Sgian-dubh

added about 11 hours, 34 minutes, 50 seconds ago

I just needed to get this off my chest.

I'm reading the complaints from fans about the auction of the series' costumes, and I think something needs clarifying…

These pieces are copies. A film or series' wardrobe is never made up of unique pieces due to potential damage or misuse. In fact, extras and stunt doubles wear the same outfits as the main actor. Rest assured that the most important costumes will be preserved, and many of them will be stored in a warehouse where they will be inventoried and reused for future period productions.

There are many specialized warehouses that rent and care for these costumes, and if you're observant, you'll notice that many of the costumes you've seen in other productions appear, slightly modified or exactly as they were made, in other series or films.

Cornejo, in Spain, is one of the leading tailors specializing in period productions. I've visited their facilities, and they are enormous. They have costumes from films and series like Ben-Hur, Game of Thrones, and Pirates of the Caribbean, to name a few.

If you're curious, visit their website 😉

yourpublishingprofessor

😬

PS: meanwhile, the Mommies' Brigade...

theoutlandercollector

Even with 'Erself's dubious base material, this could have been so, so much better.

Hi Anon. I saw a screenshot, and if you look closely, her whole blog reads like fanfiction. Healer? Wiccan? Herbalist? I know real witches—people whose social media (or even personal interactions) would never suggest they know the meaning of "coven," let alone practice ancient lore.

Well, maybe it’s just a wish (one that will never come true) to be like Claire or... Caitríona Balfe????? That might explain the obsession with Sam and his love life, by the way.

Then again, maybe this person is so excited about posting photos and videos of other people's children that she hasn't stopped to consider the possibility that the adults involved finally decided to do the obvious thing: not expose a child on social media. I’ve always found the mother’s over-exposure of the child strange, especially since the father doesn't seem like the type who wants his kids exposed to his own fandom.

So, if *La Dame Blanche’s* family sees no issue with exposing every step the kids take online—and she doesn't think it's wrong—then I feel sorry for the children, but that’s her decision regarding her own kids. However, if she,Purv, or the others think it’s ethical to expose *other people's* children, then I find that questionable. Ireland ran a great campaign about exposing children online, and I think the fact that Caitríona doesn't expose her son is the right call. If Caitríona—who is incredibly famous and acclaimed for her work and awards—can manage that, then an ordinary person with no fame, fans, or established career can certainly do it too.

Speaking of La Dame Blanche, Halloween is approaching, and here are some costume suggestions—in case anyone wants to dress up but can't quite pull off the *Outlander* look because they aren't as beautiful as Caitríona Balfe:

Being in the same place is not the same thing as being in a relationship.

We've known Sam for almost 13 years. We know he's expressive. We know he's tactile. He hugs people, touches people, puts an arm around friends, strangers and fans without thinking twice. Warmth has never seemed difficult for him to show.

So even if, for some reason, he were consciously avoiding physical contact with Steph, whether for privacy (something she herself doesn't seem particularly interested in) or for any other strange reason, it's hard to believe that someone with such a glass face would be able to hide every trace of warmth or affection in every single interaction.

Even statistically, it just doesn't make sense:

After an entire year of highly public events, many attended by Sam's most dedicated fans, with hundreds of professional cameras and phone cameras pointed at them from every angle, we still don't have a single candid photo that unmistakably captures what most people would recognize as couple like behavior.

In both of this week’s ‘Deux Moi’ segments, there are only the two adults shown or mentioned. This contrasts sharply with what has been or is being leaked on other platforms.

Does anyone really wonder how this came about? Perhaps a person’s (not quite so) glamorous or glorious past isn’t suitable for the general public?

That's a really good question, Anon.

I touched on part of it in my previous answer, but I'll expand a little here.

First of all, I don't believe Sam is paying her directly. What I do think is that she works in some capacity for one his and Alex's companies.

A few weeks ago, I wrote a much longer post explaining why I came to that conclusion, so I won't repeat all of it here. But a large part of it comes down to Alex.

Their relationship has always struck me as unusually familiar, especially considering how little time they've supposedly spent together. Why does she turn to him? Why is he almost always there? Why does he often seem to act as a buffer between her and Sam?

