March 6, 2013--My Fictional Boyfriends

While perusing Pinterest the other day, I came upon and re-pinned a meme that said the following:

Keep Calm
     Being obsessed over fictional guys isn't weird....is it?

When I re-pinned this, I captioned it with a list of a number of fictional guys I'm "obsessed" with, some that I'm totally fine with and some that I'm slightly ashamed of.  But it got me thinking, what is it about certain fictional characters that we love, and that we hate?  Why do we fall, simultaneously, for the jerks and the romantics?  These characters are just that--characters.  So why do we talk about them as if they really existed, as if they're family?

Well, here are some of my obsessions and why I obsess over them.

1. Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, Pride and Prejudice
   
     This one I feel is somewhat self-explanatory.  I don't know too many gals who have read the book and/or watched the movie who don't have a slight crush on this man.  He's your typical "love to hate him/hate to love him" guy--at least at first glance.  A first impression portrays him as a superior, vain and extremely stuck-up person.  You want to hate him, only because he looks down his nose at you.  But he is also extremely handsome, with a strange aura of loneliness about him.  A bit of a sense of mystery.  You can't help but be intrigued by him, even as you tell yourself and anyone who will listen he's a grade-A asshole whom you wouldn't give the time of day.  You are now, quite simply, a liar.
     You are never so thrilled (and relieved) to find out that Mr. Darcy truly is a superior man, not in attitude, but in reality.  He is generous, loving, compassionate, accepting.  He's also shy.  And who doesn't love a guy who's just a little nervous about telling you how he really feels.  You like knowing you make him nervous--this rich, handsome man who has everything getting a bit tongue-tied around you--you know you like that feeling of power.
     Mr. Darcy is the perfect mix of good and bad.  The flawed hero.  The black knight on a white horse.  What's not to obsess over?

2.  Ron Weasley, Harry Potter Saga

     Now, I know the Harry Potter obsessions range from just about every character in the book.  I myself have more than one.  Ron is more the "romantic" obsession of mine.  My obsession with Ron can be summed up in one simple sentence:  he's the underdog.
     He's the second to Harry Potter's first, the junior to Harry's senior, the Costello to Harry's Abbott.  Harry gets the credit for just about everything.  And this is not to say that Harry doesn't carry his weight and has much to be praised about.  He does.  But a hero is only as good as his support system.  What good is Percy Jackson without Annabeth and Grover?  What would Batman have done without Robin, or more importantly, Alfred?  Eragon had Saphira, and Brom, and Arya and a whole list of other characters.
     Ron is the guy who no one ever gives enough credit to, even his best friends.  He really is a talented wizard with a bunch of redeeming qualities.  But there's always just a slight sense of surprise when Ron manages to get through something taxing without making a mistake.  And there's always that sigh of resignation when Ron does something wrong.
     He walks out on Harry and Hermione because Voldemort has  manipulated Ron's one fatal flaw--jealousy, particularly pertaining to Hermione.  But he redeems himself by destroying the very horcrux that drove him away.  And from that moment, he's the glue that keeps the group together.
     Maybe this isn't a very good explanation of why I love Ron so much.  Maybe this isn't the best overview of his personality and character.  Maybe I have no real reason for loving him the way I do--beyond his being the underdog--I just do.

3.  Jesse, Pitch Perfect

     First of all, how adorable is he?!?  I fell in love with Jesse the first time I watched that movie.  Part of it was probably because he was such a Breakfast Club guru and the theme song (one of my favs) was used so succinctly throughout the film.  But besides that, he's the cute, geeky guy with a superior moral code.
     He's not "hawt" like so many others.  Not to say he's bad-looking, but he's no Chris Hemsworth or Robert Downey Jr. or Ryan Reynolds.  He's just cute, not hot.  But cute is definitely enough for this guy.  He has a heart of gold with a voice to match.  **Melts**  He sees Beca as a whole package, he truly likes her for her and he doesn't try to pick her apart.  But he also doesn't fall into the role of lovesick victim.  When Beca finally snaps and blows up in his face, he walks away.  And he lets her know.  I deserve better than this (he totally does) and I won't be a casualty of your broken emotional grid (air punch!).  She gets the point and (finally!) realizes the treasure she's found in him.
     He's loyal, he's sweet, he's fairly mature for a college freshman.  He's a catch.

4.  Murtagh, Eragon
     Alex Kavev, Grey's Anatomy
     Daryl Dixon, The Walking Dead

     I put these three together because on a fairly basic level, they're all the same guy: the bad boy with the bad past.  They all had rough childhoods, they all grew up in rough circumstances.  Murtagh was the son of a killer and a spy and was raised under the reigning evil king.  Alex Karev's father was an abusive drunk, his mother was a junkie and a schizophrenic, he had to steal food to eat and was bounced around from foster home to foster home.  My knowledge of Daryl's childhood is limited, but you get the idea that it wasn't the best.  He comments in one episode that he could have just as easily ended up an inmate in prison as with the group of "good guys" he's with now.
     All three guys tend to lash out--hit first before I get hit.  While all three have a respect for women deep down, outwardly they tend to be callous and careless toward women because they are afraid of getting hurt. They all have very tough exteriors while being incredibly vulnerable on the inside.  You get to see short blips of that vulnerability from time to time and your heart melts for these men who want so desperately to be loved and are so desperately scared of allowing themselves to be.
     They're "fixers."  You know they're "bad"--they're harsh and hard and at times purposely cruel.  But you also know they have good hearts and you want to "fix" them.  You want to be that one woman who can prove to them that they deserve to be loved and you won't leave them high and dry.  You want to be the one who convinces them to trust in love and in you.  You want to be the one who brings out the best in them.

5.  The Chairman, Memoirs of a Geisha

     Last one for now.  I have always had a great love for the Chairman.  He is the man who loves from afar, who puts his own needs and wants aside for the benefit of others.  He puts into motion Chiyo's training as a geisha and once she grows up, despite his personal feelings towards her, he puts her into the path of his friend Nobu Toshikazu because he feels it will be the most beneficial for both of them.  It will put love and affection into his friend's life and security into Chiyo (Sayuri)'s life.
     He gets Sayuri out of war-ridden Tokyo, although he gives the credit to Nobu, and later is understanding and forgiving about her sexual set-up to discourage Nobu from becoming her danna.  It is only when the feelings and interests of all others are no longer relevant that he reveals his own true feelings and allows himself to truly love.
     It is true that the Chairman's actions create years of strife for both him and Sayuri.  Had he expressed his feelings for her sooner, they might have been happier sooner, seeing as she loved him too.  But there is no telling how that might have affected the actions of all those around them.  The Chairman is a man with good intentions and a true and loyal heart.  He is faithful and devoted.  Who doesn't want a guy with those qualities?

There are quite a few other "obsessions" I have--Snape, Sirus Black, Will Blakelee, Thor, Captain Brandon to only name a few--but this post has gone on long enough, I'm sure.  So there you have it--my obsessions and why I obsess.  Now that I have put way too much time into thinking about why I love so many men who don't actually exist, you may do the same.  Because you know you do it too.  :)

Until next time....