Sometimes, I almost feel bad for liking a character.
Sure, the character is cool; they’re smart, suave, competent, complex, and have a style that’s all their own. But in the case of ‘guilty pleasure’ characters, either they’re the villain of the story, or some of their flaws make liking them feel almost like being the girl we’ve all heard about, who keeps on falling for the wrong guys.
The thought crosses my mind, and sticks: “Am I just being a dumb fangirl who falls for all the typical traits, while wearing the typical blinders?”
Have you ever felt like that?
Sometimes, it's enough to make me wonder if something's wrong with me.
...And then, lately, I decided that that was enough of that. OK, the character has flaws. And sometimes they're the villain. But they're a really, REALLY interesting character - and, in a few cases, they're also very hot.
If I like them, I like them, and that's just how it is - why make myself wrong for that?
Sure, the character is cool; they’re smart, suave, competent, complex, and have a style that’s all their own. But in the case of ‘guilty pleasure’ characters, either they’re the villain of the story, or some of their flaws make liking them feel almost like being the girl we’ve all heard about, who keeps on falling for the wrong guys.
The thought crosses my mind, and sticks: “Am I just being a dumb fangirl who falls for all the typical traits, while wearing the typical blinders?”
Have you ever felt like that?
Sometimes, it's enough to make me wonder if something's wrong with me.
...And then, lately, I decided that that was enough of that. OK, the character has flaws. And sometimes they're the villain. But they're a really, REALLY interesting character - and, in a few cases, they're also very hot.
If I like them, I like them, and that's just how it is - why make myself wrong for that?
Take the good traits, enjoy them, and maybe ignore the bad traits or downplay them... just a little. After all, it's not like I'm going to marry this collection of ideas, words or pixels.
It's interesting that these musings come at a time when I'm starting to go easier on myself for my own flaws, and on others for their flaws as a result. Hm, who knows - maybe these 'guilty pleasure' characters are just the practice I need for this stage of my personal growth.
What about you? Have you ever read about or watched a fictional character that made you feel a bit uncomfortable about liking them? What do you tend to do about it?
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