Tropes, Ourselves, and Our Romantic Interests

In one of my classes today, an old book series I used to love was brought up. While we discussed two of the characters in it, I found myself remembering that my fictional crush was the villain.

That's the way it has been for as long as I can remember. Ten or eleven years old and always swooning for the bad guy.

We all have the character tropes that we go for in our media consumption and the tropes that others see us as.

If you haven't already, fool around on this site.

Do you have a trope that you usually tend go for or one that you are identified as?

I tend towards a combo of "Strange Girl" and "Sugar and Ice" and I definitely fall for guys along the "Wild Card", "Manipulative Bastard", "Magnificent Bastard", and (occasionally) "Knight in Sour Armor".

I find this all fascinating because of how easy it is to build stories and characters based on these simple ideas. Themes keep repeating because they are popular and they speak to some basic desire or fear that enough people maintain at any given time, and we've all had those discussions (AKA arguments) with our friends about which character in a show or movie is the most desirable or loathsome. It's basic, observable psychology and I love it.

Thoughts?

 

Hah, I love that website. I spent hours there one day reading just about every entry. It really gives you a new perspective on film.

Whenever I'm subjected to a chick flick, I almost always find myself attracted to the "funny-yet-firm supportive female friend."

She's always more down to earth than the blubbering mess that is the main character. And she's probably a total freak.

 

There's so many characters on that page. Will take me hours just to get through, so I'll put it in stupid words.

I always identify with the intelligent and righteous, yet cruel character. When action has to be taken, it has to be taken.

Much akin to the character Clyde Shelton in the movie "Law Abiding Citizen" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1197624/). The ending was crap, though. I was really rooting for him. It made me cry.

 

I always identify with the asshole. It doesn't matter if he's good or evil.. the guy who just puts it out there no holds barred is who I identify with.

As far as "attracted" to, I like the tragic figures. The ones who aim to do good but soon find themselves way over their head and it's a complete downward spiral. I'm a huge Aronofsky fan, and for some reason his characters resonate with me on almost every level. Marion in Requiem for a Dream, Randy The Ram in The Wrestler, Nina in Black Swan, Tomas in The Fountain etc etc etc. There's always just some sort of beauty to me to watch people in the spiral of life and the subsequent tornado that ensues. Maybe it's a comfort to me that I escaped mine.. maybe it's a wish I could go back, maybe it's just a mixture. Who the hell knows.

 

Damn it Poetry, it's not like I didn't have any work to do today. Aw hell, I wasn't going to work anyway.

****

I do identify with the asshole, as my usual group of friends includes an asshole or two that I get along with better than others.

I'm making my way through the list. Off the top of my head, I usually end up rooting for the villain. Tho the underdog does get to me sometimes, I feel drawn to characters that are what *I* want to be, Magnificent Bastard included. The guy who runs everything and has total control over his surroundings/environment. Usually that ends up being a villain, but I still love the idea of that level on control over themselves and others.

I do an anti-hero every once in a blue moon if they are done right.

When I was younger, I was attracted to the (haven't found the article yet) "Chosen one" or "random kid gets super powers and becomes a badass with a sword". As I got older, got out of that.

I'll post later when I've read the entire site.

 

The cute punky-gothy-chick. See: Tuesday from "That 80s Show". Shego from "Kim Possible". Vanessa from "Phineas and Ferb".

 

The villian is usually someone with drive, ambition, and is completely sure about what he/she is doing. Confidence in action. The hero is usually not as sure, and the lines between good and bad are confusing to him/her. Of course you are attracted to the villain. The overwhelming majority like confidence, even if it is attached to arrogance.

Having said that, as a constantly conflicted dude, I don't trust confident people. I think they don't think nearly enough, or they wouldn't be so sure. Not attractive to me. Now to waste time at that site.

 

About a year or two ago, I stumbled across the definition for Manic Pixie Dream Girl. Suddenly, all my past relationships made sense.

I'll have to look through the definitions for specific examples, but I tend to fall for the "broody, bad guy with a heart of gold" types.

 

I easily fall for the quiet sweet one, but they are harder to find, even in movies.
I couldn't find the type names on the site that I identify most with. There was much to wade through. A cross between Mrs. C on Happy Days and Aunt Bea from Mayberry. But I've more wit. Oh, and Santa Claus.

 

I tend to be attracted to nearly any character that Colin Firth plays...not sure which type he is.
I will coin it as the Simmering Nebbish.

 

I've come back to this thread a few times, and examined the tropes website, trying to get my head around the concept. It finally began to dawn when I said to myself 'Jungian Archetypes for Cinema?', and I realised what an incredibly unsophisticated audience I have been.

OK. Me:
Professionally, I am magnificent bastard, taking pride and pleasure in helping clients and students move forward under impossible situations, and sometimes literally, under fire. It is tainted by my attitude of worshipful admiration for them, but I DO own my sense of rampant glee.

At home, I am a cross between Greta Garbo and Jabba the Hutt ...
"I want to be *BELCH* alone"

I can't believe I just wrote that. But let's see ... the isolated-by-choice aesthetic villain? no ... not villain. I like to identify with being 'Bad' ... but not want to do bad things. Imagine a Blofeld who hollows out the volcano and creates a techno-amazing home within .... but just kind of hangs out and gets on with a goodly schedule of interesting activities. Eating nice food, stroking nice cats, Yes. But no interest in taking over the world.

Romantic interests
Lady of War
Friend to All Living Things

The two have, been combined. For example, my ex is a cat-lady who knows every cat in the neighbourhood, and who has a mission to save mice, foxe and anything else with a pulse. She was also my ballroom dancing partner, and together, we became Lady and Gentleman of War. Competition Ballroom Dancing is like Unreal Tournament or Quake ... but in heels and tails. The equivalent of Smack-Talk was "We are so glad that couple 42 have nearly perfected their X-line"

Another compelling combination is Warrior Friend to All Living Things.

 

This pretty much explains our relationship to a tee.

 

I'm a little bit of this: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CuteBookworm
Mixed with a bit of this:
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HotScientist
And a little of this:
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/StrangeGirl

I tend to fall for these types:
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Adorkable
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AbsentMindedProfessor

And have exchanges like this:
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GeekyTurnOn

 

I'm going to come back to this, but for now: Tropes are everywhere! Fashioning one's daily life is so much masking. I can't shake feeling like Woody Allen. No, I'm Ruth Gordon in "Harold & Maude." Having a Jungian heart (more or less), I see my Anima in Her, and I feel your wont of Animus in me. But I'm a woman!—even though I'm male. I'm androgynous; I'm David Bowie. I'm David Burns. I'm Chauncey Gardiner. I'm a whole population of selves.