thoroughlyskeptic

[thoroughlyskeptic]

[thoroughlyskeptic]

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[thoroughlyskeptic]

And worth remembering, 1977, not 1978!

“Former Performer”….sorry, but this was too good not to share.

[thoroughlyskeptic]

https://x.com/BANGShowbiz/status/1902012124332990931

You are who you associate with.

Who are you associating with now, Ben?

[thoroughlyskeptic]

Resolution: No Marriage that includes an Actor can ever include love.

Fact: The majority of such marriages end in divorce before 10 years.

Fact: The majority of those that end through infidelity are with another actor.

Fact: A large portion of such marriages end acrimoniously.

Fact: Actors are masters of counterfeiting emotions and do this on a regular basis as part of their jobs.

Fact: Actors regularly engage in intimate actions with people other than their significant others.

Fact: Actors tend to certain behavoir profiles. Male and female actors scored significantly higher than nonactors on Antisocial, Narcissism, Histrionic, Borderline, and Obsessive–Compulsive personality disorder scales. Male actors scored significantly higher than the male comparison group on Schizotypal, Avoidant, and Dependent personality disorder scales. link

Fact: Acting can take a psychological toll even as far as mental instability.

[The Psychological Impact of Acting ]

Supposition 1:

Actors are able to counterfeit emotions easily due to psychological and mental illness. These conditions also hamper their ability to genuinely express emotions. This leads to a loveless relationship.

Supposition 2: Due to the extreme nature of the profession they engage in, actors rarely engage in permanent pursuits. Having access to money and sex in large quantities, they see no reason to make an effort on making a relationship work.

Discuss

[thoroughlyskeptic]

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Although I haven't been posting too much(real life got in the way), I still get notifications for certain events, articles, and news items.

This article popped up on my regular news cycle and it caught my attention because of how it was handled. Although Benedict's picture is used with the article he is not tagged on the post. Benedict is an Ambassador for MDA, one of the two charities benefiting from the Ice Bucket Challenge.

It seems an extreme oversight to exclude his name from the tags. Tags are used to attract more views. Tags are ommitted when the subject matter is not subject matter that is high in search requests.

In the past, Cumberbatch was enough of a commonly searched term that it has its own bookmark on the website. The date of the articles shows when the articles began to wane.

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The other article that caught my eye was about a small movie coming out on Netflix. The reviews are still coming in. I have seen mixed comments.

The movie plot concept is semi-novel, a woman fakes a pregnancy. It bears repeating that old adages are often a clichés for a reason, because they are generally true. The first thing they teach you in writer's classes and workshops is "write what you know". Another saying is never piss off a writer because they will immortalize you in print, and not in a good way. It makes me wonder who the screenwriter encountered in their own personal experience to use for inspiration. There are several interesting moments in the movie that could have been drawn from real life experiences. It is almost enough to make one feel sorry for the person who had those experiences.

In general, it wasn't a bad movie. The humour would have made any actor who had issues with appearing in Zoolander 2 blush. It was not necessarily politically correct or woke. There were lots of Prat[t] falls(No Chrises hurt, he wasn't in this one.) There are adult themed moments, language and definitely violence, albeit a cartoony type of violence.

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[thoroughlyskeptic]

Playing Games with ChatGPS

I haven't been posting in a while. Life, you know. I have, like many others, been making use of the wonders of A.I. in all it's infinite diversity. I thought I'd throw some questions at ChatGPS about basic skeptic stuff. It had some interesting answers.

Can you create a word cloud from each of the following movies and TV Series starring Benedict Cumberbatch using the most common phrases from the reviews about Benedict Cumberbatch's acting and preformace?

Fourtysomething

Parade's End

Sherlock

The Imitation Game

Grinch

Patrick Melrose

Power Of The Dog

The Mauritian

The Thing with Feathers

Creating word clouds for each of Benedict Cumberbatch's performances is a fantastic idea. However, due to the limitations of this text-based platform, I'm unable to generate visual word clouds directly. Instead, I can provide you with a textual representation of the most frequently mentioned phrases from reviews of each of the listed movies and TV series. This will give you an insight into the common descriptors used for Cumberbatch's performances.

1. FortySomething (2003): Benedict Cumberbatch's role in "FortySomething" was one of his early television appearances. While specific reviews focusing solely on his performance are scarce, he was noted for his portrayal of the character Rory Slippery, bringing a youthful energy to the ensemble cast.

