iieee
VIP Member
They havent even said how it ended though?! Maybe don't read the thread if you're so touchy about spoilers.
With respect, it’s not something YOU would do/or imagine SA victims would do which is absolutely fair enough but that doesn’t mean he’s “wrong” for doing so nor does it take away anything that happened to him regardless whether he did this programme and some of the money/fame that goes with it.
This is exactly why he did BR to highlight how there is not a “perfect” victim and often those people that have been through trauma do things that others wouldn’t do or people who have experienced trauma don’t all react the same way. But it doesn’t mean they haven’t and don’t continue to suffer from what happened to them.
I would absolutely love to tell my story as he has regarding my domestic abuse and make money off it because I went though hell and back and my abuser came out of it untocuhed. I have actually used my trauma to run workshops through my work to feel like I have my voice back that he took away from me. But I know full well if I did anything like this, my abuser would use it to his advantage, he would spin it all as lies, he would present himself as the victim and I imagine I’d have peoples views/opinions exactly how you have expressed here “she’s telling half truths” or “why would she do X/Y/Z” or “you wouldn’t do that” honestly, you don’t know what you’d do until you’re in a situation and even then, what you’d do would be totally different to someone else.
This is what I liked about BR, he showed warts and all how trauma effects people and how people do things that others may not understand that can sometimes make situations worse but you do it for various reasons.
I don’t care he’s got money/fame off the back of it, he’s gone through 2 of the worst things anyone can go through and if he can make his life comfortable off the back of his trauma then good for him
I honestly think Richard Gadd is a bit of a fame hungry arse. I think he came across as quite unlikeable in the show. Don’t get me wrong, what he went through was horrendous, but to say he changed the character or Martha so much that she wouldn’t even recognise herself, when he blatantly didn’t, was a bit of a dick move. It was obvious the internet would find her so why lie just so he could take the moral high ground and make it appear as though he’s empathetic to her issues and is trying to protect her identity.
He knew what he was doing with Baby Reindeer and he absolutely knew how the public would react. Nobody is that naive to think it wouldn’t have any kind of backlash
He knew what he was doing with Baby Reindeer and he absolutely knew how the public would react. Nobody is that naive to think it wouldn’t have any kind of backlash
Can’t describe how bizarre it felt when I realised when scrolling on Twitter last night (after watching the show last weekend) that the odd woman who followed me on Twitter in 2016 and liked some of my tweets despite having the complete opposite viewpoints to me was the real life Martha 
goldengyal
Well-known member
That person could have just saved themselves the effort of typing that thread out and us the time of reading it because what exactly is their point?
At no point have I seen RG try to come across as a spectacular, completely healed human being who is incapable of doing any wrong.
It definitely seems like someone trying to get their 15 minutes of fame off the back of the hype about the show and it stinks.
At no point have I seen RG try to come across as a spectacular, completely healed human being who is incapable of doing any wrong.
It definitely seems like someone trying to get their 15 minutes of fame off the back of the hype about the show and it stinks.
swipeupqueen
Chatty Member
Sorry but her latest fb status calling him a 'wee wazzock' has absolutely sent me west with laughter
There is no way that FH isn't Martha, no way at all.
Also...fun fact: Jessica Gunning is from my village so she has done amazing to hide her thick yorkshire accent with Martha's Scottish one!
There is no way that FH isn't Martha, no way at all.
Also...fun fact: Jessica Gunning is from my village so she has done amazing to hide her thick yorkshire accent with Martha's Scottish one!
Hinchhater1442
Chatty Member
I think when Richard said she wouldn’t recognise herself he was right. She can’t see that it’s her, because she doesn’t believe she did all this stuff.
BessieNessie
VIP Member
Now more than ever. Keep it on Tattle. There is a lot of concern about ‘Martha’ and we all hope she gets all the help and support she needs.
Someone nailed it in the last thread. It’s like RG invited the audience to become a part of the show and it’s all going very black mirror.
Someone nailed it in the last thread. It’s like RG invited the audience to become a part of the show and it’s all going very black mirror.
