some of Dom's videos in those comments, so kids can watch them! Give me the link to her video and I'll go report it to YT!!

[@DonnaBrooks]

​@@daughter-of-loki1062 This story markets an abusive relationship to girls & women as "romantic". If it sends a message to boys, it might be that you can become a powerful, rich, billionaire by being a controlling, abusive person who assaults women. We already have that message in the White House. There has been a resurgence of toxic masculinity & misogyny in our society lately, which these books & films reinforce so that's what needs to be addressed. Boys aren't reading & watching these films by the millions. If you want to talk about boys, please find another film that deals with the subject. Fight Club would be a good male-oriented movie you can watch & discuss w/ guys.

[@the_demon_cat337]

The ivy thing is perfect as when it gets on trees it steals resources and weakens them. plus it's winding its feelers around traping them. The only better plant would be wisteria which outright kills them.

[@wandanemer2630]

He's literally strangling and draining her. Wow. It works so well I'm sure it was an accident!

[@dysmissme7343]

It’s such a brilliantly poetic metaphor!! 🤩 Who knew she had it in her all along

[@fangthedergon1863]

You know I think one of the biggest things that these books get wrong about BDSM is they never acknowledge or show how much control a submissive should have in a dom/sub relationship. It is true that the Dominant is the one to direct what happens but the sub is the one who sets his/her limits and if something is too much they have a safe word as a means to stop the scene. This actually shapes a lot of what happens during a session and it is very important for both parties to respect and to be honest its not fun for either party when a submissive is taken too far out of their comfort zone. Though one thing I will say I neither uncommon or harmful (at least in my opinion) is the part where Grey has her have the moving balls in her vagina. Its more about the dominant having control an reminding the sub that he/she has control over that aspect at all times and is very similar in intent to the use of a chastity device. But then again I say this according to my own (and somewhat limited) experience with BDSM.

[@Amarianee]

Mitchell Quinn Well, Ben Wa Balls aren't specific to BDSM. A lot of women use them as a combination of a pleasure device and exercise. Yes, exercise lol. Holding them in works the pelvic floor muscles, basically sexual kegels. They're not specific to relationships or anything either. The women I know who have them, have them because they wanted them, not because some guy forced them to.

[@fangthedergon1863]

Oh I wasn't aware of that, I myself am a gay male so I really only know that side of things. And I didn't mean to imply that they were only used in BDSM, only that I could understand their application in that type of scenario. Thank you for the information though the more you know the better in my opinion :3.

[@Amarianee]

Mitchell Quinn lol np. I was only pointing out they weren't specific to BDSM because it seems like this stupid book/film has created that idea, so much so that The Dom seems to have gone with it too.

[@Nionivek]

If you actually pay attention Mitchell Quinn, Grey actually admits the sub has "All the power" when Anna flees from Grey. Though to be honest how much control a sub or dominant has is kind of blurry at best, and a big criticism within the BDSM culture is how many subs are essentially "Lazy Subs" who will contribute absolutely nothing (So Anna if she was a Submissive... would be completely unwanted by the community). THEN AGAIN!!! Anna gets almost no say whatsoever even when she does chime in. I find the idea of power relationships to be complicated because it isn't about who has power at all, it is about what the goals of the two are and how they can achieve it together even as entirely different personas... Even if a Dom had all the power, and was considered acceptable, he would be the worst Dom imaginable if the submissive wasn't enjoying themselves, he was ignoring their needs, contributing to the scene, and ignoring their limits...

[@Nionivek]

Actually that is kind of the thing... As a dom Grey is, if not abusive, Dreadful... and Anna as a submissive might as well be doll that makes orgasm noises... mostly because she has absolutely no force of personality and would probably rather die then use a safe word (Tip: If your a submissive... USE the dang safe word!)

[@declanw2581]

"I'm undone" "I'm unravelled" "I lose myself.. In the music the moment you own it, you better never let it go. You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow.

[@Jean_grey159]

I absolutely adore your channel, class and honesty with no filter. Perfectly entertaining

[@trequor]

Jean Grey Also the crazy eyebrows. Cant forget those.

[@Jean_grey159]

trequor how could I 😂

[@ButterflyZo]

Couldn’t have said it better myself!

