God help me, but these Benedict Cumberbatch photos are doing it for me. I’ve been slightly disappointed with his “look” for the Star Trek Into Darkness promotional tour – he’s been wearing a lot of beautifully cut black suits, and his dark Sherlock hair has been slicked back, and it’s all very… funereal and not all that hot. But these candid photos of Cumby out and about in NYC (doing a spot of shopping)? Mmm… yes! His hair isn’t so slicked back, those pants are all good, the socks are adorable and the sunglasses make him look like he stepped out of Fellini film. Oh, Cumby… why aren’t you in NYC more often?
I actually have an assortment of Cumby stuff to discuss. Shall we do the trailer for August: Osage County first? Cumby is barely in there, but still… it’s prestigious enough that he’s part of this amazing ensemble. Julia Roberts is totally annoying, but Ewan McGregor looks AH-mazing and Meryl Streep is a goddess. Here’s the trailer:
What else? There are several new Cumby interview – let’s just do some highlights:
Cumby on his Cumberbitches: “It’s not even politeness. I won’t allow you to be my bitches. I think it sets feminism back so many notches. You are… Cumberpeople.”
The meaning behind his name: “There’s a sort of debate about that. Cumberbatch could be Welsh for a small valley dweller. The ‘cum’ in Cumberbatch is hill. I need to look into it. Benedict means blessed. My parents liked the sound of the name and felt slightly blessed because they’d been trying for a child for a very long time. I’m not Catholic, so it’s not that. They liked the idea of Benedict and Ben, the fact that it can be contracted. I think Toby was their second choice.”
Was he studious and academic? “I did sort of blow my GCSEs out of the water. I couldn’t believe it and neither could my teachers. And then there was a lot of pressure on me to achieve an Oxbridge level of brilliance at A-levels. But then adolescence came late and I discovered girls, pot and all sorts of other things, so I got a bit lazy. That stagnated my growth a bit as far as being academic. I guess it came back when I was doing my dissertation and everything for my degree, so it is there somewhere.”
His discipline: “Acting definitely gives you discipline but I have to say I’m not the best example. I see others who are amazing, such as Keira [Knightley], who’s dyslexic; it’s pretty f***in’ impressive what she does. Her work ethic is phenomenal. She was wonderful in Anna Karenina.”
Women he admires: “Rebecca Hall, who I did Parade’s End with. It’s phenomenal to watch people’s methods and work rate: so much understanding of the material and the character. And Meryl Streep, of course.”
[From Metro & Radio Times]
Oh, that’s amazing… he could have been Toby Cumberbatch. I actually like that name. And he sort of looks like a Toby, right? Why isn’t he Toby Cumberbatch?!? Benedict is a lovely enough name (his friends seem to call him “Ben” anyway), but Toby is just perfect for him. Besides, his fans just call him Cumby anyway.
As for his rejection of the Cumberbitch label… I guess I have to give him some credit for attempting some kind of feminist stance, which is better than NO feminist stance. That being said, his angst about the “bitch” word presupposes a negative connotation with “bitch,” leaving no room for women (Cumberbitches) to “reclaim” their word for their own devices. In short, we are calling ourselves Cumberbitches whether or not he likes it. We don’t need his permission!
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.
Osage County is, like, one county over from me & by God I would have stalked the filming of the movie if my toddler would have let me.
And I would have forced him to cooperate if I’d known that Benedict was in the film!!
How silly. Apparently the “bitch” in Cumberbitch really bothers him. I think he’s attaching meaning to the term & making it negative when it wasn’t meant that way at all.
But I’m a Cumberbitch whether he likes it or not! “Cumberpeople” sounds ridiculous to me, & the only plural I like so far is Cumber Collective.
Maybe he didn’t notice that the “bitch” in Cumberbatch was a play on the “batch” part. Calm yourself, Cumby.
Yes! We’re proud Cumberbitches, not Cumberpeople!!
And we read Celebitchy, not Celeb-people-ey!
As the Cumber of said bitches, I get that it poses something of an ideological issue, and I understand his objection. However, when it comes to feminism, this *really* isn’t the issue. To be honest, I think this is just his go-to sound bite on the issue. He’s smart enough not to take genuine umbrage at it, I think.
