The Year in Cumberbatch has been a mixed bag, I think. Benedict Cumberbatch began 2015 with an engagement and a baby on the way, all while he was hustling for his Oscar campaign. One year later… he’s married, he’s the father to baby boy Christopher Carlton Cumberbatch, he’s filming Doctor Strange and he completed a successful run of Hamlet. So… mostly good, although it does feel like his public image has taken a few hits. And it feels like a lot has changed for him really quickly, and he might need a moment of reflection. Which is what this “Letters to Santa” campaign was supposed to be about? Benedict took part in another event for Letters Live, in which celebrities do handwritten letters to Santa for Christmas. Benedict’s letter was… eh, it was good, I think?
Benedict Cumberbatch has claimed that Father Christmas represents ‘materialism gone mad’ as he jokingly complained that he never received the lightsaber he wanted as a boy. In the note marking national letter writing day, Cumberbatch also joked that he never did receive the Star Wars toy he asked for and promised to leave out extra port and mince pies. He also mentioned those who may be ‘hiding in buildings as bombs rain down’ in the letter, which is part of an event called Letters Live celebrating literary correspondence.
Cumberbatch, who has a one-year-old son with his wife Sophie Hunter, wrote: ‘This is what I’d like to ask you to help with. A little more time for children to be children. Stretch the moment of magic and playfulness. Distract them from the realities of a world gone mad so that they can laugh with their breath rather than sob with their tears. Especially those caring for family members, or suffering illness, hunger or poverty. Especially those hiding in buildings as bombs rain down, or being handed shaking with fear or cold into a boat to escape environmental disaster or war. Please help to light up their worlds with a moment of joy and hope.’
Speaking about adults, he said: ‘Now we get our own presents, control our own fates, take responsibility for our own actions, and live in the world we have created… so it’s not for us to turn around and plead for your help with the environment, the migrant crisis, the NHS, education, food banks, human rights, fundamentalism and wars. Though God knows we need all the help we can get with all these man-made problems and more. You are for the children. Children who need some magic in a world where the borders between innocence and responsibility, playful imagination and cold, adult obstacles are continually shrinking.’
He went on: ‘Spare a thought too for those millions who want to write to you but through illiteracy can’t. Hear their words and help to give them the time and chance to learn how to read and write so they can better their lives and escape their impoverished beginnings.’
Cumberbatch ended the letter by writing: ‘I feel a little sorry for you. And I guess I’ve done exactly what I said I wouldn’t … Asked you to help with adult problems and solve some of the greatest worries we have for our children. I promise to leave some extra port and mince pies for you!’
Other big names to have penned letters to Santa include Annie Lennox, Russell Brand, Thom Yorke and Thandie Newton.
That’s a lot to ask of Santa. I guess my thing is… who is the target audience for these letters? Will children actually read the letters, or is the audience “adults treating these letters like editorials”? If the audience is mostly children, I think the tone could be more playful and whimsical. But does Benedict do whimsy anymore? Did he ever? I don’t know, it just seems like one of the most depressing letters to Santa ever.
Meanwhile, Benedict got a little something extra for Christmas: he finally got nominated for an award for his Hamlet performance! Last week, he was nominated for a WhatsOnStage award. The event will be held on February 21.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.
I think the let children stay children longer is aimed not at children but parents and adults, and I agree with him
Exactly. I liked what he said. “Materialism gone mad” and growing up too fast are connected. I’ve heard he’s also very vocal about helping Syrian refugees, so it all seemed to tie together in terms of giving children the space to dream rather than face adult realities.
We do not really get to control our own fates, but don’t that get in the way of things.
Ssshh. Don’t wake him from his fantasy world.
Now, I’m going to walk to my nearest T station where an Orange line train will be waiting just for me and it will whisk me express to State because I control my own fate and when I control things, Charlie hasn’t cut Orange line service.
In a perfect Lord Bendy kind of world!
A train did arrive just as I did but it didn’t go express. We had to stop at Wellington for the man wearing too much cologne
All of the letters were in that vein, from Shami Chakrabarti asking if someone would save the HRA to Newton asking for more love for Mrs. Claus for gender equality.
The children suffer the sins of adults all too often.
Ehh. I know these are all really important issues that need attention and it’s great that they’re being brought up, but I just wish it had been somebody else. I know that’s bad, but had it been someone like Colin Firth or James McAvoy I’d be cheering. I suppose he just seems to take himself a bit too seriously these days.
WhatsonStage awards are nominated and voted for by the general public, not critics or peers.
As for his letter-writing skills, BC needs a good editor. Paging Sixer!
Amen to that LF. I was just thinking that we haven’t heard from Sixer for a while. I hope she and the Sixlets are hale and hearty, and that she hasn’t been flooded out. The weather in the UK has been atrocious just lately.
