Good lord, is this the first Benedict Cumberbatch of 2014? YIKES! I’m sorry about that, people. I was trying to go easy on all things Cumberbatch, mostly because I’m still pissed off that PBS won’t air Sherlock Season 3 for another 11 days. I know I should just try to do that complicated thing to watch it online on the BBC site, but I decided to just tough it out and wait for PBS. And so I’m in the dark about Season 3, British Cumberbitches. Please don’t spoil it for me. I can’t talk about it yet. So let’s get to some stuff I can talk about.
*First of all, the header image is from Benedict’s visit to the Wellington Barracks in England. They posted it a few days ago and I thought it was cute. He’s adorable.
*Let’s talk about that CDAN blind item reveal, alleging that Benedict doesn’t want to use his fame to land women, and how he’s content to spend thousands of dollars/pounds/Euros on hookers. First of all… we have no idea if ENTY is right. Second of all, if it is true (IF!), then… what are we really going to do about it? Which is grosser for a single guy who doesn’t have time for a committed relationship: to bed a series of Katia-like “models” and famewhores who will tell-all to whatever tabloid, or to simply pay for sex and discretion? Plus, look at it this way: maybe this means he’s a kinky bastard and he thinks the average lady would not be into it. Get out the whips, chains, ball gags and riding crops, ladies. We’ve got a live one.
*Benedict covers the new issue of The Big Issue. It’s a terrible cover, but the interview looks interesting from early excerpts. Benedict discusses his personal politics and how he considers himself a “do-gooder”.
“I know how lucky I am to be paid to be in a position to have a voice, do my work and also just the fact that I’m being paid to do something that is really good fun and do something that I really love doing. You owe society a little bit for that – your fans for giving you a good life, but also yourself, just to pay back. I feel very strongly about the little work I do when I have the time. I try to be principled – of course there is a part of me, a bit of a do-gooder, it is a thing of keeping the moral slate cleaner, but it is really enjoyable and I get a kickback from it. It is not a sense of duty, it actually makes me feel good to do things for other people – where it can actually matter and make a difference to talk to people who wouldn’t normally have access to you or the kind of world you live in or the work you do.”
It’s just instant karma, as John Lennon would say. The Hindu principle of karma is about reincarnation, how what you do in this life will affect your next life. “Instant karma” is a more Westernized approach and that seems to be what Benedict is talking about. Something good happens to you today, you better do something nice for someone tomorrow. If something bad happens to you today, it’s probably because you did something crappy last week. And once again, I think this just goes to show that Benedict became a star, a celebrity later in life and how you can really see the difference between later-in-life celebrities and the Justin Biebers and Miley Cyruses of the world.
Photos courtesy of Twitter, GQ UK, The Big Issue, BBC.
Hellllllllooooo Ben! Welcome back into my dreams!
That GQ cover is to die for.
The GQ cover is stunning. I see the resemblance to early 1970s era Mumsy in that photo.
Doesn’t he?
I wasn’t certain who his mum was; thank you, Google, for enlightening me! She was gorgeous … and now your comment makes utter sense. Those eyes!!
Have you seen the title of the first ever Cumberbatch post here on Celebitchy? “Becedict Cumerbatch is surprisingly heterosexual. ” Who would have thought it would come to this, lol.
Anyway, I don’t think that the way he deals with fame is because it came later in life. There are younger stars who are dealing with it really nicely ( Emma Stone or Emma Watson).
I miss the BC and TH haters on these threads. They brought out such passion and interesting rants/counter rants…
Welcome back indeed!!! Am so glad to see an article (with such gorgeous photos too) of Ben!!! 🙂
Hi Squirrel!
ALL of those photos are gorgeous, aren’t they? And as to that blind item who even knows if its true? I agree with Kaiser’s assessment.
And I still want to see Cumby and Hiddles try to dance the tango and bicker over who gets to lead. I am never giving up on that fantasy.
Hi Janeite, Hi Squirrel,
OOh, I so want to see that tango too! I just watched War Horse on DVD and was incredibly excited to see both guys acting together. Now DANCING together would make me even more excited…. though I have to admit that wind is blowing more in favour of Ben now…. even though he had a huge moustache in War Horse, he was more believable as a WWI army character whereas dear Tommy seemed to be playing his over-earnest self in that movie…. sighhhh
Dance-off! Dance-off! Dance-off! I actually suspect that Ben will win the bickering on who gets to lead….Tommy will not want to look like the bad guy who does not give in to a snarky Ben.
Hello Windy, my friend!
I loved both boys in War Horse even though their last scenes were…not good. 🙁
You are probably right about who will get to lead the tango. I cannot help but laugh just envisioning the entire scenario.
It irrelevant to me who leads the tango, I want to be right there between them when that fantasy dance takes place! Snake hips behind me, dragon eyes in front, velvet all round…
I think I overdosed on BC over Xmas, and I took a peek at the Tomaconda in Unrelated the other day, so I think I’ll swim in Tommy’s naked pool of admiration a little longer (but avoiding the deep end as I don’t want to drown amongst all the crazies splashing around over there).
*blows up arm floaties and puts dons swim cap*
Also I need to step back and assess the whole BC and the high class escort thing. I just want to know that Ben is not preaching about women respecting themselves, then going off and paying someone to do “things” to him. I’m not suggesting escorts are not respectable people, but men who pay for sex rarely do so because they respect these women.
Gurrl! Your blow up pool is squishing the grass and the weeds… Can we drag it a bit and move it over here?
*points to a weedless and sparse section of grass*
@Secret Squirrel…. pls share the link to the Tomaconda that you speak of. Sounds very erm…’interesting’ LOL.
I need to swim out of the BC pool for a while….so some Tommy related (naked or not) news would be good therapy for me!
Here you go Windy. Sorry for the delay. The time difference is a killer for me. I either have to sit up half the night and be sleepy at work, or wake up extra early then be sleepy at work!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGQcZxutNOE
@LadyS – Do I haaaaaaaaave to move the pool? I just got comfy in it.
*drags pool full of water off the weeds, rips bottom on a sharp rock and throws ruined pool into fountain in rage*
Thanks for posting that Secret Squirrel! I am lost for words now…. Gasp…. Just…. Caught…sight… Of …. Tomaconda
@Secret Squirrel
Speaking of GQ covers, I actually walked past the magazine section in my local supermarket earlier and lo and beho, I spotted a GQ Jan 2014 with Ben’s face on the cover. My instant reaction was to pick up the magazine and put it into my supermarket basket. LOL
See, my reaction would have been to rip all the Cumby covers off the GQ magazines, stuff them down my shirt and abandon my shopping trolley*
*please note – This comment is in gest only. Squirrel does not encourage the destruction or theft of property not purchased!!!!
*mutters*
Liar. You so ruined that drunk man’s shoes when he passed out in our garden…
You know it was you. All you, all the time.
“my reaction would have been to rip all the Cumby covers off the GQ magazines, stuff them down my shirt and abandon my shopping trolley”
lol, you win this whole post, this made my day!
Oh Squirrel. Did a Tulip go into another greenhouse for the winter? *wilts in sadness*
And if Kaiser is correct about having a ‘live one’ — should we refit the garden shed or create a dungeon to play in? I mean, it makes your suggestions of a few swings and a roundabout in the garden rather tame….
(Although I do like the idea of an indoor and an outdoor playground…)
I have posted some “Have You Seen Tulip” posters around the park, but haven’t heard anything yet. I am hoping she just went off to Holland to help her cousins get ready for the big spring debut and forgot to tell us.
I wasn’t going to show you the plans, but the roundabout is actually a generator for the secret underground bunker. I have heard that TH likes to go running in parks so I am hoping one day he might stumble onto our humble park and stop to admire the pretty orchid. Then BAM!
*sprinkles LadyS with her favorite fertilizer so she can grow eye-catchingly bigger*
Benedict like to run too! Brilliant Squirrel!
*bats eyelashes alluringly to practice for snagging a British boy*
I love the GQ cover the most. Couldn’t wait to get my hands on it.
The blind item – I have no idea if it’s true or not, but I can tell you that CDAN is a terrible source, notoriously unreliable. And I don’t know how that item came out as being Cumberbatch. It could have been anyone. My thinking about him is that whomever he’s seeing, if he is, he’s not appearing in public with them and being very discreet. It could just be a friend. Or he could be paying hookers. No clue. Don’t care. As long as he keeps making movies. I like thinking of him as very sexual. It was reported in an interview that he did tell his mother, when she complained that he needed a “bird” because she wanted grandchildren, “Mom, I’m doing all right.” I think he is.
