Okay, Who’s the Guilty Party?

No spoilers (that I know of) in this article linked below. Well there was one comment that some may consider a spoiler, but then again, it’s one you may want to know and possibly fantasize about before it happens.

But I have a question for all of our British cohorts. Is it the norm for British actors to talk about food this much? Or am I imagining that Richard talks about food a lot? Yes, that’s two questions. Oh, I’m not down on RA if he’s into food. I’m a huge, a big, uh an enthusiastic fan of food myself, so maybe it’s just me who thinks there is incessant talk of food. When I first came into this fandom, I remember hearing about him watching Nigella Lawson and fantasizing about kissing her after she had eaten a chunk of chocolate cake. I used to think it was because she was voluptuous………..excuse me, that thought still makes me dizzy. So I used to think it was Nigella’s figure that generated the fantasy, but now I’m wondering if that chunk of cake may have been a big part of it.

And speaking of chocolate, it seems that our Richard was once again asked about his fans. You’re wondering what chocolate has to do with his fans? You must be new. Aside from his voice being like chocolate if chocolate made a sound, can I see a show of hands of those who want to be schooled in the history of the chocolate pants? Never mind; I’m not quite sure of the history myself. I’ll just share with you that somewhere along the way some fans sent him some pants made of chocolate, or maybe that was just a crack from a reporter (see tenth paragraph). Whatever the case, it seems that Richard and pants of varying kinds go together as topics of discussion. Recently someone sent him a pair of pants “that don’t ride up your bum.” The good news is that I’ve put my bs detector away while reading some of these interviews, so I can go happily along wherever Richard leads. But damn I wish my imagination weren’t so vivid. Truly, I sometimes curse it. I won’t share all of my thoughts, but I must admit that I saw him on the floor in a Bridget Jones’ position when he mentioned these corrective pants.

In the meantime, I’m feverishly reading Blake by Peter Ackroyd. Phew, Blake would’ve had a field day with chocolate pants.

“Closer” article courtesy of RichardArmitageNet.Com

edit: okay, I was wrong; it’s the eleventh paragraph.

September 17, 2010
Categories: Fandom, Interviews, Spooks . Tags: , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 15 Comments

Where’s the Bunny?

September 10, 2010

It’s been almost two years since I first read the blog piece about good fans going bad and the referenced Wikipedia page about CWS (Celebrity Worship Syndrome). My cursory reading of the wiki page left me thinking there were huge gaps in the scale; I certainly knew I didn’t quite fit the descriptions. I was so disturbed by my own behavior, I didn’t want to pursue any further information about CWS. Nevertheless, when I was getting ready to start this blog, I reviewed the page, and it seems that others have taken exception to the scale. I’ve been hesitant to highlight this because it might be the ultimate rationalization for fleeing treatment of Richard Armitage addiction, but when did that ever stop me? Plus, my public service gene demands that I bring it to your attention. ;-) That way you will be prepared if someone slaps you with this.

Earlier this year someone updated that wiki page to add a section called “Critical reflection on celebrity worship and mental health.” God Bless ‘Em. (Or maybe I was so addled I missed it the first time around?) It seems the methods of research for this “syndrome” may not have been scientifically applied and the researchers biased. If I were not so busy, I might read more, but maybe someone who is inclined will take it up. All I know is that I got a little antsy when I read that one of the CWS researchers is from the University of Leicester. Uh oh. Could that be one of RA’s relatives who is exasperated with all of us? Or is he someone on the town council who’s sick of hearing that maps of H___________ need to be printed after every tour bus of Radio 4 listeners comes through, or perhaps he read about the building permit needed for the 12 foot fence around the Armitage’s backyard. I don’t know. I don’t know. But then I wondered if this professor heard about the chocolate pants. That would make me wonder about someone’s sanity, and I fleetingly wondered if I might become so far gone I would send RA some chocolate pants. Oh, hell no! Well, not if I were in my right mind. Then I realized I could devise my own scale and make it sound scientific. I did have a thing for Fred Demara. Not quite sure he was my soul mate (but maybe), so I’m certain I can figure out something that sounds scientific.

In the great tradition of the Web playing doctor, I’ve devised a scale and below it is a poll for you to assure yourself honestly assess your situation:

Entertainment-social

This comprises attitudes of fans who gain great pleasure from laughing about chocolate pants sent to a celebrity when they’re not nauseous at the thought. Sometimes they even get sick laughing as they imagine the expression on the celebrity’s face when he receives the chocolate pants. But these fans have no desire to ever send the celebrity (or anyone else) some chocolate pants as actually doing that is sickening to them and they don’t know where in hell anyone would buy them anyway. Well, maybe they wouldn’t send their own chocolate pants if they ever did know where to buy them, but maybe send them as someone else’s just to see what happens, er, rather to embrace the humor of the perceived reaction of the celebrity upon receipt of the chocolate pants as long as they are sent through the post and not by using them as a missile during an interview of the celebrity, which would require being somewhere nearby and possibly being caught out as a nut.

