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Long but worthwhile link.
So okay. In sum. Over the weekend, the Sherlock team held a screening of the next season's first episode with a Q&A. The moderator, a journalist who likes to appear edgy, took a derisive tone overall, saddling the stars with an impromptu reading of a fan-written story, and mocking the fans and the enterprise of fan fiction.
Two things about journalists/reporters/media.
Thing one: the dichotomy between fans who like to create work based on a popular show, and the people being paid to do so, isn't actually there. In this case, the show itself is fan fiction riffing on the original canon. And one of the showrunners has done work under a pseudonym. The media would like to have the story of two sides pitted against each other, but it really doesn't seem to exist. It seems to me that the problem is a chip on the shoulder of critics against creators.
Thing two: the non-stop press cavalcade needs to stop. There's an Internet. There's Skype. There are green screens. Even if you're not Beyonce and you need a bit of promotion, why on earth must artists be salesmen and go on rounds? I'd much prefer if they were able to focus on their job, and maybe did one long, relaxed interview. Cut that up and syndicate it for promotion, then put the whole thing in the extras to give people another reason to purchase. Let's maybe stop treating talent quite so much like performing monkeys and be grateful for the few artists who are actually gifted.
Saturday’s madness with the Empty House screening was the not just the last straw, but a turning point....