Isn’t it called “paying it forward”? Where you do something nice and than the person you did the nice thing for does something nice for some else and on and on.
Also, from what little I know of the Katia situation, if the blind is true I’d think she was most likely a paid escort that used him for a come up. She wouldn’t be the first to do that.
I’ll refrain from Sherlock spoilers, I’ll just say marvellous. 🙂
The old saying that your growth stalls at the age you become famous seems true. Look at the difference between Clooney and DiCaprio for example.
As for Enty, I’ve mentioned before, if those items were alway true then Chris Hemsworth slept with Miley Cyrus. The Benny one wouldn’t bother me. The Hemsworth one?! Barf.
Don’t think its true. It would have to suppose too much. That Benedict chooses to spend his money this way. That Katia is a prostitute. That Benedict doesn’t want a relationship, only sex. The BI was too vague, IMO to be someone in particular. Instead, it seemed to me to be a BI in search of a star and not the other way around.
The blind was VERY vague and could be applied to any number of male celebrities.
Yeah, I’m confused–I thought BI’s were total bs, in most cases. Basically they use half truths and lies, that could be applied to quite a few celebs…I would very rarely believe a BI.
The bigger issue than the blind itself is the fact that CDAN has been proven to be a fake source for any gossip. CDAN admits to being fake, and numerous of his “predictions” or whatever have proved false, so I don’t know why he’s used as a source for anything.
As for the whether/not Ben uses prostitutes in lieu of real relationships … God, I have no idea. Do I think he would or would not? Maybe, maybe not. Anything is plausible, anything is believable. On the other hand I actually think he genuinely likes being coupled and that no matter how busy he is he would still seek to be coupled. I also don’t see any evidence that he is legitimately too busy to be coupled up. So he works? Everyone works! So he travels? Lots of people in stable couple-dom travel! A woman in love would work around that, just like a man in love would.
The only way I can REALLY believe he needs or wants hookers is to believe he’s nowhere near the person he’s “sold” himself to be.
Maureen, I agree. These blinds have been shown to almost always to be patently false. And they are so vague you could insert any number of people and it can ‘sound’ true enough for people to believe. Which is why people DO believe them — the best lies sounds true.
This is still the same guy that went over his credit limit shopping for *clothes* and had to bum money from a friend to eat lunch. Still the same guy that wears the hell out of clothes given to him as a promotional thing because he really hasn’t dropped the money for a new wardrobe himself. He’s not flashy by any stretch and anyone who can drop 25k on an escort cares about appearances and he doesn’t strike me as the appearance driven kinda guy.
My guess? He’s a FWB man. You saw him go out on a date with an old college friend/colleague. That’s my guess as to his ‘pool’ of discreet women he socializes with. He’s looking for someone that isn’t *bedazzeled* by him, someone HE can be himself with. Plus he really craves normalcy as almost every interview talks about it in some fashion or another.
Down thread there’s a link to tumblr site (it’s blank site right now) and I can attest to the fact that tumblr has sites that make up crap too. Nothing and no one is immune to having lies told about them.
So much for his feminism. Cumberbitches, no, Cumberwhores, yes please!
That’s assuming the blind is true. They have been proven wrong almost every time — so I’m not buying it. Plus, he’s very, very thrifty… It doesn’t add up.
I actually do think it’s true, because I think he’s willing to spend money on things that are important, and I think that discretion is a premium to him. He seems a little neurotic about women wanting him for his fame, and appears to be the type of person that would rather be upfront and feel comfortable because he knows where he stands. I don’t think he’s got agencies on speed dial or anything, but as Eve used to point out, some of the people he was with in Ibiza were really shady, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he accepted a dubious friend’s offer to make an arrangement for him to kick back and have a little fun.
And if he did, boy did he get burned.
I see your point. And a lot of men buy sex (my ex-husband is Navy and who and how many bought sex was shocking to me. In the beginning). So I don’t know.
Fanty I could totally see it too. He has no time for a relationship, has said in interviews he find it hard to approach women as he doesn’t know what their agenda will be and also this removes any fear of even a FWB situation developing into something complicated.
Do we think the 25k specifically mentioned refers to one week/weekend? Lets hope if he continued with that route, he researched his options a bit better and went with something more proefessional who wouldn’t throw discretion out the window.
I neither believe nor disbelieve it but I fourth Fanty for a credible rationale.
Why thank you ladies.
The man can do as he pleases. But if he’s renting a woman for no other purpose than to be a penis repository, then I can’t really be expected to take him seriously when he flies his little feminism flag.
You’re basically a CumberBITCHUPTHEWAZOOWHETHERHELIKESITORNOT, that’s what you’re saying, right?
Apparently, so. Which is a bit annoying, because I’m actually kind of with him on the whole semiotics of it’s-not-really-getting-reclaimed.
Will I ever find a hot, lizardy man who doesn’t say/do annoying things? When will these men understand that their job is ONLY to say things that make me happy? I blame Idris Elba.
I disagree wholeheartedly as Idris isn’t to blame for this. We have to go a lot father back in history for the correct man to blame — Adam. He messed it up by ‘blaming’ Eve. He should have taken responsibility for his douch baggery then and didn’t — setting an awful example for men through the centuries.
😉
You see, I feel the same way about Puddletom – if we replace lizardy with “slightly effete”.
@T.Fanty – “And if he did, boy did he get burned”
Candle wax burned??? Probably tied up, gagged, tickled, slapped, pinched and scratched too. Oh wait, that’s just what I would do to him.
I shan’t spoil it for you but I’m sulking at Sherlock. Many people here in Britland seems to be moaning about episode 2, which I actually liked. But there’s a scene in episode 1 that suddenly made the Caitlin Moran debacle appear to me in an entirely different light. I hope the last one is good or I’ll be Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells.
Benny the Bitch is going to have to do a whole lot of paying it forward to get back in my good graces.
Sorry. I’m a curmudgeon, I know.
I know everyone is raving about it, but a couple of more impartial friends have told me that it jumped the shark.
By the way, I just caught your Michael Faber comment from the other day. That was exactly me response to the novel. Have you read any of his other work?
Trying to avoid spoilers. Episode 2 is sentimental. I don’t mind that. Episode 1 is 90 minutes of fanservice. I wouldn’t mind this if it was a BBC3 teen/cult show but it’s not! It’s a BBC1 prime time drama. Grannies watch Sherlock and most of episode 1 would be entirely incomprehensible to them. I wasn’t big on the self indulgence. And then there was a misogynistic scene, which played into the whole Caitlin Moran thing. I am unimpressed.
I’ve read Crimson Petal, which was right up my (leftie) alley!
That’s the Victorian one, right? That’s the only text that my local bookstore carries. I had to recruit my mum to send me Under the Skin. He’s primarily a short story writer, which makes sense, when you consider how compact and sparse the prose of Under the Skin is – which I don’t mean as negative criticism by any means. It really packed a nice little punch. I think I might like to try the Fahrenheit Twins next (assuming I don’t get sucked into reading all of the Dunnett books first).
Yes. It’s great. If you want a hard copy, shout out – I know people at his UK publisher.
BTW – the Dunnett books get exponentially better as the series goes on. H-hh-onest.
I agree, Episode 1 is filled with references to fan culture, to a point where it felt like you could see the writers’ smug smiles while writing it. Bit icky.
I would not go as far as calling it incomprehensible to all other folks, though. I guess if you had no clue about those references, it might have seemed like quite a leap in terms of character development and general tone of the show. Props to them for exploring new directions.
Misogyny and a weird exploitation of non-mainstream sexual practice has always been one of the weaker points of Sherlock, I find.
I didn’t like Episode 1 at all — it didn’t work for me. Episode 2 was better but it’s still not firing on all cylinders. I’m rather disappointed overall.
I can say that Martin has REALLY upped his game. His acting outshone Benedict’s quite a bit. Like WOW.
I agree about Martin.
I think my criticism about fanservice is particularly a British perspective. Partly, I thought it was too much and partly, you need to understand how the BBC organises its channels. This type of stuff belongs on BBC3, where the grannies aren’t confused by it. BBC1 – mainstream. BBC2 – specialist/minority interest. BBC3 – teen/cult. BBC4 – highbrow.
Sorry to re-hijack, but yes please! He’s hard to find over here.
I’m with Slippers, here. I was eyerolling most of Ep 1, it lacked the suspense and rhythm of the previous seasons. But I liked Ep 2 quite a bit – not just the sentimental undertones, but the actual deduction games.
@ Fanty. Ok. I will email them and let you know.
