fandom-frenzy replied to your post: fandom-frenzy replied to your post:…

Oh no, I meant since the new seasons started up in ‘05. Cardiff has been a main place for various DW episodes, and then the spinoff of Torchwood was based there. So any fans traveling to DW sites would make it a major place to be, hence economy boom.

Ah, I see what you mean. Yes, I would imagine that Cardiff does indeed have its fair share of Who tourists, just like other areas in the UK, especially if they can actually see the locations used and it’s not just a general “oh, we just filmed somewhere in Cardiff”. That’s what I mean, I think Cardiff is almost feeding into its own importance in the DW world, by thinking it needs to have a Who actor to present it, and my feeling is…. it’s not like no one doesn’t know it’s filmed there….. it’s just seems to be like an advertising thing more than anything else. *shrugs* But that’s just me… if I could think of another example I would, and I’d be feeling the same. Maybe if they roll out a Beatle for Liverpool it would be like “why?? Do people not understand the importance of Liverpool throughout the centuries? The history? Why an aged singer who hasn’t been back in Liverpool for years? Is that all Liverpool has to say for itself?”

So fear not. ‘Tis just not just DW that feels my wrath on this occasion. Rawr.

medal-heads reblogged your post: montanabohemian replied to your post: kitoky…

This is a great analysis of the commercialization of the Olympic Games. Before knowing this, I figured that if they…

To be honest, I don’t have a problem with the celebrity sportsmen and women taking part. Some of them were involved in getting us the Olympics, and many of them have been training hard for years to get into the Olympics, so I feel as the Olympics is about sporting people, it is only right and fair that the torch route is dotted with our Olympians past and present. The coverage I have seen on the BBC has been following the route of the torch no matter who is holding it, and admittedly they have spoken to the sporting person sometimes longer than the ordinary civilian… I guess you might say the BBC feel that is what the general public want?

But the non-sporting celebrities have no place running with the torch UNLESS they too have got the credentials to prove that they have been doing as much for their local area as the ordinary torch bearer. And this doesn’t mean they bugger off from the city as soon as they make it, and THEN come back crowing how much they love their town. If you can’t find a sporting celebrity for every major town and city, then fine, use only the local people, and not any old celebrity.

Now if Alan Rickman came to my town, would I throw a rotten tomato at him and run him out of town? No, but you wouldn’t hear me say not once, that it was right that he should be there (unless he had been secretly doing good things in my town… which I doubt… it’s still the same old dump as ever!)

sulagna reblogged your post: montanabohemian replied to your post: kitoky…

This is a great analysis of the commercialization of the Olympic Games. Personally, I figure if they won’t do an actual…

To be honest, I don’t have a problem with the celebrity sportsmen and women taking part. Some of them were involved in getting us the Olympics, and many of them have been training hard for years to get into the Olympics, so I feel as the Olympics is about sporting people, it is only right and fair that the torch route is dotted with our Olympians past and present. The coverage I have seen on the BBC has been following the route of the torch no matter who is holding it, and admittedly they have spoken to the sporting person sometimes longer than the ordinary civilian… I guess you might say the BBC feel that is what the general public want?

But the non-sporting celebrities have no place running with the torch UNLESS they too have got the credentials to prove that they have been doing as much for their local area as the ordinary torch bearer. And this doesn’t mean they bugger off from the city as soon as they make it, and THEN come back crowing how much they love their town. If you can’t find a sporting celebrity for every major town and city, then fine, use only the local people, and not any old celebrity.

Now if Alan Rickman came to my town, would I throw a rotten tomato at him and run him out of town? No, but you wouldn’t hear me say not once, that it was right that he should be there (unless he had been secretly doing good things in my town… which I doubt… it’s still the same old dump as ever!)

fandom-frenzy replied to your post: montanabohemian replied to your post: kitoky…

Well, and not only is DW a huge thing in British culture, it had to be madly helpful for Cardiff’s economy. I would be astonished if it didn’t boost it. So that might more explain why Cardiff chose him to run there.

