ancientsgate wrote:

He makes these silly comments about fic because he hasn't read any of it. Others have told him about johnlock in a general enough way that he's jumped to several erroneous conclusions. Which is fine, I suppose, since eroneous conclusions happen, but OMG, he needs to stop repeating himself..... either get some education about what fan fic is, who writes it and why, who reads it and why, etc, or just STOP talking about it.

Many think all slash fic should be rated adult, and that just because it involves two men or two women having a sexual relationship, casual or otherwise, it must be porny, but as Harriet said, and I agree (she's read 50, I must have read easily 500 slash fics in three different fandoms in the last 10 years, lol, plus written and published 35 of my own in another fandom), slash does not necessarily equal porn. Much of it, especially the stuff that really is written by young people, is very PG-ish, actually.

So agree. Nuff said.

50 explicit ones, not counted the others, mature, teen, gen - LOL

Tinks wrote:

...........What is clear - to me anyway - is that he's not really sure HOW to react to it.....and actually, at various times, I think the same is true of everyone involved in the show - I simply think it is something they were never meant to be confronted with and shouldn't be confronted with............

The idea and execution of slash fic goes back over 50 years; it is not a new phenomenon by any stretch of the imagination. The creators and showrunners of Sherlock had to know about fan fic when they started this job-- in fact, Moffat has admitted that the BBC incarnation of Sherlock is actually fan fic based on ACD's original canon! So there's no way that any of them walked into the idea of johnlock taking off in fan fic without their eyes wide open about the distinct possibility. And look at the way the show is written, with all those long lingering Sherlock looks in John's direction, all the underlying drama and joking about how they must be a couple. The joking would be one thing, but they don't have to have Sherlock turn those lost puppy dog eyes on his John in every other frame when they're together.  Not only did TPTB walk right into johnlock and all the fic written about that pairing, they ENCOURAGE it with every scene they write and direct for the two of them.

Again, I know I'm older than most of you, but I don't have any problem remembering that TV is a *business*, and as long as the fans watch and spend money supporting the show, well...  that helps the paychecks keep coming in for all concerned. All publcity is good publicity, even if it seems like a sh**storm at the time.... after all, it's just FANS who are all up in arms, not anyone important, like sponsors. Or the BBC itself.

Just sayin'.
 

Harriet wrote:

What are you talking about, bb? Most in the fandom hate you? What for?

See? Harriet lives in a cave, too. *smile*
 

Harriet wrote:

"I hope it came across that I place most of the the blame on the magazine, where the bulk of the insensitive comments came from, and for putting him in that position—and on other media outlets who do this stuff all the time. No one wins in these scenarios. It’s a strange new reality, having fanfic so visible. We all have to learn to navigate it—there needs to be a healthy level of respect on both sides—and it’s my great hope that in time, we will."
Yesterday on http://elizabethminkel.com/

I like that woman, like the way she writes, like her tone, like that she is really only asking for respect between groups, between individuals.

 

ancientsgate wrote:

besleybean wrote:

I agree...
Tho nothing was as creepy as Amanda's pal popping up here that time, sniping at me then leaving!
Hey personally I don't care.
Most in the fandom hate me anyway, but I'm big enough to take it!

Do you know what I find absolutely delightful?  That I don't have the slightest idea in god's green earth what you're talking about in this comment. Amanda's pal popped up and sniped and left? Most in the fandom hate you? You know, there's a real advantage to not having a tumblr or twitter account. I live in the back of my cave, so the only fandom things that filter down to me are the hugest of nuclear explosions-- all the smaller stuff stays well away from me, which is A-OK with me.

 

Oh, I know what BB is possibly refering to.
It was probably this topic:

http://sherlock.boardhost.com/viewtopic.php?id=5364

We discussed whether Amanda was rude to some person or not and her friend indeed appeared and defended Amanda quite feistily. 
 

