*Shudder*

[felineranger.livejournal.com]

Yeuch...Just been reading the NOTW interview with Craig Charles and his wife.  Torn between pity and wanting to give him a great big hug and going 'Ewwwww...I don't wanna know that'.  Don't get me wrong, I think it's great that he's pulled himself together and if his story helps stop other people making the same mistakes then that's wonderful.  But I really get creeped out by people discussing things that should be kept private in the tabloids.  The state of your marriage is something that should be between you and your partner- don't share it with the whole world!  I guess this slightly grubby feeling I have now serves me right for being a nosy celeb-stalker in the first place.  Plus I'm kinda pissed off cos dammit his wife is actually quite hot.  Some disgusting shameful part of me was hoping she'd be a minger to give the rest of us fangurls a chance!

Comments

[kahvi.livejournal.com]

I read it all. For me, it was a little bit cathartic, seeing as how I was worried sick about him (silly git that I am) last summer, and knowing everything that went on was oddly relieving.

Have you read his poetry? It's brutally, brutally honest, almost painfully so. It seems to be his default way of interacting with the world - he was the same way at Dimension Jump last year. I don't think there's an either/or for him - all or nothing. Which I can sort of relate to - I'm the same way. Better to let everything out than have people speculate, you know?

What pissed me off the most reading that article was that Jaquie read the Mirror's speculations about his infidelity, and believed it. This, in turn, being a contributing factor to his becoming suicidal. I mean... fucking hell...

OK, I shouldn't get worked up about this. But really; what I'm left with after this whole affair is a deep set disgust with the way British tabloids operate. Urgh.

[cheezdanish.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Brit tabloids are infinitely worse than American ones.

Of course, having said that, do either of you (Kahvi or FR) have a link to said article? My curiosity has been piqued.

[kahvi.livejournal.com]

Here: http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/story_pages/news/news1.shtml

I considered linking it in ccharlespics, but I thought, nah. Those who want to see it will have seen it, and we all know he's all right now anyway. There's no reason to dwell on the negative. That said, as I mentioned above, it was a little bit of a relief for me to read it.

I'm gonna go cap Tikka To Ride now. :)

[sunny-bexster.livejournal.com]

I think it's rather amusing that on the NOTW website, there's a button you can press to 'sell your stoery'. The wonders of *cough* journalism. I loathe tabloids.

Oddly enough, I've not read this article yet. I read the Mirror one and for me, it felt very strange. I was genuinely upset with the whole drugs thing last year, becuase this man was my hero. I don't condone drugs, I never went around defending him when people asked why I still liked him. People make mistakes. Everyone does. And, I think that rather than being slated for doing it, perhaps people should be more supportive. The man held his hands up and went 'yeah, I'm an idiot'. He booked himself into the Priory and I think he has turned over a new leaf. Good on him, thats what I say.

It's weird becuase Pete Doherty, famous drug user is constantly in and out of rehab, I'm sure he treats it like some kind of hotel - wanders in, has a shower, grabs a bit to eat and runs off - yet, somehow - he doesn't seem to have had it as bad as Craig. That I can't quite fathom out.

Okay - I'm all done ranting now.

Lets just get back to loving him - :D

[cassiopeia13.livejournal.com]

I dunno, wasn't he always high and drunk on the sets of Red Dwarf? And he's been arrested for crack so many times. It's hard to think he's going to stay off them now. But I hope so. He's so cute, and SO smart. Any person who can learn lines while sitting in make up has to be amazingly smart, and even Naylor said on one of the RD documentaries he not only knew his lines but everyone elses (Guess that's good since Bobby couldn't remember anything *heh*)

But he's got kids, you'd think he'd want to stay clean for them. I definitely hope he does.

[kahvi.livejournal.com]

I don't think he was ever drunk or high on set... considering what he says in the article about work being the only place he could get a break from getting high, that sounds out of character. And was he ever arrested for crack before? I know the Mirror ran a story about him soliciting drugs (read: tell their undercover reporters where to get them), and he was using when he was accused of rape, but yes. Well, it doesn't matter. Read the article (http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/story_pages/news/news1.shtml). Watch the videos. Seeing him at DJ last year convinced me he's clean permanently now, but if I hadn't already been, this interview would have.

And yes, he is smart. I wonder what he could have become if he'd grown up under different circumstances? Ah well, we're happy to have him where we have him. :)

[cassiopeia13.livejournal.com]

In the RD commentaries he says he was drunk a lot. In the scene when he asks Rimmer if he's allowed to breath, then huffs on him, in the commentary he says "That was pure beer right there" Or something like that. But then again, he WAS only 21 back then.

But I also thought in 2005 he was arrested for crack, I'm pretty sure I read a story someplace. not that that means anything

I'm glad though that he's finally straightened out. I would LOVE to go to the con and see the cast of RD (would totally rock). I wonder if DragonCon has ever tried to get any Red Dwarf cast members to attend... Hmm...

