Remember my New Years resolution to spread the
RA love and convert more people to Richard Armitage fandom?
RA love and convert more people to Richard Armitage fandom?
Yeah, well... that's not going as planned so far.
Experience #1:
My youngest sister Kate LOVES Pride and Prejudice (2005),
so I figured it would be a piece of cake to convince her to watch North & South.
And we all know what happens when somebody watches N&S...
And we all know what happens when somebody watches N&S...
Thornton Syndrome!!!
Where was I? Oh yeah... so Kate came over for a movie night recently. She said I could choose the movie... heh heh (evil, plotting laugh.) I thought, "Here's my chance to bring her into the fold!" However, when she saw my choice, she wrinkled her nose and said, "I don't want to watch that kind of movie right now." I was insulted... not only was she a liar-liar-pants-on-fire for not letting me pick the movie (when I'm around my siblings, I revert back to childhood), she also turned down THE BEST MOVIE EVER! Kate reassured me that she'd watch it when she had a free weekend and could see all 4 episodes. I guess I'll give her the benefit of the doubt and not disown the kid.
Experience #2:
Last summer, when I first watched Robin Hood Series 1 and 2,
I wrote about it on my personal blog- the one that all my friends and family read.
I wrote about it on my personal blog- the one that all my friends and family read.
(They mainly just want to see cute photos of my boys and read about all of their funny mischief,
but occasionally I throw a book/movie/actor review in there.) So I blogged about this new series I'd discovered, including this photo of Gisborne, telling how I thought it was entertaining, yadda-yadda.
Looking back, I could've picked a hotter picture of Gizzy, but he's still handsome in a mean-looking way. Anyway, nobody really commented about it... until this week. I received an email from a high school buddy's wife who said they just started watching this series and love it. I doubt it had anything to do with last summer's post... but I was still excited to know that there are finally people I know in "real life" who have actually seen and like Robin Hood! (Mostly everyone else ignores me when I chatter way about it.)
I immediately responded, asking who their favorite characters are, their favorite episode, etc.
Of course, I was hoping she'd say GISBORNE and we'd become BFF's and have RA-watching
get-togethers while painting our fingernails, eating junk food and giggling like school girls... but no.
Her favorite character is Much.
His favorite character is the Sheriff.
I have to admit, I love those characters too... but c'mon, people!!!
How can THIS GUY (pun intended) not be your favorite!?
He's the coolest one on the show by far.
*SIGH*
I'm so glad I have all of my blogging and forum buddies to share the RA love
when my real life peeps decide to be lame. haha. :)
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19 comments:
I swear, some people have to be dragged kicking and screaming to watch RA's works. It's only after that they feel like complete fools for resisting. I've converted a couple so far, but it wasn't easy.
I hear ya!
Why oh why is it so hard? I'm so cautious now when i lend it out, bracing myself for 'crestfallen disappointment', and 'indignantly defensive' more often than the squee.
But when you find a kindred spirit it does make up for the rest - even if it's only 1 or 2 in my case.
I think this is why i'm addicted to your blog Nat, you understand me completely.
I truly believe that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and you either see RA's beauty or you need to go to Specsavers or a shrink - haha.
I tried to convert my cousin a while back and I swear she thinks I am mad because of my worshipping but then there is no accounting for taste! Thank God for your blog and other RA sites where people with taste can come together and swoon. I don't know how many true RA fans there are out there but we can't all be wrong. I just think great - then there is more of *him* for us true followers and we can *keep* him all to ourselves!!!
Keep up the good work Nat.
Still giggling....poor Nat!
You need to come to my house for one night and put in Robin Hood. You have me cheering for Guy against my teenage niece whom is in love with Robin, then my other two nieces going on about Allan and Will. Depending on the episode my oldest niece will convert from Robin to Guy (I think to tease me). But I have backup because my two boys and my four nephews are all Guy fans.
After one night with this Robin Hood crowd you would be sick of it. I hear "I'm not being funny or anything" and "A clue; No" a hundred times a day from their reenactments. Sword fights in the yard (Guy always wins) and archery contests (Somehow Guy wins these too). No Batman or Ironman in this house...Only Guy, Robin, and Narnia!
But when it comes to North and South, those nights are best with my momma, my two best friends, or my cousin. (All R.A fans)
All of us watch Spooks but only for R.A however we do not get into Spooks like we do Robin Hood.
I have had no problem turning several co-workers and friends onto Robin Hood. (And yes some of them are men)
My best friend succumbed to Thornton Syndrome with ease, but refused to watch RH after 5 minutes. (I was several thousand miles away at the time.) BUT I have one convert, a friend at work, who comes by my desk to see what new wallpaper I have and borrows my dvds. She bought her own N&S immediately upon viewing.
Ladies:
I have not had any probs converting fans. I just show them a pic and it's pretty much,"Yeah, he's hot."
Honestly, what is NOT HOT about tall, dark, handsome and talented???
Then I show them the hightight reel, which is the "look at me" scene from N&S. And the s#2 episode 3 (guy trying on armour by candle light).
Honestly Nat, next time don't give your sis the option. Just put it on. She'll get it. :)
Funny stuff Nat!! I was seriously LOLing!!
Don't worry, you'll get your little sis hooked yet. I can't really blame her for not wanting to sit through a 4 hour mini series if she was only up for a 2 hr. movie. (Only WE know what she was missing!!) Also some epiphanies need to happen in private.
