Most of the Richard Armitage fans I know have a nagging ambition to spread the RA-love
to as many people as possible. (With that much talent to enjoy, it's the proper thing to do, right?)
to as many people as possible. (With that much talent to enjoy, it's the proper thing to do, right?)
I just discovered, and am happy to report, that I've successfully ignited an RA fan flame!
My sister-in-law (the one I mentioned HERE) watched "North & South" with me last summer.
(She likes period films and I knew it would be her cup of tea.) Of course, she enjoyed it.
(She likes period films and I knew it would be her cup of tea.) Of course, she enjoyed it.
The next day she returned to Arizona and that's the last we spoke of it.
Everyone needs a little Thornton in their lives.
Fast forward to the present: she and her family have just arrived in town for the week.
The first thing she said to me was, "Guess what? I bought North & South a few months ago!"
and then talked about how she has watched it multiple times and loves John Thornton.
I was surprised and must admit, a tad jealous knowing that she owned the dvd before me!
(My copy won't be delivered until next week.) That bratty attitude was soon overcome by pride...
(My copy won't be delivered until next week.) That bratty attitude was soon overcome by pride...
my very first RA convert! Next targets: my two sisters. It shall be a New Years resolution!
Have you converted anyone to RA fandom?
Have you converted anyone to RA fandom?
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32 comments:
OMG Nat where do i start? Firstly most of my blog is devoted to RA for conversion purposes. I've lent my copy of N&S to about 5 different people. Only 3 of them have bothered to watch it, and loved it. The rest think it's a chick flick or P&P ripoff and won't watch past the Hales on the train!
A few days ago i met up with a friend from high school and she had been to england to tour the stately houses from the P&P adaptions. Lights went off in my head and I squeaked "Have you seen North and South??!!" and she replied "YES!!! OMG RICHARD ARMITAGE!!!" Ok i can't claim that last one but at least i'm not the only one from my year.
Like i said, it's an oestrogen fueled pyramid scheme with no payoff.
Natalie,
The only thing that is not right with your picture is that you WAITED SO LONG to buy North and South! How did that hahppen? Huh? What's going on that you had not coughed up your $25 bucks before now, or did I miss somethin' in a previous post? Which considering I'm all knowing and all seeing, I doubt.
As to this:
"...estrogen fueled pyramid scheme with no payoff."
ROFLOL!! If you don't write for a living, then something is wrong.
Yeah Nat what are we missing? (Is this the first RA gangup?)
If I'd known you were scrounging on a meagre diet of screencaps, fanvids and scratchy library copies I would have posted you one dangit. I already blew 2 copies on friends who won't even watch the proposal!
bZirk, your all seeing eyes will tell you that something is indeed wrong. : )
When I bought my N&S DVD it stayed on the shelf for several days before I watched it. LOL! I love recruiting people as I will finally have someone to talk too about RA. Everyone else thinks I'm just crazy.
HAHA... bZirk & ragtag, I was wondering when someone was going to call me out on NOT owning "North & South" when I mentioned my purchase in the last post. (I guess you assumed it was an additional copy and that I already owned several given my obsession with the movie? ha.)
The truth on why I haven't purchased it until now is... I'm a cheapskate! (I prefer "frugal.") When I have money to burn, I have a hard time spending it on myself. Good/bad habit I guess. So when I get birthday or Christmas money, I force myself NOT to save it and spend it on things I want for ME and not the family. I usually buy clothes or scented lotions... but this time, I knew part of my Christmas loot HAD to go towards finally owning the beloved "North & South."
Oh, I so understand having a hard time spending money on yourself. I usually end up spending spare money on my kids. That's why it's such a big deal for me to have bought one copy of North and South let alone two, and I dare not mention the other things I've purchased that have Richard Armitage. It might be embarrassing. ;-) Good thing I have a thick skin -- figuratively speaking.
