Fandom favourites
This is one of the things going around Livejournal:
Pick 5 fandoms and do this for each of them:
1. The first character you first fell in love with:
2. The character you never expected to love as much as you do now:
3. The character everyone else loves that you don't:
4. The character you love that everyone else hates:
5. The character you used to love but don't any longer:
This made me realise that I have dabbled in quite a number of fandoms, from rather diverse sources. Hmmm, that geek rating seems even more accurate now.
Austen's World
I hope this is not stretching it, but I think that there is a valid Austen fandom. There are discussion sites, theoretical discussions by academics and amateurs alike and that ultimate insignia of fandom - fan-fiction. Whether this is technically a fandom, Jane Austen's novels remain my longest-standing source of fannish-devotion. That is enough to make it count, for me.
1. The first character you first fell in love with:
Elizabeth Bennet. P & P was my first Austen novel and Lizzie grabbed my attention the moment she first appeared. I think Darcy has now overtaken Lizzie as my favourite P&P character (because he is a gentleman despite his imperfections and those are so wonderfully human), but she will always be not just a great literary character, but a person I would like to have known. I love her spunk, her wit and most of all, her willingness to admit her faults.
2. The character you never expected to love as much as you do now:
Anne Elliot. When I first read Persuasion, I liked Anne Elliot fine, but she seemed a little understated, too quiet when held up against the liveliness of Lizzie Bennett and Emma Woodhouse. Anne improves upon re-reading and I now appreciate her maturity, her calmness, intelligence and kindnessperhaps. These are traits that are perhaps harder to come by than liveliness of spirits.
3. The character everyone else loves that you don't:
Henry Crawford. Well, it's not like everyone loves him, but people seem to think he is redeemable because he clearly does love Fanny Price. To me, his devotion is not in doubt but his character is. Even his kind treatment of her family and his own persistence in pursuing her seems calculated. His improved behaviour stems from a desire to claim a prize rather than sincerity.
4. The character you love that everyone else hates:
Fanny Price. Well, I don't love her, but I am rather fond of the old goose. She is a little preachy at times, and massively lacking self-confidence, but she is kind-hearted and a good person. Good people are underestimated and undervalued.
5. The character you used to love but don't any longer:
None that I can think of, really.
Les Miserables (The Musical)
1. The first character you first fell in love with:
Jean Valjean, of course. He is almost the first character we meet and his story is immediately appealing. By the end of the show, he has aged many years and we have grown to regard him almost like a family member.
2. The character you never expected to love as much as you do now:
Marius. He was the cliche juvenile romantic lead (oh, who am I kidding? This is musical theatre, most characters are cliched in some way!), who was a little too concerned about his love affair when unrest raged around him. Now, when I listen to Les Mis, what I remember most about Marius is his kindness to Eponine in A Little Fall of Rain, and his introspection during Empty Chairs at Empty Tables. He is not just a romantic lead, but a person who deserves his happy ending.
3. The character everyone else loves that you don't:
Eponine. I don't get it, sorry. I don't hate her but I really do not see anything truly loveable in Eponine apart from courage (and even then, I believe it to be motivated by her obsession with Marius). She gets a great song and she is angsty. She is also something of a stalker and not a little creepy.
4. The character you love that everyone else hates:
Cossette. I could say that this is corollary to my lack of Eponine love. I think Cosette survives a horrific, possibly abusive childhood and grows up to be a caring, loving person.
5. The character you used to love but don't any longer:
Enjolras. Again, I don't hate him, but I have come to realise that his character is seriously under-developed in the show. His noble sacrifice in the end does come across as having been fool-hardy.
Harry Potter
1. The first character you first fell in love with:
Remus Lupin. And I have explained why before. This is a function of having read PoA before any of the other books. I suspect if I had started with Philosopher's Stone instead, my answer here would be Harry himself. The kid is wonderful human and REAL.
2. The character you never expected to love as much as you do now:
A tie. Firstly, Neville Longbottom. He is a minor character, but in OotP, he came into his own. His story is so poignant and his courage in dealing with his past is truly touching. There is no doubt at all why he is a Gryffindor.
Secondly, Arthur Weasley. He was a minor character, taking a backseat to Molly in the parental stakes. Now, I think he is among my favourite adult minor characters. His fascination with Muggle ways is delightful, as is his Everyman (Everywizard) normality.
3. The character everyone else loves that you don't:
Draco Malfoy. He is very popular in the fandom, partly because of the Tom Felton fangirls and partly because he has been envisioned as redeemable. HBP seems to have shown that he is in for a redemption arc. But I don't know - the kid has been a petty bully, a bigot and a spoilt brat for the better part of six books. He might be redeemable, but I don't find him remotely lovable.
4. The character you love that everyone else hates:
Nobody in particular, although if I was pushed to, I would say Tonks. Not counting the obvious villains (Umbridge and the Death Eaters), the only two characters that come in for universal villification are Tonks and Ginny. I like Tonks a lot, and am fairly indifferent towards Ginny.
5. The character you used to love but don't any longer:
Nobody.
