Postcards From the Edge

As I tried to break free from the mundane mood I’ve been in lately, I took your suggestions to heart and started revisiting some of the gems that brought me here in the first place. Guylty suggested rereading the messages that Richard has written to the fan base. I’ve enjoyed their lightheartedness in the past, so it seemed like a good place to start.

 

I’ve talked about the fan messages before and how I appreciate seeing the silly side of Richard that shows up in many of them, particularly during the filming of Robin Hood and Spooks. This time around though a different angle grabbed my attention- the progression of a newly recognized actor, as he moves through the frustration of celebrity, into a more balanced individual.

 

The messages start with short, postcard type snippets of what Richard was working on at the time. it didn’t feel like promotion, but a casual and warm way of relaying what had been occupying his time. soon an undercurrent of apology ran throughout that picked up speed as the messages went along. apologies for not churning out notes of thank you and requested signed photos at a fast enough pace, apologies for the aesthetic look of characters he was portraying and the quality of programs they were part of, even an apology for his charity doodle not being up to par. I suspect some of this was due to inherent insecurity but also a result of fan reaction.

 

As time moved on correspondence, while often humorous, also seemed to reflect frustration. poking fun at the lack of timely communication with the “fan abandonment” theme, walking the fine line of what to say and what not to say by using a fictional “spokesperson”, and touching upon skepticism about the author of the messages with self-depreciation. the signatures also changed from “Richard” to the shortened “RA, with some messages not including a signature at all.

 

The messages were regulated to once a year after that, which isn’t surprising considering the filming of The Hobbit and all that entailed. the Richard that appeared in the messages that followed seemed more contemplative, and possibly wiser, as he pulled back from making himself openly available in that way. soon he switched over to Twitter, where communicating in 140 characters and photos has it’s own set of challenges.

slang is a language all it’s own

I find the earlier messages endearing in their postcard simplicity, and the later messages interesting in their contemplative depth, but the middle ones resonate with me the most. on the outside they’re humorous and creative, yet underneath they hint at struggle (I may have just described myself…). I find that comforting because it says to me that my struggles with similar issues are not a beat-yourself-up weakness. and that’s okay, because Richard has been there, done that too.

‘to delete or not to delete? that is the question!’

No matter which way you view the messages, I think we can agree that they’re special in the glimpses they provide into who Richard was before. from that first contact post in relation to the BBC North & South message board, through the ups and downs of fandom praise and disagreement, to the checking-in-with-old-friends quality over quantity.

 

I’m reminded of the end scene from the movie Field of Dreams, when the Kevin Costner character sees a younger version of his father walking across the baseball field, and remarks:

Look at him. He’s got his whole life in front of him and I’m not even a glint in his eye.

 

The messages Richard wrote to his fanbase not only give me a peek at who he was before I knew of him, but they also remind me of who I was when I first read them- a newbie with no boundaries or expectations.

“Hey, is this Heaven?” No, it’s Richard Armitage fandom.

“enjoy the typos!”

Kelly x

 

A Dying Art

Blog Introspection Challenge

6.) Which post continues to give?

The post that seems to get viewed the most on this blog concerns Richard’s messages to the fans, “My Baby Just Wrote Me a Letter”. It makes me happy that this is the one that everyone comes back to (or views for the first time) because I have a special place in my heart for those fan messages. I didn’t discover them myself until my fascination with Richard was well underway but when I viewed them for the first time, I fell…

“a huge thank you to everyone for those Birthday Greetings, however if you could either reduce the font size when you print 35 to something completely illegible, or just say early 30’s that would be great”

 

They’ve become the basis for who I think Richard is, apart from his film roles and professional life. They show a considerate, friendly man with a sense of humor that I adore. he chose to acknowledge every gift that was sent to him, making it clear how grateful he was for the support that his fans gave him.

 “I will be so ‘well read’, drunk, fat, warm and sweet smelling thanks to your generosity.”

Richard tried to mix things up a bit with playful scenarios that related to what he was filming at the moment, and his sentiments always made it seem like he was talking to a group of close friends. I may not have been around at that time but somehow I feel that I was included in the group of friends that he was writing to. My baby just wrote me a letter, and I will go back to it again and again when I want to feel close to him.

 

I have horses to ride, outlaws to capture and torture to inflict!!! 

Until next time 

Richard X

UberSuperDuper

Music & More Challenge

19.) favorite Richard Armitage message to the fans

Instead of choosing just one message (it’s so hard to pick just one!), my favorite is a series of messages. They start in the summer of 2008 when Richard was filming Robin Hood in Budapest, Hungary. He seemed to be feeling guilty for not staying in contact with the fans like he had previously. So he switched his style and started coming up with silly instances of being arrested for “fan abandonment” and having a spokesperson speak for him in his absence.The first message of this type was very short, a teaser, setting up those that would follow:

 

31st July 2008

Apparently, Richard Armitage was arrested on the streets of Budapest last night and is being held on charges of ‘fan abandonment’. He is facing a litigation and libel charges in which he used the term “Spokesperson for Mr Armitage”. The Spokesperson for Mr Armitage said “As spokeperson for Mr Armitage, I have to deny all charges. Mr Armitage refused to comment saying: “ask the Spokesperson I don’t have a brain”

With the thoughts you’ll be thinkin’ you could be another Lincoln If you only had a brain.

