Stars I Hate

I'm no fan of Hope Solo even though I respect her talent on the soccer field, but if what she wrote about her time with Maks on Dancing With The Stars is true, he is dead to me.

Someone on Twitter posted photos of the pages in her new book where she talks about working with him and he sounds like an abusive douchebag times infinity. I know on the season she competed in they were built up by producers as butting heads, but apparently they didn't show half of what went on. He actually physically assulted her once because she couldn't get a dance step down. The problem is that when producers sided with her and asked her if she 1) wanted a new partner and 2) offered to fire Maks, she claims she didn't want to get him fired and stuck with him. Dude, she could have ripped his balls off and not even broken a sweat, but didn't want to "make a scene" so she put up with it.

I'm not sure who I'm angrier with here. Him for slapping her over a freaking dance step or her for allowing it.

Be angrier at him. She was the victim, whether or not she could have taken him. I imagine she also wanted to avoid the inevitable and sad "SHES LYING AND I KNOW BECAUSE SHES A BITCH BECAUSE OF THIS AND THIS" from his fangirls.

Yes, always the abuser, not the victim.

ETA: As a person who grew up in a home where my mother was repeatedly abused and didn't leave for a really long time, the psychological, cultural, and physical consequences of "telling" can keep ALL women silent. Heck, what have we seen in the media? Chris Brown was convicted of battery and Rihanna gets so much crap for leaving him from a huge part of the music fandom. Roman Polanski? Over and over again history and her life experiences probably taught her to be silent and take it.

I know I shouldn't be upset with her as she got crap from him because she couldn't catch on to some piece of lame choreography he'd given her, but there's a part of me that wishes more women would stand up but knows they won't simply because of the culture we live in. That's the depressing part--other girls/women (and by this I mean the fangirls outside of the situation) too caught up in the guy's physical looks and lust to get it through their skulls that no woman deserves abuse, I don't care how cute HE is. I also blame the producers for playing up her supposed "bad attitude" and thus making people believe she's a poor sport and doesn't want to learn or care about dancing.

I'm just feeling a lot of frustration today.

Him, production, and ABC for even putting her in the position to have to make that choice. I say this as someone who only heard ofHope because of the Olympics and never watched DWTS.

Even if she couldn't speak up at the moment good for her for talking about it now. Shes probably going to get a lot of shit for it (what a lovely, lovely culture we live in) and she probably knows it.

Especially since Solo already gets a lot of crap because she isn't being the "right kind" of elite athlete. She picks fights with people and always gets called on being self-aggrandizing. People would have absolutely said that she was making it up, just like they will now.

If you go to 1:26 of this video you can see Maks shoving Hope and generally behaving like an abusive asshole. If he acted that way on camera, who knows what he is capable of when the cameras aren't around? I know a lot of people dislike Hope Solo, but that doesn't mean her story isn't believable.

This interview reminded me that I can't stand Benedict Cumberbatch.

It's one thing to just be ugly, but he's so sleazy looking on top of it. He grosses me out. And then he comes off like such a douche in all his interviews.

It’s a bit frightening because I’m one of about 10 principal cast members. Plus I’m joining Brad Pitt and Michael Fassbender. I don’t mean to sound arrogant, but I feel absolutely right about being in that company.

Well, you do sound arrogant.

And then all the shade he's throwing at Elementary. You know, because apparently HIS show is the first to ever think of bringing Sherlock Holmes to the screen, so he has some kind of dibs on it, and how dare anyone else think they should be allowed access to the characters.

What do you make of the new US modern Sherlock Holmes adaptation, Elementary?

Jonny [Lee Miller] asked me if I was all right with him doing it. I said, “What are the similarities?” And he went, “Well it’s modern…” I went, “Oh.” Then he said, “Lucy Liu’s going to play Joan Watson…” And I went, “Oh.” I got hold of the pilot script just to check it out. I don’t know, we’ll see. I think there’s room for us both to coexist. I don’t feel threatened by it and I wish him the best, which is as diplomatic as I can be.

It’s a strange position to be in…

It’s very odd. I did say, “Well, I’d prefer you didn’t do it but you’ve got a kid to feed, a nice house in LA and a wife to keep in good clothes.” When you get used to a certain standard of living and they waft a pay cheque at you, what are you going to do? I think Jonny was like, “Mate, I’ve got the f*cking mountain to climb here [to reach the acclaim of Sherlock], you’ve got nothing to fear.” I wish him the best of luck, but I’m a bit cynical about why they’ve chosen to do it and why they cast him.

