4RA-7: I Am Safe

Posts from previous FanstRAvaganza years 2012 & 2011

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I am safe from my own expectations

With the safety distance of fandom between fan and idol, there is also a safety net for myself.
The fan-dream allows me to become the person I would like to be, if I were not such a complex, difficult, sensitive and diversely reacting person that I am.

In reality, I would have to cope with reactions to myself, with my efforts to prove myself, my worth, my value to others.

In fan-dream, I just can step over this preliminary and exhausting and mostly not even fulfilling experience and right get to the point of creative completion of muse and inspiration, of admiration without the connotation of weakness or the necessity to fight for a strong position in a relationship or being walked over or used as foot-rag, just because of not wanting to fight or continuously prove strength to keep up one’s position and get much needed attention.

On an emotional level, it is so healing for me, so reassuring that the world consists of more than the narrow minded fights all around.

Fandom came to me at a time where I clearly needed a positive outlook
and last and this year’s happenings in fandom strengthened my wish to focus on the positive and distance myself from destructive influences.

I am strong in the things I believe in and I fight (not against someone, but with strong effort on my side) for the things I believe in.

I no longer have the belief that I need to correct somebody, if ever I had that belief, but think only your own mind can set you free or enslave you.

Though not all and everything in the world is reachable, you won’t know if you don’t try.

For a free fandom and free space to develop and expand creativeness, for an open community allowing to try.

Signed: The radical at heart CDoart ;o)

I hope you enjoyed FanstRAvaganza 4 - which is now coming to an end.

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Posts from previous FanstRAvaganza years 2012 & 2011

4RA-6: The Distinct Advantage of RA

Posts from previous FanstRAvaganza years 2012 & 2011

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The distinct advantage of RA compared to other men

I already started to explain RA’s main attraction points in my last post.
But what set him so completely apart was something Servetus and her excruciatingly honest self- and fan-analysis alerted me to.

He was not real.

Yes, I know, he is real, and I am certainly heavily in the group suffering APM (= Armitage Protection Mode).
But to some extent he just isn’t, at least for me.

He is safe,
as he does not really come near me, know about me or can hurt me.
So my fantasy world about him is safe, I am safe and still can feel enormously inspired by what he does and how he does it.

Lately someone asked me how I would behave in a red-carpet event meeting him. My answer was ‘I wouldn’t’.
Because, if I can, I would avoid the spectacle, the frenzy, the showing and openly expressing of my feelings of admiration.
That would throw me out into something I just am not and would make me into something I would not like to be. Something I fear, as I couldn’t control it and would need only to react to a surrounding I would not like to be part of.
I am no fodder for the masses, don’t like to be used and would not like to lose my identity and only be a number and I certainly would feel that way there.
It would make it into something real, something depressingly real, something entirely un-safe.


In contrast on KRA, though showing the signatures in totals and numbers, the lovely feedback we receive shows that people all over the world come together in support of the film. A multitude of motives, aspects of interests, personalities and just absolutely wonderful supporters assemble there.
And all in support of one brilliant man, attracting all this attention.
I can’t see this variety as pure numbers and customers of fan-devotionalia, while standing around a red carpet, I would feel like a number, a space filler somehow.
Would have to be myself, my real self and would feel completely lost ;o)

The variety in fandom is the reason, why I am active part of this fandom, why I support the KingRichardArmitage initiative for the film “Richard III” and why I can’t get enough of Richard Armitage - in my safe fantasy world ;o)

Enjoy the variety and broad bandwidth of fandom in FanstRAvaganza 4 !

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Posts from previous FanstRAvaganza years 2012 & 2011

4RA-5: What Makes RA so Interesting ?

Posts from previous FanstRAvaganza years 2012 & 2011

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What makes RA so interesting as a person, not only as an actor, that I am interested in his views and answers?

Before I start with analyzing this question, I must state, that especially from men (except perhaps my father and my professor and a very limited few) I rarely got useable feedback, support or anything close to a constructive answer to a question.
Men usually were causing more problems than they solved and needed someone to repair the mess they left in their wake. You see, my opinion of men is not the best.

This was the reason, why my fandom to RA came as a complete and utter surprise to me, which I still could not entirely solve.

That I am not only interested in RA’s roles and outlook, but also his opinion, was quite clear to me right up from the start, as I did not fall for him because of his skill in a role, but because of him answering tricky interview questions.

 But what set him apart, what made me so deeply fall under his spell?

What certainly came to his advantage was that I was surfing for video instructions and completely unaware and unprepared for the power of his spell.
Unsuspecting as I had been, I fell before I even knew what had happened.
But still … - it was not his appearance, which made me a fan and gripped me without return.

It was his polite way.

That certainly set him apart from the men I knew. Only few were polite and those who were, generally wanted to trick you out of something, to give up information, do their work, play you in front of your boss/professor, etc.

So for once there was a man where I could drop my defense shield and just listen to what he had to say. And he did not need to trick somebody else out of something or to grow by grinding somebody else into the ground to have something to say, but had an opinion and backbone of his own.