Episode 1 wasn’t some love song to the fans. It was the opposite. It was pricking the fans for all their outlandish scenarios. If I were one of those people who came up with some of those ‘how it happened’, I’d be embarrassed after episode 1. And we all know that some of the scenarios and fan-fiction got crazier and crazier as the years without a new episode went on. Mark/Steve wasn’t hugging those fans, more like laughing at them.
Sixer, The fan service was overdone and took away from the story (what little there was). Moffat tried to defend the first episode but it wasn’t as good as the worst episode in either of the two previous seasons. And Sherlock was too out of character but NOT in a growth type of way, it was jarring and unsettling.
Having issues with the type of show on BBC1 is something I understand. In the US we have certain types of shows on certain networks so it makes sense. Even if I’m unfamiliar with the all details.
Honestly, I’m glad I’m not the only one not totally thrilled with this season. I hope the last episode is back on form.
@LadySlippers
I almost thought the same thing about Martin but IDK BC wowed me for the first time in the entire show in the second ep (don’t want to say where, spoilers lol)
I’m not disappointed at all…yet. It depends on Ep 3, as I have an idea where it’s going and it’s actually rather clever.
Also, each episode has had a different director, as the usual guy wasn’t available.
@ Delorb – I agree but we were trying to avoid spoilers which is why we hadn’t drilled down into intention of the writers but why I had alluded to an offensive (to me) scene and CM. If you’ve still time, you might want to edit what you said?
@ LadySlippers – I think the show’s first two seasons were suitably mainstream with a touch of cult. But, as Fanty’s friends said to her, I think episode 1 had jumped the shark into something for the interwebz kidz – and they have their own BBC channel.
@Sixer
Oops. I thought I did a great job of not letting anything out of the bag. Sorry about that. Tried to edit it, but I guess its too late.
The direction in the first episode left quite a lot to be desired. So that didn’t help the poor writing.
I think I know what BC moment you are referring to in the second episode (there is more than one lol). I just have to give major props to MF as he was superb in these first two outings of season three.
Delorb, It IS tough not to give anything away. Luckily I’ve caught most of my unintentional spoilers.
Interesting to think episode one might be an F off to obsessive fans…. Hmmmm. I’ll have to stew on that a bit. Lol
@LadySlippers
Oh, I agree. I’m giving Mark Gatiss the benefit of the doubt as I do think it was fanservice (as he indicated at the BFI screening, he was happy people liked it). He used to write Dr Who fan fic and when he wrote TEH, the next series hadn’t been commissioned yet so he thought it was fitting to acknowledge fans, since TEH was basically fanservice from Doyle. Also, the style is an homage to the Private Life of Sherlock Holmes.
LadySlippers, it is. I’m sitting here thinking, ‘what a great job’ I did, when in retrospect it kinda wasn’t. LOL. Perhaps we should put a moratorium on all things Bendy until PBS airs Sherlock? Nah. He’s too yummy to forgo two more weeks. Apologies again.
I’m reading the original ACD series now but haven’t made it that far. Perhaps I’ll change my mind when I do read it….
I was actually sidetracked by August: Osage County. OMG is that a tasty treat of a play. Totally delish.
It is a challenge not to dish on details!!! UGH!!!
LOL
😀
It’s my fault, Delorb. I started it!
“Jumped the shark” does not even aptly nail down the mess that is season 3. I’ve now seen both new episodes and this is basically not Sherlock Holmes anymore. Is it fun? Yes. Is it entertaining? Yes. Is it sometimes touching? Yes.
But it’s not Sherlock Holmes.
P.S. The fact that Gatiss and Co. would create shows based on fanfic, fan service, Tumblr eroticism, and in general seeking to please fans who don’t even KNOW the SACD canon appalls me beyond description.
Maureen, I don’t mind some cheeky nods to fan fiction — some can and are fun. But I felt inundated [sp?] with it and that is why I’m griping. You can overdo anything and this was overdone.
Perhaps episode three will make it come full circle.
*crosses fingers*
There is an article floating around that discusses how shows like Sherlock and Doctor Who are starting to give in too much to the hardcore fan base instead of ignoring them and keeping their shows on track. That the writers and producers seem too in touch with the Tumblr crowd (and yes, that is what it is boiling down to) and it is driving off those who watch the shows but don’t take to Twitter and other such blogs to discuss the show because there is too much lip service to the other set of fans. I saw the last 15 minutes of the Ep 1 online when it aired but I figured I would just wait until the 19th to watch it in full.
@ M.A.F.
That article you mention sounds spot on. It is a travesty that professional writers (and the directors and producers who green light the scripts) stoop so low as to write episodes for a show that is meant to be for grown-ups, but base the entire plots and dialogue on the meanderings of teenagers on Tumblr (and they ARE teenagers — that’s why most of them never saw any of Benedict’s other work, still haven’t, and are constantly asking people where they can find his movies for free; some of them can’t even use iTunes because it requires an account (i.e. credit card) — that’s how you know these are f**king KIDS). It is appalling that Mark Gattis and co. claim to be “huge fans of the canon” and then write this whole season to please a gang of kids who live at home and spend all their free time online making “JohnLock” memes and drawing pencil portraits of Benedict Cumberbatch. Pitiful, really.
I know there is a book club here, but it would be awesome if there was some sort of “Book recommendation” part where we could share books we think others would like (and maybe rate them?). I am always looking for a good story to read and having to wade through threads like this one to hear about books I might enjoy is tiring!
CB admin team – can I make that my suggestion for the year???
Eppy 1 was trolling the fans so damned hard.
And it was definitely Martin’s episode. I think the entire viewing audience (that was enjoying it at any rate) were completely and utterly Team Watson for the first 30 minutes at least 😀
I get what you’re referring to. I also really enjoyed Ep:2.
Ep. 2 is a lot of fun. It’s just NOT Sherlock Holmes.
Yes I’d say that’s a very fair assessment, it was enjoyable tv but as you said, not typical to Sherlock Holmes.
+1 I won’t spoil but… ummm I can’t wait until it airs in the US so I can say what I really feel
plus the cover is awful he should have photo approvals 🙂
Tricky not to spoil, isn’t it ladies? But I bet we’re on exactly the same page.
@Sixer…
It’s not the same and I think trying to be too clever… even my son aged 13 had an opinion as he looked at me wide eyed like WHAT? Ep 2. then said the r word..
The Sixlets loved it, the tasteless little horrors. My parents, who have loved both previous series, were simply bemused by ep. 1.
Wish I could have a word with Gatis/Mofat… 🙂 Me, my husband and 13 y/o watched and we all were (raised eyebrows) me going oh please…
My 15 year old daughter was not impressed with Episode 1. She kept saying the characterization was off (which is true).
My son is a huge transport fan and he was trying to correct them as they went along on the tube LOL, oh no that’s not the right train oh I can tell by the rolling stock that it must be ___ line? Parents roll eyes
@LadySlipper’s teenage daughter gets it!!! Bless her heart.
Yes! That’s why I’m posting in very short, non descriptive sentences.
Looking forward to Ep3 to see how it ends.
Weeell, I’m going to buck the trend and say I loved both of the episodes from series 3 so far.
I find it entertaining, I love the humour and the characters, and right now that’s all I want. I actually quite enjoy Gatiss and Moffat’s references to ACD’s other short stories throughout the episodes.
I’m a bit worried about episode 3, though. I feel as though Gatiss and Moffat are going to do something dastardly.
I’m with you on this. I loved both episodes, for reasons that I won’t delve into too deeply here. So jealous of Mark and his wit. Would love to attend a dinner party with him, but I’m afraid he’d be bored to tears with me. Or he’d spend the entire evening making jokes at my expense (which I won’t get until hours later, natch).
If the ending of ep. 1 leads to someone doing something out of character in episode 3, then I’m with you on the dastardly stuff. Fingers crossed that they don’t go there.
I agree–all told I love seeing what the whole team is presenting to us, even if it’s not (IMHO) perfect. I do think Sherlock’s characterization has been a bit iffy BUT I’m looking forward to Ep 3 so we can see the whole picture. THEN I will nitpick. 🙂
I do get the impression, given the nature and tone of 1 and 2, that this series even more than the previous two, is written as a complete story in that they should be viewed in one go.
Not sure if that’s just me but I think the differences in tone will be explained in 3.
You’re not alone. I loved the first two episodes too. I get what everybody is going on about but I liked it. Ep.2 had me cackling!
In fact going off your dastardly comment, i think, given the events of the eps 1&2 (esp the ending of 2), I think Gat/Moff are following fairly close to the books. If you get my meaning? Let’s just say this definitely Martin Freeman’s season. That’s my theory.
