Gareth Russell's blog

http://garethrussellcidevant.blogspot.com/2012/09/a-state-funeral-for-richard-iii-dont.html

Is he a popular blogger? After visiting several blogs and forums it seems some people still harbor hostile feeling for not only Richard but Ricardians as well. Making me very uncomfortable. The fact some of these blogs have moderately good following makes me feel that we will never be able to get to the " truth" of the matter.........
" Ricardians" are almost being touted as the debil's advocate.

Meh...Ricardians have been the Devil's (Richard's) Advocate for years, and I think Gareth has hit on a subject that will get him a lot of hits on his blog.

One of the problems with Archvillain!Richard is that, thanks to More, Shakespeare, Olivier & Tudor, the actual historical person has been built upon over the years until he's become an archetype every bit as strong as, say, Superman or Darth Vader or...dare I say it...Satan (which is an archetype built up through the years as well -- see historian Jeffrey Burton Russell's series tracing the development throughout history of same).

(As an aside, a friend recently told me that the trials Richard went through were the sort that create a superhero, were he a fictional hero who had lived through those trials.)

Archetype!Richard resonates with some people, to the point that they end up projecting all sorts of things onto him--which says much more about the person projecting than it does about Richard. We all project onto something/someones in our lives, it's part of how the human brain works. The people talking about Archetype!Richard usually aren't talking about the historical figure because most have never researched the historical figure. Those who have...well, they've chosen sides, just as we have.

Their reasons for doing so are usually a bit emotional and very personal to them, not to Richard. And most can't be budged because the reasons are central to the makeup of their world. As in, "So and so says he's a child-murderer and I feel a deep loathing for child murderers and so a deep loathing for this one, and so obviously so and so is right." Or even, "I really liked the way Cate Blanchette played E1, so I'm loyal to that actress/archetype in my head, and I've researched E1 because of Cate, and therefore I'm loyal to the Tudors, so Richard doesn't stand a chance because the Tudors rule."

I came to R3 when I didn't know what to write about and a professor specializing in E1 suggested R3 as a subject. My first exposure was Tey. My second one was More, and I didn't respond well to the gossipy backstairs tone of the latter. I didn't know he was the sainted More, I only knew he "felt" wrong, and Tey "felt" right.

What I responded to was the man first, and the events of his life next. I've built my own Archetype!Richard in my head, as I suspect a great many amateur fans of Richard do. I freely admit I'm every bit as prejudiced and attached to my "noble" Richard as others are attached to their "evil" Richard.

I don't try to defend him. He convinced me he wasn't Archvillain!Richard years ago. I think his bones may convince others next year. As for those who can't or won't be convinced that he wasn't all that archetype says he was...pfft! that's their loss.

(apologies for the rant)

~Weds


--- In , "bandyoi" <bandyoi@...> wrote:
>
> http://garethrussellcidevant.blogspot.com/2012/09/a-state-funeral-for-richard-iii-dont.html
>
> Is he a popular blogger? After visiting several blogs and forums it seems some people still harbor hostile feeling for not only Richard but Ricardians as well. Making me very uncomfortable. The fact some of these blogs have moderately good following makes me feel that we will never be able to get to the " truth" of the matter.........
> " Ricardians" are almost being touted as the debil's advocate.
>

You are not ranting!
I just just finding the feud a little scary.
I am willing to be unbiased but the vitriolic attack on R is making me dig my heels in ! Lol.

We are not "Sainting" R; just trying to find a way to explain this contradictory man. To be called "Justin Beiber" like fan club is SO demeaning!!!!

Sent from my iPad

On Nov 27, 2012, at 9:45 PM, "wednesday_mc" <wednesday.mac@...> wrote:

> Meh...Ricardians have been the Devil's (Richard's) Advocate for years, and I think Gareth has hit on a subject that will get him a lot of hits on his blog.
>
> One of the problems with Archvillain!Richard is that, thanks to More, Shakespeare, Olivier & Tudor, the actual historical person has been built upon over the years until he's become an archetype every bit as strong as, say, Superman or Darth Vader or...dare I say it...Satan (which is an archetype built up through the years as well -- see historian Jeffrey Burton Russell's series tracing the development throughout history of same).
>
> (As an aside, a friend recently told me that the trials Richard went through were the sort that create a superhero, were he a fictional hero who had lived through those trials.)
>
> Archetype!Richard resonates with some people, to the point that they end up projecting all sorts of things onto him--which says much more about the person projecting than it does about Richard. We all project onto something/someones in our lives, it's part of how the human brain works. The people talking about Archetype!Richard usually aren't talking about the historical figure because most have never researched the historical figure. Those who have...well, they've chosen sides, just as we have.
>
> Their reasons for doing so are usually a bit emotional and very personal to them, not to Richard. And most can't be budged because the reasons are central to the makeup of their world. As in, "So and so says he's a child-murderer and I feel a deep loathing for child murderers and so a deep loathing for this one, and so obviously so and so is right." Or even, "I really liked the way Cate Blanchette played E1, so I'm loyal to that actress/archetype in my head, and I've researched E1 because of Cate, and therefore I'm loyal to the Tudors, so Richard doesn't stand a chance because the Tudors rule."
>
> I came to R3 when I didn't know what to write about and a professor specializing in E1 suggested R3 as a subject. My first exposure was Tey. My second one was More, and I didn't respond well to the gossipy backstairs tone of the latter. I didn't know he was the sainted More, I only knew he "felt" wrong, and Tey "felt" right.
>
> What I responded to was the man first, and the events of his life next. I've built my own Archetype!Richard in my head, as I suspect a great many amateur fans of Richard do. I freely admit I'm every bit as prejudiced and attached to my "noble" Richard as others are attached to their "evil" Richard.
>
> I don't try to defend him. He convinced me he wasn't Archvillain!Richard years ago. I think his bones may convince others next year. As for those who can't or won't be convinced that he wasn't all that archetype says he was...pfft! that's their loss.
>
> (apologies for the rant)
>
> ~Weds
>
> --- In , "bandyoi" <bandyoi@...> wrote:
> >
> > http://garethrussellcidevant.blogspot.com/2012/09/a-state-funeral-for-richard-iii-dont.html
> >
> > Is he a popular blogger? After visiting several blogs and forums it seems some people still harbor hostile feeling for not only Richard but Ricardians as well. Making me very uncomfortable. The fact some of these blogs have moderately good following makes me feel that we will never be able to get to the " truth" of the matter.........
> > " Ricardians" are almost being touted as the debil's advocate.
> >
>
>