I hope you now see more clearly, why I had to make these excursions in my research, why I especially want to ask RA questions, though I am notoriously curious as well, but then mostly go my own way to research till I am content ;o)
And as typical historian, as a friend of me once said: A historian believes that every problem is not entirely unique and so if encountering a problem, he goes to the next library and searches for a solution ;o)

I am still not entirely finished with my research and now will come closer to my position, why I so especially need 'phantasy RA' for my questions.

Have fun with FanstRAvaganza 4 and enjoy all the diverse posts !

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Posts from previous FanstRAvaganza years 2012 & 2011

4RA-4: Why Do I Want to Ask Questions

Posts from previous FanstRAvaganza years 2012 & 2011

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Why do I want to ask RA questions ?

• Because he played roles so excellently that I really would like to know how he made them plausible to himself to be able to make them work for his audience as well.

• Because the preparation for the roles he plays seems so complete that I would like to know what he makes of the roles and adds in explanations and background to make them work – for himself and for the audience.

When I during my studies, had access to cheap tickets, I nearly weekly went to the theatre to see productions. Often I could not make sense of what they wanted to tell me. With RA playing a role, it is easier to get the message and meaning, even really difficult, emotion racking ambiguity works with him.

• What is the difference here and there? What makes this work beyond the hints the script, set and artifacts give?

• Why does a scene even work, when RA does nothing more than let a smile shine through his eyes, while his face remains impassive (or rather needs to remain passive, because it is covered with prosthetics like in the Hobbit, where the smile intoxicated me so much that I forgot to be attentive for quite a while and now urgently need to see the Hobbit a third time to catch up on the scenes I missed two times)?

But this all still does not answer the question, why I especially would like to get the answers from RA.

• Because I think he is sensitive and thoughtful enough to have really interesting answers.

• Because he takes the time to think his answers through and not just does something to please the audience, but also himself and his high standards.

• Because he does not do it for the greatest marketing effect, though marketing for an actor necessarily must be part of it, but to be content with what he did.

As this is such a strong aspect for me in my life, this might be a point where I over-interpret RA’s previous interviews and his answers. Still his behavior in interviews is surprisingly different and refreshing.


My questions and analysis is far from finished and I will go deeper over the next few days of FanstRAvaganza 4.

Have a nice and enjoyable FanstRAvaganza 4 event !

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Posts from previous FanstRAvaganza years 2012 & 2011

4RA-3: Questions 2 about Richard III

Posts from previous FanstRAvaganza years 2012 & 2011

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No, nothing like if he killed his nephews.

If I believed King Richard III really did it, I would rather ask how or why he thought it to help his position and prestige as king, when I see it so much as an error for him from all perspectives.
I have clear doubts here that he did it, but not for being a ‘Ricardian’ (which I am not) or only wanting him to be good, but for psychological reasons.

For one, I see the king as an intelligent man and I just can’t imagine, he did not come to the same conclusion that the disappearance would hurt his position as king. He was their uncle after all, if they were legitimate or not and as such responsible for them. To lose them just is no good style for an uncle. (That reminds me of my own nephew. I think my sister would kill me in return ;o) Preferably in a very slow and extremely hurtful way.)

For another, the one with the best and strongest motive in police investigations rather rarely is the culprit, as his interests are much too obvious to allow him to act upon them. They are obvious for everyone to see and deduct the logical consequences.
This leads to the strange situation that the strongest opponents might act as the fiercest protectors, just because of this reasoning.
While not so blatantly obviously interested parties, normally the second, but often even in the third or fourth position of motive strength, feel safe enough to act upon their baser motives.

I know that is no proof, but at least shows why I doubt.

Whereas I don’t doubt, that King Richard III clearly calculated all (!) his options and was well aware of advantage and risk.
A crime executed in the head, is it still or yet a crime in itself?

NPG 148; King Richard III by Unknown artist
(Source: National Portrait Gallery)

My questions to RA now would be:

• What aspect of King Richard III especially can fascinate an actor?

• What advantage has Shakespeare’s Richard III character compared to the ‘real’ (or historically reconstructed) one?

• What can a film do to a king who is already famous? – Or should I rather say notorious?

• What influence would you as actor like to give Richard III’s wife Anne Neville over him? (As very little is known about her and her relationship to her husband, this aspect leaves quite a lot of space for interpretation.)

• Is Richard III a driven or a reacting figure? Driven by greed or acting out of necessities put upon him?

• Is Richard III personally strong or weak and why?

• What in your opinion makes Richard III act in the way he does?

• What in his background / education / upbringing / influences / … leads him to become such a different character / morally settled person compared to his older brother Edward IV?

• What kingly abilities of Edward IV does Richard III miss?

• Why does Richard III’s relationship to his eldest brother work though their large age difference and their opposite characters and approach to life and moral?

And here I really need to forcefully stop myself, otherwise we would sit here till next year’s FanstRAvaganza 5 ;o)

I very much hope you enjoy the event ! Till tomorrow, with more musings, why I just can't stop asking questions ;o)

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Posts from previous FanstRAvaganza years 2012 & 2011

4RA-2: Selection 1 of Fan-Questions

Posts from previous FanstRAvaganza years 2012 & 2011

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One thing that absolutely fascinates me about RA and his preparation for film roles is his creation of stories and biographies and background for his characters. That he has these background stories, predestines him to answer most of my questions I have for him playing certain roles, more so than the scriptwriters themselves, as they make up a story, but what interests me much more is, how he made these stories work, how to get the feeling of a plausible flesh and bone character out of their raw material.
This is the pre-condition for most of my questions and why they are directed at RA.