And EsCon – how did you not comment on the socks? He does look adorably dorky here, and it’s nice to imagine that he bought some new clothes to add to his rotation (although, sadly, at this time of year, chances of him being able to pick up a cardigan at Bloomingdales are slim).
I agree, it seems to me the Cumberbitches renaming game has simply taken over the “name like a fart in the bath” bit as a main talking point. It may still bother him a little, but not enough to keep him from bursting out with, “He just kissed one of my bitches!” on Graham Norton.
T. Fanty, agree with all you said. I think he is delighted with his rising fame and is choosing to err on the side of caution. We can continue to call ourselves as we choose. He just doesn’t feel comfortable admitting he likes it. Actually, I don’t blame him.
@Fanty,
I am beside myself about the socks! Also, I adore tiny polka dots. I am finding it impossible to stay annoyed at him when he’s wearing those socks.
Fanty, you know me too well.
I think “not allowing” a woman to use or reclaim the term bitch is setting feminism back.
I choose to see it as a special message to all of us — he knows we’re here, he likes and respects us, he enjoys the attention. All good!
Cumberpeople is cumbersome.
I like this guy. He does nothing for me, but he seems very sweet. Of course, he hates women calling themselves that. It’s not a feminist stance, but more he doesn’t like using “bad words”. He strikes me as that kind of guy anyways. Very polite and proper.
And no one needs his permission to call themselves anything, but he can certainly ignore them for calling themselves that.
Also, it’s been brought up here before when his fans attack Pine for existing to make BC look better by comparison. Not all of you, but many of his fans are nasty pieces of work and he’s a sweetheart.
I think it’s sweet that he is trying to respect his female fans. Deciding to get worked up about him not liking the word bitch is kind of taking it too far, imo. People just can’t win! Yes, reclaiming bitch is a woman’s prerogative, but a man reclaiming it for a woman would be seen as pretty inappropriate. As a white woman, I can hardly reclaim the n word on behalf of anyone. The fact remains that both of those words have always had a negative connotation. We’re trying to do away with the mentality behind words like this. Trying to change the language only cures the symptoms. YMMV.
I think it’s sweet too-and something he has been subtly trying to discourage for a few years now. Although my issue isn’t that it sounds sexist, just silly. 🙂
I love that he’s trying to change it. I don’t have a problem with the word bitch, but the term Cumberbitches makes me cringe so much. It makes the fandom sound like Twilight Moms.
I think his heart is absolutely in the right place, but he needs to know that context is everything. This name was chosen by his fans for themselves. That makes all the difference. Still, he’s a gentleman and I love that.
Steady on, Miss. Don’t let that Caitlin Moran article give you ideas. EsCon and I now have an owl army to go with the hedgehogs.
@Fanty,
I have a parliament of owls (I’ve waited YEARS to use that in a sentence!) right here, looking smart & bemused about this bitch thing.
The owls & hedgehogs are having a hard time adjusting to each other. Tiggywinkle in particular, is throwing a spiky little bitch fit about not getting proper respect. He’s squeaking about the owls giving him the heebie jeebies.
Miss Eyre’s lavender tea is about the only thing that settles him down.
“Tiggywinkle in particular, is throwing a spiky little bitch fit about not getting proper respect”
Did Tiggywinkle just become a euphemism for Cumby?
Yes, it did. & it fits him. Let’s see how Mr. Persnickety FussBudget likes that name.
Julia Roberts is recycling roles rather quickly. She already did this movie in 2008 when it was called Fireflies in the Garden. (Yes, I realize that the plots are different, but the premises are the same – parent dies, family comes together, there’s conflict and turmoil, etc.) I’ll see this movie for everyone else in it EXCEPT Julia Roberts. To quote Reese Drunkerspoon, she’s “beyond”.
Cumby, God bless him and his socks. *sighs*
Mulroney gets a title card while Cumberbatch and especially Martindale don’t get their own???!! WTF.
“…to “reclaim” their word for their own devices.”
nonsense. It merely makes it acceptable for people who mean it to say it. Which he gets.
Good for you, Ben.
Firstly his accent seems great in August Osage County. People who have seen it say he’s great and adorable in it.
You should read Caitlin Moran’s new interview with him. Its fascinating and the best interview I;ve ever read.
http://fenwickio.tumblr.com/post/50158292295/the-times-benedict-cumberbatch-interview-by
He seems to have a stylist who is getting him to grease his hair down. That needs to stop.