It is so difficult to word this without giving anything away! 😛
I loved the episodes too. I don’t understand why people have the need to bring every single thing down. It was humorous, entertaining and wonderfully acted.
The show is still one of the best things currently on television, if you bitch about Sherlock, then what do you say about the other 95% of pure shit out there..
Kelly asked about the other 95%. I think that one just walks away. Just walk away. LOL
Kelly, I think you’re being a bit unfair. Just because I don’t like it/ it doesn’t work for me does not mean I’m ‘bringing it down’. I’m being honest as are the people that stated they did enjoy it. I totally understand that not everyone will share my opinion and I’m okay with that. We all have different tastes and expectations that play into our opinion which is also normal. So just because an opinion isn’t favourable doesn’t meant it’s bad.
Plus, someone pointed out that there could be good reasons for our issues that might be explained in episode three. I hope so. Also answers might be found in later ACD canon and I haven’t gotten that far yet. So I’m trying to keep an open mind.
Sorry LadySlippers, didn’t mean you in particular, or anyone individually, I was just frustrated in general because I’ve been bombarded with negative reactions to the show from all sides (not here specifically), and I can’t understand them, it seems people dislike the characters changing and evolving.
Well anyways, I appreciate your and anyone’s honesty, I’m just baffled by the response since I couldn’t find anything wrong with these episodes. Yes they’re different than the first season, but then I like the light silliness and cheeky humor that predominates this season. Maybe folks should lighten up and stop taking it all so seriously? I dunno, half-rambling now.
I’ve seen Ep 1 piecemeal (kept running out of bandwidth), and part of Ep 2. I thought Ep 1 spent way too much time trying to answer fans, but there were some good bits, and I loved the nod to the unpublished stories in the canon. However, if I were John Watson, I would have slapped Sherlock silly and walked away a LONG time ago. Men are needy, women are pragmatic. (Mostly. Imho.)
Good morning! 😀
If the blind is true, then as long as he’s single what does it matter? He’s not hurting anybody so it’s a non-issue.
I’m trying hard to be judgmental here but I can’t be. If he’s paying a good price and using protection – and assuming he’s not sleeping with trafficked 16-year-olds – then I can’t really see how anyone’s being hurt by this.
Remember the saying during the Hollywood Madam trial, when all these successful male celebrities were exposed as hiring prostitutes – that they didn’t pay these women to have sex with them; they paid them to leave.
It’s a lot more discreet to bang some expensive prostitute than some hysterical fan who will spill all to the tabloids after you don’t call her back.
You spoke my mind…he is a grown up man and if he is paying handsomely for sex then what’s wrong? At least he isn’t pretending to be caring in a fake relationship with some model just so he could have sex with her.
Plus these escorts will keep it all a secret for this amount of money…his career is on a rise, any bad PR can cause damage. He probably learned his lesson from that Katia incident…as she was just using him for his fame to raise her own profile. I am happy he is wary of such famewhore’s
Also read an interview of Julia Roberts, where she called Benedict charming and gets why women go crazy after him. She said he is wonderful and talented, she is a fan. Julia is being nice wow 😛
totally agree…i don’t see anything wrong in paying for the escort to keep it a secret. he’s not an innocent young fella, and neither does he pretend to be one.
Abby,
Can you post a link to that interview? Thanks! 🙂
@ Lady….here you go girl http://mnet.dstv.com/2014/01/08/roberts-joins-cumberbatch-fan-club/
Thank you!!!
😀
Agreement all around!
I’m being a naughty cumberbitch & watching the BBC episodes in the US on a website and I am loving season 3. Oh Cumby *sigh*
I missed that reveal…wow who’d have thought he had $25k to spend on NightWives (copyright Russell Brand) in one week.
I didn’t think he was earning that kind of dough yet.
I know he’s single and can do what he likes and to given his comments about how difficult it is to meet women now he’s more well known but it’s a bit…off if true. Especially given his whole “don’t call yourselves bitches” thing. One could argue that he’s probably going for very high class women who are not exploited or under duress but still…
I actually hope this turns out to be false.
I’m saying nowt on the Katia thing and it’s relation to this, but I’m doing major side eye at her in general.
He mentioned models in this one apparently…anyone speak German or Italian??
http://www.europolitan.de/Leben/VIPs/Benedict-Cumberbatch-So-sieht-die-ideale-Frau-fuer-mich-aus/278,17734,0,0.html
http://londonphile.tumblr.com/post/72553846572/cumberlordfb-style-magazine-italy-corriere
I speak both. The German translation is a bit weird and the sentences seem odd. Even the Italian version looks like something was lost in the translation.
Basically, he says that he prefers real and honest (straightforward) women who are comfortable in their own skin, spontaneous and without artifice. He mentions that the female population has too many models amongst its ranks.
Thanking you kindly Leo!! x
Gah, I just felt my thighs throb. Dang it, Cumby!
This was in the Evening Standard this week. Fascinating reading, and I stand next to you, lending the FantyForce to your side-eye:
http://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/call-me-a-courtesan-a-call-girl-an-escort–whatever-but-basically-i-was-a-20000anight-hooker-9041116.html
Hmmm interesting reading.
I would have thought that someone who was paid handsomely for company and discretion, and then not only goes and blabs but also seems to take part in the set up of photos, would risk her future earnings.
I think that girls in that game probably always have half an eye on how they’re going to get out. A TV reality show and steady work as an actress must be preferable to increasingly limited choices of a young woman aging, and has the potential to last long after a she hits 30.
Thank you for the link, very interesting read.
I feel bad that so many women out there are half-forced into this merely by the fact that they have no other way of making a decent living for themselves. Sadly most people don’t have the opportunity to go to college or come from poor, effed up backgrounds, and they can only change their lives by using their body/looks.
I hope they’re all treated decently and that they don’t get hurt, I have nothing against prostitution if the woman is willing and treated well. But lets be honest, if these girls had any other means of making good money instead of this, I’m betting my arm they’d jump at it.
Very very few people become hookers because they enjoy it. One way or another, life forces you into this. And I’m sure they’re forever marked by their experience. Particularly when the job makes them do demeaning, repulsive, degrading and insulting stuff they’d never do if they weren’t obliged to do it.
So yes, the girl may not be trafficked or physically forced and drugged, but she’s still not willingly being intimate with you, and any man who goes to prostitutes and keeps fueling the demand for the prostitution ring is an ignorant a**hole in my opinion.
Still, Cumby’s harmless, I’m more worried about the real people in power who are apparently selfish, cruel, chauvinistic, ignorant creeps. Damn, now that’s something to think about.
But I think that’s the point Miss Jupitero makes below: nobody is harmless when it comes to perpetuating such an industry.
The interview is really poorly written, if you ask me.
Benedict states “”A woman must be, above all, herself, spontaneous and genuine. The female world as it is today, is overpopulated by models.”
But I’m not a native english speaker so it could sound really weird…
Didn’t he just date a model? That’s kind of a harsh thing to say…
I would hazard a guess that meaning is lost in translation a bit.
If he’s talking about women being genuine, maybe he’s talking about modeling in a broader sense, or, more colloquially, being a ‘poser?’ There’s a difference between modeling for cameras and being an authentic person. Maybe he feels like people aren’t themselves around him because of him fame. Obviously those are a lot of words to put in him mouth but that would make more sense to me.
I find it hard to think someone could say something so obnoxious in an official interview after dating a model. So I hope you’re both right… Lost in translation + misinterpretation of words
Officially he’s never actually dated a model. That’s been only rumour and gossip to go on so we really don’t know.
I feel like he’s not saying literally models, but women who superficially act/behave like models (overly made-up, overly attentive to fashions/trends, love wealth and a high maintenance lifestyle, etc). Otherwise, he would not have said “general female population”. If he really did mean it the way I think he did, I totally agree with him.
Could be a mistranslation of poser (model) and poseur (up themselves person)?
I read it in Italian , he is actually speaking about the fact that people care too much for apperances ( both men and women), always trying to be something they’re not.. with the clothes and make-up and things like that… According to him, people try to hide their insecurities at all costs…
Interesting Nighty. Thanks for that.
He’s right though. We all do it. Perhaps that’s what the DM article that blasted him talked about. He lets people see his insecurities and in a ‘fake & glossy’ society that might be hard for others to deal with.
It’s a little clearer what he means when you take into account what he says next: the reporter says to him, “The same could be said for men…” and he answers, “It’s true, manliness today is excessive. It’s too much; in my opinion, it hides vulnerability and insecurities.”