He is the one talking to her. He was the one looking after her at the New York premiere. During the Tartan Day parade, most of the communication seemed to go through him.

There are quite a few examples, and if you're interested, you can find the full post on my blog.

As for the NDAs you mentioned, I honestly don't think that's what's happening.

Let's look at it another way.

How many people do you think Caitriona's son has met in the five years since he was born? Doctors, teachers, childcare workers, other parents, family friends... probably hundreds of people.

I highly doubt any of them were asked to sign an NDA.

And yet there isn't a single public photo of him and no one even knows his name.

Why?

Because people around her respect her privacy.

I think the same applies to their relationship. More importantly, I don't think the people around them have been treating it like some big secret. They simply don't go around talking about it.

Regarding Starz, I do think it's possible they had some involvement in the beginning. There was definitely a point where something seemed to shift, and it's entirely possible someone gave them advice or made recommendations.

But I don't think it was only them or that what we're seeing now is being dictated by Starz.

I think keeping a relationship private in this fandom is almost a survival strategy.

If I were in that position, I'd probably do exactly the same.

In fact, Sam himself has said something very similar before, that if they were in a relationship, they wouldn't tell.

And she clearly packed light.

First of all, I want to apologize to everyone who has sent me anons over the past few days. I’ve been a little short on time, so I haven’t managed to answer everything, and realistically I probably won’t get to all of them. So, I’m sorry about that.

As for this specific anon, I honestly have no idea what her actual living situation is, or which animals belong to her and which don’t. As far as I know, she has at least one dog. The rest could very well belong to the farm or to someone else entirely.

But you did touch on something I find genuinely interesting, and I think it’s a point that often gets overlooked in this fandom.

Where does she actually make her living?

She doesn’t appear to be working. She removed every contact method from her “business” Instagram account. As far as I know, she hasn’t taken clients through that platform for a very long time, if ever.

So if she’s not working as a therapist, where is the income coming from?

Obviously there’s child support, and I have no idea what arrangements exist there. And I also don’t think her late husband left behind the kind of fortune that would comfortably support both her and her daughter for nearly two years.

So it’s a genuine question.

Where is the money coming from?

I think my opinion on this is pretty well known by now.

I have very little doubt that this circus is her job.

Whatever the arrangement may be with Sam through his businesses, I do believe she’s being paid.

I assume that includes travel, expenses, and whatever other perks come with the role.

Because I simply don’t believe that, even if Sam were genuinely her boyfriend, he would financially support both her and her daughter for over a year.

And if that were the situation, I wouldn’t exactly consider it the picture of a healthy relationship either.

So yes, I think this is her job. And to be fair, I actually think she does it quite well. She clearly puts in the work.

William Congreve

Oh, noble beast of Scottish hills, with ginger fringe and pride,

You graze beneath the heavy rain upon the mountain side.

But oh, how modern motherhood has left you far behind,

To higher human wisdom you are tragically blind.

For you remain within the field, a firm and steady rock,

Providing boring structure to your unadventurous flock.

A modern human mother knows a grander way to live:

To pack a suitcase in a rush, with not a damn to give.

She’ll cross the wide Atlantic and she’ll change the time and zone,

Disrupting school and routine for a man she's barely known.

But you, dull cow, refuse to move across the heathered space,

Just to preserve a little calf’s familiar, quiet place.

You’d never take your tender calf to noisy pubs at night,

Nor to a crowded festival beneath the flashing light,

Just because you loathed the thought of sitting home alone,

And wished to mingle with the crowd and make your presence known.

You miss the social calendar, the elite pasture trends,

To shield your baby from the noise, away from modern friends.

And should a handsome, roaring bull come stepping through the green,

The finest, fiercest specimen the Highlands ever seen,

You would not feed the suitor first while hungry babies cry,

Nor please a fleeting boyfriend’s whim while hours pass you by.

To put a helpless infant’s needs above a romance new?

What an archaic, foolish thing for any mother to do.

So stay within your heavy coat, you simple Scottish beast,

Where devotion to your offspring has not withered in the least.

While in our high society, the clever humans find

Where real children well being are easily and quickly left behind.

She always pops up around one of his events, and she always makes sure everyone knows when she's nearby, especially after he's reportedly been spotted somewhere and she just happens to be in the area. I guess that's part of the job.