WTF? I could even see throwing jibes at the show, but what's with feeling "cynical" about why they chose Jonny Lee Miller? What an assy thing to say.

The part about having "a wife to keep in good clothes" is a nice touch of dickishness too.

Is he friends with Jonny? Geez, he sounds like such a total prick as if he thinks Jonny's only doing it for money and not because he's AT ALL INTERESTED in adapting the Sherlock Holmes franchise for a new generation. And yes, it's really great to say that you think it's suspicious that they chose that particular guy to play the role of Sherlock. WTF? Jonny shouldn't have asked him shit. Cumberbund has no rights to the character, for chrissakes! You don't need his advice or blessing or anything, dude!

I love Sherlock but have never gotten the crazy Cumberbatch love. It's why I have always thought the story that Brent Spiner tells about him coming up to Patrick Stewart and him eating dinner in London and asking how his life would change if he took the role in ST. Brent doesn't say it but there is just something about the story that indicates that he wouldn't have just come over to Brent and it annoyed me. I completely acknowledge that is something I inferred but that interview makes me feel I was right!

It makes me hope that Elementary is a crazy success for CBS which given the numbers involved will actually completely drawf the people who have seen Sherlock, even if it's not as good.

whatthedeuce wrote:Is he friends with Jonny? Geez, he sounds like such a total prick as if he thinks Jonny's only doing it for money and not because he's AT ALL INTERESTED in adapting the Sherlock Holmes franchise for a new generation. And yes, it's really great to say that you think it's suspicious that they chose that particular guy to play the role of Sherlock. WTF? Jonny shouldn't have asked him shit. Cumberbund has no rights to the character, for chrissakes! You don't need his advice or blessing or anything, dude!

I believe he is friends with Jonny. They just had the enormously well received run trading back and forth playing Victor and the Monster in "Frankenstein" on stage. Which is why I think BC is cynical about the choice of JLM. It *is* odd that they approached Moffat about bringing Sherlock to the US, dumped him, then crafted a "new" spin on Modern Sherlock and then cast an actor who had just spent a run playing "mirror image" to the lead of the show they dumped. I don't think Benedict is at all in the wrong here.

There needs to be a warning on the link. Cucumber's eyes are fucking terrifying on that magazine cover. I may have nightmares.

(Though I'm now VERY confident he'll be an effective villain in Star Trek!)

ETA: But I do need to thank an ONTD commenter for introducing me to "Bunnicula Cuckoonest."

they approached Moffat about bringing Sherlock to the US, dumped him, then crafted a "new" spin on Modern Sherlock and then cast an actor who had just spent a run playing "mirror image" to the lead of the show they dumped. I don't think Benedict is at all in the wrong here.

From what I read from Moffat interviews he didn't like their direction and refused, it's not like he owns Sherlock Holmes or even the notion or setting them in mordern times, so I don't find that a convincing argument. I am not denying Sherlock's success has put it on the top of the list but people have been trying to sell it for years.

The more I learn about Benedict Cumberbatch the less I like him. He seems rather entitled and... up his own backside frankly. Besides, there's nothing I hate more than privileged people whining about how tough it is being privileged. And he's certainly guilty of that.

That interview makes him sound like such an insufferable luvvie, what with 'Tom' inviting him to tea and 'Rebecca' talking him round. Uggh. I never realised how unbearable he is.

Listen, I'm in no way a Cumberbatch apologist, but when you're toiling away steadily and then nearly overnight becoming well known with websites dedicated to you and getting more high profile jobs and landing interviews where people actually read what you're saying, I can well imagine you say things that makes some people go WTF when it all goes to your head or it's overwhelming or it brings out your innate annoying git-ness.

Maybe he'll start censoring his opinions to avoid backlash in future. Either way, let him off. I'm going to continue my policy of ignoring his interviews (which I do quite a bit with most actors and actresses I like unless it's related to a specific project or in Empire magazine) and keep on watching the shows he's in.

biakbiak wrote:

they approached Moffat about bringing Sherlock to the US, dumped him, then crafted a "new" spin on Modern Sherlock and then cast an actor who had just spent a run playing "mirror image" to the lead of the show they dumped. I don't think Benedict is at all in the wrong here.