I don’t believe this blind item is true btw, but on the subject of prostitution, I really don’t think it’s anything good. It’s actually quite grotty in my opinion. I don’t have a particular axe to grind about it and the opinion that, if everyone’s happy with it, what’s the problem?, is a valid one.
All I’ll say is, if anyone I knew or respected was involved with it, I would be horrified.
I also can’t really get with the ‘high class’ distinctions. There’s nothing remotely ‘high class’ about renting out your vagina to a parade of moneyed men. Prostitution is fundamentally prostitution. I know there are women who are abused and forced into it, which is obviously a serious and devastating issue. But I also don’t think there’s any dignity or respect to be found in any level of it. Shame on anyone who perpetuates this horrible industry.
Re: this evalina thing, I’d not heard anything about it, but if true.. I really give up. One desperate and indiscreet famewhore, I’d forgive.. but another? ‘Breakfast with a harrow boy’? Dear me.
Re the Evalina thing… I really, really, get the feeling it was nothing more than flirting (if that) and insinuation (from her end)… No pap shots, no real gossip about it. I’m not a BC stan (just a fan of his acting) and don’t think the man is a saint by any means but with how the Fail is out for blood on him and how he’s got so many stalkers and paps would just give their left eye for some dishy dirt on the guy, the fact there was nada after the blip on her Instagram smacks of it really being nothing. I don’t trust the gossip on DL for the most part since it seems to be wistful thinking (at the moment, someone keeps posting on TH and BC threads about linking them both to Hiddles’ costar in Coriolanus, trying to make that gossip happen). I totally think he has some FWBs but I also think he’s got a lot of fame-hungry hangers-on (I’m wondering if Evalina is friends with his “friend” Lydia Hearst?) who’d love to be linked to him in gossip pages and make their name via his.
I will say, that there are nutters beyond your wildest nightmares out there. I once saw a twitter account from a woman, who was basically RPFing with BC, but the fic part was hazy for her. She was interacting with real people and posting fake statuses from where he was, and pics from where he happened to be.
She’d also lifted some random photos off tumblr with an obfuscated face and was passing them off as herself. Chillingly odd, but an example of how easy it is to create this crap on social networking sites.
As someone pointed out, why on earth would he take this random girl on a talk show, into the green room?
By the way she locked her Instagram and Twitter down afterwards it seems to me like she’s trying to avoid association with him. I read on another site that she may be an industry professional (actress, agent, journalist, etc) with legitimate reasons for being in the green room, and the way people have been speculating on her being a call girl/girlfriend/etc and contacting her directly about it from what I can see on Twitter, I’d probably do the same. It’s hurtful to her reputation if it’s false, and kind of creepy.
with fans waiting outside the studio to see him….seriously, there were hundreds and someone would have said something.
I feel sorry for the woman who had to lock down her Twitter, etc., too.
Hopefully if the blind is true, he protected himself (I secretly hope it’s not, though).
Love him! I’d whip him if he’d let me… 🙂
If the blind is true, then Cumberbatch is a dumbass for wasting his money when he doesn’t have to. Be smart with your money, Cumby. You don’t want to end up like some of these idiots who live beyond their means while the roles are coming in and then go broke a few years later.
It’s hard to believe that if it is true, it hasn’t been caught yet. He’s pretty up and coming are people are fawning all over him, I can’t see how he hasn’t been spotted just ONCE. It’s a little sleazy, but he is single and doesn’t have commitment to anyone or anything) but his work so it’s not exactly wrong (but not right either).
I don’t think it’s true. I think if he’s getting any, it’s with friends or dates he can trust.
Let’s give Cumby the benefit of the doubt and go back to thinking of ways to have a Boy Dance Party with him and Hiddles. As another Cumberbitch pointed out, a guy that wear jorts and cardigans probably doesn’t spend $25k on anything, let alone escorts.
amen to that. I just can’t see it, I can see him getting a nice fancy car within reason but he strikes me as someone who would not waste his money.
It really is quite illogical. He could have me and spend ALL of that money at the Spencer Hart shop he loves so much. Everyone would win.
Please share the Cumby, T Fanty!
Agreed. He spent nearly a month in that same blue shirt. Don’t think its true.
I loved that shirt… <3
Don’t know if you have it in the US… Here, in the UK, the Big Issue is sold by homeless/struggling people ; it’s some charity thing. So, it makes total sense that the cover is low key (looks like I took it with my cell phone), and it’s only decent. A glam cover would have been somewhat insensitive.
So…i don’t believe the blind at all, but i think its hipocritical to drag justin beiber through the mud for having sex with prostitutes while rationalizing BC’s decision. I guess fans will accept anything he does.
Disclaimer: I am not a Beiber fan and am very much a fan of BC…it’s just that fair is fair, non?
LOL! Thats the very least of Justin Bieber’s problems. Speaking of blinds there are blind “reveals” of him taking fans home and “giving” them to his friends. People drag Bieber through the mud because he openly acts like a rude, entitled, arrogant jerk, not because of sleeping with a call girl.
People the blind is likely false, stop acting like its likely true because again, then we have to give some credit to that Hemsworth blind, which…no, I refuse.
MOST blinds are false. Even if the rationale is okay.
Um, it’s because brothels are illegal in Brazil–not prostitution. Sure, sleep with a prostitute (where it’s LEGAL), if that’s what gets you off. But he’s contributing to a huge problem i.e sex trafficking in ALL COUNTRIES. Disgusting.
And Justin has a known factor whereas this blind *could* be totally false.
I generally take CDAN with a massive grain of salt. Read the disclaimer at the bottom of the CDAN main page – he openly admits that some stuff is pure fiction, some pure speculation, some wild gossip etc. And he refuses to guarantee that any of it’s true. Probably Ben hired a pro once or twice and suddenly he’s Mr Prostitute Machine.
Having said that, I admit that when I saw those pics last summer, my first thought was ‘pro.’ Weren’t those pictures taken at the wedding in Ibiza? Maybe they provided him some hired company as a courtesy. Or if you’re more conspiracy minded, someone arranged a female companion and a few photos so his officiating at a gay wedding wouldn’t set off a bunch of ‘Ben is gay’ rumors.
Blind Items Revealed
February 1, 2013
This former almost A list all movie actress now struggles to find any work and part of it has to do with the fact that she has a little bit of crazy in her. At an event this week she was walking around the event in a fur coat and apparently nothing else. During cocktails she kept walking up to people and telling them she was naked under her fur and did they want to see. She did the same thing during dinner while also refusing to drink[ anything other than what she brought in a flask.
Sean Young
February 1, 2013
This former almost A list all movie actress now struggles to find any work and part of it has to do with the fact that she has a little bit of crazy in her. At an event this week she was walking around the event in a fur coat and apparently nothing else. During cocktails she kept walking up to people and telling them she was naked under her fur and did they want to see. She did the same thing during dinner while also refusing to drink anything other than what she brought in a flask.
Liza Minelli
Crazy Days and Nights: Blind Items Revealed
CDAN revealed this blind twice with two different answers. Take everything you read there with a huge grain of salt.
Deleting because I’m not sure what’s going on lol. Sorry!
Phew! Thanks.
Hey Celebitchy Admin! Take this one down too… sorry. I shouldn’t have joined in. Sorry and thanks for your help.
I’ll cut to the chase: if you go to sex workers for your needs you are, directly or indirectly, supporting a system that supports human trafficking and slavery.
Check our this website to see how many slaves are working for you: http://slaveryfootprint.org
None of us come out if this squeaky clean, but guys who use hookers? They are a huge part of the problem.
Not trying to throw a turd in anyone’s punch bowl, but I really hope this is just a nasty rumor.
I think that turd needed to be thrown.
Thanks, Miss Jupitero. I feel slightly sick that some are commending his behavior (if it’s true) on the grounds that he’s a very private person and wants discretion. We are talking about the sex trade and a man that spouts off about feminism, so it demands more than a “side-eye.”
Even if the person he rents is not herself a sex slave who has been kidnapped and is being held in a brothel against her will, the problem is systemic. It is an industry that thrives on exploitation, violence, and rape.
It’s a little bit like the drug trade. If you are smoking weed which you are absolutely certain was grown by friendly hippies in Vermont, I’ll give you a pass, but if you are using anything that came across a border I guarantee that somebody died a horrible death so that you can get high, and that somebody who has no regard for human life at all is buying a yacht in Columbia as a result. There is an excellent article in Slate about how much damage the drug trade has done in Northern Mexico in particular.
