Are you kidding me?

My trip to London has come and gone...great memories!

I would love to give you a great scene by scene review of Hamlet, however, something else needs to be addressed.

Rules are put in place for a reason. It's not just for our safety, but for everyone else's enjoyment as well...especially in theatres and auditoriums.

I know, with the latest phone technology, taking selfies and pictures is an irresistible compulsion. I have been guilty of snapping them at concerts. But, it's images of me with my fellow concertgoer at Rexall Place, not an unauthorized record of the performance.

When Benedict Cumberbatch's performance run as Hamlet first started, he pleaded with fans to not use their phones while he was on stage. He mentioned how seeing the red recording lights was distracting and vexing.

At the Barbican Center, there is a plethora of signs telling us not to take photos and recordings of the performance. Ignorance cannot be used as an excuse to not following this rule.

My friend and I paid good money for our second row, center stage seats. I stayed up until six in the morning to obtain these hard to get tickets. While I am a fan of Mr. Cumberbatch, I am a bigger fan of Shakespeare.

So you can imagine my anger and annoyance when I caught the two ladies in the first row setting their iPhones to record the audio of the performance. There are ushers everywhere, telling everyone to switch off their phones, so what gives these two idiots the right to break the rules?

My friend and I immediately summoned security and they took action and warned the ladies.

As soon as they saw security focusing on other patrons, they dug into their purses and set their phones to record again.

Security was summoned again, and a manager came down to take the phones away. They tried to say that they didn't understand English but they did.

The performance started and I enjoyed every scene until intermission came along. The manager returned the phones to the ladies and warned them about recording the performance.

You would think by now that they learned their lesson.

NOPE!

As soon as the manager was out of sight, they immediately set their phones to record. Thinking nobody would notice, they hid them in their purses and tried to act natural. Little did they know that I saw everything.

I went through the whole rigamorale with security and management was called again...I hate being a shit disturber, but these ladies were making a mockery of Shakespeare and I was having none of it. It's one thing to go see the play, but to fangirl and try to record the performance, it is a slap to the face for other people who are there to enjoy Shakespeare.

What happened next really upset me. Instead of making the ladies leave for their blatant disrespect of the rules, Barbican management did nothing. I was flabbergasted. People have been kicked out of Rexall Place for much smaller infractions.

It's plain and simple...if you break the rules, there are consequences.

This rule basically went unenforced and those ladies got away with it. Total bullshit.

If they had that no recording rule in place, they should have enforced it better. Security did everything they could. Management dropped the ball.

I have no idea if Benedict and the cast were informed of the mismanagement of the recording, and I doubt they ever will. All I can say is that I am extremely disappointed in the manager who did nothing.

And to those ladies who recorded the second half, I hope you can live with hurting the man you came to see. Piracy affects everyone!

Fat Shaming

This post is a little off-topic in relation to fandoms, but I need to expose this farce for what it really is.

A YouTube comedienne, who will remain nameless in this post (because I have no patience to look up names of people who are ignorant), has recently come under fire for speaking out against overweight people. As someone who is plus size herself, I need to (pardon the pun) weigh in on this bullshit filled travesty known as "fat shaming".

Shaming someone for their body type is not only rude and disrespectful, but it also cuts to the quick and tells the person it is directed towards that they are second rate because they don't have a perfectly sculpted body. I don't shame slim people for being too skinny and I don't shame morbidly obese people for being too big. God didn't create us all to be cookie-cutter replicas.

I, myself, was a victim of fat shaming today. I wanted to get a navel piercing done today at Dragon FX Kingsway. It was my go-to place for getting my tattoos, so I decided to go there first. In the past, I had been treated with nothing but kindness and respect when I got my ink done. Today was a whole, different story.

Piercings are done on a walk-in basis only. I went to reception and requested my navel piercing. The girl who I spoke with told me that it was an "anatomical" procedure and I had to have my navel examined first. I thought, "no big deal.". I had done extensive research on the procedure and knew that my navel wouldn't pose a problem. (Yes, I looked into what could and could not be pierced. I have a deep navel with enough skin to pierce.). I naturally assumed that I would be taken into a separate room and be examined properly by a professional.