I saw him in Star Trek into darkness and he was sex on legs. Brilliant in the role and oozing charisma. I cant wait for you to report back after seeing it.
I loved Benedict’s Times interview by Caitlin Moran. His mother is a hoot.
His mother, & her owls. 🙂
Caitlin Moran is awesome. Her twitter is the so much fun.
Hmmm….that hairstylist must be in the first stage of the nervous breakdown I suspected weeks ago. He or she has snapped under the burden of maintaining the Hair That Launched A Thousand (Million) crushes.
I have compassion for any stylist who tries to reign in the cumbercurls because of their glory & power. But we Cumberbitches will not stand for this. We wants those curls! We wants them!
Dear Cumby-stylist;
Please learn these three simple words: Twist. And. Diffuse.
Yours sincerely,
Cumber(not)Bitches
“That being said, his angst about the “bitch” word presupposes a negative connotation with “bitch,” leaving no room for women (Cumberbitches) to “reclaim” their word for their own devices.” Kaiser, not trying to start a war, but I couldn’t help think of the N word debate when you stated this. I like that he recognizes the word for what it is and not what people are ignorantly trying to turn into to because it’s become “cool” to use it.
I think it’s cute that he’s being progressive.
I am more interested in what his process of ‘discovering girls’ looked like.
He may have also been making a joke. Brits have a dry sense of humor. Besides if he responded “yeah they are my bitches” how well would that have gone? I think it’s a little silly to get offended by him NOT calling his fans bitches. In any case love how he is looking these days, I thought he looked creepy the first time I saw him, but he’s grown in hotness every time I see and hear him. Can’t wait for Stark Trek!
I think I see the Cumberdong even in those trousers.
The fact that he wants to be a feminist and in PUBLIC, as opposed to the stupid child-men that are out there now makes me think he should be applauded.
I think Benedict does find “Cumberbitches” a bit disturbing and is probably trying to gently nudge is fanbase into making a change, but I doubt they will.
Whether his fanbase named themselves or not, “bitch” is a pejorative term and I’m thankful he is cognizant of that fact.
You’re the only one who makes any sense!
Exactly! The fact that he is not rolling with it when it has a history of negative connotations behind speaks a lot about his character. I never thought much of this funny looking man, but that is a plus one to me.
I agree. Nicely put allheaveans.
I agree, and I’m not very comfy with women’s tendency to lapse into some sort of harem mentality. You will never see me becoming a “Slattery Slut” as much as I loves me some gray fox!
you are all sick if you think this guy is bangable. sick sick sick
Maybe its some plot to lull him into a false sense of security before unleashing the cold hard truth??? Below average looks, massive ego and apparently overexposed fame whore.
Where is this massive ego and fame whoring you speak of?
This.
Strange….he didn’t have any trouble saying Cumberb**** on the Graham Norton show!
He let it slip once but only once. I think that was Chris Pine who said it first, when Graham was pressing Benedict for the name of his fanbase and he said “Cumber Collective”.
Where’s Eve?
My first thought about his comment on the Cumberbitches was “Well, we’ll see what Eve has to say about that…”
My guess is she’ll say he won’t need CumberbitcheS….just a Cumberbitch….or maybe she can be the HCBIC of all the rest.
Thank god! I really hate the term “bitch”, “ho” and so on and the trend of making it mainstream and regular term for girls and women; a d what I bate the most-when women use it (rihanna in her latest twitter statement). No, it’s not ok-it’s derogative in it’s basic and original meaning and I don’t understand why should we use it and try to make it i to something acceptable, when we have much better terms ( and my God, we fought for our right to NOT be considered/defined as sexual objects!) . I saw him yesterday in star trek-and I love him!
“It’s not even politeness. I won’t allow you to be my bitches. I think it sets feminism back so many notches. You are… Cumberpeople.”
He decided to explain that is not his posh manners that bother him. Awwwwwww! He is listening to us, Kaiser…
Cumby, sweety…listen to me one more time, cover your forehead! Make a comparison of your photos with hair slicked back and hair covering your forehead. You will understand me. And I am not even a Cumbercollective person.
