Contemplation of my fandom leanings
May. 4th, 2010 08:57 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
skellywagI have noticed that I can't read a book, watch a movie or television series, or even play a video game without mentally pairing up characters while I do it. And on the rare chance I can manage to do any of these things without developing an OTP, it's either because there's only one character I feel strongly about (as in Mass Effect 2, in which the only character I really love is Garrus Vakarian, or The Vampire Diaries, where I only like Damon Salvatore), or because I don't feel strongly enough about the series as a whole (can't think of an example here, because I pretty much don't continue reading/watching something I don't feel strongly about).
Is this normal? I mean, I don't think I'm more preoccupied with sex than your average twenty-something female (and am probably in actuality less preoccupied with it, considering I have absolutely no interest in pursuing a relationship with anyone atm). I tend to prefer my fanfiction and books with more character/relationship development and plot, and less porn. But I like to read relationship-y things.
AND LIKE. I was looking at the list of pairings I've compiled. And almost none of them are what anyone would consider "mainstream". And I was trying to figure out why. I think I've realized what it is. I don't like pairings that come too easy. I like it when there are obstacles to the relationship. Whether that be outright antagonism, a familial relationship between them, cultural standards (such as the Victorian one where homosexuality was illegal), or even the fact that the characters have never shown much interest in each other, or maybe never even met in canon. This is what I like. I like to see what justification a fanfiction writer could come up with to bring two characters together, what obstacles they will have to overcome.
I will be the first to admit that this makes all of the pairings I'm interested in very unlikely for actually appearing in canon. I'm certainly not going to argue that any OTP of mine is more appropriate than the IchiRukis and NaruSakuSasus of their respective fandoms. Because they're not. The pairings I like are not soulmates (save three exceptions, off the top of my head) AND THAT'S OKAY. Sure, soulmates can have obstacles too, but I like it when there are more problems, I guess.
Is this normal? I mean, I don't think I'm more preoccupied with sex than your average twenty-something female (and am probably in actuality less preoccupied with it, considering I have absolutely no interest in pursuing a relationship with anyone atm). I tend to prefer my fanfiction and books with more character/relationship development and plot, and less porn. But I like to read relationship-y things.
AND LIKE. I was looking at the list of pairings I've compiled. And almost none of them are what anyone would consider "mainstream". And I was trying to figure out why. I think I've realized what it is. I don't like pairings that come too easy. I like it when there are obstacles to the relationship. Whether that be outright antagonism, a familial relationship between them, cultural standards (such as the Victorian one where homosexuality was illegal), or even the fact that the characters have never shown much interest in each other, or maybe never even met in canon. This is what I like. I like to see what justification a fanfiction writer could come up with to bring two characters together, what obstacles they will have to overcome.
I will be the first to admit that this makes all of the pairings I'm interested in very unlikely for actually appearing in canon. I'm certainly not going to argue that any OTP of mine is more appropriate than the IchiRukis and NaruSakuSasus of their respective fandoms. Because they're not. The pairings I like are not soulmates (save three exceptions, off the top of my head) AND THAT'S OKAY. Sure, soulmates can have obstacles too, but I like it when there are more problems, I guess.