Speech Impediments and Pengwings...OH MY!!

So, it's been spread all over the world...and the internet...that Benedict Cumberbatch can't say the word "penguins" properly. It's been circulated and talked about so much that the man has a complex about it. When you see his latest appearance on the Graham Norton Show, he's afraid of saying the word because he's worried he will screw it up.

Has it ever occurred to people in the fandom that maybe it's his accent that makes it sound like "Pengwings"? 

It's one thing to say that his eloquent pronunciation of words is endearing or even adorable...but to make fun of a professional for the way he says things is cruel. It also offends those who actually do have speech impediments and other developmental disabilities.

As an individual who went to an Elementary School who had a dedicated program to those with developmental disabilities, I understand and am sensitive to their struggles. A lot of the children are a joy to hang out with and I would willingly defend them if they ever needed it.

I also grew up with a father who mispronounced a couple of words...he used to say "frashlight" instead of flashlight and "gradge" instead of garage. English was his second language.

The point I'm trying to make here is that a lot of people in the fandom don't know what they are doing when they make fun of a character or an actor because of the way they talk or the way they pronounce words.

Nobody is born perfect. We all have our own personal challenges or flaws. Above all, none of us have a right to taunt those who have more challenges than we do in life.

How would you feel if you had a stutter like King George "Bertie" VI? Would you like it if people kept making fun of you because it was a challenge for you to make a speech?

Look at Bruce Willis...he grew up with a stutter in his speech as well. Same with Julia and Eric Roberts...and Nick Fury himself, Samuel L. Jackson.

Even other famous historical figures had issues with speech. Charles Darwin, Winston Churchill, Aristotle and Isaac Newton all suffered from the same affliction.

All mentioned are highly respected individuals. Would anybody dare make fun of them?

If you think a mispronounced word is comical...then maybe you should look deeper into yourself and work on your own shortcomings and issues. You will save someone a lifetime of complexes and embarrassment.

One last caveat...all of those actors mentioned turned their stutter around and became accomplished people. Instead of focusing on others' shortcomings, you should look deeper into yourself and grow up a little.

Sharing and Reblogging: Worth It?

On Tumblr and on the fan pages of Facebook, there is a common phenomena sweeping around the masses. The hard work of the people that is posted on fan pages is being shared to personal profiles without permission. Worst of all, instead of simply saving the wanted image to a file on their desktop, any copyrighted work, such as a story...or a post with a celebratory announcement on it, is shared as well.

As an admin, I have had this happen first hand. As well as quoting Shakespeare to accentuate my posts, I also started posting "imagines", stories created on-the-spot for my viewers, who would give me a character and a scenario. It is because of these "imagines" that I did so well and interacted well with my fans.

It became apparent to me that images with my imagines attached were being shared to pages. That upset me because it was an unauthorized reproduction of my hard work. I did not give permission for them to take my imagines and they had the gall to do it anyways.

Images are a different story because you can find them all over the internet. People save images all the time and use them elsewhere.

My imagines were my personal work. None of those who shared them had any right to take them and post them to their profiles.

Eventually, I put that it was copyrighted and posted several warnings on the page to let the offenders know I was onto them and that they were not allowed to share my work. Sadly, it was all in vain as my warnings went unheeded and my work was still being saved to profiles. It was time for me to take action.

I posted a final warning, letting them know I would ban them from the fan page if they continued to steal my work. I loved writing for my fans and I didn't want to have to stop...it was my life blood. So, when the repeat offenders shared my imagines with the corresponding image to their profiles, I had each and every one of them banned from the page.

Do I regret it? HELL NO. I worked hard on the stories and I'd be damned if I wasn't going to protect my work.

So, when you decide to reblog or share something to your profile that has copyrighted material on it and no authorization to take it, ask yourself: "Is it worth the risk?". A simple right click will get you further by showing you that you can take the image without taking someone's copyrighted work.

There are many of us out there who are struggling artists and we don't want to see our hard work copied and spread without our permission. Think about our struggles the next time you want to reblog an image you like or share it to your profile.

To us, it's like taking a personal photo of us and sharing it with the world when we want our images to remain private. Perhaps you would like your personal photos shared with the rest of the world the way you have done so with our copyrighted work?