As for who this is aimed for? No one, it’s just a opportunity for Cumberbatch to show off and get attention like almost everything else he does.
I think it’s definitely for adults to read. And his letter is sad but 100% true.
Was he confusing Santa with God? They share some traits, sure – but their mythical responsibilities lie in different spheres. Plus one has toy making elves to help and the other fiery sword-wielding angels. May want to hit up the other guy, Ben.
He does mention in the letter how this time of year has become more about materialism (consumerism) than about anything else. Since Santa contributes to that materialism by passing out stuff like toys, he is asking that he does something different this year like change the world for the better. I mean if Santa can take out ISIS I think that is a Christmas present all of us can enjoy.
I agree with him completely.
Consumerism is the end of humanity. I like fairy tales and magical feelings but Santa adds to this whole hoarding and buying needless items mess. I mean kids have lists it’s ridiculous.
Recently for Black Friday girlfriends were ecstatic at all the deals they got and one bought 3 winter coats, because they were a steal. I was just put off that they bought stuff that they didn’t need and got caught in the hoopla.
We aren’t religious but we enjoy the holiday season as a cultural thing.
Some traditions are great some need to expire.
Well said! I don’t have children but I cringe at the forced consumerism of Christmas. Why the crap do I have to buy gifts for coworkers I barely know? Surely the food bank needs our contributions more than Sally needs another Burts Bees gift box. Holiday celebrations feel so personal to me. It’s no one’s business how my family/loved ones and I observe the season. And I will shriek next time someone confuses diversity at the mall with a “war on Christmas.”. No. as long as you are free to worship however you see fit, there is no war on your religion.
I can agree but their is nothing new in what he says and it is hardly worth reading -now Chiwetel Ejiofor discussing acting and meeting Richard Harris last night on the BFI awards was aazing
Icerose! I was just thinking about you the other day when a few of us were wondering where some of the regulars had gone off to. Hope you are well.
And I concur – more Chiwetel please! Did anyone else see his clip from his appearance on Conan when he talked about playing paintball with Fassbender and Fassbender’s father during filming Twelve Years a Slave? He’s a great storyteller, and I just want to sit and listen to him all day while I stare in adoration – erm, I mean admiration.
That was fantastic wasn’t it? I was fortunate enough to see him on stage twice and he’s a phenomenal actor. I didn’t know he was such an eloquent storyteller. Wow, just wow.
Lawd this man takes himself so terribly terribly seriously.
First I want to congratulate Benedict on his lavender marriage.
And the baby, ofcourse.
As you may have guessed, yes, they did use a surrogat and will again when they are ready for their spare.
That is all for now.
grow up
I’m sure he’s sincere and that his heart is in the right place – but he’s not a great writer, relying mostly on clichés and lists to make shallow points. It reads like something a 15-year-old suburban kid in a western country would write after realising that not all people in the world have it as good as he does.
And I can’t really see what the point of the whole “Celebrities write letters to Santa” is. Is it simply to publicize “Letters Live”? Is it somehow for charity? The article doesn’t make it clear.
As far as I can tell, it was designed to publicize the Letters Live events in 2016, for which tickets have just gone on sale. So indirectly for charity, I suppose. But that’s a stretch for me.
I thought Benedict’s letter was heartfelt and completely in line with his ongoing message. You may not agree with what he says, but I for one respect him for sticking to his message. There are too many children suffering today, there is too much consumerism associated with Christmas, I don’t know all the answers to fix thes, but don’t diss a guy for caring.
Re:Letters Live-sure I’d live to see it but working every other week in America it’s awfully hard to decide whether to come or not without a schedule. Maybe their plan is to restrict to Brits?
Speaking of Letters Live, I see we finally have a clip of one of the PuddleTom’s letters out on the interwebs.
Threadjacking continues… I see that Magnolia Picture acquired the US distribution rights to High Rise. No release date confirmed yet.
Miss Jupitero will be so happy!
Letters Live squeals with happiness.
And America gets High Rise 😀
I agree and as far as I can tell it’s a plug for selling a show (Letters Live), anyway.
What a surprise. Not.
Consumerism at Christmas is depressing but lectures from public figures do not make it less so.
Benedict, Benedict, always a little boy trapped in a man’s body.
It’s Christmas, have another eggnog, have another cigarette,
get wrapped in warm blankets surrounded by family and friends,
stop crying over your own awkward existence in the world that is too harsh for you, thinking that we don’t understand you, no, we understand you, every other adult has a little child in them too, but as adults we know when to get the child out and vice versa,
relax, it’s Christmas after all.
Don’t worry for him: he’s weeping all the way to the bank.
Hahahahah! You are right about the weeping and the bank. 🙂
Wait, is his kid a year old already? Or did they just round up? For some reason I was thinking CCC wasn’t born until April/June?
Cumber baby was born in june.