So understanding your mindset, Nat, I think you should go ahead and buy another copy now. Oh, and they've gone down on Amazon. I keep it in my shopping cart so I get the update on its changing price.:D
This is so terrible but I bought N & S in 2007 and thought it was P & P rip-off and re-sold it!! Then earlier this year I was watching vids on Youtube and this amazing looking man in black leather killed a young woman in white and I was hooked. I converted myself I guess you might say.
Now I have watched everything he has ever done, read N & S and re-watched it many times. I still love the sight of him striding thru the cotton filled mill better than anything except his interaction with his mother. I am addicted to watching him run, it is so graceful, almost like a dance(CATS anyone?). Really grieved that he didn't dance a Morris dance w/Marion or a waltz w/Margaret.
Sadly, I can't seem to get anyone to comment on him when I post the Youtube vids on my Fb page or even watch N & S. Everyone has to have their own RA epiphany, I suppose.
I think we are all responsible for spreading the word of this lovely actor, just hope Richard doesn't mind us doing this too much?
By the way did you know Richard Armitage is on Facebook?
It's not the REAL Richard Armitage of course(don't think so anyway!). Take a peek I dare you!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Richard-Armitage/9439869235
It's very slow here when it comes to people recognising RA. I think Spooks is going to convert people more than N&S. I've managed to convert my mum thanks to N&S and my OH likes watching him in Spooks. I'm lending Spooks 7 to members of our staff in the hope they "notice" RA. My city is one place he could visit and not be mobbed :)
Working on it. So far, I've given both my sisters N&S and am awaiting the results. One of them also quite likes Vicar of Dibley, so I'm hoping she'll be hooked soon enough. One of my best friends sort of got hooked by doing a little video about our two roleplaying characters. I did well when deciding RA would be perfect as my character, hehe. ;) She's hooked, but she's been very busy with stuff recently, so I should do my duty and make sure she's kept keen. *giggle* A fellow roleplayer said a month ago or so that "that actor" who portrays my character, isn't he the one who the Vicar of Dibley marries? I said yes indeed it is, and she said that well, he's rather good looking actually... so I sent her the lucious clip from RH 2.03 which made her rather happy. But yeah, I try to do some RA missionary work! :D
Oh, he could so visit my "city" and not be mobbed. I live in the West (U.S.), and we take seriously the idea of leaving people alone. That's why so many celebrities like to hang out around here not to mention we have a mean ski hill. :D
@Sue,
Not only have I looked before, but I think I'm a fan of that page. LOL!
@judithj1, I too love RA running as JT through the mill, I couldn't quite describe it but you hit the nail on the head, "graceful" is the right word.
Also, I thought I was the only one who loved the interactions between mother and son in N&S; since so much of the comments about N&S focus on JT and MH storyline, the mother-son thing get little to no mention from what I've seen (and when it does I notice the comments tend to put-down the mother-son relationship in some way, but I love how she is his fiercest champion)
And as much as I love RA and N&S, I have yet to purchase it myself (don't hate me people, :D )
@twinkling moon,
I don't know if I would have bought it if it had been on Netflix instant play at the time. Now that it is, I rarely watch my DVD. However, they cut a few minutes from the Netflix version. Not anything drastic, but if you're a purist, you know. :D
Oh, and I totally love the interaction between mother and son. Those are some of the best scenes in the series. Fantastic frankly.
@loribear,
Wow! I think I've "converted" maybe 4 people and two of them are my daughters.
33? 33? Really?
Wow loribear, you're my hero.
33.
Now i know i'm doing something wrong. I even managed to turn someone ANTI-RA (a rebellious sibling).
I think it's because my targets are mostly male, and I should give them the gift of N&S or RH rather than a copy i made. This seems to guilt people into watching it rather than putting it at the back of the cupboard.
Yes, I agree Ragtag! Loribear deserves an award or something for 33 converts!!
Also Ragtag, your review of North & South and page about Richard Armitage on your blog Reviewerama must have made countless numbers of people watch or rewatch the DVD! That quote is priceless and so true, and the page is a classic piece of RA inspired literature! I agree with Bzirk, you SHOULD write for a living!
