Something Worth Mentioning: The Goofy 9/11 Conspiracy Involving My Chemical Romance and “50 Shades of Grey”

I dislike conspiracy theories. To me, they are a waste of time to take too seriously and think that there’s this big, magical alternate world outside of our control. If you are personally a fan of going down these rabbit holes for entertainment, that is acceptable. What I don’t like is something akin to Russ Tamblyn in Twin Peaks: The Return where you’re so deep into conspiracies that it consumes your life, changing your identity so succinctly that you’re lacking humanity (and selling shovels for some reason). I especially feel strict when it comes to 9/11, where I’ll personally check out the minute you try to tell me some random nonsense about a plane flying into a building. It was traumatic enough without overthinking such pointless minutiae.

But, it’s impossible to not admit that I found where I couldn’t help but chuckle. To be transparent, I was originally going to do a piece about My Chemical Romance. As one of the premiere emo bands of the 2000s, it felt like a good time to explore the impact of tragedy on their music and its effort to bring positivity into the world. However, things began to unravel much quicker than I expected. Suddenly I found a greater story to cover than a tribute to “Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge.” Somewhere in the Tumblr of yesteryear, there was a conspiracy so amazing that I just had to share it. Get your hard hats ready for this action…

9/11 is responsible for E.L. James’ “50 Shades of Grey.”

I’m not just talking about the chronological use of time, where yesterday influences what we do today. No, that is too vague of a premise to go off of. There is actual logic that makes sense in the same way that the old Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon Game makes sense. Once you begin connecting the strings, the picture becomes clear. You’ll hold your hand over your mouth, not understanding how you didn’t see it before. In fact, I’d argue that this conspiracy has so many more sidesteps that you can go down, like giving Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson significant career boosts (especially given that both starred in 9/11-adjacent movies Camp X-Ray (2014) and Remember Me (2010) respectively), or the many offshoots of My Chemical Romance that could tie to any number of modern artists (or Gerard Way’s comic book career and The Umbrella Academy TV series). 

But let’s forgo the headache for now. This is supposed to be a lighthearted, silly column that’s not to be taken too seriously. Again, I don’t like conspiracy theories and mostly find this to be an amusing coincidence. So let’s get to it… HOW did 9/11 inspire “50 Shades of Grey,” and what does any of that have to do with My Chemical Romance and "Twilight"?

Everything starts on September 11, 2001. By now, you’re likely familiar with the events and the many horrifying details. The World Trade Center Attacks was a moment in 21st Century American History that changed how we interacted with the world. It was a bleak time, especially for those who lived in New York. Among those who observed things firsthand was Gerard Way, who was on a ferry watching the towers fall. Following a bout of trauma, he decided to form a band to help him come to terms with his own emotional turmoil. 

That band was My Chemical Romance. On their first album “I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love” (released July 2002), they featured the song “Skylines and Turnstiles” that recalls the day in great detail. In the chorus, he even mentions:

This broken city sky like butane on my skin

Stolen from my eyes, hello angel, tell me

Where are you?

Tell me where we go from here

It’s the cry of uncertainty that man faced during that time as rubble fell from the sky and clouds of dust overwhelmed the city. It was a horrifying moment, and one that Way captures expertly. While he continues to grapple with themes of life and death throughout the rest of his career, having this featured on their debut was a sign of their deeper intent. Music was ultimately the cleanser, something that could make things feel a little better, at least for three or so minutes through headphones.

Among their recurring imagery was the presence of vampires, as featured on songs like “Vampires Will Never Hurt You” or “To The End.” There was something appealing about their image during the early 2000s, notably in 2004 with their album “Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge.” It grew a fan base with its theatrical, highly emotional blend of music that came to define the emo music genre. Among those fans was the author Stephanie Meyers, who once claimed that:

“This really raw, uncontrolled emotion — where it’s not about some person who’s grown up and callused over and learned how to control things. It’s someone who’s feeling it for the first time and just wants to go out and blow things up. The song ‘Famous Last Words’ is a really romantic version of Jacob saying, ‘Okay, I’m putting myself out there, and you’re probably going to break me, but that doesn’t change the fact that I’m still going to make the offer.’

Jacob, of course, being a central figure in her 2005 young adult novel “Twilight.” While My Chemical Romance openly admitted they didn’t want to be associated with the vampire love story, even turning down a chance to write a song for The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009). That didn’t stop Meyers from featuring “I’m Not Okay (I Promise)” on a personalized playlist to help her create a sound for the universe. Fans tried to persuade him but, quite literally, there was no Way. While the franchise would feature original songs by similar artists like Paramore and Green Day, they remained a major hold-out up until the series’ conclusion.

