Rambling January Day 11

[moonlettuce]

graculus gave me: Is there a fandom you wish you could get into/write in but just can't, for whatever reason? If so, which one and what's stopping you?

I'd kind of like to be able to get into Sherlock fandom, and into Sherlock/John, because there's just so much stuff produced I can't help but feel that you'd never be wanting for something to read. Also, I have friends that are fannish about the show, and it makes me a little sad that I can't share that joy and glee with them. (Because I like sharing joy and glee with my friends.)

However, I can't.

Why?

Well, my problem in this is threefold:

1) Benedict Cumberbatch's face.
2) Martin Freeman is actually kind of a dick.
3) The only one in the show I actually care about in any way is Lestrade.

To break this down further:

1) Benedict Cumberbatch's face.

Sorry, I just don't get it. I honestly cannot understand how anyone looks at that man and finds him attractive.

And before people talk about taste and how you (generic you) don't find some of the people I'd like to climb like trees attractive, I understand that tastes differ. I can look at people I don't find personally attractive and see that they are good looking. Case in point, I don't find Garrett Hedlund or Robert Pattinson personally attractive, neither of them do anything for me. I can, however, appreciate that they have some classically handsome features and understand how other people could be attracted to them.

Not so with Cumberbatch. I just don't understand it. In the slightest. And I will remain forever absolutely fucking amazed that he managed to be voted Empire's sexiest man. Especially since, if you look at the cast of Sherlock, Rupert Graves blows every other bloke on that show out of the water in terms of sexy. (But, again, personal opinion.)

2) Martin Freeman is actually kind of a dick.

Some of the comments he's made in interviews have been kinda douchetastic. The comments about Lucy Liu's appearance were bang out of order (regardless of the subsequent "He's kidding," and "He's joking," and "You don't get his sense of humour," cries that came afterwards). And the more recent rape comment (it wasn't a joke, because rape? Not funny. Ever.) just made me look at the man and see him a disgusting little misogynistic troll.

Which is annoying, because I'd actually like to be able to enjoy The Hobbit: There and Back Again without it being ruined by looking at the main character and only being able to think about what a giant dickwaffle the actor is.

3) The only one in the show I actually care about in any way is Lestrade.

I will read fic about Lestrade. I do read fic about Lestrade. I even read fic with Lestrade paired with Sherlock Holmes or John Watson (because the draw of Lestrade beats out all other issues).

However, 99.999999999%* of the fic out there seems to be Sherlock/John. Even a lot of the fics that tags Lestrade as a character seem to have him in the background, or in a few scenes, but, really, it's all about the Sherlock/John.

And, yes, again, before people start, I understand that the show is all about Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, and that they're always going to be the focus of anything based off Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's work.

I love that people enjoy the show (because enjoying stuff is what people should do). And I love that people write about it (because fanfic is an awesome thing). And I love that people write the pairing(s) that they want to write (because you should write what makes you happy, and bollocks to anyone who says otherwise).

It's just not a fandom for me.

* This isn't an actual percentage, just an approximation of what I feel. It's not like I pulled stats from AO3 or anything.

Comments

[cycnus39]

Hee! You know I actually agree with most of this. Benedict Cumberbatch has an odd face and I can fully understand why people don't like it. I'm not overly keen on it myself, but, meh, it doesn't offend me the way it does some people. As for Martin Freeman, I didn't hear about those incidents you cited as I don't pay much attention to actors but I did see a few interviews with Martin Freeman where he was needlessly defensive to the point of aggression. So a dick? I'd agree with that. On the other hand, Benedict Cumberbatch does come across as really quite sweet in the few interviews I've saw him in. I'm glad his face doesn't offend me. And Rupert Graves I agree is pretty and I do like his Lestrade muchly...but I'm a Mycroft girl. This means that, yup, the metric tons of Sherlock/John does nothing for me so the size/popularity of the fandom passes me by. Not that I really mind. Fandom and I rarely see eye to eye. I'm a fan of the original stories and I fell in love with 'Sherlock' for its clever use of them. Mycroft was my favourite in the original canon too, btw.

[realpestilence]

I've liked Rupert Graves since I saw "Maurice" and "The Madness of King George". :D


I agree with you on people popularly regarded as attractive-I can usually see what others see in a person, even if they don't do anything for me. But there are people that I just do NOT get why there's flap over.

[mabiana]

I agree with you about Benedict Cumberbatch's face! It doesn't keep me from enjoying what he does, but I was astonished to no end when I saw the first person call him beautiful.

[james]

Me too! About pretty much all of it, except I don't really wish I were fannish about Sherlock, I think I just mostly regret that people keep being such huge fans of Moffat's work and I want him to be a failure and penniless and never be given another tv show again.

[cycnus39]

The most terrible thing about living in the UK and not being a Moffat fan is that, however indirectly, you are funding his stuff through the BBC via your tv license. Now I like Sherlock so I can live with that but I do loathe his Who and it pisses me off that I'm paying for it (if only in tiny part) when the BBC turn around and sell it all over the globe anyway. I want a Moffat rebate.


ETA: Oh hell! I just remembered how much I loved Press Gang. I feel all sort of Moffated now and in no position to demand that rebate. Bugger.Just watched the Sherlock finale and now want that rebate more than ever.

[james]

I'm just sitting here watching your edits and eating popcorn. ;-)

[cycnus39]

LOL! Well, you called it!

[katemonkey]

Ahahahahaha. YES.

His FACE. What the fuck is that.

I watch the show. I will happily continue watching the show. But, man, the actors and the characters are so unlikeable that I end up just going "Really? Really? What the fuck?"

Except Mary, Lestrade, and Molly (when she isn't pining over fucking Sherlock, what the hell, woman, look at his fucking face!). Who should totally team up and solve crimes together and be better at it.

[casspeach]

Oh wow, someone should so write Mary Lestrade and Molly teaming up and solving crimes and being amazing.

That someone should not be me.

But it would be so good in the right hands. So. Good.

I watch the show and enjoy it (not 3x01, or 1x02, but they don't count, right?) but I couldn't see myself ever being fannish about it.