 

The next message, just a month later, gave more detail about the “arrest” and added some cute self-depreciating words from Mr. Armitage about his grammar:

 

5th August 2008

Apparently, in a bizarre turn of events, RA has been rearrested by the Kolbasz counter in a well know Hungarian Supermarket. He is being held on litigation and libel charges for attempting to defraud the public.

A Hungarian bystander who witnessed the arrest said, in Hungarian, “it was terrible , the poor man had armfuls of Kolbasz in various shapes and sizes and the Police just tackled him to the ground.”

RA is being held under the controversial ‘365 day Showbiz detainment bill’. He is charged with never actually writing any of the messages posted on any web site, ever.

Gagged from speaking publicly about anything, ever, and voluntarily refusing to comment, RA said:

“Its not true, I always wrote everything myself. I even put in bad grammar, spelling and inappropriate humour to appear more down to earth.” RA was dragged from his interrogation screaming that he had an English degree.

Professors of English from Oxford, have been brought in to examine the archives of said messages, in a bid to get to the bottom of RA’s claims.

“If he really is as clever as he says we’ll find out”  but an preliminary examination of the material suggests that the poor content, style and mundane subject matter, along with the grammatical errors would be impossible to fake.

I knew I should have used your instead of you’re!

Another message followed two months later, reverting back to the thank you/this is what I’ve been doing lately style, but this time from the Spokesperson, who seemed obsessed with the word “said”…

 

1st October 2008

The Spokesperson for RA would like to issue a brief message of thanks on behalf of said bloke.

A large number of gifts have been received for said blokes birthday. Said bloke would like to thank everyone who sent said gifts and is currently in the process, with the help of said blokes Mum writing thank you letters for said gifts. Unfortunately, some gifts were sent without return addresses hence this posting.

Unable to comment and refusing to speak publicly about said gifts, said bloke, said: “wow a pair of pants with a cartoon caricature of me on the rear…just what I have always wanted”

Said bloke was said to have been last seen wearing, eating, riding, and climbing all said gifts at the same time in an effort to make a public display of affection for his fans who sent them. Unfortunately two of the gifts, a donkey and a horse called Will Scarlett, who were know to be rivals, kicked off during the stunt, literally, and ran riot

through the tree sanctuary where the stunt rehearsal was taking place. Apparently Will Scarlett was last seen scoffing all the chocolate gifts, slugging a bottle of German wine and trying on aftershave  whilst the Donkey, who had managed to get tangled in the caricature underpants was having a crack at a Guy of Gisborne knitting pattern whilst listening to some quite funky tunes, and studying various novels, some of them not even in English. Said bloke who was attempting to ride both animals at the time they kicked off, sustained a rather difficult injury.

The animals have since been separated and returned to their respective homes, unharmed, somewhat inebriated but fairly well read…and well fed. Said bloke was last seen hobbling back to work.

but wasn’t that really you?

The next message switches into story mode, with a whole lot of spy references. Richard was giving a nod to his Spooks/MI-5 character:

 

16th December 2008

Following the repatriation of the Robin Hood company to blighty, the spokesperson for RA has mysteriously disappeared. However, Hungarian ‘Rendorseg’ managed to locate a hotel room which was noted as his last abode. After searching the room and forensic dusting for fingerprints  an ‘ubersuperduper unbelievably teeny tiny mini me micro film’ was located, secreted in a particle of dust which was lodged in a greasy finger print left on the rim of a pot noodle, evidence of Spokes persons seriously compromised existence. The ubersuperduper unbelievably teeny tiny mini me micro film then had to be dipped in Russian Standard Vodka for processing. Viewing the film proved to be nearly impossible but for a lucky purchase from Wollies at 50% discount of the very last “Ubersuperduper unbelievable teeny tiny mini me micro film player/clock radio with microwave and bagless vacuum attachment….it contained the following message:

“Agent A would like to wish all his contacts/agents a wonderfully joyous, peaceful and fun filled Christmas. He wanted to thank them all for their continued support this year and hopes to deliver ‘in spades’ for 2009. He is once again overwhelmed by all the generous gifts and messages and is attempting to respond a soon as is possible. He would like also to offer a toast to 2009 wishing all ‘agents’, success and happiness. In the spirit of peace and good will this message will self destruct in 3 seconds or if option B is exercised recipients will be termin…………… “

now where did I leave that ubersuperduper unbelievably teeny tiny mini me micro film?

The messages then went back to normal, after the one from August 3rd which was randomly signed by a “Spooksperson”.

did they catch that?

Richard Armitage may think he appears the serious, brooding actor, but anyone who pays attention can see he’s actually very fun!!

⭐

music question: a song by one of your top 5 favorite bands

You Are the Everything– R.E.M.

 

Here’s a scene

you’re in the back seat laying down

the windows wrap around

to the sound of the travel and the engine

All you hear is time stand still in travel

and feel such peace and absolute

The stillness still that doesn’t end

but slowly drifts into sleep

The greatest thing you’ve ever seen

and they’re there for you

For you alone you are the everything

When I was young I loved to travel, whether it be by car, pick-up truck, school bus, etc. it was just very relaxing to stare out the window and let my mind off it’s leash, to think about anything and everything it wanted to. The world seemed full of possibilities when out on the road! And then after awhile, I’d lay my head against the window and fall asleep to the vibrations.