[@TheSleepyowlet]

There's kind of an ongoing debate on how (if at all) fiction influences reality, and the argument I find most true is that fiction doesn't, as such, do anything *if the cultural inclination isn't already there* - so, people aren't gonna go and kill and eat people because they read Hannibal, since murder and cannibalism are kind of frowned upon and not considered normal. But things that already *have* cultural precedence, like misogyny and racism? Yeah, fiction (talking mainstream media here) can (and does) exercabate those if written badly. Plus, according to my friend who works as a nurse in a local ER, he has a lot more people coming in with deep tissue bruising and constriction wounds because they tried to copy FSoG. Or, you know, boyfriend and girlfriend *both* traumatised and crying because the scene went wrong because Fifty Shades of Barf is the only mainstream BDSM thing there is. There are a lot of reasons the BDSM community is incredibly salty about this series, and you admirably covered pretty much all of them! Good job.

[@Toneill029]

That’s my biggest fear. Even though I am not a member of the scene. I know enough about how serious safety is and how dangerous it can be if not done right. I did a report on this and there was an increase in injuries related to bondage attempts after the release of fifty shades. That’s why there are classes and Dominants spend hours maybe even days planning play sessions and ensuring the equipment works and can be escapable in an emergency.

[@nkbujvytcygvujno6006]

Eulenkeks Well said. I see so many people use the argument "But if you read about cannibalism or murder, you don't go out and do that!" and this is the point they're missing. If there's something that is already excused and is happening a lot in our society, fiction that excuses/encourages it _can_ make things worse; the media we consume does affect us. And if something, some song or movie or piece of writing, turns out to be the last straw that causes someone to decide to go ahead and feel better by hurting someone else, it's not worth it. Write a warning. Make it clear this behavior is wrong, somehow. Punish your character for it, have them learn a lesson, just _try_ to minimize any possible damage. Thank you for saying this.

[@CruelestChris]

@@nkbujvytcygvujno6006 No, the media we consume has almost no effect on us, and it is not the job of media to tell people how to act. That's totalitarian thinking you have there.

[@jeffwoods4406]

@@nkbujvytcygvujno6006 I agree. Even the classic 'Lolita' written in 1955 was published with a foreword, explaining that what the main character is doing makes him "a shining example of moral leprosy".

[@chelonianmobile]

Yeah, I mean, anyone who can spot how abusive this is isn't going to decide abuse is okay because of a book, but a lot of people don't know how wrong this is, and even if they don't get into abusive situations because of it, ELJ and her fans have already acted in a jaw-droppingly shitty manner to victims of real abuse who tried to bring up legit concerns. Fiction can't make you do anything, but it can reinforce views you already hold.

[@ultimatetrashboy419]

I want there to be a buddy cop book where two characters tried to uncover greys abusive behavior

[@user-jz2tx5fk3n]

And they also succeed and by the end of the book,Grey is in jail and Anna leaves him,getting therapy and recovering,rediscovering herself and waiting a bit before getting into a healthy relationship at the end.

[@justaghostinthesea]

I'd read that fanfic

[@MichaelAarons1701]

Tl;dr: Love someone for who they are, not what you can make them... I think I got it.

[@SamaritanPrime]

It's kind of ironic when you think about it. Both Anastasia and Christian want the other person to become something they don't want to become. Christian wants Anastasia to be his submissive. Anastasia wants Christian to be like the heroes of classical literature that she read about growing up- strong, handsome, rich, romantic, and did I mention romantic? They both fail- Anastasia does not become Christian's submissive, but Christian doesn't really change. Their children are going to be so screwed up psychologically and emotionally that it's not funny.

[@WitchEnbyWitch]

TheDom, you always sum up why these books are trash, way more eloquently, than I can! The next time someone says to me; Oh the 'Fifty Shades' series isn't that bad, I'm just going to link them to all of your videos. Thank you for reading these migraine inducing books, to save me from one in the future.

[@sBurfishkid]

She didn't even come up with the ivy thing. She knicked it from Shakespeare: "So doth the woodbine the sweet honeysuckle Gently entwist. The female ivy so Enrings the barky fingers of the elm. Oh, how I love thee! How I dote on thee!" Titania's speech to Bottom, after she tells him she's gonna "wind him in her arms."