[felineranger.livejournal.com]

I don't think he was ever drunk on set, just very hungover. And I'm fairly sure he wasn't arrested in 2005, because it would have been all over the news then as well. As for his wife...well, in the circumstances you can forgive her for thinking the worst really. When somebody has told you so many lies and behaved in such an appalling way you're bound to wonder, aren't you? She's done an exclusive with the Mirror as well - well, they both have. I've got Craig's poetry book and I love it to bits. He's always fascinated me because he seems to have such a split personality. One side is the really laddish scouser who just wants to drink and have a good time and then it's like there's this whole other side to him thats so sensitive and smart. It's like he's embarrassed by it and tries to hide behind all the jokes - and drugs and alcohol. -sigh-

[kahvi.livejournal.com]

Oh no, I don't blame her at all - in fact I think she's probably an amazingly strong woman - she'd have to be, wouldn't she? I blame the press for making a bad situation unnessecarily worse, if you see what I mean. As you say, she's bound to wonder, and who needs that at a time like that?

It's like he's embarrassed by it and tries to hide behind all the jokes - and drugs and alcohol.
Yes, absolutely! Sometimes like he's surprised by his intelligence. At one point during his speech at DJ, he stopped and commented "I'm not that stupid, am I?" He really is incredibly fascinating. Beyond just looking good, I mean. ;)

[dahlia-777.livejournal.com]

I haven't read the article. I prefer to think of Craig Charles as Lister and nothing but Lister, so I can do without knowing any more than I do already about his sordid private life.

But as for why he'd do a tell-all interview in the first place - I hate to be cynical but he and his wife probably got paid an awful lot of money for it, so they wouldn't have been able to refuse to answer any questions they didn't like. And a sleazy tab like NOTW would ask them *everything*.

Oh dear, I probably sound like a complete bitch - and you don't even know me, sorry, I swear I'm not really! But the truth is I don't care about CC, I care about Lister. And I absolutely loath our tabloid press.

[tawg.livejournal.com]

Bitch you may be, but I agree with you :) I think, tactically, it's also a very good move publicity-wise. Now all his fans, and a lot of his detractors, know that he's making an effort to stay clean, and there's more understanding about what happened in the first place. I mean, having such interviews covering all the gory details about a controversy encourages discussion about it (as we're proving), and discussion generally helps people sort out an agreed upon set of truths.

I mean, before the article I felt sorry for him and his situation, but I didn't believe he'd ever completely give up the habit because of his long history with it. Now, however, after not just hearing him talk about it, but seeing his physical reactions to some of the things he was revealing, I'm far more inclined to think he'll stay clean.

[dahlia-777.livejournal.com]

I think, tactically, it's also a very good move publicity-wise. Yes, and don't forget financially. Oh dear, there I go again, being a totally cynical bitch... I'm afraid from what I know about Craig Charles I don't think much of him beyond the vague sympathy I have for any recovering addict and the vague contempt I have for anyone who sells their story to a paper like NOTW . I don't feel I have to like him just because I love Dave Lister, you know?

[tawg.livejournal.com]

I think that's possibly a healthy way of looking at it. Going to bat for someone you only know through a television series and occasional snippits on youtube gets very stressful after a while. And let's face it - regardless of what the actual situation in Craig's homelife is, I hardly think us gawpers can ever achieve any kind of accurate understanding of the situation.

[dahlia-777.livejournal.com]

It can be hard sometimes though to separate an actor from a much loved character - especially when the actor's so brilliant at playing the character as in this case. How can we help feeling an "Aw, Dave..." tug of emotion when we look at Craig Charles, who makes Lister so real to us, even when he's clearly (well, clearly imho anyway:D) a bit of a jerk?

But I'm a fan of The Professionals too, and believe me that's much harder because Martin Shaw has frequently slagged off the series and his character, whom I absolutely adore. At least Craig Charles has never done that!

[tawg.livejournal.com]

Unlike Norman, the craggy old pest...

[kahvi.livejournal.com]

The thing about Red Dwarf though, is that it sometimes can be very hard to separate actor from character. The more I learn about the actors, the scarier the parallels get. I used to think Craig was a jerk too, but the more I learn about him, the more it seems like the truth is slighty more complicated. (Shock! Horror! :p) I think he's an oddly fascinating man. Anyway, I'm just babbling.

From what I've heard, Craig did slag off RD and Lister. He didn't behave very well to fans sometimes either. Which is why a lot of people went "wow" when they saw him at DJ last year. The word New Man has been thrown around alot. Well, if so, good for him. *shrugs*

As long as I don't turn into that woman who was yelling "innocent" (as in "he didn't take the drugs") whenever someone said something even jokingly negative about him at the con, I'm happy. Dear gods... She even said it to Craig. I had a bet with lady_draco that she would. Craig joked it off, but he seemed rather stunned.

[dahlia-777.livejournal.com]

From what I've heard, Craig did slag off RD and Lister. Oh dear, oh dear - this is why I prefer to know as little as possible about his real life. *Covers ears, shuts eyes. He's Lister. He's Lister and only Lister!*

But yeah, I realise it's difficult to separate characters and actors - and especially in RD where everyone knows the writers based the former partly on the latter, at least in later series.

I can't fathom what kind of crazy fangirl you'd have to be to declare a star innocent of something he's admitted doing. I bet that was a cringy moment!