Here we go again, and again, ... | Benedict Cumberbatch

MagdaFR
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Here we go again, and again, ... Jul 17, 2020 1:37:50 GMT

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Post by MagdaFR on Jul 17, 2020 1:37:50 GMT

Every time I search BC's name on twitter I found a post about how awful he is because of his comment about visiting some autistic schools when he was preparing to play the Creature.

I finally searched and found the video where he talks to Graham Norton about it. That point in particular starts more or less at 8:35 and goes till 10:22.

I also found the original (I think) post on tumblr who started the continual comments on BC's ableism. It's here:

goldenheartedrose.tumblr.com/post/26266970506/tw-ableism-lots-of-ableism-benedict

I'm posting part.

EDIT: Since I wrote this a few months ago, I’ve discovered that the “autism schools” were just residential schools and not institutions. There are both good and bad versions of them, so I withhold my judgment until I learn which schools Benedict and JLM visited specifically.

Also, I’ve added a link at the end with more problematic stuff regarding this whole “studying autistic kids in order to play the Creature”.

So this originally started off as me wanting to talk about BBC Sherlock and autism, which, of course, is a subject that has really been bludgeoned to death by now, but I wanted to offer my own input on as an autistic person, now that I’ve watched and rewatched and read analyses on the subject. Also, I’ve read a few things in the fandom and I’ve listened to some of the opinions of “celebrities” in the fandom (such as The Baker Street Babes). In addition, I’ve had my own personal encounters with the fandom when I attempted to write a one-shot describing Sherlock as autistic and John as a terrible allistic ally, which came under some harsh criticism for a number of different reasons.

And I think I will write about all of those. I will. Because they are pretty important things to discuss and I do have opinions. So this will likely be a series of posts, and the first one has to do not with Sherlock, but with its lead actor, Benedict Cumberbatch. Unfortunately, many of you may not like me much after posting this. Many of you may like him even less. I go by the philosophy of “it’s okay to be a fan of problematic things”, and that includes not just shows/movies/music, etc., but also the actors that play in them. I love BBC Sherlock. It came into my life during a rough time, and it was something that literally became an obsession for a good while.

The transcript:

BC: (talking about the Creature’s origin) It’s basically being a man child, it’s being a man infant. And then, psychologically, Danny and Nick Dear, who’s adapted the Mary Shelley novel, into a brilliant 2 ½ hour play version of it, he, they both have autistic sons. So we went to two extraordinary schools and met some high spectrum autistic kids. And it was very, very humbling and amazing and very upsetting, but very, very extraordinary as well, and inspiring. And especially the people looking after them, and these amazing life forces, but just formed with…*sigh* um, socially just things that are outside of everyday. You know, there are certain barriers that aren’t there because of the arrested development that… there was a 17 year old that had the mental age of, I think, an 18 month old. I mean, it was…

GN: Wow

BC: It’s…it’s…it’s really really extraordinary and very upsetting. And uh, it was important for them to realize that the Creature in their story was not their… the monster of old… the monster of the gothic horror stories. He’s very much an innocent. He’s very much someone who is carried through life, as someone who is so different, not only because of his appearance, but because of these behaviorial tics, which are very autistic, um, both in his understanding of the world, psychologically and emotionally, but also physically as well, how that manifests later in his body. And so that was the major part of the preparation.

I found a lot more posts of the OP so I'll continue this thread after I organise the posts and my ideas a little.

sgev1977
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Here we go again, and again, ... Jul 17, 2020 2:24:11 GMT MagdaFR likes this

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Post by sgev1977 on Jul 17, 2020 2:24:11 GMT

I was thinking the other day that all that stuff about "Your Fave is Problematic" was and is also part of those conspiracy theory culture on Tumblr. They are obsessed with celebrities and there is/was a creepy rivalry about whose "fave" is a better person. That's why the ex-Tumblrs who are now on Twitter quickly recomend to "stan" their "fave" after some celebrity is "canceled"

Of course, I remember those quotes. I also remember that Johnny Lee Miller talked about that visit to that school, too. The interesting part is that no one accused Johnny Lee Miller of anything! Actually the "logic" thing would had been criticize those who thought the actors should visit those kids to prepare for the role and those were Nick Dear and Danny Boyle, both parents of autistic kids. But no, they went after BC. Why? Because he was the one who was Tumblr famous at the time. There were a lot of stupid accusations (I remember once someone accused him of being "classist" because, I think, one car ad in which he read a script saying he loved classical cars! That's the level of ignorance between thos "SJW"!). It was and it's still very insane but nowadays it's mostly idiotic kids fabricating quotes. I read someone claiming he said that autistic kids should be euthanized! That's horrible and totally defamatory! They are not very different to the crazies! And reason and logic would never work with any of those two groups!