Serene Serena
VIP Member
Nobody should even think about responding to any of her facebook ramblings, let alone engaging with the woman. It's gone from being amusing to being quite disturbing, very very quickly.
Boogs
VIP Member
Richard Gadd has experienced significant trauma which has had a huge impact on him and his behaviour. I think Netflix have potentially been exploitative towards him and ‘Martha’. The one who seems to be getting minimal scrutiny is ‘Darrien’ who is a predatory abuser.
I don't understand why everyone seems to be turning on RG because he portrayed his harrowing experience that affected him and he portayed her exactly as she is in real life. Reason why show is a success in my opinion ,its because he is being real in his part with dealings with Martha, abuse,his own MH was not great after being abused and that contributed how he dealt with his stalker. He also have empathy for her.But that doesn't mean it is somehow okay to make life miserable and stalk,send 40k email,offensive/threatening emails ,messages,make someone's life hell.And people forget RG is not the first person she has done it too. Everyone somehow thinks it's okay for her to do what she did and minimising the damage of her victims. She got away with it and is not hospitalised or in prison,and still didn't have therapy or had any self reflection.The only MH disease I can see is narcissism and thinking I am above everything,this is why she is posting on SM,because she cannot lose a control. SHE IS the one who contacted papers ,and spoke to several ones,she thrives on attention that she doesn't get ,hence she stalks and make inappropriate statements online etc. Her posts that are not about RG are racist, misogynist, offensive - she is not a nice person and hence why she hasn't got friends.
But very first step is for ger to acknowledge she needs help and with someone so delusional and narcissist it won't happen. SHE HAD ZERO empathy when RG revealed he was rapes, she is even making fun and taunting his about it. RG acknowledge he felt sorry for her and that also made him somehow superior and above her.
None of her posts are true, she lies about everything, police, papers,RG etc.people need to stop believing she is having death threats. TWITTER comments will be what they are,noone can stop what people discuss.
But very first step is for ger to acknowledge she needs help and with someone so delusional and narcissist it won't happen. SHE HAD ZERO empathy when RG revealed he was rapes, she is even making fun and taunting his about it. RG acknowledge he felt sorry for her and that also made him somehow superior and above her.
None of her posts are true, she lies about everything, police, papers,RG etc.people need to stop believing she is having death threats. TWITTER comments will be what they are,noone can stop what people discuss.
ActiveLies
VIP Member
I think the show exposes an interesting desire amongst most (not the far more nuanced folk here) that they need a clear cut good vs bad in their entertainment. The fanfare of BR appears to me to be at least somewhat because it challenges their idea that victims are only innocent good people, rather than awful things can happen to even the most awful people.
Martha is clearly awful. That there’s perhaps reason for that is something, but doesn’t detract from how awful she is. But RG is also awful. And there’s absolutely reason for that. Still awful.
I have a somewhat tinfoil hat theory that RG’s deliberately sympathetic depiction of Martha in part rationalises for him why he behaved in the way he did; if the viewer could understand the bits of Martha that weren’t menacing and awful, we’d understand his hesitance in taking proper action etc. And if we could understand and accept it, so too could he. My crackpot theory continues that he knew exactly how the public would respond in trying to track characters down, and in a way prove his point: even decent people can be stalkers. Look at everyone going Martha-lite tracking people down, feverishly waiting for their next move. RG has kinda proven that everyone is just a few steps away from being a slightly obsessed, should know better, over the top interest in someone else kook.
I think at his core, RG is still very very self loathing. His insistence that Martha was a victim too helps him explain to himself what happened to him. That maybe he played a part in it. Maybe she wasn’t that bad. All of the things he likely had to convince himself of in the aftermath of his grooming and abuse at the hands of Darrien. I think RG has the right to tell his story, express himself through art, and cash in from Netflix however he damn well likes, but I think the bravery tag would be more appropriate if he were to make a report against his rapist.
Martha is clearly awful. That there’s perhaps reason for that is something, but doesn’t detract from how awful she is. But RG is also awful. And there’s absolutely reason for that. Still awful.