It is a turd that needs to be thrown. I will not judge any woman for doing anything she needs to do to put food on her table, but this is an industry which destroys people on a regular basis. Maybe 10k a night is enough to cause people to look the other way, play along, and hope for the best, but it is heartbreaking, and for every person who comes out with a nice book deal or whatever, there are hundreds more who have permanent cases of PTSD.
Rant over…..
Yes to everything you said.
Even at the highest end, I can’t believe that there’s enough money and parties in the world to validate an industry that markets women as f*ckable, without being desirable as a person.
THIS.
Very well said, spot on.
I love you, Miss J. In priciple, I object to neither prostitution nor drugs. But I do object to the facts on the ground for both.
In principle, I think consenting adults shoulddo as they please, and I would also make the point that prostitution legislation doesn’t do a lot to protect victims of sex trafficking, and the “war on drugs” has done plenty if it’s own damage. I’m not proposing simple answers. But that said, the fact is there is no harmless side to this industry as it stands, and anyone who supports it should be ashamed.
Also buying knock-offs of any thing and every thing, and the street vendors (who all have the same merchandise) are part of the chain. The more you know…
Although, to be fair, I have friends who work in high-end fashion, and you would be hard pressed to find anything that wasn’t made in a Chinese sweatshop. I think we all need to high-tail it over to Olivia Wilde’s website.
@T.Fanty, It’s not so much where the item was made, plenty of the manufacturing businesses have moved to countries with lower wages. I mean the huge infrastructure and $$$ around the sale of knock-off and stolen goods. In my country we have what are referred to “informal vendors”, people who lay out a blanket on the sidewalk (making it impossible to walk on the sidewalk and have to walk on the street dodging cars) and they all sell the same thing. Usually contraband and stolen merch like ipad minis, beats by dre, ipod nanos, and so on. There are also a lot of name brand knock-offs like adidas, puma, nike and chanel, gucci etc. and scarves and winter accessories for a country that averages year-round temps of 25-30 degrees Celsius. It’s big business for the people who move the merchandise on the higher levels. The people who sell them are people who don’t know any better and just need to make a living, so I am sure they have no idea they are active participants of organized crime. But as consumers, boy do we really need to educate ourselves about where things come from and whether or not brand names really matter.
That’s all true. I meant to go in and fix the specific geographical reference after I posted it, but by the time I got back, the editing option had timed out.
In a sense it’s the same thing as prostitution. The people on the front line (as it were) are more often than not, decent people just trying to put food on the table. It’s the hierarchies that exploit them. My friend in fashion has some real horror stories about manufacturing places. I read an article once about poor women in India selling their hair to the extension/weave trade. It is all really quite horrific.
Trying to buy ethically is a nightmare. The whole global system smells of nasty things and everyone has fingers in some awful pie or other.
http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/buyersguides.aspx
Is UK based but it still may be helpful for those of you across the pond, in terms of the manufacturers. You can choose your priorities (environment, animals, conditions for workers, political regime, etc) and then find the least bad manufacturer for whatever you want to buy. And believe me, it will be least bad. Nobody’s GOOD.
I’m sure you gonna LOVE the first two minutes of the new episode! That’s all I’m sayin’. Enjoy! 😉
Love the series – no spoilers – as far as the blind goes – any hint of a man paying prostitutes for sex puts me right off – dont care who it is – girls are being trafficked from Eastern Europe all the time, any action that supports that in anyway is reprehensible – see Miss Jupitero above who clearly knows more about this than me – perhaps that’s why in a way I don’t buy it – his hypocricy would be breathtaking in terms of his feminism and I really can’t see him being a hypocrite…maybe the headline “I try to be principled” is his way of addressing a rumour that has got back to him – would like to think so
I agree. Prostitution is NOT a victimless crime.
That’s kill me that everyone thinks that Katia is a prostitute. Why? Cause she’s a model, blonde, young, russian? People don’t love her so obviously she’s a prostitute!!!
I don’t know if he uses escorts but it’s a blind item, nothing reliable here.
No I don’t think she is that but gold digger yes..
I think the blind item has a hint of truth. There was a thread on Datalounge last year about his trip to Ibiza and towards the end there was mention of a woman in the green room when he was on that american chat show (either kimmel or fallon) and she was also snook into his hotel by the back entrance. There was a lot of talk about credibility and probability and someone named said lady as Evalina Fox. The thread was subsequently deleted very soon after….
Make of this what you will but usually threads on datalounge are not deleted unless someone reports them to the mod and why would they do this? because someone had mentioned info that should have been kept quiet…
No sense, a lot of DL threads about BC and Hiddles are deleted or closed.
I would have thought if he’s so concerned about discretion he’d hardly be bringing women backstage at talk shows where any number of staff could see her and tattle.
Hotels are slightly different though..
I’m going to go out on a limb and say, there is probably some truth to the blind item too… but perhaps the $25K figure is exaggerated. I think this monetary number is what most of us are reacting to. That’s a ridiculous amount of money (Charlie Sheen money, probably) to spend on sex, and it doesn’t seem to fit with the image he gives off.
Maybe he’s had a few escorts, maybe not. We don’t know. Like I said earlier, if it’s true, I hope that he protected himself (I still secretly hope it’s not).
Well, lots of different people can have access to the green room, and she wouldn’t have had to enter with Benedict. In fact I’d imagine she’d enter separately if she were truly “with” him and wanting to be discreet. However, I read a good post on another site that she may be an industry professional (actress, agent, journalist, etc) with legitimate reasons for being in the green room, or an old friend who may know Benedict in a non-salacious way. I read the original post about it on Tumblr and it looked to me like someone reading way too much into a girl’s personal Instagram. If she lives in London as her Twitter says, she might know plenty of guys from Harrow (especially as Harrow is a large town near London in addition to the school).
As for locking her Instagram and Twitter, she probably started to get nutty followers after this was written about. I see multiple dumb questions @ her on Twitter actually. She’s probably wondering what the heck.
I remember that. She was in the Green Room during the Jimmy Kimmel recording, was tweeting pictures from some Bafta event and there were apparently Instagram comments from her ‘having breakfast with a Harrow boy’. She deleted the pictures from twitter and set her twitter/instagram to private shortly after it was posted on DL.
I believe the rumours about this originated on this disturbing Tumblr, which has now deleted their posts. http://benedictinsider.tumblr.com/
Would you have a “paid escort” for those kinds of things? Like… talk shows? Sounds like something a girlfriend would do, not an escort? I dunno.
Who knows. Maybe there’s a grain of truth, I find it very had to believe he’s not cashing in SOMEHOW with the ladies…
I had a friend who did escort work after grad school didn’t pan out for her and she got into a mess of trouble for posting pics online that could lead to who she was “under contract” with, even though she never used the person’s name or their image. She got booted from her agency for it. SO, it’s possible an escort, even a high priced one, would do something like that esp if it was their “first famous person” or someone they thought could up their pay for increased discretion.
I think a lot of threads about BC and Hiddles on DL are 90 percent fantasy/straight up fibbing. Not saying that b/c I stan for either but because it’s just so wtf and outlandish or things that are so obvious that, if they really did happen, it’d be on more places than just one or two gossip sites. The Daily Fail would be all over that shit–they’re known for ferreting out all sorts of dirt on celebs that are majorly in the public eye. I think that if he’d been sneaking some woman around, it’d be in the tabs.
@MaryMiss
IA on BC (never been to a Hiddleston thread there). The Fail’s been out for his blood for a while and the best they could do was that ‘he’s cheap and anxious and schoolmates thought he was dumb’ thing that was supposed to be an expose. Most of DL thinks he’s gay and covering it though.
Ironically, that bizarre tumblr debunked the Katia thing lol. Said nothing happened and he had nothing to do with her being at the wedding.
@Katie
LOL I give a huge side eye to that tumblr and to people online who say they are insiders in his life mainly because he is so private. He seems to keep the same small group of friends around him and they are openly protective of him online and in his personal life (ex being the story of his photog friend Helen going to tell off the neighbor who’d been spying on him). I think a lot of the rumors re his love life are wistful thinking on the gossipers part and the Katia thing was a bit of a wtf but not a huge surprise esp since he went out of his way to distance himself from her the year before when they were at a party together. She made a scene about following him but came back solo and people said he just wanted to not be seen with her. At least according to some stories that came up in UK papers/tabs.
@Katie I still don’t fully believe anything happened at that wedding. In the pictures that were taken, he looked more interested to read the menu than talk to her. I read a while back that Katia was separately invited to the wedding but who knows.
IF it was true, then he needs shaking. This woman obviously already doesn’t know the meaning of discretion, with several social networking accounts dropping sledgehammer hints and posting photos. Seriously, people say he’s naive, but this is almost remedial.