Today, I will start with a selection for “The Hobbit” and “Spooks”:


What I would like to ask Thorin Oakenshield: 
Though I gladly admit, "The Hobbit" is not my strong part with questions, so it was a good point to start with only a few  ;o)

• Why undertake a quest without closer research about the dangers, conditions of the way and the situation with the dragon? Why go in so unprepared and only rely on Gandalf as backup and rescue?

• Why not search for his father first?

• Why not ask Gandalf about what he knows, but only take him as a granted help?

• How does RA legitimise Thorin’s behaviour for leading his nephews into almost certain death?

• What is the misbehaviour of Thorin at the end which legitimises his loss in battle / in his honour and consequently his death? Is the loss at battle parallel to his error and misbehaviour in other areas?

• Does RA believe in this parallelism of the one who is right wins and the one who is wrong looses in a battle?

• At what time would he see that way of thinking to have been common and why does he support the continuation of such a thought system?

• What does “The Hobbit” has to tell youths and adults today and what does he think Tolkien wanted to achieve with portraying such an ancient believe system?

• The Hobbit does not reward effort, but for every success a lot of magic and outsider's influence is needed, not only one’s own abilities, work and effort. This is rather a fate-belief than based on the own ability to change the destiny. How can this inspire young people to become strong and hard working, upright people?

• Why is Bilbo the hero, while he steals and betrays his friends? Are those the elements Tolkien wanted to show his children as the right behaviour in the world?

• Why is it necessary for Bilbo to support Thorin’s enemies, when Thorin is completely aware of the loss the city endured because of the dragon and wants to recompense them? What gain does this turn of the story give to the audience?

• Why does it need to be half the bounty, which has been accumulated for generations by the dwarves, when the other recipients did nothing either to help fight the dragon nor to accumulate the wealth? Should that tell us that force and not hard work gets the easier reward? (If we see our banking crisis, I don’t think children need a further example in that regard to get the idea that hard work is not popular.)

• Why do the dwarves not deserve their own hoard after their long exile, but are seen as greedy that they want their home back and revenge because nobody helped them in their legitimate fight or during their exile?

• Why can Tolkien and his event driven writing style especially fascinate boys?

What I would like to ask RA in his roles as Lucas North:


One of my main characters and roles of RA I would like to grill without end, is Lucas North, rather less John Bateman, whom I just ignore somehow, but would rather accept more in a form like Al Delarmy, as he at least would have some kind of motive or answers. John Bateman for me just seems to be an empty shell not worth asking anything at all.

Already from the series 7 and 8 I have enough unanswered questions for Lucas North, but series 9 just hit it all off by not answering a single one, but just opening up a wagon load of new ones.

So here only a small selection of questions still burning inside me through all my re-watching of “Spooks”:

• What did Lucas North do in China? Where did he get his artefacts in his flat/ apartment?

• How long did he stay there? How well does he speak the language and which dialect and when did he have time to learn it?

• What languages does he speak and when did he learn them?

• What did he study at university?

• When did he meet Maya Lahan?

• What crime did he commit to only be imprisoned for 1 year back then when causing the separation with Maya Lahan?

• Whom did he offend to seem to feel the need to protect Maya Lahan, but who seemed not interested enough in him to track his departure?

• Why did the Russians not train him and give him a technical update before coming back as double agent?

• Why does Harry Pierce have such a strained relationship to Lucas North? Why can’t he openly ask Lucas North a single question? Why is all their dialogue overshadowed by a load of different intentions, but not once a straight forward talk between two equals wanting to know the other’s answer?

• How does Lucas North interpret the Ancient of the Days by William Blake?

• When did Lucas North learn Greek and Latin? What education did he have?

• How could Lucas North get the tattoos, when he was kept in isolation in the Russian prison?

• What did the other Russian prisoners, who did the tattoos on his body, tell him about Russia, their reasons to be imprisoned, the state of the world outside of the prison, about the prison guards, the prison conditions, etc.?

• Whom did Lucas North befriend in the Russian prison?

• What did Lucas North do during his active time at MI5 before his imprisonment in Russia?

• How does Lucas North react to the application of conspiracy theories? Can he fight them entirely himself? If not, which one’s does he favour / fall into, which one’s is he able to discard? How does he see their working mechanisms? What does he think about global groups like the freemasons, the French atheist sector of the freemasons, the real equivalent to the Bendorf group in Spooks, the clubs, circles and associations with an abundance of secrecy and an accumulation of too much time and money?

• What are Lucas Norths’s goals in life? (For me, he does not clearly have any in Spooks, not in the series 7 + 8, nor in series 9.) Maya Lahan here is no goal – as she comes in so late and because she seems rather a method than a goal to me.

You see, Lucas North would have no silent second around me, as this is only a small selection.
And I must say, Harry Pierce really did a bad job interrogating him and getting out no real information.

Now I obviously did ask too many questions ;o)
Source: RichardArmitageNet.com

Tomorrow, I will go over to King Richard III and afterwards more to analyse my approach than adding further unanswered / unanswerable questions.

