Is Ellen x Ted a problematic ship?
Huh... Yes. Because Ted doesn't really love Ellen. Well, if you ask me based on my perspective.
The summary is easy, if we talk about it in the game. Ted supposedly talks about wanting to be Ellen's love knight, but she doesn't reciprocate his feelings either off Ted's route, nor does Ellen present love to him.
Ted is jealous, he doesn't want anyone else to be with Ellen. Unless he has to share with the other survivors. Not to mention that Ellen is unfortunately a victim of sexual abuse. Every time she has sex, she doesn't like it. To the reason for the event of your sexual abuser. The "counselor in yellow", in the elevator. I am not saying that all the victims of these cases do not feel sexual pleasure.
However, in Ellen's case it is a different case. Her memory is erased from that traumatic event, Physically she may have sexual arousal, but her mind does not become pleasurable in the sexual act. It's horrible torture for Ellen.
(Clarification, I say this from my interpretation and from what I know about the game. I am not a victim of sexual abuse, because I don't know how that is experienced in the flesh. So if someone corrects me in something I am willing to read.)
A.M constantly tells you that you have hysteria, when it is an incorrect medical term currently. The reason is simple, because the name hysteria has a misogynistic origin. The closest thing Ellen would have today would be traumatic post-stress disorder and claustrophobia.
I explain this. In the book (and radio-drama), Ted calls Ellen "the bitch queen of the world", referring to the fact that he thinks she is a "promiscuous person". For have intimacy down day and night for other men. Then Ellen reveals by telling him verbatim "Do you think I enjoy this?" Emphasizing that Ted's way of seeing things is completely wrong. We definitely have to remember that Ted is an unreliable narrator, because of his paranoia, and misogynistic way of referring to Ellen.
In all adaptations, Ted presents despicable acts towards Ellen. So honestly, if it's a problematic ship. It only depends on how you represent them, for example how I do it in my art that I don't romanticize that, I just show the harsh reality of them non-loving relationship.
