Believe in Sherlock Holmes & Stand with John Watson

[Carol the Dabbler]

This discussion began with a comment (see quote below) on another (unrelated) thread, and seems to be taking on a life of its own.

 

 

"We stand with John Watson because we believe in Sherlock Holmes!"

 

Hadn't heard that particular version before -- I like it! (Though I can certainly think of additional reasons for standing with John Watson .... )

[SherLOCKED221]

Really it’s just a combination of "I stand with John Watson" and "I believe in Sherlock Holmes".

Than I just changed "I" to "We".

Its a bit of a personal motto, (at the moment anyway), appart from Brainy is the New Sexy and I can't help liking "Every fairy tale needs a good old fashioned villain"

 

I tend to just smash the quotes together and try and find a middle ground.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Really it’s just a combination of "I stand with John Watson" and "I believe in Sherlock Holmes".

 

I've seen "I believe in Sherlock Holmes" all over the place, but this is the first time I've seen "I stand with John Watson." It has a nice ring to it, but what specifically does it mean? I realize that Sherlock's reputation has been attacked (thus explaining "I believe...") -- but is John being attacked as well?

[SherLOCKED221]

Oh!

"I stand with John Watson" well...Basically we (fans of Sherlock who believe he wasn't a fraud) assume that John Watson is campaigning Sherlock wasn't a fraud and "Moriarty was Real" so when I say "I/We stand with John Watson" we mean that we are supporting John in his campaign. We are often called "Watson Warriors" the army of John Watson that fight for the truth to be known about Sherlock.

 

If you Google 'I believe in Sherlock Holmes' you'll get to see our work. Most of us write on bathroom walls etc. #IbeliveinSherlockHomes (or other versions of this).

I don't condone graffiti but some of iit does look great.

Support Sherlock Holmes and become a Watson Warrior!

[Carol the Dabbler]

As mentioned, I've seen a certain amount of the "I Believe in Sherlock Holmes" campaign (and "Moriarty Was Real," etc.). OK, so "I Stand with John Watson" is a logical extension of that alternative-universe concept.

 

As you say, graffiti is obnoxious. (I can state this as fact, having had to clean some -- not mine! -- off a restroom wall.) But of course there are more benign alternatives, such as notices pinned on bulletin boards or utility poles, post-it notes on walls, tee shirts, buttons, etc. And "I Believe in Sherlock Holmes" is certainly an improvement over the usual little restroom ditties!

 

Despite my huge respect for the character John Watson, I'm having a bit of trouble getting myself into that alternative-universe mindset (feeling just a bit silly) -- though heaven knows I spend enough time in my own mental alternative universe, where John sometimes wanders in (and is always welcome!).

 

Do you know if there's an "I Stand with John Watson" tee shirt? I would wear it merely to offer my moral support to John (fictitious though he may be), since I'm sure that he and Sherlock will manage the logistics just fine without me!

[SherLOCKED221]

It's not like I'm out campaining like the rest of us, but I support John in my own way.

 

About the T-shirts, there is alot of 'I belive in Sherlock Homes' but I don't think 'I stand with John Watson' is as popular.

However 'Watson's Warriors' is a tad more. See below for where you could get a T-shirt. Not sure about the styles as tumber refuses to load. If not your style you could always try to make your own. All you need is a silk screen, ink, a idea and a t-shirt! I've done it once or twice and its not that hard. Do it for anything you want!

 

(sorry about the size, it wont let me load anthing bigger!)

[Carol the Dabbler]

Thanks! I can just about read the URL on that third image, but not quite. Please tell me what it says.

 

My husband found a tee-shirt web site a while back that had LOADS of Sherlock stuff (and some Hobbit things too!). I believe they made the shirts on demand, rather than stockpiling them ahead of time, because you could pick the design, the style of shirt, and even the color (which I really appreciate, since none of the popular tee colors look good on me). But then my bookmarks got wiped out. I'll try to find the site again and see what they have.

[SherLOCKED221]

sherlocknyc.com (appears to be in New York!)

 

However I belive it would be better if you found that site than shared it!

I've never bought from these people and I'm warry!

[aely]

I got a wristband for not-christmas with "I believe in Sherlock Holmes" in white on the outside and "Moriarty was real" in black on the inside.

 

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzcohq0mCy1rp7sixo1_r1_500.jpg

[SherLOCKED221]

Very lovely.

Although I fear the white paint will fade/rub off like so many other wristbands I've owned.

[aely]

I've had my SOPHIE band for years, wear it all the time when I'm not in work and that hasn't faded, so I live in hope that this one won't either.

 

http://www.illamasqua.com/shop/products/sophie/sophie-wrist-bands

[SherLOCKED221]

*crosses fingers* I hope it doesn't too!