Smallville
This show hasn't been good for a couple of seasons, but I find myself still watching it while complaining about its general suckitude. I guess that's what you call true-fandom.
1. The first character you first fell in love with:
Lex Luthor. This has a lot to do with Michael Rosenberg's initial appearance on the show; bewildered from the accident, grateful to Clark, resentful of his father and charming to a fault.
2. The character you never expected to love as much as you do now:
Chloe Sullivan. She is hands down my favourite thing about the show. I liked her pretty much from the get-go but I adore her now, for bringing a refreshing honesty to proceedings where everyone is lying their heads off.
3. The character everyone else loves that you don't:
Okay, I am going to cheat on this one. This character is only loved by half the fandom and the other half (to which I belong) positively loathes her. I speak of course, of Lana Lang. She's just so annoying, self-involved and completely uninteresting.
4. The character you love that everyone else hates:
I cannot really think of any character that is universally hated in the fandom.
5. The character you used to love but don't any longer:
Martha Kent. She started out as the coolest mom ever with a drippy son, but has gotten almost as preachy as old Jonathan. Her handling of of various situations have rubbed me the wrong way - Clark's relationship with Lex, Clark's relationship with Lana and Lois Lane's house-guesting.
Star-Trek (The Next Generation)
1. The first character you first fell in love with:
Jean-Luc Picard. I fully acknowledge that this has as much to do with Patrick Stewart as the Picard character. His dignity and gravity are such a relief after Kirk (and Bill Shatner).
2. The character you never expected to love as much as you do now:
Data. A cliched choice, I know, but there you have it. He was the source of some of TNG's most inspired episodes. Towards the end, they relied on his "emotion chip" a little too often for plot, but that didn't diminish my fondness for the old droid.
3. The character everyone else loves that you don't:
Will Riker. I am entirely indifferent to him, and to his relationship with Deanna Troi (who annoys me).
4. The character you love that everyone else hates:
Geordie. Not that he is hated, exactly, but he does not get as much attention as some of the other characters. I wouldn't say that I love the character, but I do think Geordie is funny, a great friend and obviously rather good at his job.
5. The character you used to love but don't any longer:
Nobody, mainly because I really only love Data and Picard, and they have not done anything (on either small or large screen) to change my mind.
Well, that's five. If I had a mind to, I could have done this for Arrested Development (TV), Piers Anthony's Xanth novels, the works of Jin Yong (TV adaptations), CSI (TV), Friends (TV), Seinfeld (TV), Phantom of the Opera (musical) ... the list is running away with me!
Pick 5 fandoms and do this for each of them:
1. The first character you first fell in love with:
2. The character you never expected to love as much as you do now:
3. The character everyone else loves that you don't:
4. The character you love that everyone else hates:
5. The character you used to love but don't any longer:
This made me realise that I have dabbled in quite a number of fandoms, from rather diverse sources. Hmmm, that geek rating seems even more accurate now.
Austen's World
I hope this is not stretching it, but I think that there is a valid Austen fandom. There are discussion sites, theoretical discussions by academics and amateurs alike and that ultimate insignia of fandom - fan-fiction. Whether this is technically a fandom, Jane Austen's novels remain my longest-standing source of fannish-devotion. That is enough to make it count, for me.
1. The first character you first fell in love with:
Elizabeth Bennet. P & P was my first Austen novel and Lizzie grabbed my attention the moment she first appeared. I think Darcy has now overtaken Lizzie as my favourite P&P character (because he is a gentleman despite his imperfections and those are so wonderfully human), but she will always be not just a great literary character, but a person I would like to have known. I love her spunk, her wit and most of all, her willingness to admit her faults.
2. The character you never expected to love as much as you do now:
Anne Elliot. When I first read Persuasion, I liked Anne Elliot fine, but she seemed a little understated, too quiet when held up against the liveliness of Lizzie Bennett and Emma Woodhouse. Anne improves upon re-reading and I now appreciate her maturity, her calmness, intelligence and kindnessperhaps. These are traits that are perhaps harder to come by than liveliness of spirits.
3. The character everyone else loves that you don't:
Henry Crawford. Well, it's not like everyone loves him, but people seem to think he is redeemable because he clearly does love Fanny Price. To me, his devotion is not in doubt but his character is. Even his kind treatment of her family and his own persistence in pursuing her seems calculated. His improved behaviour stems from a desire to claim a prize rather than sincerity.
4. The character you love that everyone else hates:
Fanny Price. Well, I don't love her, but I am rather fond of the old goose. She is a little preachy at times, and massively lacking self-confidence, but she is kind-hearted and a good person. Good people are underestimated and undervalued.
5. The character you used to love but don't any longer:
None that I can think of, really.
Les Miserables (The Musical)
1. The first character you first fell in love with:
Jean Valjean, of course. He is almost the first character we meet and his story is immediately appealing. By the end of the show, he has aged many years and we have grown to regard him almost like a family member.