I saw that thread. It did not imply that Evelina Ballerina was an escort (unlike Katia E), just that she is young. Suki Waterhouse young. The thread was closed after that.
That was the first BC thread I saw closed (the others maxed out at 600), which makes me think it’s true. (The TH threads get closed all the time because they are cray-cray.)
Now I’m somewhat confused (and sucky at “reading between the lines,” apparently)… but is the insinuation that he was possibly dating a younger girl, then? Not that she’s an escort, just… really young and stupid to start posting stuff on social media?
I think the TH threads get a lot of super craziness on DL while the BC ones get mostly run of the mill type gossipy things–models, drinking, money problems/being thrifty, that sort of thing.
That same thread had a link to an escort’s blog; she made a post saying “I have Sherlock’s number!”, claiming that a friend of his had passed it on, but that he was not her client. I can’t remember the link, but I think the blog was called ‘A Secret Escort.’
This is what stood out for me in that Standard article:
Does that mean other clients treat girls well? “Yes, but…” She takes a deep breath. “A lot of these guys are seriously f***ed up. Their wives don’t do what they want. No woman in her sane mind would do half of it.”
Ick. Whether you choose it or not, you won’t get out of that ‘profession’ the same person you were when you went in.
OMG more info please?? I totally missed all this…also is she American? Cz I see Cumby in LA or New York quite often now.
Leah, there were rumors that Katia E. was an escort. That was around July/August, when the CDaN blind originally came out.
The Evelina rumors are that she’s very young (not an escort) and stupidly posted things under a pseudonym that were fairly easy to trace. That was in Oct./Nov./Dec.
I don’t really know if the thread was closed. I’ve seen many threads on DL go into loading hell like this one (some old BC threads too) as well and appear again weeks or months later.
And it didn’t disappear after those rumours, but much later.
Anyway, I saw the question being asked there but no one replyed. How do people know how old she is or how she looks like? Her Twitter/Instagram are locked and nobody saw anything.
I don’t know much about DL but maybe there was a potential threat of slander?
Her twitter and instagram are locked now, but they weren’t then. The thread had specific directions for accessing her information (like FB) and I saw far too much information about her and her friends. Her accounts were mostly deleted or locked after those posts.
I definitely believe it was happening, at least then. It puts a whole new spin on his R. Kelly skit. Icky. But in my opinion, Benedict got far too much of a pass for that in the first place.
Didn’t he say in several interviews in oct/nov/dec that he’s 100% single. Hes made no attempts in past to hide his relationships and doesn’t strike me as type of person to hide it for PR reasons.
Hes papped a lot in LA and NY so I’d have thought even if there was a girl there and she wised up and deleted them, at least one photo would appear.
Still..time will tell I suppose. Is she an actress or a socialite or something?
@ The Blower’s Daughter
Yes, I know, I read the whole thing on that thread as soon as it happened, even when the Twitter wasn’t locked. That’s why this is so strange to me.
I saw literally nothing except vague insinuations, but with nothing to back it up. Are you actually saying she is this Evelina Ballerina on FB or what?
@blower’s daughter
Oh dear. I always try to take that stuff with a grain of salt. I don’t think BC is a saint. I’ve always felt that there are women in his life he’s dating/seeing, we just don’t know about them (good for him). If he’s seeing a younger woman… as long as she’s legal, I guess it’s all fair game in love and war? As long as she’s legal. I mean… I dunno.
@Lindy79: He’s been pretty upfront about being single and his work being his life focus right now, at least in the interviews from this past autumn and this winter. I think there’s a lot of speculation b/c she is so young but if they were a “thing” there’d definitely be pap shots, or more gossip about it. It smacked to me, when I first read about it, of a young woman being flirtty and maybe a FWB thing or a one night thing that didn’t go further though she may have wanted it to.
@ MissMary
To me the whole thing seemed like someone was having a laugh. Honestly, suggestive photos found on an Instagram (maybe even locked) without names or anything to go by and mentioned on a Tumblr by an alleged BC insider that is obviously fake? It was then posten on DL, but it looked like the Tumblr was getting its information strictly from DL.
BC spend his Christmas break with his photographer friend and his family in NY. There were some stalkerish pics taken and he was always alone or with male friends. He stayed alone in a hotel. Not really a man enjoying a new flame.
Besides, if people who claim that she is young are referring to the account I think they are, then the whole thing makes no sense. This case is based on conjecture that was starting to slide into stalking on DL.
I definitely hope he is having a good time, but to me this seems like barking up the wrong tree.
@Leo: This, yes. This is what I was trying to get at… I’m full of derp today, lol, and am not making as much sense as I’d like.
@everyone:
In Hollywood, we know that when a celebrity says “I’m single,” they mean “I’m getting it, but not from anyone I’d bring home to Mom, or take out in public.”
Checking into a hotel alone doesn’t mean you spend your nights alone. Concierges of high end hotels specialize in the procurement of temporary companionship.
Fun fact: When celebs say they’re ‘very good friends’, that means they’re at it, but want it kept quiet. They want to be able to manipulate the timeline of said boning if they’re found out, and the ‘very good friends’ label is vague enough to allow that.
I admit I was a Pavlov dog and clicked merrily away when I saw those DL posts, but I’m not proud of it! What I found convinced me, and it wasn’t just someone being “flirty” or “having a laugh.” But if it’s still happening, it will be out soon enough.
All I will say that I think I know where the Birgitte Sorensen rumors came from. Different country, same look.
IF it was true, then he needs shaking. This woman obviously already doesn’t know the meaning of discretion, with several social networking accounts dropping sledgehammer hints and posting photos. Seriously, people say he’s naive, but this is almost remedial.
@ Joanie
I think “I’m single” has the same meaning in the real world as it does in Hollywood. So that’s nothing strange.
And when I said that he was staying in a hotel alone, I absolutely wasn’t referring to whether or not he has casual hook-ups. For his sake, I hope he does, if that’s what he wants.
What I was trying to say is that a man in a relationship (as some have suggested) would hardly spend all of his time alone/with friends and staying in a hotel if he came over for a week’s visit.
@ The Blower’s Daughter
Look, I’m not trying to be rude, I’m honestly curious.
I’m not a saint and I clicked the same links on DL as soon as they were up and found nothing or very little.
There were other DL-ers who couldn’t find anything. Yet you seem to know a lot.
So what exactly did you see?
Btw., „having a laugh“ was not meant positively or quirky. I meant someone might be trolling.
DL scares the crap out of me and I find it really hard to navigate. I take it Blowers Daughter that there was pics or specific mentions to BC on her media sites…?
My original comment was just that there were no rumors Evelina was an escort. I didn’t really intend to start anything else! As I said above, I feel uncomfortable with the amount I was able to piece together (not just from DL), and that’s all I’ll say. My curiosity got the best of me. Again, we’ll know for sure if he finally brings her out in public.
@ Blower’s Daughter
But there were rumours that Evelina was an escort. Of course there were!
That’s how the whole thing on DL started. Posters even said that she was strategically placing photos (that no one saw) to raise her reputation in the escort business.
This is quite strange now. Those few pages of the DL thread were the only place this was ever talked about. It was pulled out of thin air and some talk about it as if there was a bunch of evidence.
People, including me, followed the same hints and links as you did at the same time and came up with not much.
Yet you repeatedly drop hints here that you know something more. It a bit difficult to believe now.
Sorry.
I agree, Leo. I’m sorry, but all these supposed details don’t exist. This whole thing has been invented around a few sketchy twitter posts and a massive helping of misguided conjecture and gossip.
And of course that blind item is BS. If there were an award for ‘man most unlikely to pay for a bunk-up’, he would be on the shortlist of nominees at the very least.
LOL at this entire line of conjecture, damn if it doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to finally get proof and settle if Cumby is plowing his way through elite vagina-rentals.
But dammit if it’s true I’ll kill him, how the hell am I supposed to watch my favorite show and not feel bad about supporting his “escort” hobby indirectly through it???
I mean, I’m still gonna watch the show, but shit, stop buying women, all you men out there!
How many mystery women has he been seen with? I remember this one. Ewww
http://www.justjared.com/2013/07/28/benedict-cumberbatch-mystery-gal-hold-hands-in-london/
I won’t address that this woman wasn’t exactly a mystery. But I will address that I think the “Ewww” is uncalled for. She’s a lovely actress who just doesn’t happen to be in her 20s anymore.
The “Eww” wasn’t meant for her or the women he allegedly sees, but for the whole escort thing. Anyway, that’s his call.