From what I read from Moffat interviews he didn't like their direction and refused, it's not like he owns Sherlock Holmes or even the notion or setting them in mordern times, so I don't find that a convincing argument. I am not denying Sherlock's success has put it on the top of the list but people have been trying to sell it for years.

I'm not saying they shouldn't have pushed forward with Elementary, I'm just saying that Cumberbatch has a point in looking askance at why they approached Jonny Lee Millier to play Sherlock and that Jonny may not have needed his blessing but was simply being respectful, given their history together.

While I do get his wondering why they selected a well know friend of his for the Elementary role, I still think saying he's only doing to keep his LA (read shallow/craven) Life/wife in good fashions is pretty shitty even if they weren't supposedly friends. But weirdly this doesn't make me hate him, he is one FANTASTIC bitch. I want to know if he is friends with GOOP.

Hopefully Gwyneth would advise him on selecting a fabulous pant.

Didn't Helena Bonham Carter do the exact same complaining about getting typecast as posh? Though if her career is anything to go by, his plan to come to the US will fix that.

blixie wrote:While I do get his wondering why they selected a well know friend of his for the Elementary role, I still think saying he's only doing to keep his LA (read shallow/craven) Life/wife in good fashions is pretty shitty even if they weren't supposedly friends. But weirdly this doesn't make me hate him, he is one FANTASTIC bitch. I want to know if he is friends with GOOP.

With Elementary, I get the side-eye. He's just saying what we all were thinking when the announcement went out.

The wife thing is a pretty shitty aside, but I womder if it was him babbling on (BENEDICT. HERE. CHEW ON THIS SOCK. TRUST ME.).

but I will say I just choked on my coffee of the image of him doing a newsletter a la GOOP. It'd be nothing but indie rock, skydiving and suits. I kind of want this. Especially if he does it in that goofy-ass rambling writing style that he did with the intro to Hound.

The wife thing is a pretty shitty aside, but I womder if it was him babbling on (BENEDICT. HERE. CHEW ON THIS SOCK. TRUST ME.).

I don't think it's serious. I read it is typically dry British humor taking a friendly jab at someone who is a friend, or at least a close professional acquaintance (even if they don't hang out on weekends, they spent months getting naked in front of each other in front of audiences - that has to build a strong bond). He's not saying, "He did it for the money", he's saying, "In the absence of any strong feelings *against* taking the role, turning down the money would be a dumb move."

The more I mull it over, the more I tend to agree with you.

But I still want a newsletter. It would be hilarious.

"I was at the recent Sigur Ros concert with a group of my friends when I turned to my friend, the actor Johny Lee Miller and said, 'So mate, is it me or is the newest Sigur Ros album not as good as Mumford and Sons?' before he could answer my other friend Jude (Law, if you don't know him) saying he thought Mumford and Sons were all right, but really, wasn't the Civil War just good for the raw beat and soulful singing? 'It's an instant way to get laid,' he told me, before puffing on his cigarette and having his latest bird stroke his beard (the beard was from Anna Karenia and it gave him a slightly mod professor look, especially when paired with that Dior beanie. The girls were going wild over him).

Where was I again? Oh yes, coffee..."

OH I REALLY WANT THIS NOW.

And I don't particularly find their choice of JLM odd at all. He has a previous relationship with CBS, is coming off a canceled series where he was lead, and has been working in tv for years now. Trying to act like they'd have no reason to hire him is just shitty. And his whole interpretation of JLM saying that he knows his show is going to suck in comparison to Sherlock? Whatever. I don't care if you think it, don't SAY it.

This has made me plan on season pass'ing Elementary though.

I like BC as an actor very much, I like Sherlock. And I agree that it's probably his rambly personality colliding with too quick fame, he's overwhelmed and doesn't yet get how to be PR savvy, that this is not a private conversation you're having, the journalists will quote you. And the cattiness about Downton, or even moaning that Elementary is only copying blond hair that his show introduced and generally doing a Paltrow, that's just amusing, they're his opinions, his colleagues he'll have to deal with, whatever.

But the ugly insinuations about JLM, his friend, and his wife are way not cool. Neither is his Helena "I'm being punished for not being trendily working-class" Bonham Carter act. That's just crappy behaviour. The rambling isn't the problem, it's the content of the ramblings that's sketchy.