Things worked out just fine for Meyers. The “Twilight” series sold over 120 million worldwide and has gained a minor resurgence in recent years with many calling the films “actually good.” They helped launch the careers of Stewart and Pattinson as indie darlings (with the former gaining Oscar Buzz for Princess Diana drama Spencer (2021)). Love or hate, the series has withstood the test of time, winning nicely in the relevancy department. 

Fun story if it stopped here, right? It’s quite a fun conspiracy to suggest that 9/11 inspired a book that features a werewolf imprinting on a newborn baby. However, there’s more to the story. Given that “Twilight” would appear at No. 73 on PBS’ Great American Read Series, it’s interesting to note that another book from that list prolongs the impact of 9/11 into the literary world. This time, things get kinky and bring us to the bigger punchline. Yes, one that’s even bigger than the time honored feud between Team Edward and Team Jacob…

So, how do we get to “50 Shades of Grey”? 

Chiming in at no. 86 on PBS’ list, the E.L. James book has garnered its own level of success. With over 150 million copies sold worldwide, the origins are in some respects something that is highly enviable. It’s the type of success story that honestly makes most professional writers both jealous and annoyed. Taking the independent writer route, she wrote the novel through her own website and became a big seller in 2011. She would eventually sell the book to publishers that only helped to expand her potential.

D.H. Lawrence couldn't have said it better

It makes sense that the novel did well. Much like “Twilight,” there was something to “50 Shades of Grey” focusing on a female protagonist giving in to her desires. It was at times the more adult, less fantastical (in a sense) version of the story. What woman couldn’t be swayed by James’ eroticism, graphic details that have so much steam they threaten to smear the print. There is a draw there, especially given that James based it around S&M experiences and explored a dynamic that, while controversial, went against modest alternatives. 

It was also quite literally a horny version of “Twilight.”

For those who need greater context, I want you to use this cheat sheet: Anastasia Steele is Bella Swan and Mr. Grey is Edward Cullen. While it can be argued that enough changed to avoid lawsuits, the basic blueprint was still there. Anyone who knows the characters can figure it out for themselves. Still, it was a major success, becoming the go to reference for highly sexual content, itself inspiring a whole way of light erotica on TV and film with 365 Days (2020) and Netflix’s Sex Life. The only difference is that most of them haven’t cracked half of the success that James did.

Also, as a side note. For those who want a great S&M movie, please watch The Duke of Burgundy (2015) instead.

It’s quite an incredible journey and an even greater coincidence. With tomorrow marking 20 years since 9/11, it’s amazing to think about what pop culture will look like in 10 years. What will the fan fiction version of “50 Shades of Grey” look like? Okay, that’s not entirely a fair question because short of just making a G-Rated business proposal parody, the only way to change the story is to remove the plot… and by then what even matters?

Again, this was done in good humor. I do not believe that there is some deeper message about the decay of society that is tied between The World Trade Center Attacks and “50 Shades of Grey.” It’s simply interesting that what started as a way to process trauma influenced two major book franchises with complicated relationships with women. The world continues to expand, and there are a few random details that I want to end on, if just to make this piece a bit more absurd.

There was the time where Fifty Shades of Grey (2015) star Dakota Johnson showed up with her mother Melanie Griffith at The Oscars and an interviewer asked Griffith if she had seen the movie – itself a new release. Yes, the moment IS as awkward as you think it was.

At the same ceremony, the film was nominated for Best Original Song, earning artist The Weeknd his sole nomination for “Earned It.” While this doesn’t qualify as the first or only 9/11-adjacent media to receive that honor, it’s interesting to push a little further in the conspiracy and see how it coincided with the rise of The Weeknd’s career, recently culminating in chart dominance with the great album “After Hours.”

Finally, in what I may end up writing about later on down the line, is a series of parodies. Much like Twilight (2008) with Vampires Suck (2010), Fifty Shades of Grey received a handful of parodies including most notably Fifty Shades of Black (2016). There are also TWO listed stage musicals parodying the film including Spank! and 50 Shades! The Musical Parody. I haven’t listened to them in too much detail, but the latter does have an album on YouTube that includes such provocative titles as “Butthole in Control.” Take with that what you will.

There’s also a mansion that’s been designed to feature the central “Red Room,” if just to show how this story also goes into the housing market.

Obviously, there is so much more that I could cover, but there have to be limits. In a piece that’s designed to point out bored teenagers overthinking ephemera, they have brought some joy to a dark time, showing the endless ways that the world sincerely changed. For all I know, there’s another string of events with an even crazier story. For now, I think of this moment and laugh because there was genuine sincerity with My Chemical Romance that wasn’t present in “Fifty Shades of Grey.” As someone who enjoys pulling from different corners of entertainment for influence, this is a great example of artists being inspired by something so personal, even if it turns into something completely ridiculous.