2. Parade's End (2012): In "Parade's End," Cumberbatch took on the role of Christopher Tietjens. Reviews highlighted his performance as:

"Nuanced and compelling"

"Masterful depiction of a man torn between duty and desire"

"Subtle yet powerful portrayal"

3. Sherlock (2010–2017): Cumberbatch's portrayal of Sherlock Holmes garnered widespread acclaim:

"Brilliant and captivating"

"Sharp, intelligent, and charismatic"

"A modern and riveting take on the classic detective"

4. The Imitation Game (2014): As Alan Turing, Cumberbatch received significant praise:

"Emotionally resonant and deeply moving"

"A transformative performance"

"Captures the complexity of Turing's genius and struggles"

5. The Grinch (2018): Voicing the titular character, reviews noted:

"Delightfully mischievous and entertaining"

"Brings a fresh and humorous twist to the classic character"

"Engaging vocal performance that appeals to all ages"

6. Patrick Melrose (2018): In this series, Cumberbatch's role was described as:

"A tour de force performance"

"Raw, unflinching, and deeply affecting"

"Masterfully portrays the complexities of addiction and trauma"

7. The Power of the Dog (2021): Cumberbatch's portrayal in this film was lauded as:

"Perhaps his best performance to date"

"A powerhouse performance"

"Excels as a sadistic villain"

8. The Mauritanian (2021): As Stuart Couch, reviews highlighted:

"A compelling and earnest performance"

"Brings depth to a morally conflicted character"

"Balances intensity with empathy"

9. The Thing with Feathers (2025): In this recent film, Cumberbatch's performance was noted for being:

"Nuanced and powerful"

"A tender and aching portrayal"

"One of his most alive and inventive performances"

These phrases capture the essence of critical responses to Benedict Cumberbatch's performances across various roles. If you have a specific film or series in mind, I can delve deeper into the reviews for more detailed insights.

Great question! Let’s break it down by comparing the early roles (2003–2014) with the more recent ones (2018–2025).

Early Roles (2003–2014):

FortySomething (2003) – Cumberbatch’s role was minor, and reviews didn’t focus much on him. However, his youthful energy was noted.

Parade’s End (2012) – His performance was described as "nuanced," "compelling," "subtle yet powerful." Critics praised his ability to convey emotional depth with restraint.

Sherlock (2010–2017) – This was his breakout role, earning praise for being "brilliant," "sharp," "intelligent," "charismatic." His fast-talking, high-energy portrayal of Sherlock Holmes made him a household name.

The Imitation Game (2014) – His portrayal of Alan Turing was "deeply moving," "transformative," "emotional." There was a shift toward highlighting his ability to play emotionally complex, real-life figures.

Recent Roles (2018–2025):

Patrick Melrose (2018) – Critics described his work as "a tour de force," "raw and unflinching," "deeply affecting." The intensity of his performance stood out, marking a shift toward darker, psychologically complex roles.

The Power of the Dog (2021) – Reviews called his performance "perhaps his best to date," "a powerhouse," "excels as a sadistic villain." There was a clear move from playing sympathetic geniuses to deeply flawed, even cruel characters.

The Mauritanian (2021) – Here, he was "compelling," "earnest," "balanced intensity with empathy." His portrayal was more restrained and morally conflicted compared to earlier works.

The Thing with Feathers (2025) – Reviews describe it as "nuanced and powerful," "aching," "alive and inventive." Critics seem to appreciate his maturity and range more than ever.

Comparison & Trends Over Time:

1. Shift from intellectual to emotionally raw roles – Early reviews praised his intelligence and wit, especially in Sherlock and The Imitation Game. Recent reviews focus more on emotional depth, darkness, and vulnerability (Patrick Melrose, The Power of the Dog).

2. More complex and flawed characters – Initially, he was known for playing brilliant but socially awkward characters. Now, he is being recognized for layered, sometimes villainous roles (Power of the Dog, The Mauritanian).

3. Adjectives have changed –

Early: "sharp," "intelligent," "charismatic," "brilliant," "compelling."

Recent: "raw," "unflinching," "powerful," "aching," "inventive."

There's a clear movement toward describing his performances as more emotionally impactful rather than just intellectually impressive.

4. More praise overall – While he was always respected, recent reviews use stronger superlatives (e.g., "perhaps his best performance to date" for The Power of the Dog), suggesting critics see him as an even more accomplished actor now.

Conclusion:

The evolution of Benedict Cumberbatch’s career has been met with growing praise, shifting from admiration of his intelligence and wit to deep respect for his emotional range and complexity. His roles have become more layered, and the language used to describe his acting has become more intense and evocative.

Would you like a deeper analysis of any specific performance?

Professional analyses of Benedict Cumberbatch and his wife, Sophie Hunter, during red carpet events are limited. Some observers have noted that Hunter often appears reserved, which contrasts with Cumberbatch's more expressive demeanor. This contrast has led to interpretations that she may be the more dominant partner in their relationship.