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Posts from previous FanstRAvaganza years 2012 & 2011

4RA-1: Fan & Fan-Questions

Posts from previous FanstRAvaganza years 2012 & 2011

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Some time ago, I came up with the idea to collect questions (while I already have a bulk of them regarding “Spooks”).
But why do I want to ask Richard Armitage questions and would like to know the answers, when I don’t bother with asking other men?

Before I start deeper in my journey of discovery into this question, I must add that this all for me is a very (extremely strong !) hypothetical question, because I don’t believe that I will ever ask the questions for real and I am not even sure that I want to ask Richard Armitage those questions!


Have I confused you enough by now?   
Yes? 

Fine, then we can start with my further discovery into this question during this following FanstRAvaganza week.


For me, it is something different to ask a ‘professional’ question about King Richard III, as I did just now via the digital distance of Twitter

@thehobbitmovie #AskThorin How did role of Thorin prepare for #RichardIII and what plans does #RichardArmitage have concerning this film?
— Chris Doart (@cdoart) March 5, 2013

(Though it was not answered – but did I really expect it would be?
Not really, after already hundreds of questions before and thousands after mine.
And the question per se is not answerable in 140 signs or 140 sign-bits and furthermore is not at a stage to be answered or allowed to be answered in a ‘The Hobbit’ context.)

But with those questions I enlist here in the next posts, I would rather like to hear the opinion of RA, without him needing to think about the marketing of a film or check his answers in regard of a financier. So this whole premise could only take place in a very hypothetical environment not likely to ever happen or even exist, but which can be enacted in a fictitious part of my mind.

Because the RA I ask these questions is fictional for me and so can become a version of a man I would like to talk to, while in real life those men I can talk to are really numbered and I can count them on one hand and do not even need all fingers. (As one of them already is my father, men in my acquaintance I find worth to talk to and their answers I deem something worth to get, are really few.)

How do I envision RA to answer those questions? I think the new interview in Lorraine’s Show last Wednesday (06.03.2013) with his lovely attentive and oh so ‘understanding’ attitude, came very close to my ideal of attentive listening. The attention he gives his partner in the discussion, is addictive, the understanding he expresses or seems to project (I have no idea if it is real or just a very good way to encourage the interlocutor), but it seems to work perfectly at all times and certainly has its effect on me.

Own screenshot - I know it's a bit fuzzy, but I want exactly that moment.
(Source: Lorraine's Show (06.03.2013) shared by RANet.com)

 
Still, I see this whole topic of really asking RA questions as very hypothetical, as RA would break out of the frame I gave him access to in my life and would from fictional character suddenly become real, if I really should meet him to ask those questions.

During the week, I will examine more, what that for me would mean. I hope, at the end of the week you will know more about why I fear that and so can’t imagine myself standing at a red carpet event or another event where I would meet RA in a fan-encounter.
But under this premise, I can fantasise about asking questions and in the next posts can start with a few of the questions I would like answers to.

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Posts from previous FanstRAvaganza years 2012 & 2011

Thank you !!!

FanstRAvaganza 3 was (and still is) wonderful.

I found so many interesting blogs and posts and news and information and games and polls and ...

I can't mention all the things I liked and which made this event so wonderful for me, as each post holds its own bliss and extends the wonderful RA-world for me.

I hope you enjoyed the event and took part in all its fun and enjoyment.

Servetus created a wonderful and funny Thank you post for the FanstRAvaganza event here.

bccmee created wonderful batches for FanstRAvaganza 3 participants here. Be sure to get your batch! See mine here:

Still, I want to say thank you as well and want to thank
all creative and resourceful bloggers who participated,
the KingRichardArmitage-bloggers (KRA-Index / List on the KRA-website),
the fans and community of the German Richard Armitage Board, who wonderfully took part in the event, commented and discussed, and
all the wonderful fan-sites, who make the RA-fandom a real joy, like RichardArmitageNet.com by Ali (whom I nearly always quote for picture references) and
RichardArmitageOnline.com by Annette, the inexhaustable source for Mr. Armitage's career steps and his messages. (Annette is the only one who sometimes let me fear that Mr. Armitage might not be so unaware of the online-activities around himself, as he makes us believe in interviews, because in my view this site is so very well chosen for his messages. I hope I am wrong, as it makes my blogging much easier ;o)
These two sites, though no participants of the FanstRAvaganza event, relieve me of so much research work and the necessity to search for information or check the reliability of resources, as they hold well founded material readily available, that I just needed to mention them here.

Now I was working on an appropriate way to thank you:

Big Hugs and Thank you, for being part of the RA-fandom, by reading, commenting, lurking, watching, sharing and being the wonderful friends and lovely community you are !!!

I don't link all the participating blogs in here, as they are much more handily available and the articles researchable by topic, posters, blog, etc. on the FanstRAvaganza Index page, which is also linked in under the FanstRAvaganza banners.

