Question for Tomorrow's Podcast
Added 2024-05-01 00:01:28 +0000 UTCSorry--I've been avoiding most spaces because of QOT discussions. I'm almost totally spoiler-free except for a DM someone--no one here--sent us today (please, love this excitement for the show and I've got 4 to go and Amy is only on episode 5!!!) Thank you for keeping a lid on it for us!!!!!
Okay, tomorrow we are going to be discussing character likability on the pod--here is a question for you: Can a character be likeable if their beliefs or actions fundamentally clash with your own values? Is it possible to appreciate a well-written character whose worldview you don’t relate to?
Note: If we read your question on-air we will use your name unless you specifically state PLEASE DO NOT USE MY NAME. LOL. TY!!!
-Lia
Comments
I love these insights! Yes to the spectrum and YES YES to your last paragraph!
Melissa M
2024-05-01 21:54:48 +0000 UTCI’ve been listening to Oprah’s book, What Happened to You, and I think that’s a big part of what makes some characters likeable, even if I don’t share their values. If I understand what happened to them, how their experiences shaped them, I can cheer for them and find them at least a little likeable, even if I disagree with their actions. I also think likeability happens on a spectrum for me, rather than being binary. Much like people IRL, I find characters somewhat, moderately, or mostly likeable (versus always or never likeable). If I’m honest, the characters I find the least likeable are either 1) too two-dimensional, or 2) they have a fatal flaw that hits too close to home. If the chink in their armor is something I, too, struggle with, I have little patience for them. Probably something I should discuss with a therapist!
Dinah
2024-05-01 20:46:07 +0000 UTCThanks to every whose posts have helped me organize my thoughts, and yes, I am procrastinating HARD on a project that is boring and frustrating, and YES, I probably need a posting intervention. But! I'd love to hear the Noonas thoughts on any of the following: 1. “Likability “in terms of who we, as individual viewers, vibe with, admire, and/or feel affectionate toward--and why! I see a lot of agreement in these comments that likeability does not require perfection or "goodness." Often, a character's flaws—especially flaws that are explained through backstory or that I relate to or (cough) share, gets me to like them more. (Hello, again, Moon Soo from Just Between Lovers!) And again, there are definitely some value-mismatches that preclude me from liking a character as much as I dig watching them. I also think the performer’s charisma is a HUGE factor in how we feel about the character they’re playing. Casting matters! 2. “Likeability” in terms who the drama positions as The Ones You Should Like, and how they go about that. Ramsey’s thoughts above address this, and how often gendered social conventions and conditioning factor in. How much grace do we extend to Difficult Men as opposed to Difficult Women? How hard do we work to understand them? 3. What happens when there is a big disconnect between your personal take on a character and the take the drama seems to be pushing? Do you drop? Resign yourself to enjoying the drama less? Or even, sometimes, enjoy the drama more, like, um Heirs? I am NEVER going to "like" stupid Kim Tan, but I enjoy the hell out of snarking on him, particularly when he is literally rolling in the gutter.
Katie M
2024-05-01 16:27:26 +0000 UTC