Tumblr: The Habitat of Fangirls and Fanboys

A couple of days ago, People Magazine posted a video of Benedict Cumberbatch thanking the bloggers on Tumblr for making him the most reblogged actor two years in a row. If you are one of many who have seen this video, you will notice one thing...as much as Benedict loves the support and attention of fans, he seemed very awkward...he didn't even know what to call the bloggers. That told me he knew about everything posted about him and Sherlock on Tumblr and felt VERY weirded out.

Tumblr doesn't just have offending material. It does have a few merits. Some bloggers use it for Social Activism and causes...other talented bloggers post their artwork...and some use it to warn other fans of offending behaviour.

Sadly, all of that is ruined with the blogging and subsequent reblogging of posts that are offensive to others...not just about the most popular actors and actresses...but also about our favourite characters in film and literature...

You know what I'm talking about...those Johnlock posts that would anger Arthur Conan Doyle...the shipping of Magneto and Professor X in their earlier years...those offending plot and series spoiling posts...it takes attention away from the talented and pure-of-heart bloggers who are trying to make meaningful use of this social media medium.

It's not fair for those Tumblr bloggers to be associated with the fangirls and fanboys. A lot of them aren't even part of the fandoms. They are spreading awareness of crime and turmoil in third world countries. Others are showing their support for misunderstood dissidents like Julian Assange, Edward Snowden and Chelsea Manning.

Some even use Tumblr to spread awareness of the problems of bullying...in all its shapes and forms. There are a plethora of posts that reveal the hidden pain and inner turmoil of bullying victims and Tumblr would be a great medium of a support network to help them.

Perhaps time on Tumblr would be better spent looking through the more meaningful blogs instead of reblogging useless rumors, spoilers and ships. The rest of the world will thank you.

The Misadventures of Artemis

February, 2014...I had been an admin for just a little under a month. Call me ambitious, but I wanted to organize something special in honour of Tom Hiddleston's 33rd birthday. What do you give a man who gives so much of himself to his fans and to charity? A donation in his honour.

I already knew how I was going to facilitate the donation drive...merely a few weeks prior, another fan page created t-shirts to sell to fans. The idea bulb illuminated in my subconscious and I set to work.

I first pitched my idea to the senior admins, and upon approval, put my plans into motion. Because we fans and admins were all a team to support Tom, I chose the name and simple design that would become the birth of "Team Hiddleston." (In case that name rings a bell, there is a fan group on Facebook by that name and a fan page with the same name...the fan page belongs to me and is another story that will be told later...the fan group belongs to someone else.)

http://teespring.com/TeamHiddleston (This is the URL that still shows the campaign page and the design...I alone possess the user name and password to this campaign and account.)

"Team Hiddleston" was my creation and I was solely responsible for its inception and success. I am the one who posted the advertisements and reminder of the campaign. On Tom's 33rd birthday, the campaign closed and all shirts were successfully sold. The proceeds were $150.00 and I personally sent the cheque to UNICEF UK through registered mail.

My fellow admins helped by purchasing a shirt each but contributed little to my campaign. The success of the "Team Hiddleston" t-shirt drive was solely attributed to me.

Sadly, that is the only thing I could find solace in during the subsequent weeks. My success had brought forth the green eyed monster called jealousy. One of the admins was threatened by my work and began making my life a living hell. Not only did she try to ostracize me, she managed to convince two of the other admins that I was a problem. Shakespeare was accurate when he wrote "It is the green eye'd monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on" (Iago, Othello, Act 3 Scene 3)

Oh...the Shakespeare quoting looks familiar? That was my signature way of posting. One admin tried (and failed) to emulate my style and that also contributed to my isolation from the others. I tried my hardest to make the page into one Tom himself would have been proud to associate his name with and my efforts were rewarded with trash talking, bullying and exclusion.

The admins talked trash about me behind my back and spread lies and slander about me.

I DO NOT regret anything I said in my letter to UNICEF...everything said was true. I am the leader of
Team Hiddleston. This is something I am extremely proud of and will not let three harpies try to ruin me out of jealousy.