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Richard Armitage - Historical Interest for Men (7)

Sunday, March 18th

Last, but definitely not least!
• Freeform: Agzy shares with us her favorite Armitage paper doll
• Ana Cris examines Lucas North's tattoos through Maori tattoo culture
• Jas Rangoon premieres her new John Bateman fanvid
• In fandom, jazzbaby1 thinks RA fandom is just groovy!
• C.S. Winchester asks "naughty or nice?" in a picspam
• Mrs. E.B. Darcy thinks about Armitage's future after TH to wrap up the Hobbit chain
• Jo Ann offers the last King Richard Armitage post, on Richard III and the Tudors
• In fanfic, Maria Grazia reviews and compares works by the authors she's interviewed
• Gratiana Lovelace wraps up the event with a guest post by Melissa the Mouse!

Links to all FanstRA 3 posts appear here at the end of the event!

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Richard Armitage - Historical Interest for Men

Or: What historical interest of a man can tell a woman about him

When it comes to reading and book publications, one might get the impression, that women are especially interested in history. But what are the aspects, making history or the interest in history so very interesting for women?

In our research throughout the week, we already found out, that history is a very special combination for actors, mingles well with fantasy, all time periods do work for Mr. Armitage regarding clothing- and hair-styles, his interest for King Richard III is special, but today, we will find out, what does interest in history tell us about the man himself !

Some fans of Mr. Armitage hesitate to share his interest in King Richard III, because of ...
-  Missing interest in history (They remember boring schooldays, where they had to learn dry and boring names and dates. If they were anything like me, forgetting them after a short while ;o)
-  Missing splashyness or prestige of a historical topic
-  Minor financial backing for historical film projects
-  RA will be hidden in costume (Though he is in more costume and prosthetics now in “The Hobbit”.)

But those fans are missing out on the greater implications and secrets, this historical interest reveals to us women ;o)

Historical interest means:

Project Magazine (edited) -
Source: RANet.com

-  Attention to detail and patience (as the research to find out reliable material between all the spread propaganda and intentional misinformation is extensive. The good researcher must be willing to go on till he can be content with the results he found.)

-  Imaginative capabilities (see article FanstRAvaganza Day 2: History & Fantasy)

-  Understanding of complex connections, systems, rituals, behaviours, reasonings and motives

-  Open for intellectual challenges

-  Good with seeing the detail in complex contexts

-  Not too great or self-important, to let only the present rule; so needs to be openminded

-  Interested in different attitudes, approaches to life, systems to explain life and the world in general

Project Magazine (edited) -
Source: RichardArmitageNet.com

-  Interested in the great system and the reasons behind our presence. For example, where and why did society evolve in a certain way, why did mankind come to the dead end it is right now, what traditions lie behind certain behaviourisms, how did the legal system come to be the way it is, why do we have certain rules of politeness or a definitive feeling for what is adequate, ...

-  Good memory, to keep track of all complex and connected facts and diverse motives and influences. (Can well be used to remember birthdays and anniversaries and so of good use to keep a partner happy ;o)

- Well organized, as what a historian can't remember, he must be able to easily find again.  (or again patience, as what he does not find he has to search for ;o)

- It also is a sign that this man can stay quiet, do research or think and come up with the right answer at the right time, instead of trying to generally fight down other opinions, because he wants to dominate or feels cornered and wants to prove his superiority.

- He is an interesting partner in a discussion, because he has to tell something. His knowledge is based on his research and reading. Though I must admit, in my experience, I had to draw the dialogue out of their noses, as they tend to be quite shy and thoughtful persons and open up slowly, as they don't want to offend or bother someone who is uninterested in their topic.

Project Magazine (edited) -
Source: RichardArmitageNet.com

As a final result, historical interest in men is a sign of character-strength, which shows that this person is interested in more than his own self. (In my experience really a major advantage and sure sign of historians or historically interested men, compared to 'ordinary men' ;o)

So watch out and if you don't already have one, search for a good historian or historically interested man like Mr. Armitage ;o)  [Be careful to evade the 'blenders' who only have one topic they repeat time over time again, as a kind of chat-up line.]


<<  FanstRAvaganza now came to an ending. I hope you have enjoyed the journey through history and had or still have plenty of opportunity to enjoy the wonderful articles of this year's FanstRAvaganza, collected here at the FanstRAvaganza-Index-Page. >>

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I don't need to mention who made this wonderful banner and you will know anyway ;o)

Richard Armitage & Richard III (6)

Saturday, March 17th

It's almost over, oh noes!
• In fandom, Phylly3 celebrates her second blogiversary!
• In the Hobbit chain, Antonia Romera compares trailers for An Unexpected Journey in three languages
• In fanfic, Jo Ann finishes her story
• fedoralady traces the evolution of her "sloth fic" series
• In freeform, Gratiana Lovelace rescreens her Armitage birthday vid
• Fabo casts Armitage in Hollywood musical remakes
• C.S. Winchester takes on Armitage in period costumes from N&S and Miss Marie Lloyd

Links to all FanstRA 3 posts appear here at the end of each day.

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King Richard Armitage - Tagged Post

Previous posts in the KRA-Taged line:

• Maria Grazia (Fly High!) - Richard III in Movies or why we want a new King Richard

• IngeD3 (Crispin's Eclipse) - Richard III a Biography

• Fabo Laktuko (White Rose Writings) - If Richard Armitage is Richard III, who should play Anne Neville?