@Judithj1, I feel you pain about Facebook postings of fanvids I don't get comments either! But I did have someone ask me about it in the grocery store later, so they ARE watching it!
I had my first convert just recently and it is THRILLING to be able to share my obsession with someone a bit closer to home!
But thank goodness for all you lovely ladies, and to Nat for her blog (which is how I originally found you all!)
Oh! My word verification is "blessest"! which is somewhat of how I have been feeling lately!
I also feel Judith's pain. LOL! Thankfully, I run hot and cold on Facebook. But when I'm hot, I've posted a few things about Richard Armitage, e.g., YouTube videos, my five favorite actors (where I put him in all the slots -- but different roles of course :D), etc. I've only gotten one bite, and that was from a friend who it turns out was already a "convert," and I didn't know it. What was funny is that she didn't recognize any of the pictures I had put up because I never posted any Robin Hood stuff. When she asked me "WHO is that?!" I replied with a picture from Robin Hood, and then she said, "Oh, oh, I KNOW who that is!" That's about it for sowing seeds on FB.:D
So do we need to come up with an aware for LoriBear?
Uh, I guess you all know I mean award. But just in case...
North and South did not hook me, it was the Robin Hood series and it was not just me but much of my family. I did lend my copies of Robin Hood to some guys from work and a few clients because BBC is not popular here and everyone that watched Robin Hood became addicted. I did the same with Spooks. I think I did it not so much for R.A but because the show brought me enjoyment and I wanted my friends to feel it too.
Who else is on that facebook page? I am, but don't use Fb much. Was too embarrassed to 'out' myself on it, got so many work colleagues there. But it's done now...
Aww thanks Phylly3, as much as you appreciate that blogpost i have a very small circle of influence!
This is my new years resolution: 2010 i will directly convert 10 more ppl to N&S or RH. So in 3 years i'll approach the awesomeness of loribear.
I played N&S text tag with one of my close friends i converted, but she's not as obsessed as me.
I'll text "No-one loves me but you mother" and she'll reply "Look back at me" to which i'll send "I understand you completely" or similar.
I bought my sister in law North & South for Christmas this year. She's a huge Pride & Prejudice fan, so I know she's gonna love it! Honestly, I have sort of lost track of how many people I've "forced" or "strongly encouraged" to watch N&S, and who've come away rabid RA fans... ;-)
Hey, all I had to do was show one friend the train station scene on my iPod and she was on her way to rent N&S -- she bought it a week later. I gave it to my best friend for her birthday & she called to say, "He's MINE!" I just laughed and told her to get in line.
I am loving this:
estrogen fueled pyramid scheme with no payoff
Brilliant, Ragtag!
I've had more luck with Vicar of Dibley. I've only got a couple of friends who will watch period drama, and so I can't get them to watch North and South first. I did have one friend who did this, but the others had to watch VoD first, which I also own. Didn't buy any DVDs for years except on sale at WalMart for like $5, and now I have no idea how much I've spent. I hope RA's people are listening. See! It pays to let some things remain on YouTube. :D
I would have never known who RA is if not for YT. I know I've told this story already, so I'll TRY to keep it short. But I had N&S on a shelf for months. A friend of mine, who is a period drama lover (and owns probably a couple hundred of them -- are there even that many?) loaned it to me with a few other pd films. I looked at it and went bleh. I HATE that cover for North and South. It is NOT appealing at all. At least the one I've seen. Anyway, it was Heather (aka Heathra on YT) who actually introduced me to RA. I was looking at some of her Pride and Prejudice videos, and kept seeing her North and South videos suggestion. So I clicked on one and the rest is history.
Actually, I guess I've "converted" more people than I said but nowhere near 33. Wonder how many Heather has converted. Probably ought to get paid for it. Yes, I know she doesn't do it for money, but it would be great if "they" just decided to do it. She and a couple of other people have been very intsrumental in converting Americans, and I will keep saying this until you're all sick of hearing it. :D
And no, I don't know Heather IRL. Wouldn't know her from Eve if I met her on the street. Just appreciate her stuff.