[@charmedrools1]

medical science: it takes about 2 weeks to get a positive result on a pregancy test EL James: OH MY GOD YOU'RE PREGANANT AFTER 3 DAYS OF BEING OFF THE PILL TAKE A TEST RIGHT NOW

[@noamjen]

the advice you give at the end is very true not only for romance but friendships and sometimes even family ties. people in non-romantic relationships can be just as abusive and manipulative as romantic partners and no one should feel forced to stay in such an emotionally draining and hurtful relationship because "that what friends are for" or "it's your duty as parent/child/sibling"

[@isadoracostahamsi163]

it is your duty as a parent if they are still young... It isnt if they are adults. I agree with you tho

[@fraya1022]

Isadora Costa Hamsi - It depends. Parents are human, too, and if the relationship is unhealthy through no fault of the parent (such as mental illness or outside influence) then sometimes it is best to hand control over to another adult who can raise them better. Young people can be just as abusive as an adults.

[@THEFRISKIESTDINGO]

"it's like they're almost in a super-unhappy failing marriage that's on its last gasp before a messy divorce!" The book gets a little too meta there.

[@merobo5066]

6:33 I always thought sexual stuff having to do with knuckles would be reserved to sonic fanfiction.

[@natalijatheghost]

YOOOOOOOOOO 💀💀💀💀💀💀

[@kennashan]

PSA: Never scream help, or rape, or 911. If you need help, if you need witnesses, always, Always, scream FIRE FIRE FIRE. People will turn out to see flames.

[@wandanemer2630]

Sad, but very true.

[@ymargo611]

I feel sorry for my younger self who read this series and actually STARTED TO THINK this type of behavior is OK and NORMAL. Obviously Im learning a lot more now. Your reviews are really eye opening and helpful.

[@dysmissme7343]

Me too.. I remember thinking about how much Grey reminded me of this guy I was in a.. situationship with…. Genuinely I was like ah this behavior sounds so familiar 💕 It took me a while to realize that… it was bad.. just that it was all bad and videos like this one 100% played a part in that 💜 This was all a few years ago now but I still come back every couple of months to rewatch this series

[@Z.A.M.1359]

Igor wanting "playroom" time would be a fun fanfiction.

[@wandanemer2630]

It sounds way better than this, really! 👍🏻

[@kyletowers9662]

"When they said 'think of the children' this is not what they meant" my sides😂

[@Rikku147]

Honestly the music thing is less a I Want This To Be A Movie and more a staple of fanfiction. I won't say it's necessarily always cheesy, but song-fics got a reputation for being self-insert Mary Sue riddled work. (From what I remember, at least. Haven't read fanfiction in a while). Also WOO NASH! For the birth control scene... Uh... I don't think you're wrong, Dom. It's just... [Spoilers for Fifty Shades Freed] Hella shitty foreshadowing 😓

[@sofiaa1616]

Honestly, I always got the impression from song-fics that they were trying to be "cinematic" by providing an accompanying soundtrack. Like they were trying to find an easy way dramatize the events described by envisioning them scenes accompanied by music to set the tone, instead of, you know, using words.

[@imaginareality]

I like it sometimes, if it's a nice extra to a story (which requires that the story works well without the song. The song doesn't even have to be mentioned in the story itself, it can be just an author's note at the beginning). And it also works better in fanfics because they can link to the songs so that you can listen to them while reading. Which is something that I like to do. It doesn't really work with a book unless you can be sure that the reader will know all the songs (which is impossible) and then I find it annoying because it adds absolutely nothing to a scene.

[@Rikku147]

Sofia A I guess I can see that. I'm also a writer (and wrote fanfiction once upon a time, though not any song-fics) and I do like discussing the music I've used as inspiration or to set the mood. And I've seen other writers talk about the playlists they make for their work. I don't necessarily associate that with giving the work a more cinematic feel but I can DEFINITELY see it being used that way in certain stories. And definitely yes in Fifty Shades since a few times music is how they communicate a feeling or conflict rather than just developing in a scene or having them actually talk to each other.

[@KaijaSchmauss]

True. I've seen it successfully worked into fics before (though mainly in Glee fanfics, where it actually made sense for that universe), but it was usually a brief mention when it worked there.

[@sofiaa1616]

Oh, don't get me wrong! I've read my fair share of songfics, some of which I enjoyed. But I do feel that the vast majority of the ones I've read can accurately by described as above (though there are a few exceptions).