I have a somewhat tinfoil hat theory that RG’s deliberately sympathetic depiction of Martha in part rationalises for him why he behaved in the way he did; if the viewer could understand the bits of Martha that weren’t menacing and awful, we’d understand his hesitance in taking proper action etc. And if we could understand and accept it, so too could he. My crackpot theory continues that he knew exactly how the public would respond in trying to track characters down, and in a way prove his point: even decent people can be stalkers. Look at everyone going Martha-lite tracking people down, feverishly waiting for their next move. RG has kinda proven that everyone is just a few steps away from being a slightly obsessed, should know better, over the top interest in someone else kook.
I think at his core, RG is still very very self loathing. His insistence that Martha was a victim too helps him explain to himself what happened to him. That maybe he played a part in it. Maybe she wasn’t that bad. All of the things he likely had to convince himself of in the aftermath of his grooming and abuse at the hands of Darrien. I think RG has the right to tell his story, express himself through art, and cash in from Netflix however he damn well likes, but I think the bravery tag would be more appropriate if he were to make a report against his rapist.
justonemorepage
VIP Member
I watched him and Jessica on Lorraine before I watched the show and he was adamant he'd concealed her identity but I thought it was odd as he'd played himself so surely she'd know? I then thought maybe she was dead and that's why he decided to tell the story now after so long.
He could have changed so much and still kept true to the original story. He also could have cast someone else to play him but I think his hubris wouldn't let him. He so desperately wanted fame. I hope it was worth it. He's pretty much sold his soul.
It's now taken away from the original message of his story which I thought was very important, especially for male victims. Now it feels icky.
He could have changed so much and still kept true to the original story. He also could have cast someone else to play him but I think his hubris wouldn't let him. He so desperately wanted fame. I hope it was worth it. He's pretty much sold his soul.
It's now taken away from the original message of his story which I thought was very important, especially for male victims. Now it feels icky.
ButtonDownTheHutches
VIP Member
I’d take that Twitter thread with a giant side-order of salt. Person A & Person B went on a couple of dates, they didn’t hit it off, their personalities did not align, nothing happened between them, they went their separate ways. Person A’s therapist offers a remote diagnosis of Person B despite having never met them and based solely on hearsay. Person B acquires a degree of fame/acclaim, Person A recounts the non-story of the nothing much that didn’t happen between them. 
CaptainHolt
Active member
At no point whilst watching, with the exception of episode 4, did I feel sympathy for him. That is why I enjoyed the program, it's laying out a story about some very damaged people and as a viewer you're seeing all the shades of grey - he hasn't even portrayed himself as a victim, instead laying bare the absolute chaos of leading Martha on (having a wank over her pic!) and his return to his abuser with no real explanation as to why he went there.
I'm very lucky to not be the victim of SA or stalking so I'm very much on the outside looking in and I kept thinking "but why are you doing xyz!?" and "why doesn't he tell xyz!?" and feeling infuriated at his lack of positive action. However that's his point isn't it - he was so messed up for various reasons that logic went out of the window and he acted purely on making himself feel something - be that love, lust, sadness, fear, excitement, etc. In the process he used Martha's obsession with him to his own ends and he treated Teri appallingly.
So this stuff coming out about him being an unpleasant person - it isn't a surprise is it, he laid it all bare. A SA victim is a victim regardless of whether they are a nice person or not.
I'm very lucky to not be the victim of SA or stalking so I'm very much on the outside looking in and I kept thinking "but why are you doing xyz!?" and "why doesn't he tell xyz!?" and feeling infuriated at his lack of positive action. However that's his point isn't it - he was so messed up for various reasons that logic went out of the window and he acted purely on making himself feel something - be that love, lust, sadness, fear, excitement, etc. In the process he used Martha's obsession with him to his own ends and he treated Teri appallingly.
So this stuff coming out about him being an unpleasant person - it isn't a surprise is it, he laid it all bare. A SA victim is a victim regardless of whether they are a nice person or not.
squishbish
Well-known member
Imo she admitted it was her from the first post, she literally said “some fat ugly woman called Martha being played by an actress pretending to be me”