Okay, I swear I will give you all a break after post. LOL!
Joan,
I hate to show that first. That's what I saw first, and I'll never know what it was like to see that movie without knowing the ending first. But I guess if it means not watching vs. watching, then it's a good choice for sucking them in. :D
So the tip is to diversify.
Hmmm excellent...
I'll be giving friends VOD or RH-shaped presents this coming year.
@bZirk, Good to know the netflix version cut some stuff out; I just watch the video from the library, which has the commentary on it too.
And like you, bZirk, I agree that Youtube has actually given a bump to RA's career. I had never heard of him until I did a search for period dramas and North and South popped up. I watched the whole movie on Youtube, then searched for other RA stuff, and discovered they were already on season 3 of RH and now I've watched season 8 of spooks all cuz of intro to RA via Youtube.
And actually, cuz of youtube I learned of his appearance on VoD and watched that on BBCamerica over christmas.
So just goes to show that clips on Youtube actually can convert people into huge fan followings (have only managed to convert my mother at this point, but hey, it's a start!)
Youtube is great! It's the only way I saw the Vicar of Dibley specials and most of the Sparkhouse episodes, as well as Coldfeet and BTS. Not to mention the awesome fanvids which are great advertisements in themselves!
Well... if we were to count Heather's recruits then we would need to give her my 33. It it wasn't for Heather, I would not have found N&S, I'm sure. I was on YouTube looking up fan vids of other Period Dramas that I found N&S. At that time Heather had the entire movie posted and the rest for me .. was history!
So it's Heather that deserves any award that might be thought to be given to me!
Truly, I bet that each of you have longer lists than you realize. Then only reason why I know of the 33, is because I have always taken the time to ask people what they thought of it. Usually I've gotten a wonderful response and so that opens the door to talk about it with them. More than a few of them have taken pleasure to tell me about others they have shown it too and if they purchased a DVD. It's actually been quite fun to see. (I have still yet to recruit someone who is as passionate about it as I am!)
Because most of the time people in my real life interactions don't talk about things like this, I usually don't get the opportunity to ask them those kinds of questions. Wish I could. LOL!
BTW, I wonder how Heather feels about her influence, which there is no telling how considerable it really is. Frankly, I'm fascinated by the new dynamics of pr and just the general dissemination of information on the web.
@bZirk-I too was wondering about the influence of Yt and thinking of all the performers that R 2 old to have had the boost that it can give one's career. As I said in my earlier post, even though I had seen N&S, it took a GoG Yt vid to reallly spark my interest in our boy. I would never have seen Sparkhouse or the VoD w/o Yt and I think that the RA vanvids show tremendous talent and imagination, technical skill and love. I can't imagine starting the days without one.
It is simply fascinating to me how
RA fans have used vids to rewrite the ending of the series, they have become Marian in a sense and made Guy "a better man." Thank God we got Meg in S3! These vids are priceless PR for him and the record companies, hopefully he has reached out and thanked them for their excellent work. I find it so annoying when an excellent vid has had to change the music because of a copywrite issue. Warner Bros is the worst.
Finally, the various images of RA that appear in the vids are fascinating as they really show how his appearance has changed over time. The following are my personal observations: the heavy 5o'clock shadow makes his face more masculine and really turns me on personally. I adore the S3 look with the long hair and eyeshadow but not when he has panda eyes which overwhelm his ice-blue irises. His lips are so beautiful and expressive, however I find his teeth way too white now and just prefer it when he just smirks or smiles closed mouth. He is very graceful and runs to excellent effect, he has an adorable bounce. The longer hair also helps to balance out his nose and hide his ears! Finally, I choose to believe they used a body double in MI-5, S8e4 when he is changing clothes, otherwise he is more of a "flirty girty" when wearing a Speedo!
@judithj1, as a dentist, gotta say I don't mind the "white" teeth, lol! And trust me, compared to what I've seen, they don't even look that white to me, crazy, isn't it?
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