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Fictional people; they're awesome. They don't need to sleep, they rarely, if ever go to the loo and they're frequently far more capable than we are. They offer us ideals to shoot for, things to push against and, from time to time, some really solid wardrobe choices. So, this week, our question is:
Which fictional character do you most identify with?
Laura McConnell: Since I'm American, my first answer to this was "I plead the fifth." I really didn't want to answer on the grounds that it might incriminate me. I mean, how on this sphere do I choose? So many possibilities! Not all of them are genre, so that narrowed the field some due to the asker, but still! This one seemed too hard and I was worried my answers might be misinterpreted. (For example, I identify with Sherlock Holmes, but not because I consider myself a genius in any way.) But then I was exploring my old LJ entries and what to my wondering eyes should appear but a Luna Lovegood icon. Right then, I knew I had my answer.
Oh, Luna. You are the one character in Harry Potter that made me jump up and yell, "That's me!" See, I've always been part of the main group, both in school and in work, but peripherally so. I've never been the star of any show, but I've always performed. And let's face it, I'm a bit weird. Ok, more than a bit. (Remember that Sherlock thing I mentioned earlier? Yeah. That.) When you add that Luna's patronus is a rabbit and that that critter is special to me for a lot of reasons, well...yeah. Luna Lovegood. Did I mention Pottermore sorted me into Ravenclaw? Yup. Enough said.
Lee Harris : I really want to say someone like Tony Stark or Bruce Wayne. The truth is, I feel a closer kinship with Simon Tam ( Firefly ). It's the classic good looks, searing intelligence, medical degree and profound sense of loyalty. Oh, hang on - that doesn't work, either. Ummm... Chuck Bartowski? That's a bit closer. Yeah. I'd be Chuck (although others might claim Jeff).
Oh, let's stick with the original claim - Simon Tam. Because I own a waistcoat.
Stacey Whittle : Are there any Geordie, geeky, knitting, librarian, comic producing mothers in pop culture? WHY NOT? someone write me into something quick!
Matt Risley : Now, this may not strictly serve as a sci-fi fictional character, although the chances of me saving spacebound princesses or wrestling dinosaurs are a distant, depressingly unrealistic dream - so I've gone for something a little more down to earth.
Gender difference aside, I'd say I relate most to 30 Rock 's Liz Lemon. I'm regularly tasked with having to juggle the manic egos and weirdly wonderful personalities of friends and colleagues galore (HI WORK PEOPLE *waves*), and seem to find myself continually either rebounding off other one socially embarrassing situation after another, or "blurging" and "lizzing" my way through an array of crazy scenarios.
Steven Ellis : That really is a tough question... I've racked my brain thinking about this. I'm not even sure what it means to identify with a character. If it means finding characters that I admire or that have entertained me then there are plenty of those. If it means characters that I have sympathised with and been engrossed by or characters that I have understood and been inspired by. There are plenty of those too. From books to comics to TV and film. There are many amazing characters that have brought pleasure and clarity and understanding to my life. Far too many to mention really.
If it's characters who remind me of my life and situations I've been in, or characters that I wanted to be, then I don't know. Most of the characters I regularly watch or read about are so far removed from my life that they are an escape for me. I don't want to be reminded of real life or of myself, I want to be taken on fantastical journeys and epic adventures. But that doesn't mean I don't take in and use the wisdom that I sometimes find in fictional characters. I do. I'm sure most of us do. But I couldn't tell you what I've taken from what characters as it tends to be a very subtle form of osmosis.
This week's question really has got me thinking. About what it means to identify with a character, how complex that can be and the different aspects of identification there are... And I don't think I can give a real quick answer.
I could just be glib and say I wanted to be Han Solo when I was ten. Does that count?
Kell Harker : I wish I could say that I was beautiful and kick-ass like Sarah Walker, or was destined to save the world like Buffy Summers, but because I have a certain level of craziness I seem to identify the most with Firefly's River Tam. Like River, I'm borderline psychotic. My friend's actually refer to it as being "endearingly crazy" and I take that as a total compliment. I can't necessarily read minds, but I'm extremely empathetic which makes me pretty gorram intuitive. I also like to dance! Mostly freestyle and belly, and I'm graceful on a pole. Although I may appear sweet and fragile looking I've started my kickboxing training so I should be killing Reavers in no time.
So, as I begin blocking out Geordie Geeky Knitting Librarian Comic Producing Mothers Book 1: Death Knows Dewey Decimal, we'll take our leave. Join us next week for a slightly different Blogbusters as we ask;
So, what did you all think of the Avengers?
Blogbusters Assemble! See you in seven.
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