Intense-personal

Intense-personal aspect of celebrity worship reflects intensive and compulsive feelings about sending chocolate pants to the celebrity, akin to the obsessional tendencies of fans often referred to in literature; for example “I share with my favorite celebrity a need to touch chocolate pants — a feeling that cannot be described in words” and “When something bad happens, I know my favorite celebrity would be refreshed by seeing some chocolate pants from me.”

Borderline-pathological

This dimension is typified by uncontrollable behaviors and fantasies regarding how the chocolate pants will be presented to their celebrities, such as “I have frequent thoughts about wearing chocolate pants while standing in front of my favorite celebrity, even when I don’t want to” and “my favorite celebrity would immediately come to my rescue if something were to happen to my chocolate pants.”

Disclaimer for idiots who think this is serious: NO, nothing I’ve said about anyone in Leicester or the Armitage family is real. Well, except that one of the CWS researchers really is a professor from the University of Leicester — according to Wikipedia.

I ran across this in my uh research for this post: Inkblot Test. If you have some time, take the test. Trust me you’ll like it. And many thanks to the creators of it for the title of this piece. [Note: the title of this piece was taken from this “test”]

edit:

I HATE it when I make a horrible typo or when I realize I made a horrible typo. Will I ever get over that? LOL!

September 10, 2010
Categories: Fandom . Tags: , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 22 Comments

The Question

Hopefully, RA has turned the proverbial corner with his fame, and journalists will not fall back on the one question that’s bound to get a bit of a visceral reaction from him. Oh, you don’t know what it is? Where have you been for the last five plus years of interviews? It seems some journalists just can’t help asking about his Army. Granted, it’s quite a feat that he raised an Army almost overnight, and the first few years it might have been interesting. Now it’s boring beyond belief. It’s just boring to those of us who follow him so closely? I doubt that.

The guy has so many more interesting things to talk about than some “middle-aged, quite well-educated, Radio 4 listeners,” who some like to send him their pants. Phew, I got bored typing that description. Now I don’t know for sure about all the pants coming his way. Also, I’m not very familiar with Radio 4, refuse to call myself middle-aged, and I haven’t sent my pants to anyone outside my house, so I know this doesn’t apply to me. But still, who wants to hear about it? No offense to any of you middle-aged, quite well-educated, Radio 4 listeners. ;-)

I wonder how long I can wax on about this before you get bored? Oh, you’re bored already? Well, it seems the PR machine for Spooks is revving up so I’m compelled to talk about it. I really do hope journalists have enough going on in their heads that they don’t ask. But thank God the circus question has died.

I’m sure the journalists think we’re all nuts. I don’t care. If I cared, I wouldn’t be writing this blog. Wait. I’m anonymous, so I guess some part of me cares. I think, not sure, but I think that’s a healthy sign. LOL!

I did toy around with the idea of sending Richard some “orders” from the Army (Rogue Branch) where it would have been explained to him that he was not allowed to talk about it. But this post is my confession that I’m chickening out. It just isn’t my style to send something to a celebrity. Maybe it’s my pride. Oh, yeah, it’s my pride.

A fake fan letter will have to rid me of my angst:

Dear Richard,

It’s abundantly clear you have been schooled in manners. I do not remember one instance of you being impolite. You are politeness itself. But I must ask if there’s a possibility you could be rude to journalists who insist on delving into a subject that I believe makes you groan? I find myself hoping to hear that rudeness. Oh, couch it in whatever you like. Last time out was actually pretty funny. I laughed whether anyone else did. But then I don’t place myself squarely in that group you described. Could that have been a slip into a little rudeness? I don’t think so, but it was close. Oh, it was skating really closely.

Frankly, a good shit here or there might help. Perhaps you already say that, and it’s edited to insert your politely crafted manna to the fans. Maybe that wouldn’t work, since too many journalists have the persona of shrikes — impaling their subjects with questions designed to get a reaction that will inspire them to write something clever. Plus, it seems I’m remembering one interview where the shit got through (or maybe I dreamed that). That guy must not have liked you, or he was jealous. Whatever the case, I thought your reply was really honest and a breath of fresh air. No one is that polite all the time. At some point you were bound to get tired of the question. I know the fans are. Well, this fan.