And honestly, for which I was thankful.
So sorry for being a bit glib about it.
Just seemed(to me, at the time. at least) a tad odd how the lady appeared.
Is she still here?
I hope so.

miriel68 wrote:

His interpretation of fics motivation is obviously not correct, but may be it is only for the better? If he were aware that many vicious porn pieces are written by middle aged women he would be even more freaked out. Think about "yummy" question at TIFF. It wasn't a teenage girl, lol.
 

While it might not be correct for every fic, it´s certainly true for some. And it´s totally not a bad motivation, nor did he say it was. If some people think the reasons both men thought up in the interview are problematic, embarrassing or unhealthy, then it´s not Benedict Cumberbatch or the interviewer who is pathologising girls´/women´s sexuality and their way of dealing with it.. just saying (obviously not to you, miriel) .
 

Last edited by Zatoichi (October 20, 2014 8:01 am)

ancientsgate wrote:

Yeah, I said this in some comment or other a couple of days ago. All he has to do is keep it light, smile and say something like, "Well, it's not my cuppa, so I don't get it, but that's what makes the world an interesting place, so they say. Everyone likes something different," and then go on to the next thing in the conversation/interview. If he did that consistently, I think most of the persistent questions about johnlock would stop. He feeds into the frenzy anytime he starts his usual comments about S and J chained together on a bed floating in outer space and how everyone who writes and reads fic must be about 15, etc.
 

Oh, I have an even better solution.
Let him just sit and smile mutely during interview - and let the reporter read "the correct responses" for him, penned by the vocal members of the fandom.
Fans are not interested in his own opinions anyway, all they want to hear are their own opinions parroted back at them.
And a universal happiness and harmony will rule over it all.

“We must all be alike. Not everyone born free and equal, as the Constitution says, but everyone MADE equal. Each man man the image of every other; then all are happy, for there are no mountains to make them cower, to judge themselves against.”
(Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451)
 

Nicely said, nakahara. We all love him and we all love to hear him talk about all those interesting and important topics in his clever and intelligent way - but only as long as he says what we want to hear. And it seems a huge part of the fandom expects him to always say the things the fandom can wholeheartedly agree with. How weird is that? Never in my whole life have I met a person that exclusively speaks my own mind. So I don't expect this from Benedict, either. 
Yes, maybe sometimes his answers to certain questions aren't as clever as I'd like them to be, maybe sometimes he says things that make me go Oh my, I hope he knows what he's saying there, because the fandom might talk... But then I try to tell myself that he is 38 years old, that he has been in the business for quite a while now and that, professional or not, he just might not be in top form for an interview each and every time.

nakahara wrote:

But if a person involved is treated like a commodity consumed for our enjoyment and deprived of his/her right to think what he/she wants to or to speak his/her mind, it´s wrong and it should always be pointed out as patronising and dehumanising.
 

I think the main problem here with the objectification or "appropriation" are not the fanfics as such, as I said before. And also, there is a difference between written fanfictions and visual art: countless drawings or photoshopped images which show Sherlock and Watson (mainly) in erotic, sometimes very explicit or nude positions. If you take the body/face of an actor to create an illustration of your sexual fantasy, well... if I discovered that some of my friend had created my photoshopped image as a naked Mermaid, making love to octopus (and posted it in internet without asking my permission) , I would be deeply disturbed. Also, these images pop up with search engine in unexpected situations, you cannot avoid them (which is far easier with fanfictions)

But honestly, I think the problem goes even deeper, only we (fandom or at least the more rabid part of fandom) don't want to accept it: while BC is certainly flattered by having so much fans, he is not particularly thrilled by being transformed into a kind of idol by some of them. He doesn't get it, he thinks people would better dedicate their time to more useful occupation than drawing countless art pieces, images, paintings etc. of him. He wants to be admired for his work and he is intelligent enough to know that it is not him, but the projection of him the fans adore (quod erat demonstrandum by the reactions to the Out interview). And while he is always polite to the fans (he was polite to the floral lady, even if she obviously pissed him off) and said he enjoyes very much a real discussion/conversation with them I suspect he doesn't have a particularly high opinion of some swooning girls who go hysterical when they meet him.