• Servetus (Me+Richard) - Lectures about King Richard III

• Fitzg @Confessions (Judiang) - A Butt of Malmsey

Tomorrow will follow: March 18th, 2012: Jo Ann (Cerridwen Speaks)

To visit the complete Link-List of the FanstRAvaganza-KRA-posts, go to the: FanstRAvaganza - KRA-Index page

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Why King Richard III is such a worthy topic for our time

King Richard III lived at a very important time break, not only between the so called 'Middle Ages' and 'Modernity', but a break in many more aspects.
The New World was not discovered yet, though a very adventurous time was, where such discoveries were made possible by fast and monumentuous changes in 'technology', medicine, hygiene, navigation, wood work, discoveries regarding the human body, astronomy, and lots of scientific areas more.

But King Richard III is interesting in many more ways than for living at a 'timebreak'. In all this change and time of crisis, he also was a 'moral' king, who might be an example for our times in some way.

Far from getting into any kind of political debate here, one thing of our time is quite undisputed:

Those in power and those who can, use their power for their own gain,
not the well being of their employees, customers or subjects.

Only few are the proving exception to this rule.

I made a sport of it to ask people around me, whom (either in politics or a powerful position in the industry) they still trust.

…

After a long pause, the best I could get as answer was:

“XY is not as bad as the rest.”

Is that good? – Not really.

But now to my real topic and why I admire King Richard III and Richard Armitage for his interest in this very special king:

King Richard in my opinion still holds an important message for our present time.
The first thing he did, when he became king, was to call all judges to him (on the first day as King of England! – No time to celebrate, but right down to business and to what was important to him).

He emphasized the importance he put on unbiased and just judgments, not to be influenced by position, rank, connections or money.
The weight he put on a well balanced judgment was so great, that he acted with lenience towards his own enemies and the conspirators against him. He even was accused of being too mild by his contemporaries. Later researchers often saw his lenience as quite a major contribution to prepare his own downfall, as it did not prevent his enemies from further conspiring against him.

A clear decision in his own favour, a strict action like executions of all involved in a conspiracy, could have prevented much of the later happenings, but it would also have made King Richard III an ordinary king and leader, one of those we have too many anyway.
As it is, King Richard III should be remembered not as the ‘Hunchbacked king’, but as “The just and good King Richard III”.


Reading recommendation:
Jeremy Potter: Good King Richard? An Account of Richard III and His Reputation, London 1983


<<  Tomorrow, the historical debate about Mr. Armitage and history as well as FanstRAvaganza 3 as a whole come to an end here on this blog with results, what historical interest can tell us about the man himself.  >>

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Richard Armitage & Historical Hairstyle (5)

Friday, March 16th

Friday F3!
In the Hobbit chain, Mrs. E.B. Darcy projects what our hero may do in TH: There and Back Again
• Ana Cris discusses a Maori ceremony Mr. Armitage witnessed in New Zealand's mountains
• In King Richard Armitage, fitzg guestposts at judiang's on non-Richard roles for Armitage in a Richard III project
• In fanfic, Jas Rangoon continues  her modern N&S fic
• Maria Grazia presents an interview with Cat Winchester and giveaway of her book, Northern Light
• In freeform, fedoralady asks about our dream Armitage-narrated audiobooks
• John Thornton wonders if anyone else could play him
• Agzy discusses Heinz Kruger's sartorial choices -- and what's underneath them!
• In fandom, jazzbaby1 maps Armitage in the Tommyverse

Links to all FanstRA 3 posts appear here at the end of each day.

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Richard Armitage - Historical Hairstyle

In Search of a Hairstyle for King Richard III

In yesterday's post, we saw, that Mr. Armitage has the admirable ability to make all costumes and all time settings work for him. He looks fascinating as Roman Soldier, intriguing as a gangster from Chicago of the 1920th and admirably free-spirited as a road-gang leader of the mid 20th century.
That he can make a King Richard III work for us on screen, I have no doubt at all.
But, while engaging in activities for KingRichardArmitage, I met various opinions regarding Mr. Armitage playing a historical figure of the late 15th century.
Some complained, the 15th century had such awful hairstyles. Can't he play someone more attractive?
I only could shake my head and think: Really, how could you doubt that Mr. Armitage would make that work, that he would look attractive in whatever he wore or whatever hairstyle they put upon him. (Sidenote: He even makes a 'hairy dwarf' look good ;o)


How could one not like Richard Armitage with long hair after seeing such pictures?

"Robin Hood", ep. III.5 - Source: RichardArmitageNet.com

What better proof  could there be than longhaired Sir Guy of Gisborne?

So I think I need not prove that Mr. Armitage can indeed make the Renaissance hairstyle work for him, but rather must show you the comparison and similarity of the hairstyles:

Source: Cardiff Church window by Leo Reynolds

Source: RichardArmitageNet.com (edited)

The hairstyle already looks very similar. Add the right cap or a crown, and King Richard is ready to go.


Though I like Mr. Armitage with beard:

Source: RichardArmitageNet.com (edited)

I also find him quite adorable without one.

And I am quite sure that at least the anti-beard fraction of fans will agree, that Mr. Armitage without a beard is quite a sight.

