E.L. James, the author of the bestselling erotic trilogy "Fifty Shades of Grey" did not attend BookExpo America this week but she and her surprise hit that everyone is reading and talking about was not forgotten at the annual book trade show. USA Today reported that many celebrity authors poked fun at the author and the book during their presentations.
Here are some of those punch lines:
Kristie Alley said she didn't need CliffNotes to read "Fifty Shades of Grey" and adding, "I lived with a guy - it's in my book - who sort of made Christian Grey look like Justin Bieber. " She also said the book was really PG on S&M then her "Grey" inspired promotion for her own book, "if you like S&M, you'll like my book." Alley's new book "The Art of Men" (I Prefer Mine Al Dente) comes out November 13.
Funny man Stephen Colbert made references to his genetalia throughout the performance to "celebrate the fact that hard-core porn is dominating the (best-seller) lists," as he put it. Colbert was at the fair to talk about his kids' picture book, "I Am a Pole (And So Can You)."
The late night T.V. comedian, Jimmy Falon did not introduce himself as himself when he got on stage to discuss his book "Thank You Notes." His intro started with, "Hello, I'm E.L. James."
Given that "Fifty Shades of Grey" has been such a breakout sensation in the literary world, it's not surprising that E.L. James would be at the expo in spirit and comedians would want to include her on their jokes. But why wasn't she there in person?