[@sylla_headhunter4725]

As always, great review, Dom! Your last words and advice for relationships ring true to me. I did not have an abusive relationship or anything like that, it wasn't even that bad - just the fact that HE was psychologically broken and I was not and still am not. He hated his family, wanted his mother dead and told me, he did not want people to know how bad he feels so he wanted to lie to everyone about how he felt. Which doesn't seem to be THAT bad until you realize that you'll never be able to tell if he just told you the truth or if he straight up lied to you. Long story short: I tried to be there for him but I just couldn't. It hurt too much and I am, up until this point, even though I've been together with someone else for over a year now, sorry for him that I ran. It's not romantic. It's lying awake, thinking about how you can stop someone from hurting themselves, trying to figure out a way to understand them and be there for them. I cried for over two weeks almost every day and especially at night because I did not know what to do and I wanted to break up but didn't want to tell him because I feared for his life and his sanity. I didn't think about me, I thought about him. THAT'S what such a relationship will probably give you: fear for someone else and complete disregard for your own well-being. If you can make it through this, if you and your partner can work things out: that's great. Just do it. Do whatever you can. But just remember this: ultimately, you should NOT be his safety guard. You are your own person and if you don't feel great, if you have a bad day, if you spilled your coffee over your new shirt, you can COMPLAIN about that shit. You don't have to be diagnosed with depression to feel like shit. You don't have to be mentally ill to completely LOSE your shit, you just need to have a bad day and you should be able to rant about it as much as you want and your partner should at least be able to pretend to be listening to you. You don't have to stay in a relationship because your partner needs you. You can. But there's NO RULE WHATSOEVER for that. I owe everything to two of my best friends who did their best to make me actually break up with my boyfriend and to this day I feel guilty about it. But I had to do it and I'm still trying to convince myself about this. It's hard but you will feel so much better. FSD is in so many ways fucked up about this, I don't even know what to say anymore. I used to read these books for fun (and the sex scenes. Obviously. This was porn from start to finish for me xD) until I became older and experienced shit myself and could understand these books for what they are. Im glad I DON'T own a copy. If I did, I'd want to burn my very first book...

[@narkismoshe6268]

I left everything to watch this. I love you and your content! Thank you :)

[@ASMRBookclub]

Also if you can't get enough of hating this "book" check out Jenny Trout's recap. Warning though, they start as hilarious but as she reads, the recaps get more and more serious as the abuse progresses. Still worth a read though! The Dom, I'm curious if you've read? Seems like this is something you would enjoy!

[@88savoie]

jennytrout.com/?p=3208

[@SamaritanPrime]

I have. They do start out as funny and sarcastic, but over time, the humor falls away, the sarcasm stays, and what was entertaining becomes a grind as there's new "WTF?" material around every corner. Fifty Shades well and truly is the worst of the worst.

[@panicatthefallout7710]

I love all her recaps. They are beautiful.

[@thedatabase677]

The real talk at the end was so heartfelt and so true. I've seen that happen too, it's hard to watch when your friends won't listen.

[@nattyart124]

damnnnn, i never realized while i was in my relationship, but now that we broke up, i realized i was his emotional battery and then we broke up and he instantly went to someone else, we were together for 3 years and i thought it was really good, but i realized i barely got anything back from him the realization is sweet and sour

[@RockedNet]

No I will NOT come to your birthday party!

[@Dominic-Noble]

YES. YOU. WILL.

[@cheezitgod5032]

:(

[@williamnissen5083]

You know you want too 😊

[@DecoyBlackMage]

Rocked Well, you could always bet on the final book and film destroying his body and soul, which is actually not far from the truth....... In the end though, you do get to see him suffer.

[@ABS1NTHE]

The Dom I was wondering if youd be willing to review a less popular and hopefully less painful erotic book called Bared To You, I'd like to know your take on it.

[@KKLaurelye]

So. The list of things we would have needed to do to get the third episode: challenges, fanart competitions, subscriber milestones, scavenger hunt, someone has to find the Arc of the Covenant and send the Dom a selfie of them opening it, 60 people have to eat a cake made out of raw jalapeno peppers, someone has to get Luke Spencer to go to his birthday party, sacrifice a giraffe to Cthulhu, train a troop of puppies to reenact the Percy Jackson musical, invent a new dance routine that takes the world by storm and name it after him, get him a lunch date with Lin-Manuel Miranda, prove to him the Nemean Lion is a real thing and defeat it in unarmed combat, and more left unheard. So, I did the subscriber milestone, the scavenger hunt, the giraffe sacrifice, and the jalapeno cake. How about you guys?