Last I heard, the instigator said she was going to do t-shirts of her own, but like the lazy idiot she is, it never happened.

What goes around comes around. I will sit and wait for karma to bite the harpies in the arse.

I have nothing to hide...and I will gladly tell more of the truth of what happened. I will not be censored nor will I hide in the shadows anymore. Like a Phoenix, Artemis will rise again from the ashes.

Cosplay: Jealousy and Intrigue!

Cosplay has been on the rise for ages. While it used to be reserved only for Comic-Con and Anime festivals, it has now skyrocketed into a way of life for a lot of fans.

I, myself, only limit my cosplay to Halloween because I'm not confident enough to go everywhere in costume...however, I have great admiration for all cosplayers because their unique styles fascinate me and I applaud their efforts.

Unfortunately, this is also an area of the fandom where people are ostracized and bullied. Instead of celebrating each and every practitioner, fans slam some cosplayers for being too good at what they do...or slam them for not looking exactly like the character they are portraying.

A good example is Fahr Sindram, the best Loki cosplayer I have ever seen. Her work on her costumes is so frighteningly accurate that even Tom Hiddleston himself bowed down to her when he saw her in costume. Fahr also does Lolita style, and has even branched out into other characters, such as Eve from "Only Lovers Left Alive" and Jack Frost from "Rise of the Guardians". Whatever praise she receives for her costumes is well deserved and well earned.

Sadly, she had been targeted earlier on this year by a jealous fan because she had "stolen" the spotlight from her. I have never met Fahr or spoken to her personally, but I know she has a reputation for being kind and gracious to everyone she meets. She is definitely not the type of person who will go out and push someone out of the spotlight.

Above all, Fahr never asked for the kind of publicity she has received for her cosplay. She is just a practitioner who enjoys her work on her costumes. It's reflected in every character she dresses up as. So why blame her and try to shame her for being one of the best?

Jealousy runs rampant among cosplayers and it's sickening because most cosplayers dress up because they enjoy it. A lot of them don't cosplay just to get attention.

Most cosplayers just love to dress up as their favourite characters. So what if a plus size woman wants to dress up as Sailor Moon? I would commend her for being brave enough to put on the costume in the first place.

A man wants to dress up as Cinderella? So be it! A girl wants to dress up as Thor? Power to her. We were all created and evolved to be different shapes and sizes. Slimmer people shouldn't be the only ones enjoying cosplay.

Fans should be uniting together because of their favourite movies and comics, not dividing themselves out of petty jealousy. We should all be able to express ourselves any way we want to, as long as it doesn't cause harm.

Above all, we should be celebrating the uniqueness of each and every fan and cosplayer and not let jealousy get in the way. Besides, what will you gain by ridiculing someone? Nothing!

The Opposite of Respect: The International Cumberbatch Club

What is respect?

Respect is being tolerant of another person, no matter who or what they are. It's about looking beyond what is in front of you to see the real person behind the facade.

There are many fans, in all different forms. Some enjoy cosplaying their favourite characters, some show their love in artwork, and some enjoy writing fanfiction about their favourite shows. There is no right or wrong way to be a fan, as long as it is respectful and doesn't cause harm.

Sadly, fangirls and some fanboys do not adhere to this golden rule.

A lot of fans are bullied and shamed because they don't fit in. Others are ostracized because they are the object of envy due to being able to meet their favourite actor or be able to attend a sold out, limited time event.

In my experiences as an admin and a former member of the fandom, I have seen a lot of instances firsthand where one fan is ganged up on by a group. I can also attest that I have been a victim of such behaviour as well.

Out of everyone in the fan pages I was a part of, I was the highest educated and boasted a deep understanding and love for Shakespeare. While some fans thought that it made me a great admin, the rest all stuck up their noses at me because they honestly thought that I was some sort of threat or some girl who would snatch up Tom Hiddleston someday.

Then, there was the International Cumberbatch Club. Right now, it has developed a bad reputation for their exclusiveness, their desire to make money on fan memberships and their shameless bullying. I will clarify that Benedict himself will never endorse such a group because people should not have to pay money to be a fan.

