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E.L. James takedown on Twitter (might be TMI)

So this might be TMI because it is about 50 Shades of Gray. I don't want another warning for being "vulgar". But this is about straight sex so we're probably in the clear.

Anyways, ya'll seen this? Apparently E.L. James the uh..."writer" of 50 Shades of Bullshit uh I mean Grey, did a Q&A on Twitter. The results were...rather spectacular. 

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Re: E.L. James takedown on Twitter (might be TMI)

  • Hahahahaha those were wonderful!
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  • wow lol. I've never read the book (because I heard it was awful) but some of those made me laugh. 
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  • I never read the books either (don't plan to), but I was dying reading these. Why people think Twitter Q&As are a good idea for something like this is totally beyond me.
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  • The books weren't that bad.  But the movie was even worse.
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  • ohmrs2014 said:
    The books weren't that bad.  But the movie was even worse.
    Really? She clambered, he clambered, they clambered... I couldn't even finish the first one over how badly it was written. 

    Not to mention the whole thing was twilight fan fiction. I just can't with that.
  • ohmrs2014 said:
    The books weren't that bad.  But the movie was even worse.
    Really? She clambered, he clambered, they clambered... I couldn't even finish the first one over how badly it was written. 

    Not to mention the whole thing was twilight fan fiction. I just can't with that.
    I did not know this. Gross. 
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  • ohmrs2014 said:
    The books weren't that bad.  But the movie was even worse.
    I agree that they weren't that bad.  They kept my attention and were something that didn't cause me to have to think hard on.  Great for tanning on the beach.

    The movie, however, was just down right horrible.  But I did get a good chuckle over it so that is something.

    I am also not one to get all riled up over a book.  It is just a fictional book.  If people want to believe that that relationship is how all relationships should be, well then they had issues before reading the book.  After reading it I certainly didn't tell my H that he now must have control over every thing I do and track my every move or else he doesn't really love me.  I read it.  I filed it in my nook library and moved on.


  • ohmrs2014 said:
    The books weren't that bad.  But the movie was even worse.
    Really? She clambered, he clambered, they clambered... I couldn't even finish the first one over how badly it was written. 

    Not to mention the whole thing was twilight fan fiction. I just can't with that.

    Don't get me wrong, they are no work of art.  But for entertainment value, I didn't find them to be horrible.  I did find myself laughing most of the time as I was reading them.  

    The whole twilight fan fiction, that part I did not know.
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  • That's awesome.  Even DH chuckled at a couple and he hates everything on the interwebs

  • ohmrs2014 said:
    The books weren't that bad.  But the movie was even worse.
    Really? She clambered, he clambered, they clambered... I couldn't even finish the first one over how badly it was written. 

    Not to mention the whole thing was twilight fan fiction. I just can't with that.
    I did not know this. Gross. 
    Yup.  And if you have read both series it is so damn obvious.

  • I heard about it but couldn't read an article a friend posted on FB about it. That's hilarious. I've never actually tried to read "Grey" but I've read a sample of it on Amazon and Jesus on ice skates it was... Not good, imo. 

    I died over some of the questions she was asked, hilarious. She seems really salty about the whole thing: https://twitter.com/AskeljamesReply



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  • This makes me laugh. I mean it's an erotica novel and people are saying it's written bad? Isn't that like critiquing a porn star for being a bad actor ? I like the books. Its a change from watching "2 girls one pole".
  • It's written poorly and isn't particularly sexy, but that's not my issue with it. Profiting from fanfiction and particularly profiting so obscenely from abusive fanfiction irritates me to no end. IMO as a writer, that's the kind of thing you write but do not publish. Also, she doesn't acknowledge that the relationship is in any way abusive, which is more than a little worrisome.
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  • No no no the books were fucking TERRIBLE! It's not about the content, it's the way she writes. She repeats herself constantly and I swear the only thing Ana knows how to do in the book is bite her lip.


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  • I guess I just can't blame a fictional book for everything you said. I blame the people who choose to take this book as fact instead of using their common sense and realizing that maybe a fictional book shouldn't be taken so literally.

    But like I said those that choose to take the book as fact probably already have issues that they should work on.

    And aren't a lot of crappy romance novels bout the damsel in distress and their Prince Charming coming to save them and pleasure them all at the same time?

    And funny enough I just didn't even think about her lack of email address or computer. Goes to show you just how much I really concentrated on the books.

  • I guess I just can't blame a fictional book for everything you said. I blame the people who choose to take this book as fact instead of using their common sense and realizing that maybe a fictional book shouldn't be taken so literally. But like I said those that choose to take the book as fact probably already have issues that they should work on. And aren't a lot of crappy romance novels bout the damsel in distress and their Prince Charming coming to save them and pleasure them all at the same time? And funny enough I just didn't even think about her lack of email address or computer. Goes to show you just how much I really concentrated on the books.
    I think what it comes down to is that it's poorly researched and misrepresents a community, and the author won't claim that. It would be a totally different story if she was like, "Yeah, no, this is a fictional story about an abusive relationship," people wouldn't be as up in arms about it. But instead she's like, "Yeah, this is totally just a story about a dude with a kinky sex life, that's all. Nothing wrong, non-consensual, or abusive here." That's the issue. Not that people can't differentiate fact from fiction. 

