It was passed around on Twitter just now that Jayeliwood got the following review on her Slash Backslash entry, The Bodyguard:
"I didnt read this story because of course it made me sick to my stomach. I dont have anything against gays or their relationships for personal reasons I am not at liberty to discuss its not my story to tell. What I do have is people taking Jasper and Edward and making them out to be something the author SM did not intend for them to be and it makes me plain sick and very disappointed in good authors like yourself making these two characters gay. Sorry if this offends you, but you wrote the story so you should be able to take the criticism for putting such garbage on your list of stories you are to good for this."
Needless to say (especially if you know me and my fervent love of all things slash) I raged. I couldn't control it and sent a PM. Me being me I think it was quite toned down. Anyway, now that I'm in rage mode, I feel like bringing everyone down with me. This is obviously not the first time I've seen reviews like this. In fact, the last time I was raging over reviews like this was over the ones americnxidiot got for her seriously adorable TT25 Jasper/Edward entry (*cough*thati'dlovetoseecontinuedifsheeverhastheinclination*cough*). Even before I was into fanfic, I'd see little screeds like that about slash in other fandoms. I just don't understand the need to express your hate on something that you a) didn't read, and; b) don't have to read. If it doesn't float your boat, push on. By the way, I'm fairly certain SMeyer wouldn't be pleased with a lot of what is done with her characters in fanfic. JS.
Does commentary like that ever have a place in reviews?
Did it make it worse for anyone else that they specifically stated they didn't read the piece?
Should it have been sent in a PM? Or should the reviewer have kept their opinion quiet?
As an author, would you even respond? How?
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