Just the Daily Fail having some fun with facts. No one rounds up a baby’s age…
Eh, he just seems like an earnest guy.
Apparently there were a whole herd of celebs that wrote letters – this article mentions more of them, along with some of the things they’ve asked for. http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/dec/07/benedict-cumberbatch-celebrity-list-writing-letters-father-christmas
All seem pretty adult-oriented and advocate for very pressing issues in the world today. Bendy gets no shade from me on that account.
But here’s my continued gripe about the half-a$$ed way Letters Live seems to run. The article mentions you can find all the letters on the website and links to it – only I’ve looked and looked on that site and can’t find the letters. Nor can I find the also-promised 2016 event schedule that the release of the letters were designed to support.
I’ll allow for the possibility that my morning caffeine has yet to kick in and I’m just being dim, but if you were going to all this trouble to publicize something – shouldn’t you make sure it’s quick and easy for the people responding to the publicity to find info on what it is being publicized? Sheesh.
He is probably trying to prove how influential he is as he was not included in a “most influential list” this and thought influencing children would be easier than adults.
MInd you some of his fans still believe that he is the greatest actor in the UK judging from some of their comments.
It was for Letters Live, which he’s been involved in for years now. A bunch of celebs did one, and these are aimed at adults…
consumerism at Christmas, and the rest of the year for that matter, has gone insane.
Benedict gets paids $$$$$$ to model luxury consumer brands, Royals get paid to cut ribbons and still dress Prince George in £300 cardigans, and Tamara Eccleston, does what? turns her house into a grotto for her daughter. Then there are us, and this time a year we spend £££££££ under pressure to give our loved ones what do they want? big big presents, and we forget our financial limits and what’s important. We are so scared of disappointed kids or friends/lovers faces. We forget a hand made card with a message goes along way, than a Hallmark printed thing that costs £5 for a small card with glitter on.
We spend millions on chocolate only to find Cadbury;s american owners make Starbucks look like generous when it comes to paying tax back to the UK. Shameful.
but, lets eat eat eat and spend £££££££££ and then complain about consumerism and yet still feed it. and then chuck away loads of uneaten food…
We are all hypocrits on this one…
Though I hated it as a kid, I’m glad I came from a budget-conscious family, where my parents never instilled the expectation of spending a lot during the holiday season. My kids don’t get even half of what their friends get, but they have no idea how different they are in that respect. We make a conscious effort to show them how much they already have (much of which is second-hand) and how those disadvantaged can benefit from what we have by giving to toy drives etc.
We’re already teaching them that Black Friday is White Friday or Fresh Air Friday, when we get them outside for a hike in the mountains. They’d much rather be there than in a crowded mall anyway.
And as you said P’enny, a handwritten note or gift means so much to a lot of people who feel they already have enough.
I think he needs to lighten up, but this is his “I’m a new father” phase, so we can expect more of the same.
However, next year he will go on his Doctor Strange promotional tour, so this phase will end and super nerdy batch will return.
Such fun!
Wow, a Bendy post with less than 50 comments?? That’s Strange.
Bluntly from me, It’s gotten too over-the-top negative and wanky here for me on his posts sometimes, and I suspect that’s true for others.
It hasn’t be so for a looong time. There’s a lot more snark in other threads. I think people have simply lost interest.
Too snarky for me too. Here and on many other threads,
And it is pointless. People come here to criticize that or other celebrity . it makes them feel good about themselves, but it is pointless. It changes nothing. Other than hurting some fans feelings. Overall, the end result is negative.
And what is more, people congratulate each other on being snarky like it is some kind of an achievement.
Still Bendy’s fan but won’t be posting here anymore.
It’s not really snark anymore, hermia. There’s playful poking and then there’s just plain nastiness, and it’s become more of the latter. Fair but not my cup of tea nor does it lend itself to discussions.
Seeing the same people who dislike him post repeatedly in his threads also just got old and now seems a little weird.
Have you ever been on other threads on CB? The cruel things people say about other actors/people are way worse of what you can find on BC’s threads now.
Maybe some time ago it was quite bad, but now it’s mostly banter.
I genuinely think many people are just not into BC anymore.
They have moved on, so to speak. 🙂 🙂
hermia tbh cb doesn’t accurately represent general public interest for anything going by the posts that get the most comments lol. it’s a lot like tumblr that way.
id say people here are less interested but that’s more a win than a loss–not being mean, just he’s hit that point where his audience needs to get out of this fandomish sphere
but also yes wank is tiring and i don’t get the people with the obsessions either, kt
I think when Doctor Strange comes out, there’ll be more interest. Right now he’s filming. There’s not much to talk about.
Well it’s easy to tell people to stop being materialistic and do more for the world when one lives in an expensive home(s) wearing designer clothes and married to someone with expensive taste. He does not walk the walk. All he does is talk.