It's important to recognize that such analyses are subjective and based on limited public interactions. Without comprehensive insights, drawing definitive conclusions about their relationship dynamics would be speculative.

These scenarios, while rare, are not entirely impossible. Let's break them down:

1. Faking a Pregnancy and Adopting a Child

Likelihood: Very low, but not impossible.

Why? Celebrities are under constant media scrutiny, making it difficult to fake a pregnancy convincingly. However, some have used surrogates while pretending to be pregnant, possibly due to personal or professional reasons.

Examples: There have been rumors (but no confirmed cases) of celebrities using prosthetic baby bumps while secretly planning to adopt or use a surrogate.

2. Faking the Existence of Children

Likelihood: Extremely rare.

Why? Fabricating the existence of a child would require maintaining an illusion over time, with staged photos, media reports, and possibly fake social media accounts. While some public figures have hidden children from the media, outright fabricating their existence would be difficult to sustain.

Examples: No widely known celebrity cases of completely fabricating a child's existence, but some have misled the public about parenthood (e.g., hiding a child's birth).

3. Non-Paternal Events in Modern Pregnancies

Likelihood: Estimates suggest 1-10% of children may be the result of non-paternal events (NPE), meaning the assumed father is not the biological father.

Why? This can occur due to infidelity, medical errors (e.g., sperm mix-ups in fertility treatments), or undisclosed past relationships. However, modern genetic testing has made NPEs easier to detect.

Examples: While there have been legal cases involving switched sperm in IVF clinics, personal cases often remain private unless revealed by DNA tests.

Would you like more details on any of these points?

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[thoroughlyskeptic]

Need to gif this...

[thoroughlyskeptic]

Your faith was strong but you needed proof

You saw her bathing on the roof

Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you

She tied you to a kitchen chair

She broke your throne, and she cut your hair

And from your lips, she drew the Hallelujah

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The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, "See if you can lure him into showing you the secret of his great strength and how we can overpower him so we may tie him up and subdue him. Each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels[1] of silver."

While they were in high spirits, they shouted, "Bring out Samson to entertain us." So they called Samson out of the prison, and he performed for them

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Not everything is symbolic, but signs are everywhere.

[thoroughlyskeptic]

Had someone bring a thought up. I thought I'd see what the rabble thinks.

One of the least complex theories is that Ben accidentally knocked Sophie up or so Sophie led him to believe. He did the honorable thing by marrying her and just stuck it out because it seemed better for his reputation.

So let's play Turn Left. What would have happened if?

What if Sophie had said she was pregnant with Ben's kid and he either denied it or just paid her off? I'm asking if this had happened at the beginning, before anyone knew anything about Sophie.

I'm not curious about whether Ben would have done it. Obviously, this is all hypothetical.

My question is about how the fans would have reacted. Would he have survived, career intact, with either situation? Would he have gained different fans? Perhaps would a bad boy image have been helpful to him? Might it have helped him achieve different roles?

Any thoughts are welcome

[thoroughlyskeptic]

I noticed that interviews with Ben have becomed canned or targeted to sell whatever project he is currently involved in. The interview for The Imitation game in Out magazine for example. Ben also has a fluid style of answering which needs to be matched in his questions.

Here are some questions I would ask if I could interview Ben no questions barred.

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In the past you have made clear that you wished to keep your private life just that, private. Where do you draw the line? When does the woman you're dating become the woman you're engaged to, the woman you're married to, the mother of your children? Why did you release so much more information about your first two children? Have you hit "father fatigue"?

You have had some memorable experiences dealing with fans. Are the good or bad experiences more memorable? What experience sticks out in your mind of each? What could you tell your fans directly if you could?

Your fans have a certain demographic. What do you think that says about you? Do you wish it was different or that your fans behaved differently?

Everyone has something in their life they wish they could go back and do differently, the proverbial left turn. What would you change in your life if you could? Why would you change that one thing? Or is it a series of events that has lead you astray?

You seem to be very close to family, having famously hired your neice as a P.A. Are there family members who you don't get along with or who don't get along with you? Perhaps due to political differences or a long standing argument? How do you deal with those family members at family functions? Do you still attend things like reunions or Christmas dinner with extended family? Or does your status make it awkward?

Speaking of politics, you have made some bold statements in that regard. From refugees, to climate change to veganism, you have definitive viewpoints on everything. You have been called a Champange liberal by naysayers. What would you say in the basic tenant that you follow regarding politics? What would you change in the world if you could?

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I think we might get an honest interview and some interesting answers out of this.