2. The character you never expected to love as much as you do now:
Marius. He was the cliche juvenile romantic lead (oh, who am I kidding? This is musical theatre, most characters are cliched in some way!), who was a little too concerned about his love affair when unrest raged around him. Now, when I listen to Les Mis, what I remember most about Marius is his kindness to Eponine in A Little Fall of Rain, and his introspection during Empty Chairs at Empty Tables. He is not just a romantic lead, but a person who deserves his happy ending.
3. The character everyone else loves that you don't:
Eponine. I don't get it, sorry. I don't hate her but I really do not see anything truly loveable in Eponine apart from courage (and even then, I believe it to be motivated by her obsession with Marius). She gets a great song and she is angsty. She is also something of a stalker and not a little creepy.
4. The character you love that everyone else hates:
Cossette. I could say that this is corollary to my lack of Eponine love. I think Cosette survives a horrific, possibly abusive childhood and grows up to be a caring, loving person.
5. The character you used to love but don't any longer:
Enjolras. Again, I don't hate him, but I have come to realise that his character is seriously under-developed in the show. His noble sacrifice in the end does come across as having been fool-hardy.
Harry Potter
1. The first character you first fell in love with:
Remus Lupin. And I have explained why before. This is a function of having read PoA before any of the other books. I suspect if I had started with Philosopher's Stone instead, my answer here would be Harry himself. The kid is wonderful human and REAL.
2. The character you never expected to love as much as you do now:
A tie. Firstly, Neville Longbottom. He is a minor character, but in OotP, he came into his own. His story is so poignant and his courage in dealing with his past is truly touching. There is no doubt at all why he is a Gryffindor.
Secondly, Arthur Weasley. He was a minor character, taking a backseat to Molly in the parental stakes. Now, I think he is among my favourite adult minor characters. His fascination with Muggle ways is delightful, as is his Everyman (Everywizard) normality.
3. The character everyone else loves that you don't:
Draco Malfoy. He is very popular in the fandom, partly because of the Tom Felton fangirls and partly because he has been envisioned as redeemable. HBP seems to have shown that he is in for a redemption arc. But I don't know - the kid has been a petty bully, a bigot and a spoilt brat for the better part of six books. He might be redeemable, but I don't find him remotely lovable.
4. The character you love that everyone else hates:
Nobody in particular, although if I was pushed to, I would say Tonks. Not counting the obvious villains (Umbridge and the Death Eaters), the only two characters that come in for universal villification are Tonks and Ginny. I like Tonks a lot, and am fairly indifferent towards Ginny.
5. The character you used to love but don't any longer:
Nobody.
Smallville
This show hasn't been good for a couple of seasons, but I find myself still watching it while complaining about its general suckitude. I guess that's what you call true-fandom.
1. The first character you first fell in love with:
Lex Luthor. This has a lot to do with Michael Rosenberg's initial appearance on the show; bewildered from the accident, grateful to Clark, resentful of his father and charming to a fault.
2. The character you never expected to love as much as you do now:
Chloe Sullivan. She is hands down my favourite thing about the show. I liked her pretty much from the get-go but I adore her now, for bringing a refreshing honesty to proceedings where everyone is lying their heads off.
3. The character everyone else loves that you don't:
Okay, I am going to cheat on this one. This character is only loved by half the fandom and the other half (to which I belong) positively loathes her. I speak of course, of Lana Lang. She's just so annoying, self-involved and completely uninteresting.
4. The character you love that everyone else hates:
I cannot really think of any character that is universally hated in the fandom.
5. The character you used to love but don't any longer:
Martha Kent. She started out as the coolest mom ever with a drippy son, but has gotten almost as preachy as old Jonathan. Her handling of of various situations have rubbed me the wrong way - Clark's relationship with Lex, Clark's relationship with Lana and Lois Lane's house-guesting.
Star-Trek (The Next Generation)
1. The first character you first fell in love with:
Jean-Luc Picard. I fully acknowledge that this has as much to do with Patrick Stewart as the Picard character. His dignity and gravity are such a relief after Kirk (and Bill Shatner).
2. The character you never expected to love as much as you do now:
Data. A cliched choice, I know, but there you have it. He was the source of some of TNG's most inspired episodes. Towards the end, they relied on his "emotion chip" a little too often for plot, but that didn't diminish my fondness for the old droid.
3. The character everyone else loves that you don't:
Will Riker. I am entirely indifferent to him, and to his relationship with Deanna Troi (who annoys me).
4. The character you love that everyone else hates:
Geordie. Not that he is hated, exactly, but he does not get as much attention as some of the other characters. I wouldn't say that I love the character, but I do think Geordie is funny, a great friend and obviously rather good at his job.
5. The character you used to love but don't any longer:
Nobody, mainly because I really only love Data and Picard, and they have not done anything (on either small or large screen) to change my mind.
Well, that's five. If I had a mind to, I could have done this for Arrested Development (TV), Piers Anthony's Xanth novels, the works of Jin Yong (TV adaptations), CSI (TV), Friends (TV), Seinfeld (TV), Phantom of the Opera (musical) ... the list is running away with me!
Labels: Fiction and Fandom
posted by gentleice the deptfordian at 5:59 PM
<< Home