*Shudder*

[felineranger]

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

Comments

[kahvi]

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]

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]

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]

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

[cassiopeia13]

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]

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. 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]

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]

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]

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. ;)

[tawg]

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.

[tawg]

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.