Argh, I’ll do it for you:http://ones2watch4.com/content/wp-content/gallery/benedict-cumberbatch/benedict-cover-2.jpg
http://ones2watch4.com/content/wp-content/gallery/benedict-cumberbatch/benedict-14.jpg
http://ones2watch4.com/content/wp-content/gallery/benedict-cumberbatch/benedict-11-chris-mcandrew-photoshoot.jpg
ps: I am not a feminist, but I am glad we have a feminist well-educated posh actor like Cumby. We already have too many misogynistic celebs out there.
He’s no Gerard Butler, that’s for sure.
And I am truly grateful for that.
Oh drop it, T.Fanty!
My Gerry may be a sleaze, but he would never slicked his hair back to look awful like that, :). Not even when going or leaving a porta potty. Priorities are priorities!!! 🙂
But you are right, he is nothing like Cumby. He was once a lawyer, and I cannot believe he never ever use this to advocate/help the ones in need. I think Gerry is very self-absorbed and not that very articulate (for someone with a Law degree).
He’s going to win Sexiest Man Alive 2013. I have a feeling.
Actually Cwm = valley, bach = small, it’s an anglicised Welsh name. I know you all were dying to know that.
Tbh, it’s interesting. Thanks, pfeiffer.
Hmmm he just suddenly became hot to me.
I don’t want to reclaim the word “bitch.” I don’t want it at all. I reserve the right to bitch about things, and to act bitchy, but I do not want to BE a bitch or be called one. I am not a dog.
I liked the term he coined on Graham Norton… The cumber collective
LOVE.
THIS.
MAN.
If he had just started saying this I’d say it was weird, but Benedict’s been saying that he doesn’t like the term Cumberbitches for years now so at least he’s consistent. He recently suggested “the CumberCollective”, which I think is all kinds of awesome because it’s unisex.
I can see where some of you guys think it’s freeing to reclaim the term Cumberbitch (and I have absolutely no problem with you guys using it amongst yourselves), but when many journalists mention it to him on the red carpet it sounds like they’re somewhat mocking his fans.
The fact is, Benedict is a man. He is not someone who can reclaim the word “bitch” as his own. I really appreciate that he understands that since, to an outsider, if he were to use that term openly it would probably sound like he’s putting us down.
I just hope he recognizes that the Cumberbitches have the right to call themselves that since they came up with the name themselves and are pretty proud of it.
Other than positing that he may be going commando in those pants, there’s nothing good about them. Hey Ben, where’s the flood? Seriously, he shouldn’t be wearing pants that fit him when he’s 10lbs heavier than he is now. Obviously he’s having trouble keeping them up, so he yanks the waistband too high and the pant legs become too short as a result.
Yes, I’d still hit it.
Actually, I’ve seen those trousers before, when he did have a little weight on. They’re just *really* bad grandpa pants. I’m going to renew my plea to Eddie Redmaye’s girlfriend to stage a wardrobe intervention.
Thinking about slipping his dry cleaner $100 to “accidentally” ruin them.
Fanty, I think I may have seen Cumby in track pants once. It was just the one time, but it was shocking.
And there weren’t any cute socks to balance them out, either.
I finally read the full Moran article: “…and soon Hamlet” – !?!?!?!?!?!?!
The only thing I can find about that is an interview from last year, in which he says he wants to do it soon…but I can’t find anything more concrete. I wonder if Moran gave us a spoiler about something that has yet to be announced?…and I wonder if I could possibly manage to get tickets if it ever pans out. Is there a good website to keep on top of London theater news?
Just follow the Guardian. They’ll have it as soon as it’s released.
Yes, Tfanty , I noticed it too. Good news that he wants to do theatre. I just hope they’ll release a DVD. Sob, sob…
Looks like Nic Cage in the pics.
I’m love’s bitch but I’m man enough to admit it.
S W O O O O N !!!! Just when I didn’t think I could desire, adore, want, NEED him even more! *squeal!* did I mention.. SWOOOON!!??!!??
I am Cumberbitch hear me swooon!!!
I’ve been Cumberbatched and I LOVE IT!
giddy up!!!
What are you trying to say?
Bitches because he comes over as one.I dont have much with him.Im getting old.
can someone clarify what kind of “dissertation” he wrote? Like a doctoral thesis, a thesis to get a BA, or what?
I’m guessing he means the major project for his degree; no idea what subject but it’s be for a BSc or BA or B-something-else http://www.humanities.manchester.ac.uk/studyskills/assessment_evaluation/dissertations/definition.html