*weeps*

I don’t know how to answer that, but all I can say is it ain’t part of my culture! XD XD

To be honest, people have less than 48 now to get their bottoms over to Cardiff. Depending on where they’re coming from in the UK, and as it looks like people had little warning, chances are it would only be local people anyway, or people from Wales who were already planning a great turn out for their capitol. I can’t honestly see his being there adding that much to it, considering all the stuff Cardiff has got planned anyway to bring out the crowds. I fear it is more of a gimmick than anything.  

montanabohemian replied to your post: montanabohemian replied to your post: kitoky…

My only thinking on why Matt was chosen is b/c at least to my mind, DW is something of a British institution (as much as you hate it). Otherwise, I agree with you completely. But Will.I.Am?! WTF. I do not understand.

At the end of the day Doctor Who is just a TV show. I adore Downton Abbey, but I’m yet to believe no matter how much we British drool over it, and the rest of the world hyperventilate at it, that it is an institution. I feel the same way with DW, except that they are able to package it and sell it better (would I buy a plastic model of DA characters yep, I would if I had the chance), and people can say “oh, it must be a big British thing because it’s been going for so long”. The six year olds playing with their Tardis know only one kind of Doctor Who, the modern kind. So… I understand what you mean and how you view it is obviously very different from me… but there are SO many awesome things about Britain, so many…… yet Doctor Who rears its head….and it’s like “what’s Britain, oh that place where Doctor Who comes from”.

Apparently the Black Eyed Peas had to step in and carry the torch or something as well. I’m not sure if it was planned, but I’m sure they could have grabbed a non-celebrity. 0.o

I honestly had no idea that so many celebrities not from the sporting world or even the UK were carrying the torch. It looks like reading old newspaper articles from 2010 that people were afraid this would happen.

montanabohemian replied to your post: kitoky replied to your post: I think I’m a pretty…

I guess Matt Smith is the one. You know I’m a DW fan but honestly? I’m surprised that he actually agreed to it. I don’t know how the whole Torch run is decided, but he could’ve declined, let someone else do it. I don’t really care though in any case.

well the idea was, with the exception of the sporting people, olympians, paralympians etc, the 8000 torch bearers would consist of ordinary people who are exceptional in some way or are doing great things for their community. Two of the four people who are holding the torch in my town are charity workers, the other is a long time nurse and the last is a young man who is doing really good work on a local radio station. But there are lifesavers and care workers, firemen, charity workers etc…. so it does kinda annoy me (Ok, it *REALLY* annoys me) that Cardiff has chosen someone a) not native to their city let alone their country (although there are two not from my town running here…. o.0) and b) someone who is just on a popular TV show. But then again I don’t really agree with the band Muse carrying the torch either, but at least they ran in their home town. And why the hell Will.I.Am was running I have no idea! He isn’t even British!

I think I would have dealt with this DW invasion better had it not been incredibly commercial that Matt Smith was going to be in Cardiff… I mean… what a coincidence!

kitoky replied to your post: I think I’m a pretty tolerant person. Even with…

I have to agree with the hype over David Tennant in general.

Thank you. You are a rose in the wilderness around here. I’ve just heard that the official Doctor Who twitter page has mentioned that someone Who related will be carrying the Olympic torch through Cardiff at the weekend but they haven’t mentioned who it will be. If it’s not some sick joke, I think I’ll be renouncing my country and the human race.

When I think of all the non-sporting people, all the non-sporting groups who will have NOTHING to do with the Olympic torch, and yet they are all more important and more worthy than some sci-fi fandom and its actors… it really makes me question a lot of things about my country. I guess at the end of the day it’s all about more money rolling in for the BBC… the more Doctor Who they slap onto our screens to beam to all the hyperventilating fans, the happier they’ll be.

I guess I should be counting my lucky stars that the Olympic logo was not the Tardis and the merchandise is not covered with David Tennant and Matt Smith. 

Because of course, they really do represent OUR Olympics and OUR country.

YES! Even more things for me to look for and try and buy off eBay. Considering everyone is always harping on about buying things made in America, and these stamps are made in the USA, you’d think the USPS would be HAPPY to know foreigners would like to buy their stamps and collectables LEGITIMATELY and FROM THEM, rather than go onto eBay… but whatever. If they don’t want to ship to the UK, I’m happy to take my money elsewhere.

Still need to get the Cherry Blossom stamps/sets but I found a ton of them on eBay cheap last night, so….