Source: armitage-online.ucoz.ru

Source: RichardArmitageNet.com

The sideburns (Koteletten) Mr. Armitage mostly wears, (visibly in the right picture and especially pronounced in his role in "North & South") in my continental view clearly declare him to be a British man ;o)
My grandfather called them something like 'hearing stoppers'. I think I already mentioned once here on the blog, that my grandfather could make fun of everything and brought a smile to every face ;o)



Beard Excursion:
King Richard III is said to have been clean shaven, so no Thorin-look possible or one like the late photo shoots with Mr. Armitage.
To be well groomed was the expression of a well versed man in society. To control one’s body was a sign to show that one could rule the surrounding world as well, when one was in control of oneself.
A very distant idea, when one considers our 'flower-power' era. Our more recent attention to well groom one’s body, first the womans body, legs, arms, eyebrows, etc, ;o) – I won’t go into any more detail – does result from an entirely different motivation:
Here the wish to appear younger is the leading motive, which is associated with less and more controlled growth of hair on the body.
So you see, by far not as honorable motives as in the late 15th century.

Source. Wikimedia.org

To continue the discussion of yesterday with the historical costumes, to fill the time gaps in his historic performances, I would like Mr. Armitage to play Friedrich von Schiller. But then he would have redish hair and mostly would be pressed to wear a white powdered and awfully scratchy wig. (Immediately my protection mode is activated ;o) So perhaps I should refrain from that wish and let him have his natural colour or black like in most of his roles.







Servetus just added a wish for him to play John Locke, which I would support, though here, he would be forced to wear wigs or at least powder his hair too.

Source: RichardArmitageNet.com

And the natural style, if short or long or middle or ruffled or wet ...
just pleases him very well.

Franz Liszt by Henri Lehmann (1839)-
Source: Wikimedia.org

But perhaps the artistic genius Franz Liszt, who had quite an effect on the women of his time, might be something for him? Here he would not need to change the hair colour, could bring in his musical talent, though Liszt did not play the cello, but the piano. But a similar effect on womankind is already in place.













Conclusion
So after adding different hairstyles to yesterday's different costumes, I would say, Mr. Armitage is well versed to make long, short, overflowing much, extremely short hair and different colours work. So no limit far and wide to see here, why any kind of role should be unavailable for him. (Though I would not want him to play just everything, only the roles he likes ;o)


Mr. Armitage can make every time, style and context work for him, so either historical or contemporary roles are open for him, as he makes everything a perfect experience for us viewers.


Have an enjoyable rest of the FanstRAvaganza-Week !


<<  Tomorrow follows my contribution to the KingRichardArmitage tagged blog chain about why I admire Richard Armitage for wanting to do the film about "King Richard III"  >>

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Richard Armitage & Historical Costume (4)

Thursday, March 15th

Half over, already!
• In King Richard Armitage, Servetus admits to (gasp!) stray thoughts while lecturing
• In fanfic, Margaret Hale guestposts at John Thornton's on why she loves him
• Jo Ann continues her story
• In freeform, Jas Rangoon jokes about potential reproductive partners for Mr. Armitage
• Itsjsforme reveals another Guy of Gisborne PSA (still not safe for work!)
• Gratiana Lovelace needs more help captioning "Whimsical Moments with Deadly Serious ChaRActers!"
• In fandom, IngeD3 focuses on Ricky Deeming
• Fabo confesses her Richard Armitage eyelash fetish!
• In the Hobbit, it's calories galore as Antonia Romera discusses fingerlicking at the Hobbit table
• The Queen takes on Hobbit cakes

Links to all FanstRA 3 posts appear here at the end of each day.

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Are Men Especially Attractive in Historical Costume?

Analysis on basis of Mr. Richard Armitage

This question in regard to Mr. Armitage in general is quite difficult to answer. With an attractive actor to begin with, it is hard to judge objectively. But I will try and will give you examples to judge for yourself.

The earliest historic reference we have of Mr. Armitage, is of him being a Roman soldier, around 40 BC.
(I have not seen the film, so no more exact dating or comment about the film here.)

Source: RichardArmitageNet.com (edited & combined)

 
He certainly cuts a fine figure on a horse and the Roman style is not exactly unbecoming.

Source: RichardArmiatageNet.com

Unfortunately then, Mr. Armitage takes a long break and does not appear for more than thousand years.
From the strange style of his clothing, it is a bit hard to exactly date his next appearance in time as Sir Guy of Gisborne. But I would say, something about high Middle Ages (and lots of Fantasy-land).

He perhaps traveled with the Roman invaders, as now, he is in England (that for a strange coincidence is situated in Hungary, another part of the Roman Empire) and certainly developed a liking for dark colours in his clothing.



Then again Mr. Armitage leaves us for many a hundred years, though reminiscent to his earlier appearances either jumps from the Roman Empire to the British Empire and continues his preference for black cloths. As John Thornton he continues his way north, though only slightly from his last appearance in Nottingham castle.

Mr. Armitage's next sightings are closer together and he slowly approaches our time.
Here some excerpts of his later appearances in history:

Malice Aforethought - Source: RichardArmitageNet.com

Mr. Armitage seems to develop a liking for top-hats, reminiscent to Mr. Thornton.