WRONG!!!

I was told to show my navel at reception, in front of other people who were waiting for their piercings. And, after a quick glance that lasted a millisecond, the kid at the counter refused to do my piercing, saying it could only be done on a "flat surface". How humiliating! It didn't help that all the other girls there were super skinny. I was mortified.

The girl I spoke with then asked me if I wanted anything else pierced. Yeah right! Even if I wanted another place pierced, I wasn't going to let them do it. I walked away, dejected.

Thing is, if they had given me an explanation and just warned me of any consequences, I would have understood and been fine with the rejection. If there were liability issues that they didn't want to deal with, that's valid too. To be given a mere glance and then be turned away because I am not slim and skinny like everyone else is different. It is fat shaming.

I know of many plus sized ladies, who are larger than I am, that have navel piercings like the one I wanted. I am well aware of any resulting consequences from such piercings and was prepared to deal with them.

The treatment at Dragon FX was terrible. There is no way that I will ever spend my money there again. They lost my business for good.

I will never sugarcoat it. I am fat...that's a fact. I'm not deluded enough to think that I can traipse around in bikinis and super-tight clothing that showcase the fat and the stretch marks resulting from pregnancy. But if I want to do something to my body, it should be my choice. So what if my body isn't perfect? It has survived things most girls don't even consider. It's survived bullying. It's gone through pregnancy and has given life to my daughter. It survives anxiety and depression to this day. And now, some snot nosed kid tells me my body isn't good enough to get a piercing and that only skinny people should get it? FUCK THAT!!!

Don't judge a book by its cover. Fat doesn't mean you can't get a piercing or a tattoo. Fat shouldn't be a limit for anyone. Love yourself and love your body for what it is.

As for me, I am not giving up. I will find a place who will do the piercing for me.

Edmonton: Fangirl central

When you think of Edmonton, you automatically remember such things as the former glory of the Oilers, the embarrassing Canada Day Riot and the British journalist who called my city "Deadmonton."

We just hosted Red Bull Crashed Ice. We host the Canadian Finals Rodeo. We have hosted the Edmonton Indy and also the Tim Horton's Brier Curling tournament.

Sadly, what celebrities and NHL players alike have discovered, is that Edmonton is chock full of puck bunnies and fangirls. Don't believe me? Ask Chris Pronger and some of the Oilers. They can't even go to the bar before being approached by fangirls.

I'm not talking about actual hockey fans who love the sport like I do. I'm talking about girls who like hockey for the cute players and the six figure salaries they earn. What has our world come to that a girl's goal in life is to have sex with an NHL player and get rich off of their work?

Much like my rants about actors and such, professional athletes are people too. They aren't always happy to sign autographs and some just want to spend time with their families in public. 

Sadly, my city is a fishbowl and decent NHL players don't last here. Granted, the Oilers have a terrible organization and make horrible decisions that cost them a chance at the Stanley Cup, but we've lost players because of fangirls. Just look up Chris Pronger's stint here and you will understand.

Now that we have been granted the first round pick and are more than likely drafting Connor McDavid, I know he won't last here because he will be mobbed everywhere he goes. He could be going to the Pint or even New Asian Village and will never be left alone.

To all the fangirls out there, how about learning something about the sport itself and enjoy it for what it is instead of latching onto a player because he is cute? If I can manage to do it, you can too. There is beauty in sports and you will only find it if you pay attention to the game.

In defense of Benedict Cumberbatch

So there is some backlash over Benedict using the word 'coloured' to describe actors of African descent in the UK.

Time to give it my two cents...and you're probably not going to like it. Well, suck it up. Someone has to defend this wonderful man and I am more than willing to bat for him. He deserves no less from me.

When you hear the name Benedict Cumberbatch, you probably associate him with Sherlock. Not his other roles. Not his work with various. charities. Not his social activism.

So what gives you the right to damn one of the most generous men in the world for an innocent slip of the tongue? He wasn't trying to be offensive! He was trying to tell the host of Tavis Smiley how hard it is for those UK actors of African descent to find decent roles.