I was a member of the group, as I enjoy meeting new people who share my interests. I soon realized that it was a terrible idea. I immediately didn't fit in and was the object of ridicule. "Senior" members constantly treated me like I was a dumb, obsessed teenager and I felt disrespected and more alone than before. (News flash...I just turned 30)

There was also a situation going on involving a former admin, who was ostracized and humiliated because one older member simply didn't like her due to her age. Not only was this girl mentioned and ridiculed, she was also publically humiliated when the other members saved the transcripts of their conversations with her and posted them directly onto Facebook for the world to see.

When their spinoff groups formed, (Reading with Benedict Cumberbatch, Music with Benedict Cumberbatch, Where in the world is Benedict Cumberbatch?) I began to realize that they were just disrespectful fangirls who thought Benedict would be interested in them because they professed to have the same interests as him.

All of the groups were also full of nepotism. You could only become an admin if you were friends with the clique. It didn't matter if you were a great contributor or had something to make the group even better...if you weren't friends with the popular crowd, you were ignored.

By this time, I had enough of their childish and disrespectful behaviour and abandoned all of the groups related to the International Cumberbatch Club.

I don't profess to enjoy everything that Benedict himself enjoys, however, I do have a LOT in common with him. But I am not going to ridicule other fans and try to be superior because of that fact.

Just because someone doesn't see eye to eye with someone else doesn't give them the right to ostracize and publicly humiliate others. Fan diversity is what makes us all unique and interesting. Fans should be allowed to be a fan on their own terms. They shouldn't have to worry about what others think.

So what if a lucky girl met Benedict and got to talk to him? Is that any reason to make fun of her? Or if an admin has a justified reason to delete something off the page, the one who takes offense should not take the liberty in causing harm to the other admin.

What's missing from fandoms is respect. It's like high school all over again...and it's not even the teenage fans that are guilty of the disrespect. There are grown women in their 30s and 40s who have the worst attitudes and spread the disrespect around.

Sadly, the International Cumberbatch Club was also created and run by women in their 30s. What kind of example are they setting for the younger fans? As the elders, we should be promoting the respect of others, not the disrespect.

Harassment: The Significant Others of Celebrities

It's a gross understatement when a fangirl or fanboy says that he/she is protective of his/her favourite actor/actress...in fact, it is at least borderline obsessive.

When an actor or a singer or a professional athlete has found their soulmate, we as fans should embrace it and be happy for them. It is increasingly difficult in this day and age to find that one person we were meant to be with, especially for celebrities.

Granted, there would be a lot of disappointed fans when engagement announcements are posted and circulated around the internet because it is difficult to fantasize about another person's soon-to-be spouse. There are some fangirls/fanboys who are obsessively happy about their favourite celebrity celebrating such a big milestone...but it sounds so sweet that it appears insincere.

Others take on a more frightful, insidious behaviour. Known significant others of certain actors and actresses have been harassed and are dealing with death threats. Seriously? Death threats?

In this world, what gives fans the right to attack the one person a celebrity has chosen to settle down with? Are they so deluded that they thought that there was an actual chance that they would meet and marry their obsession someday?

We as fans do not have to like the person they chose to settle down with but we have to respect the decision. There's nothing we can do about it. Although we hold a special place in a celebrity's heart as his/her loyal fans, we do not have the power to change minds and we do not have the right to dictate who a celebrity can or cannot marry.

What's worse is that fans are grouped, as a whole, into one category of fans by the media. Not every single fan is going to cry if Tom Hiddleston settles down and gets married. Not every fan died of a broken heart when Benedict Cumberbatch announced his engagement. I don't belong to that group of "Cumberb**ches" or any group for that matter. I am a solitary fan who refuses to label herself like the fangirls and fanboys do. So to say that fans like me are brokenhearted that Benedict has found someone to be with for the rest of his life is a generalized lie.

Marriage and children are facts of life. We go through it as normal human beings. Aren't celebrities human beings? Don't they deserve happiness?

Apparently some fangirls and fanboys don't agree. That's why they hack into the phones of the significant others and send death threats to them because, in their deranged world, the celebrity belongs to them...

 News flash: PEOPLE AREN'T POSSESSIONS!!!