I keep trying to get my older sister hooked, and I haven't given up yet!
On a brighter note, I have hooked a friend onto Spooks! It was from some relentless posting of fanvids and links to the show on my Facebook page. Heheheh!
Lol! you are a freaking riot! (and I caught the Seinfeld reference again, with the yadda-yadda-yadda)
maybe it's best your sis watch N&S when she's in the mood, otherwise if she watches it when she doesn't want to she'll already be prejudiced against it to appreciate the beauty that is RA ;)
As for your friends who liked Much and the Sherrif, well can't really blame them. Especially for liking the Sherrif, he really does get the best lines. But don't lose hope, I don't think Guy really becomes the Gisbourne we all love until season 2 (minus the last epi of course) so there's still hope of guy conversion here, hang on Nat!
Hi Nat!
I agree with Twinkling Moon about RH, just give your friends some time.
I gave RH a try *because* of RA (I was really reluctant to at first), after a few eps I thought it was an OK show and Guy was pretty interesting, by the second half of S1 I realized how much I liked Guy and this love triangle (always expecting Marian to choose the best man). ;)
I think it would've been a really bad outcome if your friends ended up liking Bobbin :P
Natalie,
You're making me feel old with all this talk about Seinfeld. I watched all of them in first run and dare not mention how old I was at the time. LOL!
As to the vent, I guess I stopped having expectations of everyone being in raptures as I was. :D Even my own daughters have moved on to others, but then they do this every few months, so I'm not that surprised.
The only one I'm really disappointed in is my best friend. I CANNOT get her to watch North and South much less Robin Hood. Oh, she's seen pictures of Guy and thinks he is definitely hot. She just never gets around to watching the show. She has watched Vicar of Dibley with me and thought it was a scream, and she cannot believe it's the same actor who plays Guy. But that's all. She's not into period dramas and groans at the thought of watching North and South. I've told her, "Just watch the first episode to the end."
I'm afraid I can't get many people interested here. I have a few Spooks fans at work but they like RPJ. As for RH, I have a daughter who likes Robin and there is no chance of her ever coming around to liking Guy.
@bZirk, don't feel old about Seinfeld, it's a classic so it's ok no matter when you watch(ed) it!
And I completely understand the frustration about not being able to get others to join our RA love; I still think his best work was in N&S but unfortunately I am discovering that us period drama addicts are a unique breed and I can't really get anyone to watch it with me:(
I wonder what it is that we all share in common that makes RA so appealing to us. I frequently wonder useless crap like that. :D
Well ladies, I am glad I found you all for one. Being a recent convert by my sister upon visiting her in Belgium last summer. N&S was among her collection of period dramas. The irony is that I am the one who turned her on to Classic English literature and period dramas. I am still shocked that somehow I missed it when it was on PBS in the US. Since I realized i did see RA in a couple episodes of RH1 and remembered being confused about liking the bad guy...Now i feel TERRIBLE for sticking with it and am playing catch up. My kiddies love it too, my feelings about the series are ambivalent. Also starting watching Spooks totally outside my genre...but I think you get it all :))
@bZirk, you bring up a good point. I too wonder what we all have in common that draws us to the same person. Sometimes I wonder if we all met each other in real life would we be friends or are we so different and just happen to have this one thing in common that allows us to be "friends" in cyberworld?
I saw a thing on tv where there was this World of Warcraft (don't even know if that is the right name) convention where people met their online game buddies for the first time. I think that would be a bit weird, I would be stressing "what if they don't like me? what if we have nothing else in common? Does it make me a certified nutjob to even attend such a conference?" Ok, sharing my rambling thoughts, sorry about that
I just finished watching season 3 of Robin Hood.... Sir Guy is my fave of course and was the ONLY reason why I watched it. I am loyal to RA, always will be. Can't help it. Now I'm onto Spooks season 7... almost completed my RA collection on DVD
@Twinkling Moon -- We'd all like each other in the real world. I am sure of it. :))))
@bZirk -- What is THE common element that draws us all together?
Here are the characteristics we all share:
-Highly intelligent (expect for me, but the rest of u are smarty pants)
-Excellent refined taste level
-We all like a handsome guy, but want substance too
-Love of the classics & period pieces
-A tad bit obessive
-A good sense of humor
That's what I came up with!
Nat,
This might well help in spreading the RA word. I've just heard that Andrea Arnold is going to be the director of a new film (think it's a film anyway) of Olivia Hetreed's adaptation of the Emily Bronte novel Wuthering Heights. Now if there was ever a role perfect for Richard the HEATHCLIFF is it!!!!
Don't know whether they've cast the leading roles yet but we MUST put the word out for Richard surely? I know Richard seems to be going for the muscle bound macho types lately but I much prefer him in Wuthering Heights. He did after all steal the show in Sparkhouse which was based on the novel Wuthering Heights! Heathcliff is such a complicated acting role and was cruelly treated as a child and finds love with Cathy only to lose her to another man and then turns in to a cruel and sadistic man. Does this ring any bells?Hey perhaps Lucy Griffiths could play Cathy?)
Here's a link for more info: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0381757/
By the way I'm just listening to the music of N&S as I type this, lovely!
@Red Shoe Artist, I'm about five plus years late acknowledging your comment, but no matter, I wanted you to know I appreciate it. Like you, I don't feel I'm the smart one, but I surely have met some smart people in seven years of being a fan!
Again, thanks for posting that.
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