BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / Martin's press appearances generally

**Posted by REReader** December 7, 2014 2:24 am

From RadioTimes: Martin Freeman: "I prefer to bare all in nude scenes". He also talks about the homoerotic fan fiction engendered by Sherlock, which he's not entirely thrilled with.

**Posted by tonnaree** December 7, 2014 2:52 am

REReader wrote:
From RadioTimes: Martin Freeman: "I prefer to bare all in nude scenes". He also talks about the homoerotic fan fiction engendered by Sherlock, which he's not entirely thrilled with.

The main problem he has is the fans who try to ship him and Ben together. And I can't blame him. Play with the characters all you want but leave the real people alone.

**Posted by REReader** December 7, 2014 3:51 am

tonnaree wrote:
The main problem he has is the fans who try to ship him and Ben together. And I can't blame him. Play with the characters all you want but leave the real people alone.

No argument here. It's what makes some fanart problematic for me, too--it's a lot harder to separate the characters and the actors when it's faces (and bodies) being depicted.

Last edited by REReader (December 7, 2014 3:52 am)

**Posted by mrshouse** December 7, 2014 5:47 am

Absolutely agree, shipping the real men definitely crosses the lines. I hope very much they will learn to separate this. But Martin mentioned that this sort of influences his real life with Amanda and this is the point where it gets difficult for me. On the one hand I definitely see that it crosses the line that she was sent this sort of graphic stuff with Ben and Martin clearly to be identified. On the other hand is she included in the show now, like it or not, and that's too much entanglement of show and real life for me here, far too much. As if anybody had to prove a point by including her and n such an extent. And as a last problem, Amanda sometimes fuels the fire herself if convenient, for example with the twitter chat with Simon Pegg.

**Posted by Liberty** December 7, 2014 8:02 am

I think what Amanda does is similar to what they do in the show - having fun with the idea of it.   I don't think she should have to feel it's unmentionable, or above humour.

Anyway, what Martin says in the interview doesn't sound very strong to me (it's the writer's words which sound stronger "intruding on his .. marriage", "he admitted", "conflicted").   It'a hard to tell what he really thinks without tone of voice (although I imagine that the comments about Amanda being a beard must get irritating).   And his objection to slash fiction (whether real person or not) doesn't seem to be so much about it existing but about people insisting that it's true. In this interview, anyway. "I'm slightly reticent to keep that going too much ... but when it first started it was quite witty and quite funny" sounds similar to what Moftiss have said (about it being the last hurrah for the "gay jokes").

I didn't know Martin had to shave his legs for the Hobbit! I imagined that hobbits would have hairy legs, but maybe they wanted them to look more childlike? And the bit about the nude scenes was interesting. I'm not in the industry so I've never seen the things they use to cover up in nude scenes. I can see why they do, but on the other hand, if someone is completely naked (in the right context), it's just a body isn't it? And somehow less overtly sexual than a person with things stuck over their genitals.   I can see why he would want to go naked, if his co-stars are happy with it.

Last edited by Liberty (December 7, 2014 10:14 am)

**Posted by REReader** December 7, 2014 8:08 am

I'd think the shaving his legs is so that when he takes off the hobbit feet he doesn't have to pull out all his leg hair (ouch!)--they'd have to use adhesive to attach them smoothly.

**Posted by Liberty** December 7, 2014 10:16 am

Ah, that makes sense! I thought it was for cosmetic reasons!

**Posted by nakahara** December 7, 2014 11:04 am

Liberty wrote:
And his objection to slash fiction (whether real person or not) doesn't seem to be so much about it existing but about people insisting that it's true. In this interview, anyway. "I'm slightly reticent to keep that going too much ... but when it first started it was quite witty and quite funny" sounds similar to what Moftiss have said (about it being the last hurrah for the "gay jokes").

That´s because some people definitely are crazy and so obsessive it starts to border on dangerous. I recently saw a blog (which I won´t mention by name because it was full of malevolent hatred that doesn´t deserve further publicity) made by Benedict´s "fans" who claimed that Benedict´s engagement is a fake PR stunt into which BC was forced by the producers of TIG. Some of the "fans" suggested that Benedict should demonstate that he doesn´t actually care for his fiancee by kissing Martin Freeman. Others stated that Martin Freeman won´t allow Benedict to speak to reporters on the premiere of Hobbit, because he is Benedict´s "dom"....

Is it any surprise then, that actors involved start to percieve their fans and the realm of fanfiction as something unpleasant that´s getting out of hand? When they are confronted by people wo are unable to discern between fictional world and real life? When they have fans who think that actors are their toys obliged to bow to any crazy fad coming from fans, without the right for their autonomous existence? Who face hatred when they behave like real people, not some dream gay princes their fans conjured up in their heads?