Man, I sound angsty about your replies. But really I’m not angsty about your replies at all. Your replies are not the problem. I don’t care what you say if it makes the reporters stop asking the question.

Sincerely,
One of your minions in the Army

P.S. Have you ever laid eyes on the guy who came up with that name?

That felt good. I’m really getting addicted to these fake fan letters. If you haven’t tried one, do it! They are so satisfying without any of the embarrassment you would have if he really read it. Plus, I imagine the wait would be hell.

So what about Nat’s group letter? That’s special like Nat, and should stand alone. I really do hope he gets it, reads it, and most important sees Nat’s work. He would love it!

And because in recent days I’ve been remiss in posting pics, here’s one of my favorites:

Yes, it puts your focus squarely on his beautiful mouth.

Screencap courtesy of my stash.

June 27, 2010
Categories: Fandom, Interviews . Tags: , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 10 Comments

Just Enjoy Being a Ripple

To my fellow fans,

Maybe it’s just me and a few others, but I do not look to Richard Armitage for affirmation of any kind. No offense to Richard. So when I listen to an interview with him and God forbid the fans are mentioned, I don’t take anything he says personally. I’m simply along for this ride, and I’m enjoying it. But if I start trying to figure out if RA has contempt for some of his fans or all of his fans, well, it’s just too much work. I would rather put that energy into examining the characters he plays.

But I understand that we’re all part of a fandom, and as such that makes us a bit vulnerable. Well look at it this way. Now we know how RA feels being in the spotlight. He’s in the spotlight almost all the time and the Armitage Army (unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you look at it) is sometimes too. So we get laughed at sometimes, and if it can make RA laugh, so be it. I think those male interviewers are jealous as hell and the women interviewers are fascinated. But I really don’t think RA means anything mean by his cracks. I think he’s still flabbergasted and doesn’t know what exactly to say, and I refuse to take any of it personally. Rationalizing? Maybe, but I live by that rule most of the time — don’t take things personally (even if they’re sometimes meant that way) — and it keeps me sane and smiling.

I hope all of you have a great day.

Should I post a pic?

May 30, 2010
Categories: Fandom, Interviews . Tags: , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 10 Comments

Richard Coming to America — maybe

May 29, 2010

After listening to the latest RA interview, I have to respond. I mean I would bust a gut or something (don’t you love our expressions in America?) if I didn’t respond.

Richard,

I doubt I’m ever going to write you a letter. Isn’t this blog enough? :D

What I want you to know is that we’re so ready for you in America. If you come sniffing around at the end of this year, we have lots of lovely places to ski.

Oh, and aren’t you glad you have a group who is smart enough to help you out? They know how to run web-sites and make videos. Damn, if it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t know about you. Lucky you. ;-)

But seriously, man, we have to find another word for you to use than “middle-aged,” and I hope you know that not everyone is middle-aged. You actually have quite a few young fans. Yes, they’re mostly young women, but hey, young women prompt young men to spend money at the movies, and most women BUY the DVDs. LOL!

I do want to thank you for giving some of us a sop with the “quite well-educated” part. I’m not sure I fit in that heady crowd. Just not that into period dramas, but there are plenty who are. I’m more of a mutt. A cunning mutt, but a mutt none the less. But for you, hey, I can gut it up and watch a few high brow pieces.

So Strike Back was a nice change. Just hope you can lean on the writers so they don’t screw up the ride with too much introspection.

And Richard, if you ever do read this, I sometimes wonder if you think of your words like pebbles going into a pond. You can almost see, well, heck you can see the ripple effect of what you say. What you may not realize is how much fun it is to be a ripple.

Sincerely,
One of your crazy fans

P.S. I don’t know how crazy the fans are here compared to the U.K., i.e., not sure we send chocolate panties, but most here like chocolate and we’re a really practical bunch. So maybe you’ll get some chocolate you can actually eat.

Wow, that felt good writing to Richard. Thanks for inspiring me, Nat. I may have to can the Diary and start writing more fan letters. No, no, even if they’re fake fan letters, I still can’t really cut loose like I can in my Diary. ;-)

For the rest of you who haven’t heard the interview with David Stephenson of the Sunday Express, listen here:

Or get your own copy here.

Oh, oh, wait. I was almost going to post this without my gratuitous pic. Don’t know where my head is today but obviously it’s not on drooling.

Even momma would be proud of that picture.

edit: Richard eventually did make it to America.

Screencap courtesy of RichardArmitageNet.Com and audio courtesy of RichardArmitageCentral.

May 29, 2010
Categories: Fandom, Interviews, Strike Back . Tags: , , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 21 Comments