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Post by snacky on May 25, 2014 6:17:59 GMT
Weren't Victorians supposed to go way overboard being all pasty white? Wasn't that what all the big hats were about? Weren't the women all pale and swooning? Weren't the men neurasthenic? I just realized people on MM tend to have beach tans.
You might attribute that to frontier society, being in Canada. But I have a vague memory of Little House on the Prairie Books, where Ma Ingalls freaked out if her girls didn't wear their bonnets because they would get "brown as Indians". So the European cultural prejudices prevailed even out on the prairie, amongst the buffalo.
Now I know Yannick loves mountain biking, and he can sort of explain it away as the active life of a bicycling policeman in Sunny Toronto (somehow that sounds wrong). But what about Helene/Julia? Shouldn't she be paler than her morgue?
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Post by wildhorseannie on May 25, 2014 18:43:41 GMT
Interesting observation! I guess the actors are only willing to go so far...I know I would hate to look pasty-white all the time! Plus, Murdoch is on the cusp of the 20th century, which is when outdoor activity/sport started to increase in popularity. And we all know how cutting edge the Murdoch crew is! William used to be a logger (most likely leaving him with a great "farmer's tan"). Julia appears to be pretty active out-of-doors as well. And I think it's pretty clear how much George dislikes wearing his helmet, so it's no wonder he's tan!  What I wonder about, though, is the temperature of the morgue. Wouldn't it basically be at refrigeration temperatures to keep the bodies fresh? But no one ever seems cold in there! Which leads me to a thought that perhaps deserves its own thread... |
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Post by lovemondays on May 27, 2014 4:34:50 GMT
Well we wouldn't want to spoil all our fabulous cast member's summer fun if they always had to goop themselves up with an SPF of 60 or something. You are right that the Victorians avoided the sun. Pale skin was a status symbol. The only time the I've noticed a tan conundrum was in the episode "Rich Boy, Poor Boy" when the Inspector's son was kidnapped. The actress playing the other Robert's mother was almost orange!
As to the morgue, only the cold storage room would have had ice and been really cold. Also most buildings of that era were generally colder than what we are used to unless there was a fireplace or pot-bellied stove. I'm thinking that with all the clothing they have to wear the A/C must be cranked up just to keep the actors from sweating.
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Post by snacky on May 27, 2014 4:43:43 GMT
Well we wouldn't want to spoil all our fabulous cast member's summer fun if they always had to goop themselves up with an SPF of 60 or something. You are right that the Victorians avoided the sun. Pale skin was a status symbol. The only time the I've noticed a tan conundrum was in the episode "Rich Boy, Poor Boy" when the Inspector's son was kidnapped. The actress playing the other Robert's mother was almost orange! As to the morgue, only the cold storage room would have had ice and been really cold. Also most buildings of that era were generally colder than what we are used to unless there was a fireplace or pot-bellied stove. I'm thinking that with all the clothing they have to wear the A/C must be cranked up just to keep the actors from sweating. I can't remember what episode it was, but it looked like the whole cast had just returned from Venice Beach! Soooo wrong. I guess I'm nitpicking like a Trekkie, but it's kind of funny, and I'm trying to work my way up to Forum Goddess status here.  |
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Post by lovemondays on May 27, 2014 21:37:11 GMT
More on pasty Victorians. They also used lead and arsenic to beautify their skin. Ewww! I'll take some good old UV radiation any day.
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Post by wildhorseannie on May 27, 2014 22:36:12 GMT
I do remember in "Let Us Ask the Maiden" Murdoch found arsenic in the girl's room, and her fiance remarked that she was using it to prepare for her skin for the wedding. Literally the exact opposite of what girls today do in preparation for weddings! Lol. And I agree with lovemondays; I think I'd take UV exposure over poisoning anytime.
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Post by snacky on May 28, 2014 1:45:46 GMT
More on pasty Victorians. They also used lead and arsenic to beautify their skin. Ewww! I'll take some good old UV radiation any day. So at least Julia will swoon and waste away from skin cancer instead of lead/arsenic poisoning? XD |
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Post by lovemondays on May 28, 2014 3:58:10 GMT
Those poor women also had to wear corsets. Just to recap, those pasty Victorians chose to stay out of the sun to demonstrate their elevated social status, ergo they were Vitamin D deficient. They applied arsenic and lead directly onto their skin and they voluntarily bound their rib cages tight enough to make breathing difficult. It's no wonder their skin was pasty white...they were seriously ill!!
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Post by wildhorseannie on May 28, 2014 4:46:37 GMT
As someone who loves the outdoors, I believe I would wither away as a proper Victorian lady!
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Post by snacky on May 28, 2014 7:00:58 GMT
Those poor women also had to wear corsets. Just to recap, those pasty Victorians chose to stay out of the sun to demonstrate their elevated social status, ergo they were Vitamin D deficient. They applied arsenic and lead directly onto their skin and they voluntarily bound their rib cages tight enough to make breathing difficult. It's no wonder their skin was pasty white...they were seriously ill!! Vitamin D deficiency is supposed to cause Multiple Sclerosis and all sorts of bad stuff. D: |
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Post by wildhorseannie on May 29, 2014 3:32:27 GMT
It can also mess with your immune system, leaving you vulnerable to a bunch of other diseases as well. Not good!
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Post by lovemondays on May 31, 2014 1:49:12 GMT
Sooooo are we agreed that we don't need to hold our beloved MM cast to the standard of pasty-ness embraced by the Victorians? We wouldn't have an issue about this at all if MM was filmed in the winter. I say hooray for summer filming. The streetscapes have colourful flowers and the beautiful costumes don't have to be covered up with coats.
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Post by snacky on May 31, 2014 2:10:16 GMT
Sooooo are we agreed that we don't need to hold our beloved MM cast to the standard of pasty-ness embraced by the Victorians? We wouldn't have an issue about this at all if MM was filmed in the winter. I say hooray for summer filming. The streetscapes have colourful flowers and the beautiful costumes don't have to be covered up with coats. Hmm, you have a point about the flowers and costumes. But I also think Helene looks gorgeous with the pale look and the lighter blond, smooth hair. XD I don't think Yannick is doing his skin any favors either, but since outdoors everything is his favorite activity, that's a lost cause. XD |
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Post by lovemondays on May 31, 2014 2:22:20 GMT
I think Helene may watch her sun exposure anyway to help avoid more freckles. She is a strawberry blonde. True Canadians can take whatever cold winter throws at us but you had better believe that it makes us want to be outside working and playing as much as possible from April till October!
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Post by snacky on May 31, 2014 2:26:40 GMT
I think Helene may watch her sun exposure anyway to help avoid more freckles. She is a strawberry blonde. True Canadians can take whatever cold winter throws at us but you had better believe that it makes us want to be outside working and playing as much as possible from April till October! In any case, as I said to ziggy, 99% of the law is the camera people, and I hope they are disposed to be kind! |
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