[@meep_cubed170]

I did the puppies doing the Percy Jackson musical, even threw in puppies doing SIX and Hamilton, and got him lunch with Lin, Rick Riordan, and scefualed his birthday at a bar where you can throw knives where the targets had pics of the 60 shades books on them

[@miloshaymin]

Oh my God the part where he acts like Anna hearing the "i love you" HAD ME LAUGHING OUT LOUD Dom you are the best

[@marandaward1663]

There’s a Sarah Dessen book that I can’t remember the name of, but it deals with a teenage girl in an abusive relationship and her struggle to escape it, all the therapy it took to get out of it, and how it damaged her. I just kept waiting for these books to turn into that and, nope, it didn’t. It did not turn into that.

[@gamerguys83]

I've never clicked on a Fifty Shades related video so fast.

[@ThatGuyWithAComment]

I can’t wait to see the fans make all of the Doms challenges come true. I for one am excited for the Doms lunch with Lin Manuel Miranda

[@emilydelamar4557]

At least Bella always hated getting gifts and never changed her mind, but not only did James rip of that like literally EVERYTHING else, she made it a lot worse and this video is the one of the best to destroy these shitty af books^^

[@danielaviera04]

The advice at the end of the video genuinely inspired to break up with my boyfriend. I had to come back to this video to thank you.

[@bobvagana5443]

Hi Dom! I've been having sort of a bad day but your vids always make me happy so thanks for uploading!

[@gracehaven5459]

Tomas Rosa same bro, horrible day, I literally cried at the post office after I got off work cause on top of everything else crappy that's been going on I was mailing my sisters 18th birthday gift out to her cause I can't make a visit that day, they looked at me like I lost my shit 😂 oh well at least we got a new video

[@kitthaven]

When I was at college doing English Lit I remember my lecturer telling me how when she read 50 Shades of Grey she couldn't stop laughing whenever Ana described herself as 'breaking into a million pieces', because a few seconds later she'd 'break into a million pieces' all over again. It made her wonder when Ana had put herself back together again during all of this. 😂

[@Nenilein]

OKAY, the Radio Dead Air cameo made my day, it was so perfect! Thank you both, Dom and Nash(+Tara), for being so perfect!

[@gamerguy232]

I saw that cameo and legit could not tell if that was a clip from a real episode or not. I guess that really shows how fucked up the news gets on that show XD

[@Nenilein]

It was a legit clip from one of the shows. i vividly remember the joke Tara made at the situation.

[@gamerguy232]

which one was it, i will have to find it again because i need to see this for myself

[@Nenilein]

Gosh, I wish I could remember. With one show a week, it's hard to keep track. >_>

[@HLoneheart]

there was that kinky elderly couple from a few weeks back so... yeah right up until nash said "mr. Grey" I thought it was legit

[@CassTheOptimist]

The fact that you read this whole thing is both amazing and heartbreaking. I couldn't get past the point where Ana finds out about all the background checks, stalking, and her bank information he had in his office. It was that flippant way of her saying, "not cool, but I won't run." that told me to run away from the rest of the book. I was two hundred shades close to just tossing the thing out the window. I love your reviews. More power to you.

[@ZekeAxel]

Thank you for this for us. You're suffering, but also giving the proper deconstruction and depth to this issue.

[@catspaw3092]

The moment Grey sees that Anna wants romance than being his sub he should've cut his losses right there but James thinks being in abusive relationships is romantic. "HEY JAMES IT'S NOT!

[@Xehanort10]

@@kerriejane508 No but the author does.

[@priscillaguinante491]

Actually they do have unprotected sex. In Savannah, as soon as she starts the pill, they have unprotected sex and every time after that was unprotected. Which means that yes, she could've conceivably been pregnant. (Love the video.)

[@1987MartinT]

18:28-19:32 That's basically: Romantic Relationships 101. The fact that so few people are aware of this is rather off-putting to me.

[@MH3Raiser]

I think the biggest difference between Christian Grey and Edward Cullen's suggested personality is self-awareness and how they view the concept of selfishness. Christian is constantly acting in his own self interest, and most if not all of any positive actions he pursues are an almost accidental result of him acting selfishly. Most importantly, he doesn't see these actions as selfish. Far from it: he views himself as someone who constantly sacrifices his desires for others. Edward Cullen exhibits many of the same obsessive and selfish tendencies, such as clingy jealousy and obsession over Bella's safety to the point of stalking... but he's fully aware this is a pathetic and selfish side of himself. Edward Cullen genuinely believes Bella would be better off without him, and considers his pursuit of their relationship as an ultimate act of selfishness, to the point where he breaks off the relationship himself in the second book. This doesn't excuse his actions or make his and Bella's relationship any more co-dependant and needy, but it goes a long way to justify its presence in the book. There are even direct references made to how unhealthy their love for each other is in canon, treated as some supernatural longing neither of them can resist, even if it would objectively be healthier to do so. At least for me as a child, this kept me from seeing Edward and Bella's relationship as a 'really relationship, and really shows a difference in integrity and self awareness between E.L James and Stephanie Meyer.