Also they clearly never read Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and think the creature is a cartoon character from Halloween specials!

EDITED TBH I mostly block people who post those kind if things on Twitter. In general, things aren't better nowadays. They are worse. Remember when a professional journalist on Twitter tried to cancel Jeff Goldblum because some thing he did in the past but she couldn't said exactly what! That was the accusation! Nothing! She supposedly is a journalist and that's what she did! Then you had multiple tweets by randoms saying Goldblum was a rapist, a harasser and a creep! Just minutes ago there was accusations against Lily Depp for racist. Is she? I don't know! But the proof seems to be a white woman who said the actress didn't wanted to be her friend in high school and a black woman on Instagram who I don't even understand what she is trying to say but is fighting with a friend of Depp who happens to be black and defended her. She responded to the friend saying her that her hair is ugly!

I really think it's better to ignore them and be glad that BC isn't on social media and that we aren't living the Sherlock hysteria anymore!

Last Edit: Jul 17, 2020 2:47:50 GMT by sgev1977

queenzod
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Here we go again, and again, ... Jul 17, 2020 2:58:52 GMT MagdaFR likes this

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Post by queenzod on Jul 17, 2020 2:58:52 GMT

This may not go over very well, but lots of these arguments/discussions I’ve had on Twitter are with people on the spectrum who have taken offense at BC’s statements. Their source is usually YFiP. People on the spectrum (to make a sweeping generalization) often misinterpret statements and concepts, because they absorb and reason differently than abled people. They have difficulties with concepts and words. Now, we all know BC is an epic waffler, and sometimes he speaks on a number of different levels and tends to go off on tangents. If you put these two kinds of people together, the situation is rife for misunderstandings.

I think we all understand what he was talking about concerning his visit with those autistic young people - he was discussing what it might be like to be a fully grown man with the brain of a child, and how the “baser” instincts tend to rule their behaviors.

Those folks on the spectrum have difficulty understanding he was talking about creating a character, not passing judgment on those young people. They think his remarks were directed at them, implying they’re lesser, and they get upset. And it’s really difficult to try to explain that to them. Sometimes it’s b/c they’re just being obtuse on purpose, trying to preserve their “special” status, and sometimes they just don’t get it. Even trying to get them to see that YFIP is garbage is difficult. They tend to be very literal and if it’s on the interwebz, it must be true. I’ve tried with any number of them. Some are more open than others. I fear this woman’s articles (posts?) are going to be of the same, rigid belief structure.

ps. I read someone once who said BC was a shithead Tory b/c he said he admired Christopher Teitjens! Not understanding, of course, that he was talking about old school Tories and their respect for duty, honor, and care of those in your employ.

pps. I almost got whiplash from watching the number of people who loved Johnny Depp, then hated him for abusing Amber Heard, then turned around again and love him once more now that it’s being revealed she’s the abuser. These are all young people who don’t know how to understand things yet and have no outlet for their overflamed passions. They have such a drive towards truth & justice, but not the critical thinking skills to evaluate information properly.

Last Edit: Jul 17, 2020 3:08:33 GMT by queenzod

sgev1977
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Here we go again, and again, ... Jul 17, 2020 11:25:20 GMT ellie likes this

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Post by sgev1977 on Jul 17, 2020 11:25:20 GMT

The Christopher Tietjens' quote is hysterical because it was accompanied by a good number of expletives against David Cameron and Tories in general but at the time the left-wing press was attacking him for being "posh" even when years before they used to presented him as a nice left-wing actor who gave speeches about the importance of arts for working class kids during some guild protests! That was the level of his leftism! Real leftism not social media lynchings! But then identiarism was everything and he didn't have the right identity to be the good guy in the "narrative" so all his quotes were interpreted as being evil just because his upbringing so if he said something positive about the Conservative character from the early 1900s he was playing then he surely was a Tory! We should just have to ignore the part in the same sentence in which he calls David Cameron "flatulent" (TBH very childish of him!). But then later things changed and it was the right who got angry at BC for those Syrian refugees speeches and the phrase was quoted again but this time just the part against Cameron and Tories!

So yeah, that's the level of communication nowadays so I don't think it's just autistic kids. People, in general, interpret things whatever they want and almost always it's in the most negative unkind way possible. Famous celebrities are always evil, except "my fave who you should stan", and I'm a hero because I'm exposing the horrible (very) hidden message in this out of context quote that shows that guy is rotten!

Last Edit: Jul 17, 2020 11:27:09 GMT by sgev1977