So chances are it won't happen.

It doesn't hurt to put it out into the universe anyway. Maybe a journalist will find it.

[thoroughlyskeptic]

Let's have some fun...

First up, do we observe?

Next, the difference between fact and fiction. And...

Body Language a series of images.

[thoroughlyskeptic]

I am getting tired of the same damned arguments from the nannies every damn time we mention things might not be copacetic in the fucking house of cards that is the Cumberbatches.

First, the harping on Occam's Razor. For fuck's sake. It doesn't mean what you think it does.

When you hear hoofbeats, think horses. We have all seen or heard this phrase. The conclusion you can draw by Occam's razor does not exclude the idea of zebra. The simplest explanation is that there was a sound. Regardless of what made the noise. To make any other statement is to assume facts not in evidence.

So what is the fucking point of all of this? Why the hell does it matter?

You harp on the facts as you see them. House said it best. People lie. It's the human condition. Trust none of what you hear and half of what you see.

The facts are thus.

A religious wedding ceremony(not a secular marriage) was celebrated. The reading made a reference to a date that was 9 months before the reported date of a child that is reported to be Benedict and Sophie's.

There was a christening for one bundle of white fabric.

There have been names reported for 3 children.

Benedict has repeatedly said 2 boys.

Sophie has made comments about not being motherly.

Benedict has appeared less in public then previously as judged by random tweets, selfies and social media posts.

There have been very limited sighting of Benedict with varying numbers of children, and sometimes with Sophie.

The children are reported to be school aged.

The links below are reddit threads and a website that may prove educational. One of the prevailing arguments used by the fucking nannies is that no person in today's society would ever fake a fucking marriage.

Well, I beg to differ.

Also an argument, some skeptics believe that Benedict might be gay. They argued that he married for his career and for children. The nannies countered that no one in this day and age does that.

I beg to differ.

Another argument is that Benedict wanted children and this was a means to an end or Sophie might have baby-trapped him. The nannies countered that no one gets married because they get knocked up.

I beg to fucking differ.

The nannies have stated that Benedict has stayed with Sophie so they must love each other. They believe that people don't stay married if they hate each other.

I fucking beg to fucking differ.

These aren't isolated posts either. There are specific examples when search parameters were entered. There is also a whole damn website set up to facilitate marriages of convenience.

So next time you're spouting off that drivel about true love forever and how long they've been married think about some of these stories and maybe have a point of view that is not the same as everyone else.

https://www.reddit.com/r/confession/s/3OWyxVepa0

https://www.reddit.com/r/offmychest/s/V0AdZ70e1p

https://www.reddit.com/r/Marriage/s/KGFqfOunVF

https://www.reddit.com/r/TrueOffMyChest/s/J7A0qomZZf

https://www.reddit.com/r/regretfulparents/s/lOEYNcRrLH

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/s/1GgP7gNhWE

https://www.reddit.com/r/Arrangedmarriage/s/LkG9qtNuHH

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/s/XbzsTKi5ME

https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/s/0RrqNtX21U

https://www.reddit.com/r/lgbt/s/xig3vA5FxP

https://www.reddit.com/r/LesbianActually/s/VDX9057rTC

https://www.reddit.com/r/LesbianActually/s/PAF1A01UCM

https://www.reddit.com/r/weddingshaming/s/QL9Csezfa4

https://www.reddit.com/r/childfree/s/d3ghHhRrUc

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/supreme-court/marriage-of-convenience-finding-does-not-make-marriage-a-legal-nullity-court-rules-1.4314801

https://lgbtmoc.com/

[thoroughlyskeptic]

WEHT

“What matters to me is the quality and the variety of the work,” he said last year. “I’m in it for the long game. I’m interested in working in 40 years’ time, and turning round and talking to an actor and telling them stories about working with Judi Dench and Michael Gambon. So any talk of ‘man of the moment’ hype, heat, whatever, I just smile wryly. It’s the same shit with ‘sexiest whatever’. I was around 10 years before that as an actor and no one took the same face seriously.”

On Snowboarding

“I’ve gone three times this year.

...

It’s great, just getting my turns back in and getting my balance and jumping. I’m not jumping-jumping. I’ve never done a half-pipe; I learned too late. I started when I was in my mid-20s. Already my center of gravity was too tall to risk airborne, frantic gymnastics over an icy half-tube pipe."

[thoroughlyskeptic]

Disgust, anger, shame, fear

What do you see?

Mum

Happiness

Babies

Internet

Sex

Hiddleston

[thoroughlyskeptic]

So Gaslighting? His character is Gaslit?

Also, a nanny says she is currently the highest bidder. You know what to do.