Benedict has been known to champion equal rights, not just for those of African descent or women, but also members of the LGBT community as well. He was horrified when he found out he is a descendent of slave owners and apologized profusely. What more does the man have to do to make people stop criticizing him?

Here's a suggestion...how about instead of being offended, maybe come up with a proper title for those of African descent so that people can describe them in a manner that is politically correct?

Support Our Hiddles!!!

As you know, this blog is about the darker side of fandoms...but today, I wish to spread a little cheer.

My page, Team Hiddleston, has launched a t-shirt campaign to honor Tom Hiddleston's upcoming birthday. This is the second year we have done this and we would appreciate your support. All of the proceeds from our sale go to UNICEF UK in honor of Tom and his generosity...our gift to the man who has selflessly given so much of himself and his gigantic heart to the Earth.

As we all know, UNICEF supports children everywhere in areas of the world that need our help. Our donations turn into opportunities for education, clean water, food, and medicine. As we have seen in Tom's images from his time in Africa, our money is going to a very worthy cause.

There are regular t-shirts, long sleeved shirts and women's t-shirts available with some of Tom's many words of wisdom.

Please unite with us as Team Hiddleston and purchase a shirt! Click on the link below to get started!

http://www.teespring.com/supportourhiddles2015

*Insert name here*, You Saved My Life!

We've seen it on Facebook...we've seen it on Tumblr...we've seen it on YouTube.

There are actually people out there who credit actors, actresses and athletes for "saving" their lives. My response to that is...ummmmm how?

One fangirl, aptly named Bennysgirl (cue eye roll) said once "I am having a really tough year with family and everything...but Benedict has saved my life."

How can a single individual, famous or not, save the life of someone they've never laid eyes upon or even met?

A borderline creepy declaration, is it not? How would Benedict Cumberbatch react to that? He would more than likely be more than just a little confused and scared.

Numerous fangirls have declared to Tom Hiddleston that he has saved their lives. After saying thank you, he has modestly told them "I haven't done anything".

And, that's true...what have Tom and Benedict done besides provide entertainment to us?

I'm certain that Tom and Ben haven't gone to each and every fangirl and helped them out with anxiety or family issues. They have brightened our lives with their smiles and talent, that's for sure...but they haven't solved any of our life's problems...they have problems of their own. They can't play superhero to us.

I will admit that Benedict's kindness has touched my life recently in the form of an autograph during a dark time in my life, but I will never say that he saved my life. In gratitude of his kindness, I wrote a thank you letter to him and donated to three charities in his honour, including the ALS association.

What possesses these fangirls to say such things? Don't they live in the real world and realize that they can only change their lives themselves?

To say that a stranger who films movies has saved their lives is extremely delusional and childlike. Nothing against fantasy, but there are times when reality needs to sink in. We don't live in a world full of rainbows and unicorns. We live in a world full of pain, corruption and peril.

The only way we can end any of the negative things is to live in the now and use our brains to come up with solutions...not live in a permanent fantasy world.

So, fangirls....the next time you have a problem, how about you look into yourself and see what you can change instead of turning to your heartthrob for help and guidance?

Time to move on from Sherlock

I was on Facebook, scrolling through my news feed, when a particular post caught my eye. A Sherlock fan complained that Benedict Cumberbatch was being casted in everything. He/She was tired of not seeing him work on Sherlock.

Let me make one thing clear. There are several people who work on Sherlock who are keeping other commitments. Some work on movies and some even work on other television series. Martin Freeman was doing Fargo and the last Hobbit movie. Steven Moffat is writing episodes of Doctor Who. Benedict has been working on the Hollow Crown part II, the last Hobbit movie, and several other projects he chose to work on...including his three month stint as Hamlet later on this year.

So boohoo if Sherlock is on the back burner. That fan should be happy that Benedict is in so many projects. He doesn't just like being remembered for Sherlock. He is such a talented thespian that it would be a waste to just have him work as Sherlock Holmes.

It's about as ridiculous as Firefly fans condemning Nathan Fillion for doing Castle and other projects. They are the ones who choose to be casted in the end. It's not up to us to control what they can and cannot choose...we are just along for the ride...and we should be damn happy to be able to see all this other work.