[@Bellonging]

The song mentioning thing is quite common in fanfictiion with three common appearances. Sometimes the author simply mentions what music you should be listening in a mid chapter author's note or at the beginning; Sometimes the music is mentioned somewhat diegetically (as here?) as if it's playing in the scene; and Sometimes it's written as song lyrics in the story, sometimes directly as the actions of characters and sometimes just as a... poetic parallel. This last one is called "songfics" or "songfic writing" because they're usually one-shots with that as the gimmick.

[@DimitrisGenn]

Alright, I'm gonna handle the cthulhu sacrifices, who's gonna take care of the rest of the challenges? ( you're not getting away from this dom ;) )

[@kaori_hyacinthus4409]

ΔΗΜΗΤΡΗΣ ΓΕΝΝΑΙΟΣ gonna make the dance move routine. Who wants to make those jalapeno cakes and video themselves eating it.

[@WalkmanWillWalkAllOverYou]

ΔΗΜΗΤΡΗΣ ΓΕΝΝΑΙΟΣ I'll make the DC Movies not suck.

[@Curtis-gx2fd]

Alexander Colbert I’ll make the cakes but someone else is recording themselves eat the cakes.

[@depressedbreakfast2614]

I’ll find the ark of the covenant

[@willmiester4051]

Ia! Ia! Cthulhu fhtagn!

[@Sunnucksboi]

E L James needs to see these videos... she needs to learn of the potential damage she’s doing...

[@soooze7367]

HOLY HELL FINALLY SOMEONE ELSE WHO LISTENED TO THE PERCY JACKSON MUSICAL!!

[@fairycat23]

OH THINGS COULDN'T BE WORSE WHEN YOUR PARENTS RUN THE UNIVERSE

[@TheLadysAtelier]

Just another terrible day~

[@Pillzpop]

5:55 Nash's reaction after reading the article is basically me whenever someone talks about these books.

[@Justice237]

My favourite parts of this review: 1) The Dom's impression of Igor 2) The message at the end, seriously, thank you for saying that

[@starshapedseal]

I know it stresses you out, but I love that you so thoroughly analyze the books of this series to try and abolish the rose colored glasses people have about this fictional couple. ♡

[@Your_local_therian_weirdo]

I'm 6 years into my relationship and other than a few sharp words, we have never had a screaming matching. If you have a screaming match more than once in first two months, something isn't right

[@lucygraham3573]

Whenever I get bored I watch this. Kind of ironic considering how boring the book is. Your not boring dom by the way.

[@antheathetiefling8581]

Since there are no Giraffes where I live, do you think that burning my aunt's copy of the books would apaise the old ones? Or would the evils of this thing disguised as a "romance" story simply unleash them ( the old ones) unto the world?

[@MissCaraMint]

The thing is my boyfriend and I have been experimenting with s bit of bondage and such, and we have learned that you do not under any circomstances make ignore the disscomfort of your partner. The only reason it works is the mutual trust.

[@pandorarose3]

Thank you I loved how you ended this. I was in an abusive BDSM relationship, that wasn't that bad YET when I was told by mutual friends that the guy was changing for the better and it was because I was in his life. So I forced myself to make it work. Until we had a massive breaking point that ended in a public spectacle where he turned out to be the asshole of the story. God, I wish you could return Kindle books.

[@DrusillaDragonrose]

I am happy I never poisoned myself with this book series.

[@WalkmanWillWalkAllOverYou]

Drusilla Dragonrose that's why I only read the Wikipedia Plot Summaries, and even that was too much for me.

[@nightmareundercover9877]

You are our hero for reading and reviewing these books as well as seeing the movies. The relationship advice really warmed my heart and your content really is high quality and I always enjoy it.

[@cpm9747]

It's...it's like it's a guidebook to How to manipulate someone effectively. Love the healthy emphasis that it is no one's job to fix their romantic partner.

[@angelaphsiao]

I for one would love to see the Puppy Jackson Musical