[EvigMidnat]

their proffesionally made, the SOPHIE bands and the I Believe in Sherlock both,

I didn't do it but i was thinking about trying to get some printed for a fandom a while back (but i could never get enough interest) and the girl who does the Sherlock ones gets em made special

[SolitaryCyclist]

I just received my "I AM SHER- LOCKED" T-shirt from Cafe Press. The lettering on the shirt is the same format as Irene's phone; white lettering on black. They had literally pages of Sherlock and John themed shirts. Here is a link:

 

http://www.cafepress.com/+sherlock+t-shirts

 

Enjoy!

[Carol the Dabbler]

Beth, I am glad you posted that information. I suspect that Cafe Press is the mystery source that I mentioned before. If so, I have been tempted by their assortment of Sherlock shirts, but was discouraged by some people's reports of poor quality of the shirt itself and/or the printing. How is the quality of yours?

[SolitaryCyclist]

The quality is fine. This is the second shirt I've ordered from them. The first was my Husband's Christmas gift (a geek-oriented shirt), and he love it.

[Carol the Dabbler]

From another thread:

But it was Dr. John H. Watson who first penned that sentiment in his blog following Sherlock's "Fall" from the roof of St. Bart's.

He was my best friend and I'll always believe in him.

Fandom picked it up and ran with it....

That's an excellent point, Fox.

 

 

In addition to John's blog, there's another official (i.e., non-fan) thing that could conceivably be considered an inspiration for the "I believe in Sherlock Holmes" theme, at least here in the US. When PBS runs a Sherlock episode, they don't use the original end credits, they create their own, in which they highlight an occasional letter in bright red. If you put 'em all together, they spell something, and in the case of "The Reichenbach Fall," the secret message was "believe."

 

A lot of people probably don't even notice the red letters (I didn't till "Hounds"), and I realize that one word is far short of the complete sentence -- yet the implication is there. I think the closest thing in the actual episode was John's statement^*, "...no-one will ever convince me that you told me a lie," but that doesn't use the key word.

 

I'm not suggesting that the PBS credits could have been responsible for the entire phenomenon -- it might even have been inspired by the beginnings of the fan campaign in the UK -- but it could conceivably have fanned the flames a bit over here.

 

^* exact quote thanks to Ariane DeVere

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

I would guess it was influenced by the British wave since America gets it later on. Just a hunch. I wonder if the credits are included on the DVDs? I never noticed.

[Carol the Dabbler]

No, even the region 1 DVDs have the original credits -- AND the complete episodes (no PBS cuts!).

 

I'd be tempted to make the same guess. Can anyone tell us roughly when the fan thing started? If it started before May, perhaps the Hartswood and/or BBC people noticed it, and asked PBS to give it some encouragement.

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

The movement began sometime in 2011. By Jan. 2012 it was in full swing. If you go to #BelieveinSherlock Movement. It has everything every one would want to know about it. There is even a link to a Tumblr that includes a world map. It's amazing what people will do for someone they feel has been wronged and is a hero. Even if said person is purely fictional.

[Carol the Dabbler]

I believe that's a Twitter hashtag, but I have no idea what to do with it. Any chance you could post an "old-fashioned" link to that page, for those of us who are Twitter-impaired?

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

I'm just learning to do those so hang on while I give it the old college try.

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

http://www.tor.com/blogs/2012/01/

 

 

 

This link will take you Tor.com blog archive page for January 2012. Scroll down until you come to Monday 30th. The blog you want is the third one down authored by Emily Asher-Perrin.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Thanks, Fox -- your explicit directions worked admirably, and here's a direct link to that specific page.

 

Your "2011" must be a typo, considering that "Reichenbach" didn't air in the UK till January of 2012. Emily's blog of January 30th says the movement started "barely two weeks" ago, which jibes nicely with my recollected air date of the 15th.

 

She mentions something else that I'd been wondering about:

 

There is some debate as to whether this is a marketing campaign stemming from the BBC and the possibility remains that this is exactly how this started.... But however the origin, such a movement could not have become so visible if the excitement and devotion to Sherlock wasn’t already there.

This phenomenon does remind me of the "Save Star Trek" campaigns of the late 60's, which appeared to be spontaneous, but were largely orchestrated from behind the scenes by Gene Roddenberry. And I suspect that Moftiss are at least as manipulative lovably clever as Roddenberry was -- just sayin'.

 

Pretty cool regardless, though. And yeah, the movement could easily have inspired that PBS "believe" message.

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

Good for you in providing the direct link to the article. I tried but tor.com kept telling me this blog could not be found.

 

It is kind of erksome to think that wildly popular producers like Roddenberry and Moftiss would think that they had to resort to such tactics....if they were indeed responsible.