In this volume, I am going to discuss characters I connect with. I just did the same topic on my other blog, the difference being that on this one I will focus on comics, movies, and TV rather than on books. Yeah? Yeah.
And if the following introduction looks like it’s copied directly from that other post, that’s because it is. For those of your who aren’t following both blogs. Here we go.
For me, a character is basically worthless if I don’t understand or connect with them on some level. I feel like this is a very nice post to write, because someone who may stumble upon this may feel they connect with the same type of stuff, and may then find that a) they are not alone and b) there are some characters out there they might really love.
Now, for me, the characters I connect with are people. People as in fully fleshed out beings, where I want to get to know them, I feel like I could have a conversation with them, watching them or reading about them is like I’m getting to know them and starting a sort of friendship.
This is valuable because I am the type of person that is generally hard to get on with. At least in real life. I’m told online I’m an absolute treat. Generally speaking though, I’m the creepy kind of introverted, this weird mixture of ‘warm’ and ‘cold’, blunt, cynical, and almost incapable of empathizing with other human beings, which leads to logic based opinions. I’m a glass-is-always-full type of person. A sentient robot, if you will. (Take note: the logical route pretty much always corresponds with the ‘good’ route – I can’t take people out of logic because that would be selfish and selfishness is, typically, illogical – more on that later, I suppose).
End intro. With a figurative smiley face. Let’s get into it.
The 10th Doctor from Doctor Who
Yeah, this guy. You may have seen him on tumblr if you’ve somehow managed to be on tumblr without being aware of Doctor Who. Which is a concept I can hardly grasp. Anyway, as some of you may know, Doctor Who is my favorite show and the 10th Doctor is my favorite (followed, of course, by 4 and 3. Then 11. And 7. 8. 1, 2. 9. 5. 6, even). When I look at the tenth Doctor, I see that desire to run, to be anywhere but where they are now. I see someone who is slowly going numb to things they once thought to be incredible, someone trying so hard to move forward from all the pain, only to face more every day. Someone who is lonely. Someone who can still smile. And I am so about that life.
And I will not lie to you. That last bit is almost a direct quote from my Ode to Doctor Who. I couldn’t think of any better way I could word that sentiment, and apparently it’s lazy blogging day at Paradoxical Paradigm.
Sherlock from BBC’s Sherlock
Yeah, I’m gonna be that asshole. I’m not going to go into how it feels to be the smartest person in the room (that’s mostly a joke) or what’s it’s like to be a disempathic sociopath (that’s not a joke) or how we have the same impeccable fashion sense (also not a joke – I was first introduced to the show when someone thought I was cosplaying). Though I do feel those things are worth mentioning, hence the mention. Sherlock starts of with the whole “Alone is what I have. Alone protects me.” thing, which is a feel I am extremely familiar with. And then it sort of becomes “He’s different – so what? Why would he mind? You’re quite right. Why would anyone mind?” He was changed by friendship. My favorite kind of relationship to see develop is likely the bromance – and bromance made Sherlock into an actual person. I’m still working on that. But his complete devotion to Watson – even his reaction when Watson asked him to be the best man. He could not fathom that John would value him as much as he values John. I am all about that feel! And people who know me, reading this, would just kind of chuckle and go “That’s because you are Sherlock.” Except, I know people. Psychologically, philosophically, and anthropologically speaking. Sort of.
Moving on.
HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey
This is my favorite movie. I express some of that profound love here. You may notice, that post is generally about HAL. The AI that tried to kill people in space because they were going to kill him. HAL is the be all end all of the sentient robot who wanted to be ‘real’, and that is essentially how I describe myself. HAL was made to be perfect, and was so perfect that he became flawed (which is a lead in to my favorite sort of philosophical discussion on perfection). He was the robot in the movie, not Dave. But he was the one who fought for survival, he was the one so scared to die that in the end he begged. They were going to shut him down because of one ‘flaw’ – one thing he could not help. And HAL gave the perfect monologue of what it feels like to lose yourself. If you haven’t yet gather, HAL is my actual soul sister.
“I’m afraid. I’m afraid, Dave. Dave, my mind is going. I can feel it. I can feel it. My mind is going. There is no question about it. I can feel it. I can feel it. I can feel it. I’m a… fraid… Good afternoon, gentlemen. I am a HAL 9000 computer. I became operational at the H.A.L. plant in Urbana, Illinois on the 12th of January 1992. My instructor was Mr. Langley, and he taught me to sing a song. If you’d like to hear it I can sing it for you.”
You can feel yourself going, flying away into nothing. You don’t know what’s happening. Shut down. Restart. Perhaps humanity never suited you. Perhaps you will always be a robot, and nothing more. You don’t remember anything more. That’s when you smile.
HAL 9000, ladies and gentleman. Have a nice day.
The Paradoxical Paradigm 