And their cyberbullies (who do not hesitate to injure real people to protect their made-up fantasies) insist they just do out of love of said actors. Really, I´m shocked how many "fans" out there resemble Annie Wilkes from Stephen Kings "Misery":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zaj2wzNRO38

**Posted by besleybean** December 7, 2014 11:16 am

Heck, nakahara, thank you for that brilliant piece...even though I was distressed to see how bad the worst part of the fandom is.
But it does exemplify my worry, when people take things too far.
I have to say, too, everything you said, is how I also feel about Johnlock: the imposition of one's own view, the demanding that the Sherlock team become performing monkeys to a personal whim.
The denying of reality.
For me, fan art/fic/vids have alway been fine...on the understanding that they were fan inventions and did not claim to replicate the show.
We have to separate our creations and someone elses creation as well as some body else's reality...in my books.
Obviously Benedict and Martin have their owm particular views of the fan art...because it does after all feature representations of them.
It is such a shame that people did not all get the gay joke..
No wonder the team now seem to want to abandon it and I wonder if they regert ever employing it
But then, who could know the dearths of the fan girl twisted mind?

Last edited by besleybean (December 7, 2014 11:20 am)

**Posted by Liberty** December 7, 2014 11:21 am

Annie Wilkes is such a fantastic character! And I think Kathy Bates played her so well - she was uncomfortably real. I really feel for celebrities when they get that sort of attention, or anything that feels sinister in that way (which I suppose even includes the comments about Amanda). Usually it doesn't come to anything, but sometimes it does and celebrities have had to live in fear of their lives (and so have some ordinary people - but the celebrities are an obvious target, I suppose). I suspect that those fans are very much the exception, but they are more noticeable.

But I do think all that strange stuff is something quite different from fan fiction, even real person fiction. And I do think Martin makes that distinction in what he says in the interview (although we're obviously missing some parts which have been paraphrased. I wish writers would just give us transcripts of interviews! But I suppose they have a certain word count and have to go for a story angle). Hopefully it will all be clearer on the show tonight!

Last edited by Liberty (December 7, 2014 11:22 am)

**Posted by besleybean** December 7, 2014 11:25 am

Good point...it was not discussed on the Jonathan Ross show last night at all.

**Posted by Liberty** December 7, 2014 11:32 am

Oh, of course, Besleybean - it's now tomorrow! I thought the quotes were extracts from the show - obviously not.

**Posted by besleybean** December 7, 2014 11:44 am

No, the only quotes I've seen were about sex scenes...
Martin is a wonderful guest in chat shows,...he just says it like it is, he doesn't play games.
I did wonder after Martin's comments on the show,whether the Victorian dress in the special could be a dream sequence...I mean he didn't say anything to suggest that- I just wondered!

**Posted by silverblaze** December 7, 2014 3:45 pm

nakahara wrote:
And their cyberbullies (who do not hesitate to injure real people to protect their made-up fantasies) insist they just do out of love of said actors. Really, I´m shocked how many "fans" out there resemble Annie Wilkes from Stephen Kings "Misery":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zaj2wzNRO38

That's disturbing. I honestly don't understand how people can be that way. Are they really too stupid to understand the difference between fiction and reality or is it something more? (Though maybe I'm making the same mistake, I always thought that Annie Wilkes was fictional. )

**Posted by REReader** December 7, 2014 10:13 pm

And yet, for all that they've obviously seen some of the more disturbing fanart/fanfic, both Martin and (even more so) Benedict speak of and behave in a largely positive way to their fans, and are very kind and giving to them... er, us.

Last edited by REReader (December 8, 2014 12:34 am)

**Posted by tonnaree** December 7, 2014 10:26 pm

REReader wrote:
And yet, for all that they've obviously seem some of the more disturbing fanart/fanfic, both Martin and (even more so) Benedict speak of and behave in a largely positive way to their fans, and are very kind and giving to them... er, us.

Yes they do and I truly appreciate it. I think they both realize that the fringe element is just that. Fringe.

**Posted by silverblaze** December 7, 2014 11:04 pm

I hope that's true.

**Posted by besleybean** December 8, 2014 6:51 am

I think so.
Anyway, we can only be responsible for how we behave and what we say, not what others do.
Funny because I feel relatively safe here(well in terms of speaking about the Sherlock team)...which I know is silly anyway and because of past histiory- maybe a bit stupid.
Having said that, I've never said anything I feel ashamed of.
Now I don't do Tumblr.
But I do Twitter.
Honestly, I cringe at some of the fan girl stuff on there.

Last edited by besleybean (December 8, 2014 6:52 am)

**Posted by tonnaree** December 8, 2014 4:38 pm

Seriously. I enjoy tumblr but I am learning how to avoid certain things.

There are whole blogs devoted to proving the relationship is a fake!

Now, I did admit to being a tad bit heartbroken fangirl but ....................damn people.

**Posted by Vhanja** December 21, 2014 3:50 pm

I came across this cute little thing today - Best Of Martin Freeman interviews.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOv4EkAzNJA

I LOVE watching his interviews because of his sassy comments. The guy is hilarious! Benedict puts on this politically correct and diplomatic face when he talk in interviews - Martin does NOT.

My favorite:

Interviewer: Well, dragons are inherently sexy
Martin: Hobbits can hold their own

Oh, and if you guys haven't seen this - cutest video of Martin I've seen!

Last edited by Vhanja (December 21, 2014 3:55 pm)