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  • Wouldn't she have a college email address? Not everyone had a computer when I went to college (15 years ago).  

    Anyway, the book is horribly written, and the erotica is just not that good. I still read them, because they are easy reads, but it doesn't change the fact that the story is terrible, the writing is terrible and the sex is terrible.
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  • I guess I just can't blame a fictional book for everything you said. I blame the people who choose to take this book as fact instead of using their common sense and realizing that maybe a fictional book shouldn't be taken so literally. But like I said those that choose to take the book as fact probably already have issues that they should work on. And aren't a lot of crappy romance novels bout the damsel in distress and their Prince Charming coming to save them and pleasure them all at the same time? And funny enough I just didn't even think about her lack of email address or computer. Goes to show you just how much I really concentrated on the books.
    I think what it comes down to is that it's poorly researched and misrepresents a community, and the author won't claim that. It would be a totally different story if she was like, "Yeah, no, this is a fictional story about an abusive relationship," people wouldn't be as up in arms about it. But instead she's like, "Yeah, this is totally just a story about a dude with a kinky sex life, that's all. Nothing wrong, non-consensual, or abusive here." That's the issue. Not that people can't differentiate fact from fiction. 
    Perfectly put. I couldn't think of how to phrase what I wanted to say properly. :)
  • Wouldn't she have a college email address? Not everyone had a computer when I went to college (15 years ago).  


    Anyway, the book is horribly written, and the erotica is just not that good. I still read them, because they are easy reads, but it doesn't change the fact that the story is terrible, the writing is terrible and the sex is terrible.
    Perhaps that is what she truly believes though. And I think people will be up in arms regardless if she came out and said it is abusive too. I think people need to claim responsibility for their own thinking and what they believe. If they decide to believe a fictional book is actually fact that says a lot about their mental state more so then the content of a piece of fiction.

    It would be like if I decided to believe Harry Potter was real and went around dressed as a wizard, waving a wand around and "cursing"everyone I saw. Pretty sure people wouldn't be blaming the book or the author for my behavior but they would rather say that I need to see a shrink.

  • Wouldn't she have a college email address? Not everyone had a computer when I went to college (15 years ago).  

    Anyway, the book is horribly written, and the erotica is just not that good. I still read them, because they are easy reads, but it doesn't change the fact that the story is terrible, the writing is terrible and the sex is terrible.
    Perhaps that is what she truly believes though. And I think people will be up in arms regardless if she came out and said it is abusive too. I think people need to claim responsibility for their own thinking and what they believe. If they decide to believe a fictional book is actually fact that says a lot about their mental state more so then the content of a piece of fiction. It would be like if I decided to believe Harry Potter was real and went around dressed as a wizard, waving a wand around and "cursing"everyone I saw. Pretty sure people wouldn't be blaming the book or the author for my behavior but they would rather say that I need to see a shrink.
    It really doesn't matter if that's what she truly believes, because she is factually wrong in her portrayal. That's like if I insisted the sky was orange. It wouldn't matter how hard I believed it, it would still be wrong, and people would still call me out on it. Eventually I would have to look at the facts and change my mind, or be labeled a moron. 

    Again, I don't think anyone is having trouble separating fact from fiction, here. The fact is that some people do participate in BDSM. That is fact, and these people are not crazy. What she wrote is not what a healthy relationship involving these aspects looks like, but she's claiming otherwise. If someone were to ask J.K. Rowling if they could get to Hogwarts by running at a brick wall in a train station hard enough, she would advise them strongly against it, I'm sure. That's the difference.

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  • Wouldn't she have a college email address? Not everyone had a computer when I went to college (15 years ago).  

    Anyway, the book is horribly written, and the erotica is just not that good. I still read them, because they are easy reads, but it doesn't change the fact that the story is terrible, the writing is terrible and the sex is terrible.
    Perhaps that is what she truly believes though. And I think people will be up in arms regardless if she came out and said it is abusive too. I think people need to claim responsibility for their own thinking and what they believe. If they decide to believe a fictional book is actually fact that says a lot about their mental state more so then the content of a piece of fiction. It would be like if I decided to believe Harry Potter was real and went around dressed as a wizard, waving a wand around and "cursing"everyone I saw. Pretty sure people wouldn't be blaming the book or the author for my behavior but they would rather say that I need to see a shrink.
    Part of the issue lies in the ways in which our culture stigmatizes intimacy in general, and particularly anything that is considered out of the "norm". That stigma plays in to people being ashamed and embarrassed about intimacy and their own needs.  There are likely many, many people who are interested or curious about the things discussed in the book, but because it is generally not OK to talk about them in the open in our culture, they aren't going to seek out information about it.  But they will see this book, which has become an accepted and celebrated thing, and they will read it and come away from it with the belief that this is how this type of relationship should be.

