BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / Out?

**Posted by ancientsgate** October 20, 2014 2:25 pm

There are no answers. Ben is a fully-fledged adult; no one argues that. And he's entitled to his opinions, whether they're backed by anything he actually knows anything about or not; no one argues that either. This "Out" article was just a blip on the radar of his public life, not worthy really of much except a quick read and an ogle at the pictures, but parts of the fandom are still on a full-tilt-boogie rant about a couple of the things said or implied in the article. I think it's just time to move on, shall we? There are no answers.

**Posted by MollyHooper** October 20, 2014 3:53 pm

KeepersPrice wrote:
I was surprised not to see this posted here today. Apparently it had Tumblr all in an uproar...
http://www.out.com/entertainment/movies/2014/10/14/sherlock-star-benedict-cumberbatch-poised-make-alan-turing-his-own-imitation-game
Did I miss it?

I hadn't read that article, and I missed the tumblr uproar aswell (which was for the best). And honestly, if I were in Benedict's and Martin's places, I would find it ridiculous too if people were making slash b-porn fanfiction about a character I played (and making it with my looks). As far as I have read and seen in interviews, Benedict is flattered that people are creative with Sherlock and the series, but he seems to be a bit freaked out by the slash and porn - which is understandable.
Honestly, people could do something more creative and useful with their time than write bad slash/porn. Come up with a story of your own instead, write something original, create your own universe.

**Posted by SolarSystem** October 20, 2014 4:02 pm

Well, there is a lot of good slash out there as well. Just sayin'. And a lot of writers/artists are very creative within the Sherlock universe, if you ask me. But maybe we have a different understanding of 'creativity'.

**Posted by Liberty** October 20, 2014 5:24 pm

I don't think he's anti the porn, per se. He talks about it in the context of people misrepresening the characters - people writing/drawing them as "cute", or making Sherlock out to be somebody who'd be delighted with gushing fans, looking for partners, etc. Honestly, I think some of it might just be frustration about putting a lot of work and talent into creating a character, only to have people miss the point and present it as something else. That's what he seems to be bothered about (in this particular interview) rather than being objectified.

Not all fanfiction is bad (some is really good), but good or bad, I don't think the creators of the works it's based on have any obligation to like the stuff or support it. Or to avoid mentioning it . In the Apple interview Benedict was complimentary about the quality of the work, but said something about it not being what he was doing with the character. I think what he says in "Out" maybe just makes that more explicit.

Last edited by Liberty (October 27, 2014 2:57 pm)

**Posted by besleybean** October 20, 2014 5:27 pm

Quite so.