EL James’ Twitter Q&A Taken Over By Trolling Critics
E.L. James’ Twitter Q&A took a turn when critics took over and confronted the Fifty Shades of Grey author about her controversial work.
#AskELJames Gets Ugly
James hosted a Twitter Q&A on Monday, June 29, to celebrate the release of her newest novel, Grey, a retelling of Fifty Shades of Grey from Christian Grey’s point of view. While die-hard Fifty Shades fans flocked to purchase the book, critics were quick to dismiss the book and use it as evidence supporting the belief that Anastasia and Christian’s relationship is abusive.
It was those critics who took over James’ Twitter Q&A, challenging the author about her romanticism of abusive relationships and the homophobia some fans identified in the books.
Are you as homophobic in real life as your books are? Asking for a friend. #AskELJames
— Jenny Trout (@Jenny_Trout) June 29, 2015
The critics made #AskELJames – the hashtag designated for James’ Twitter Q&A – a trending topic on Twitter, but one look at the hashtag proved that the number of critical questions far outweighed the fan questions.
#AskELJames Is it only ok for Christian to stalk, coerce, threaten & manipulate Ana because he’s hot, or is it also ok because he’s rich?
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— 50 Shades is abuse (@50shadesabuse) June 29, 2015
Most Twitter users seemed to have the same complaint: that James’ Fifty Shades trilogy has normalized and even promoted abusive romantic relationships. In Fifty Shades, Christian Grey stalks Ana after they first meet, something described in detail in Grey. He also appears to coerce her into participating in BDSM with him and, in one particularly controversial scene in the book, does not stop a sexual encounter when she asks him to.
#askeljames Do you ever wonder how powerful your books could have been if you’d had Ana break free of the abuse in the end?
— Paul Anthony Shortt (@PAShortt) June 29, 2015
how do you feel knowing you’ve made your riches from convincing young impressionable girls that abuse is ‘love’? #AskELJames
— dione tennant // 30 (@alIonsytennant) June 29, 2015
#AskELJames Do all these negative tweets sent to you seem abusive to you? I think it’s romantic enough to be turned into a novel!
— Stephan Krosecz (@Krosecz) June 29, 2015
Of course, many critics simply attacked James’ writing.
#AskELJames Is there a safe word which will stop you from writing anymore of this bollocks?
— TittyBiscuits. (@dawneywawney) June 29, 2015
Which do you hate more, women or the English language? #AskELJames
— Ian Robinson (@eyeswideshut75) June 29, 2015
#AskELJames could you please apologise to quality, conscientious Fan Fiction writers whose names you have tarnished?
— IDFYTI (@IDFYTI) June 29, 2015
James did not address or attempt to answer any of the particularly trolling questions, and managed to have a somewhat productive Q&A session with her fans. It’s safe to say that James does not regret any bit of the more abusive storylines in her books. When asked by a fan if there was anything she would want to change about Ana and Christian’s love story, James answered, “Yes. I would have liked to split them up for longer at the end of FSoG [Fifty Shades of Grey].”
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