Bettany Hughes as Muse: Online Blog series Entries.

[Betts_Fan]

Entry 1:


So, as many of you already know I am a writer (and an avid reader of all things book-shaped) not to mention a fan of Bettany's TV shows.
So why is it that Bettany is not just a fantastic role-model but also a muse? That's the question I will be attempting to answer.
Well, for me it comes in three parts: Bettany as a historian, Bettany as a writer and Bettany as herself. A human woman who is not just gorgeous in looks but has the smarts to match.
Bettany the Historian:
What to say? Let me put it simply: Sappho, Helen Of Troy, Socrates... all 3 have been talked about by Bettany and as a result, despite a lack of evidence in some cases, come to life as people of our past. She not just looks at places but people too and I find this approach far more interesting than cut and dried historical texts, I like the feel of the way she writes as if they are humans she's met. She literally brings history to life.
Bettany the Writer:
I've already touched on this above. Bettany is an amazing writer and she brings history to life. She paints vivid pictures and seems to know these people as friends, I find that this inspires even the least interested reader, My father in fact, to read. He's fallen in love with the way she writes and we are both wishing we had more than 2 books to read of hers.
Bettany as herself:
Bettany herself is beautiful, stunning in fact, smart and incredibly unashamed of being 'a huge history geek'. This fact seems to make even the most confused person like her. She isn't afraid to dress well, take care of her looks or just leave her hair and skin as is. She does have moments of looking like a wild woman but it works. Why? She has the confidence to pull it off.
So, this is a very basic (and broad lined) description of why I find her a muse worthy of adoration and admiration... why do you like her?

As you have probably guessed I will be updating with the entries as I do them... I thought I'd share them here for you all to see.

[Unitof1]

hello bet, I tried to up load a video from my computer of a crop sprayer tring to spray in the same field that i was undertaking an evaluation- this is the second time it has happened this year, but I found that you can upload pictures but not video. To upload video it has to be on utub first. so i am sorry that i will not be able to help with the video contribution. but it would still be nice if you could incorporate death by being sprayed by crop sprayers to a bit of Sappho, Helen Of Troy, Socrates.

When you say stunning do you mean it..... you dont come accross as if you care..(why do you like her?)

[Betts_Fan]

I'll definately try to get a blog written on that soon.

Yes I mean it.

Why do I like her? Well, see the above. I just can't help but find her inspiring.

[Unitof1]

Shes not very interesting at all. She present brands of history I would say in a pointless way. Visit location- gush, visit another location- gush. I presume because as soon as I see a location I normally switch over. yes she is not unattractive, I think smart should be considered average of humans, women included. There was a time when reading about Sappho, Helen Of Troy, Socrates may have put you in a 1% of bracket- but we can all google it now.



She isn't afraid to dress well, take care of her looks or just leave her hair and skin as is. She does have moments of looking like a wild woman but it works. Why? She has the confidence to pull it off.

are you sure that its not a bluff, I think that she may be hung over after a little to much local shepard boy on a mountain next to a stream

[trowelfodder]

Is this thread a joke?

[Kel]

Shh! We're watching him invent archaeoslash!


...... on second thoughts..... *shudder* :0

[BAJR]

Warning to Unit. Remember the AUP this is coming up to a second warning. which leads to a ban.

[Betts_Fan]

No, this thread is not a joke at all.

[trowelfodder]

So are you intending to post your blog on bajr or are you going to do us all a favour and use your own site to advertise her?

[Odinn]

So are you intending to post your blog on bajr or are you going to do us all a favour and use your own site to advertise her?
I think you are being overly harsh here. You don't have to click on all the posts on the forum, you know. Just ignore any with Bettany Hughes in the title and let those that are interested read them.

[Betts_Fan]

Thank you Odinn, and yes, I will be adding new blogs soon. Funnily enough I've been on a course lately so I've been working on several things at once. Which is why this is taking so long.

[diggingthedirt]

Awesome Thread - Keep it Up Bettsy!

[Betts_Fan]

Thanks diggingthedirt! :) New update should be done tonight.

[Sith]

..let those that are interested read them.

I wouldn't say I was 'interested' rather than strangely fascinated. I would, however, be interested to hear what makes BH a better TV historian than any of the others who are currently in vogue:

'Whispering' Neil Oliver
Michael 'the scarf' Wood
Dan (Grosvenor-)Snow

For me, no one did it better than David Oxley.

[Betts_Fan]

Well, in terms of 'current' people I think Bettany manages to actually inspire people to be interested in history. At least from what I've seen people who I've shown clips of other historians actually turn them off almost straight away but actually listen to Bettany. I think it has to do with her passion for her work where others seem to be too 'awe-struck' to actually talk like a natural born historian would. This is only my personal opinion of course and if others prefer other historians that's fine. Just kindly don't try to bash mine.

For those of you who think that last bit is a little bit shirty, you should see how some of the people have been talking in my livejournal account.

[mpoole]

I'm not a big fan of Bettany, but I love your enthusiasm for her work and the way you present it in a very positive way without being obsequious. You're always going to get people who will be snippy, shirty or just pain nasty but you have to accept that there are a lot of keyboard heroes out there. Keep on with your blog, and ignore them. I'm more a Neil Oliver fan but I'm not going to dismiss someone else because they don't follow The Way of Oliver.

[Betts_Fan]

Thank you mpoole. I try to be nice as much as possible and to be fair to Oliver he's one of my favourite male historians, I just find Bettany easier to watch/listen to for a long time.

:)

[mpoole]

I tried to watch her last night, but we had to change the channel because her method of delivery is a bit too Jeremy Vine, wherein she cannot look directly AT the camera. Drives me crazy. Still, what she had to say was well-presented, which beats the Starkey method of stomping pompousity.

[Bettany_Fan]

She does need to learn to befriend the camera... at least, I think so, still I am a fan... she's not too boring and frankly, kinda cute when she wants to be.

(Cue Betts_Fan having a rant at me when she finally comes back here)

[Archaeological_Fan]

You mean if she does... right?