    That's probably not going to happen with Harry Potter.  Most people understand that they can't cast magic spells, because there isn't this big hush hush secret attitude about magic-oriented fantasy novels etc. People understand Harry Potter to be fun fiction; some will understand 50 Shades to be a portrayal of reality, because our culture has set them up to take it as such/prevented them from looking for a more truthful representation in a safe way.
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  • relliotts said:

    Wouldn't she have a college email address? Not everyone had a computer when I went to college (15 years ago).  

    Anyway, the book is horribly written, and the erotica is just not that good. I still read them, because they are easy reads, but it doesn't change the fact that the story is terrible, the writing is terrible and the sex is terrible.
    Perhaps that is what she truly believes though. And I think people will be up in arms regardless if she came out and said it is abusive too. I think people need to claim responsibility for their own thinking and what they believe. If they decide to believe a fictional book is actually fact that says a lot about their mental state more so then the content of a piece of fiction. It would be like if I decided to believe Harry Potter was real and went around dressed as a wizard, waving a wand around and "cursing"everyone I saw. Pretty sure people wouldn't be blaming the book or the author for my behavior but they would rather say that I need to see a shrink.
    Part of the issue lies in the ways in which our culture stigmatizes intimacy in general, and particularly anything that is considered out of the "norm". That stigma plays in to people being ashamed and embarrassed about intimacy and their own needs.  There are likely many, many people who are interested or curious about the things discussed in the book, but because it is generally not OK to talk about them in the open in our culture, they aren't going to seek out information about it.  But they will see this book, which has become an accepted and celebrated thing, and they will read it and come away from it with the belief that this is how this type of relationship should be.

    That's probably not going to happen with Harry Potter.  Most people understand that they can't cast magic spells, because there isn't this big hush hush secret attitude about magic-oriented fantasy novels etc. People understand Harry Potter to be fun fiction; some will understand 50 Shades to be a portrayal of reality, because our culture has set them up to take it as such/prevented them from looking for a more truthful representation in a safe way.
    That's because we hashed that out in the 80s over D&D and all the devil-worship allegations. Now we live in a world where Harry Potter is acceptable for children and the Church of Satan is advocating for bodily autonomy and religious freedom.

    The difference is the author's supreme unwillingness to acknowledge...anything. It's perfectly okay to write erotica, and abuse, and BDSM, and abusive BDSM erotica, and fanfiction. It's not okay to write those things and not call them what they are. It's not okay to misrepresent a lifestyle without acknowledging your own ignorance. It's not okay to write abuse and call it a healthy relationship. It's not okay to publish and profit from fanfiction. E.L. James is not okay.
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  • And if anyone wants well-written sexy BDSM, maybe try Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey.
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  • Well maybe instead of E L James we should all just go after Stephanie Myer. I mean she started all of this because she wrote Twighlight. If those sparkly vampires didn't exist neither would this book.

    In the end these kind of books will exist because they sell. And publishers care more about making money then selling books that are deemed "okay" by some parts of society. Hell the bible is the most sold book in the world and I am sure there are many people not okay with that book. So should that book cease to be printed or sold?

    If you don't like the book, don't read it. The author will never come around and admit what you want. So instead of bashing her why not just focus on positive teaching of the BDSM lifestyle since the book at least did open up the discussion about that culture. Which I guess is the one positive take away from that series.

  • I think this is pretty perfect. Nobody is censoring her, nobody is taking away her right to write this garbage (I am guilty of contempt prior to investigation here, but there is no way I am reading it) or to defend it in whatever misguided or irresponsible way she wants. (She's obviously more than a little out of touch with reality if she thought she was going to open herself up to questions on Twitter and it was going to be a cuddly feel-good love fest.) Similarly, the general public absolutely has the right to be critical, to call her out for being a terrible writer with a terrible message. The system works!
  • Well maybe instead of E L James we should all just go after Stephanie Myer. I mean she started all of this because she wrote Twighlight. If those sparkly vampires didn't exist neither would this book. In the end these kind of books will exist because they sell. And publishers care more about making money then selling books that are deemed "okay" by some parts of society. Hell the bible is the most sold book in the world and I am sure there are many people not okay with that book. So should that book cease to be printed or sold? If you don't like the book, don't read it. The author will never come around and admit what you want. So instead of bashing her why not just focus on positive teaching of the BDSM lifestyle since the book at least did open up the discussion about that culture. Which I guess is the one positive take away from that series.
    But what is wrong with criticizing her or the book? If people don't like something and they don't like the message it sends, they should be vocal about criticism, especially when they see the message as harmful.

    "Just don't read it" is like saying I shouldn't post a bad review after a bad restaurant experience. 


  • I never read them. I just didn't have an interest in them.

    However, I had some friends read them. They said they weren't great but were an easy read that kept them entertained.

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