So the other day a friend of mine said something to me that really got me thinking about what television characters I have an affinity with. And not in a good way, unfortunately. Much to my dismay, my friend called me 'The Quagmire' of our group. For those unaware, Glenn Quagmire is a character from the animated sitcom Family Guy, who is known for his general creepy and sexually deviant behaviour. Well let's just say if someone compares you to a character like that it definitely gets you thinking about your personality.
In my honest opinion, if I were to be anyone from Family Guy, I'd see myself more as a Brian Griffin. I'm a struggling writer, enjoy a bit of a drink, enjoy being contrarian, and consider myself more cultured than most of my family members and friends. Obviously with those traits comes a fair bit of pretentiousness, and I'd be the first to admit I'm often sarcastic and a hypocrite towards others.
Thinking back to shows I watched when I was younger one character I especially remember relating to, and therefore sharing an affinity with, was Malcolm in the Middle's titular character Malcolm Wilkerson. Being considered smart, Malcolm is placed in a special class, which he has difficulty fitting in with and therefore is trapped in between the geniuses and the normal people, but is unable to fit into either group. His dysfunctional family are a constant hassle and embarrassment for him to deal with, and also prolong his doubts about not fitting in, as does his own ego. There are not too many redeeming character qualities here, if any at all, but regardless, Malcolm was a relatable character for young men, because he was realistic. What 12 year-old boy doesn't put himself first, blame all his problems on his family, knows the pain of being bullied, yet bullies himself, all the while longing to just fit in? Why yes, Malcolm, life is unfair.
Nowadays, I have grown into an artsy and socially awkward adult (with my 12 year-old maturity still in tact, thank God) and find that one of the main shows in which I relate to several of its characters is 30 Rock. I think majority of the writers of TGS could apply to my personality including Liz Lemon, Pete Hornberger, and J.D. Lutz. All of them, a part from being writers, are socially awkward, generally insecure, hold strong concerns about how they are perceived by others (yet refuse to put too much effort into their appearance), are popular-culture nerds, and have issues with food. They are all very career driven, although this is because they are lonely not because they love their work, they set impossibly high standards for themselves and are desperate to please everyone, often leading them to be pushed around by others and let down. Honestly people, all this is why writers have such good material for their work.
Heading into darker territory, and exploring an interesting and exciting development in television over recent years, is the affinity I share with Miami Metro's number-one serial killer, Dexter Morgan. Now I know I really shouldn't be telling people all the things I have in common with a mass murderer, but I'm obviously not the only one who shares my high opinion of the anti-hero, otherwise no one would watch Dexter. Killing very far aside, what makes him relatable is that Dexter feels he doesn’t belong in the world and can never be accepted for who he is and he finds it difficult to interact with other individuals and is often naive of social etiquette. For him, being normal and acting just like everyone else is an extremely difficult task, one he must constantly perform. As such, he feels disconnected from the world. We all have a 'Dark Passenger' of our own, and it's interesting to see that audiences are becoming more inclined to watch shows with flawed characters.
Who knows whether it's a trend that will continue, but it wouldn't be at all surprising if it does. After all, one of the most important parts of a successful television show are likable characters, and the best way for writers to do that is to make the audience relate to them on a personal level. In most television shows, but particularly sitcoms, main characters have a tendency to demonstrate similar primary character traits (sometimes to the point of stereotypes), which is why it's no surprise people often see themselves in characters. For example, as the socially awkward geek I described above, characters like Ross Geller (Friends), Seth Cohen (The O.C.), Eric Forman (That 70's Show) and Arnold Rimmer (Red Dwarf), are the ones I find most relatable, because they all share common characteristics and play a certain role show in their respective show, in this case, at it's very basic level, 'The Nerd'.
So, believe me, if someone ever compares you to a television character, or you yourself find you have an uncanny resemblance to one, don't say blurgh like my television alter-ego Liz Lemon would, but rather be aware the characters are written so that audiences relate to them and that it's nothing to be ashamed of, it's just the magic of television at work.
So I told you mine, will you tell me yours? What television characters are you most like? Are you a typical nerd, or can you easily be placed in another stereotypical group? I mean, come on, I had a dog and a serial killer in my list, yours is definitely not going to be as bad as mine, and I would love you to share.
No comments:
Post a Comment