Ahhh…the way it was written appeared to be “Ewww”-ing that particular woman. Apologies.
She’s not an escort. She went to school with him.
I couldn’t wait for PBS so I watched the first two episodes on a website called coke and popcorn dot com. It was super easy to find. And before anyone yells at me about piracy, TECHNICALLY as a Canadian, Sherlock will never air in Canada as PBS is an American channel.
And hope the hooker thing isn’t true because well you know that saying about you sleep with not only that one person but all the people they slept with before?
Well how very Sherlock of him, wonder if he’s found his favorite dominatrix yet
I’m so excited for you guys to see Sherlock 😀
Thanks, Felice! I’m excited to see it too. Have found myself skipping over a large chunk of the comments on this thread to avoid anything even remotely/vaguely spoilerish. I don’t want to know anything at all.
Yes, I had to skim as well! I want to be surprised.
you are not missing anything with season 3 of sherlock.
it’s campy and overdone, over acted, the writing is dismal and the plots weak.
Elementary far outshines Sherlock now, in terms of acting, plot and writing.
Lmao Elementary puts me to sleep so quickly….no wonder the show doesn’t have any high TRP’s.
I’ll take Moffat and Gatiss crap writing over that boredom anyday.
Maybe it’s a cultural thing, I’m from Europe, and while I generally enjoy American tv, all in all it’s very simplistic, predictable, campy and glitzy entertainment.
British tv on the other hand has genuine people who look like ordinary people and express emotions genuinely and believably. And the writing is original, witty and never boring.
I can’t understand why someone would say Elementary is better than Sherlock. Different, sure, not bad, yes, fun, yes, but outshining it? No effing way. But like I said, maybe it’s a cultural thing.
Elementary makes me think of the Mentalist with the predictable plot developments of every other crime show with two leads destined to have a platonic yet flirtatious relationship. And I loved the Mentalist, mind you, but he did it better. And Sherlock does it better than him.
Both shows are so different, I feel as if comparing them is an apples to oranges thing. Serial versus episodic; serious drama versus comedy/fantasy with dramatic moments, etc. They both do what they’re trying to do really well.
@Kelly – there are many wonderful American TV Series, such as Parenthood, Friday Night Lights, Breaking Bad, etc. On the other side, I’ve seen many boring and artificially looking European series, so it’s unfair to generalize.
actually, the majority of TV I watch are British shows. they are far superior to US television. So it’s not a “cultural thing”. (the fades, for example, was a great show for the first 6 episodes. IT Crowd will always be my favourite. Toast of London, Fresh Meat, Chickens, Inbetweeners, are just a few we love. It’s the attention to every detail in every episode that the British do so well)
Johnny Lee Miller out acts BC. Lucy Liu out acts whomever the Hobbit guy is in Sherlock.
Moriarty is more interesting, more developed in Elementary. Huge twist with her identity, and it works. she is a great actress.
Mycroft is excellent in Elementary, his character human and believable.
The whole history for Elementary, how they brought Watson and Sherlock together and how they are equals, works so much better than the stumbling Watson in Sherlock. That man is a doctor? he can hardly get a sentence out. and the very worst of it all was his line “battle stations”. I can only hope it gets better.
we enjoyed season 2 (sherlock), but I think now we liked Moriarty- he stole the show.
so while the weekly episodes may sometimes be more simplistic, the over all cast, the reoccurring themes and plots are far superior to those of Sherlock.
I quickly grew weary of BC’s over acting in every scene. It’s not just Sherlock, he was the weak link for me in Star Trek as well (actually, his acting is weak so much he plays the same character almost- talk fast, act arrogant)
I thought of more to say lol!
@Kelly
You didn’t think the plot of episode 2 was predictable?
there was nothing unique in it at all. It was a lot of fumbling around for words by watson, followed by the worst line ever in TV – “battle stations”- followed by a lot of theatrics by Sherlock that were just embarrassing to watch, and a lot of visual effects (like the entire scene where he tried to narrow down the target).
without giving anything away, it was boring as hell. a showcase for BC to walk about and talk quickly. entirely predictable, and yes, boring.
at least with Elementary, the episodes that are boring are well acted. Johnny is fantastic, and Watson has a backbone, a personality, and a reason for being there- not as fodder for Sherlock.
I can only hope the season gets better.
Okay, so it’s clearly a personal taste thing, not a cultural thing, lol, lets just agree to disagree.
See I honestly didn’t find JL Miller intriguing or brilliant in any way. True, I admit I’ve only seen the first two episodes of Elementary and then I gave up, it was too boring to me. So maybe the show got really good later on and I haven’t gotten to the great parts. But the tormented, silent misunderstood Miller there wasn’t doing anything for me.
And Liu is beautiful and nice, but sorry, not a particularly good actress to me. Don’t be offended, I just can’t see what you see. And likewise, I think BC does a fantastic job as Sherlock, I prefer his snarky, witty, cold, over-the-top version. Miller seemed like a PTSD alcoholic emo to me.
And Freeman is actually the best actor on the show, to me his facial expressions and his subtle reactions are wonderful, he really doesn’t get enough credit.
To each his own I guess.
I’ve grown to really like Elementary; the first half of the first series was poor, but it’s really hit its stride now and the sometime addition of Rhys Ifans I think really brought out the fun side of JL Miller. (I normally hate romantic side plots because they are boring plot devices, but I loved the idea of Watson and Mycroft. But that could be just because I like my Ifans nice and louche) 😳
However it is nowhere near as clever as the first two series of Sherlock. The third series is actually far more like Elementary at the moment because they are concentrating on the fun, but I can see the threads being set up for a potential hum-dinger of a final episode.
You wouldn’t think it, but Sick Boy is a very subtle actor – his Jordan Chase in “Dexter” was every bit as chilling as John Lithgow’s Trinity.
Hi I’m a long time reader (6 years) first time writer, I have to say I used to ignore stories about Ben but you got me hooked on him, thank you very much, Im now a “Cumberbitch” 🙂
I don’t believe anything from CDAN, so I’ll wait to see if this is confirmed by any sources I find even marginally reliable or if there’s behavior beyond than the trip with the model to back it up.
If it’s true, I think a bit less of him for it. I can understand the urge for privacy and think sex work should be legalized, but as it is, it’s illegal in most places and is often connected to some terrible practices. It’s far from the worst thing I’ve heard of a star doing, but I don’t exactly approve, either.
Hi Lunchie!
I am taking the whole thing with a very large grain of salt. Knowing nothing about the circumstances and not knowing for sure if it’s even true, I hesitate to pass any kind of judgment at all right now.
I’m honestly surprised that CDAN is still operating these days. I would have thought that Robert Downey Jr. nonsense would have finally sunk the site.
Benedict in his recent GQ UK interview: “[Slavery] still exists, it’s worse than ever. There are different forms of slavery, there’s debt slavery, where people are born into a situation that even though they work and earn money they’ll never get out of debt; there’s child labour, there’s child soldiers, there’s … just the f***ing thing goes on and on, you know. I mean, sex trafficking!”
Sure sounds like a man who’d spend lots of $$$ on escorts, no? It’s kind of hilarious too though, because he’s known to be frugal. But whatever rocks your boat I’d say, choose your own adventure Benedict wise. Womanizer, nerd, Sherlock light, good egg. He’s probably something else all together.
I don’t know, you can believe a discredited blind item site (CDAN) and run away with that narrative or conclude the story is simply BS.
Thank you for posting that quote…I have decided the blind item as BS
I can see him blowing 2500 (not 25000 but hey, his dough…) on a weekend getaway with a FWB but hiring an escort? Not so much. But who knows…
According to a lot of folks you should throw “alien with a Lizard face” into possibles for BC.
Seems to be a common default for people who hate him
I have fallen under the spell of this weird alien creature. He’s just so charming, and his voice….swoon.
You can watch Sherlock on this website!
http://www.couchtuner.eu/sherlock/
Not to mention that you can watch tons of other shows as well ^^
Oh and just a side note, the best player to use is vk, it usually has really good quality ^^
I wish they wouldn’t mess with Benedict’s eye color. He has amazing eyes! Don’t mess with perfection.
I agree! I think I whined about this several months ago when CB originally posted about the cover/article. I just don’t get it. He’s got green eyes, but someone just sat there in the photo-editing office and said, “Eh, I think I’ll give him BLUE eyes. Totally BLUE”? Ridiculous. Why not give him blonde hair, a mustache, and make him look 20 pounds heavier? Just do whatever the hell you feel like, editing people!! (rolls @@ eyes)
Meh. I`m for sure no fan of Benedict`s but i think lots of celebs pay for sex.