Mary Lloyd (around 1900 AD) - Source: RANet.com

Ordeal by Innocence (around 1910 AD) -
Source: RANet.com

Clearly not happy without a hat.

Captain America (around 1910 AD) -
Source: RANet.com

But Mr. Armitage really would make a good gangster boss in Chicago in the 1920th, though the hat is missing ...

George Gently (around 1950 AD) -
Source: RANet.com

Even after the Great Wars in the 20th century, Mr. Armitage has historic coverage of the time.
















We then already come to more contemporary roles, but as we all know those well, I will leave them out, as they do not especially classify as 'historical', at least not from our point of view as contemporaries.

But what we discovered in this overview, Mr. Armitage still has wide historical gaps to cover. So to come back to my favourite topic, a King Richard III really would fill one of the gaps nicely.

But for imagining him in such a time, we mostly must rely on (unmanipulative manipulations of) historical material.

Topic Excursion about King Richard III and Venice:
What I would rather rule out for King Richard is, that he, like William Shakespeare depicted him, was a bodily impaired king.
Though at a timebreak and at the end of our later defined time period of the "Middle Ages", still some rules of reign significant for the earlier Middle Ages dominated the thinking of the population.
King Richard III by Shakespeare is described as the hunchbacked king.
In my view, for the time of the late 15th century it is not possible for one to become king, have a hunchback and this stay unmentioned for his whole life. If that would have been the case, it would have been discussed not only in England by all his subjects, but also on the continent by all visiting diplomats and traders coming into or hearing news about the country. The topic would have spread, together with a firestorm of a debate, if an impaired king could hold the divine right to rule a country. (As impairement still in a way was recognized as God's punishment.)
Especially when even the healing ceremony is documented for King Richard III’s coronation and nobody would have believed an impaired king to have the divine healing ability, when he could not even heal himself.

It also must be mentioned, that the late 15th century was a time of spies, informal informants and a well established news system covering the whole of Europe. Among the best informed diplomats and chroniclers of the time are the Venetians, though all Italian states were well informed, to support their trade and interests.
Unfortunately, there is a reason why we have rather little knowledge about King Richard III’s time from sources in Italy, the first and mostly reliable (or at least reliable to act in their own interest and write history under that premise) chroniclers of that time. The War of the Roses brought insecurities  and something traders can’t use is insecurity, especially when each side of the rivaling parties tended to gilden their war coffers by confiscating the goods of foreign traders. Therefore, the most reliable and effective sources of the time, the Venetians with a well established state propaganda (today we would call it “well advised advertisement”) and state collected history, are mostly silent about King Richard III.
Venice was hit by anti-foreigners assaults against their property once too often during the War of the Roses and so they drew back their diplomats from England.
Unfortunately that leaves us without the best chroniclers of the time, as they only returned after King Richard III’s reign.
Though their informal sources, as a well informed town like Venice never left a potential market completely, did not mention a hunchbacked king, but rather a just king. It even is, as far as some researchers go, due to King Richard’s levelheaded reign that Venice decided to send their diplomats back. It only came to fruition after King Richard III’s death and so the Tudor dynasty passively profited from King Richard III’s good management of the state once more.
King Richard III is said to have preferred the Italian style of clothing and also admired and supported learned men from the University of Padua, which belonged to The Serenissima, the town of Venice, at that time.
Still, King Richard III also limited the power of the foreign traders, by demanding an exchange in goods, so that the foreigners could not only draw out money and gold from England, but also had to buy goods from England in return for their own goods as well. (A fair trade principle, but when we see today’s markets, it did not survive into our days.)

But now you really deserve an Italian styled 'King Richard' image:

RA as Italian Nobleman (15th century) -
Source: Catalogue by Frick Collection (edited)

As now also the 'hunchback'-topic is out of the way, I will show you some (slightly manipulated) contemporary sources for Mr. Armitage appearing as King Richard III: (Please excuse the sometimes bad picture quality. I did not have better source material available to use.)

Anne Neville - Richard III and their son -
Source: Wikimedia.org (edited)

King Richard III -
Source: Wikimedia.org

RA as Man in King Richard III's time -
Source: Dion Clayton Calthrop "Historical Costume"

As a result of today's journey through time, we found out, that Mr. Armitage fits into all periods and traveled far and wide through time. He still has some large gaps to cover, but otherwise, at least I come to the result, that he can wear and make each costume work excellently for him and his character.
Time difference is no hindrance for him, so the historical roles can come flowing in now. I would not mind at all ;o)


Please let me know your thoughts and what time period you especially would like Mr. Armitage to select.

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Doge Loredan -
Source: Wikimedia.org

And as I have talked so much about Venice today, I will also reveal a secret wish of mine to you:
I would also like Mr. Armitage to play that historic person, when King Richard III is finished, of course ;o)
(Portrait is by Giovanni Bellini of the Venetian Doge Leonardo Loredan.)
The high age this person reached, leaves Mr. Armitage quite some more time, though I am not sure how Mr. Armitage would look with the hair hiding cap of the Venetian Doges. But more regarding 'Hair' tomorrow ;o)






Have a wonderful FanstRAvaganza Week!


<<  Tomorrow I will continue this topic with adding my musings about Mr. Armitage and historic hairstyles.  >>

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