Meta rec and Very Scientific Poll

[ash48]

bardicvoice has written some great meta on why we see Sam and Dean differently: The Rainbow Connection, or Can You See What I See?

I like the ideas presented - it all makes perfect sense to me. It should help people realise that it's OK to see the show differently and arguing about it (read "being nasty") isn't going to achieve much. I think discussing is valuable because I think sharing the differing views can be interesting. Though, as bardicvoice's put it - "You're going to believe what you believe no matter what I say, unless I happen upon an explanation that fits your emotional reality and both allows and persuades you to change your point of view. Trust me, those occasions are few and far between".

She also refers to an article written about why we connect to fictional characters in such a passionate way. This is fascinating also.

If you enjoy this type of analysis I highly recommend it.

She can't answer what it is in each of our personalities that makes us respond the way we do, unfortunately. I imagine such a study would be extraordinarily difficult.

However...I did wonder if we might be able to do a highly (un)scientific survey to see if there's anything we can pin down that make us either a Sam!person or a Dean!person or a both bro!person.



I think of myself as a Sam!girl (who adores Dean <333). I often wonder what draws me to Sam and I think I can simply put it down to:

1) He's the younger brother
2) He has long hair
3) I find Jared ridiculously attractive

(I find Jensen ridiculously attractive too. I love Dean and there's no way I would adore Sam the way I do without Dean being there).

In most TV/film partnerships I've always favored the younger of a pair - Luke over Han, AJ over Rick (Simon and Simon), Stephen over Mike (in the Tomorrow People). I have no idea why that is. I've sometimes wondered if it has anything to do with my position in my family. I am the eldest.

Which makes me wonder if the way we favour either Sam or Dean has anything to do with whether or not we have younger or older siblings? (I think not, but it might be fun to see if there is any trend).


[Poll #1918144]


It's just for fun (and I'm curious...). In all honesty I imagine there are a number of factors dictating not only the way we sympathise with a particular character but also how we interpret story lines and "see" the show. I don't know how you'd ever find out what makes one person see it one way and other a different way. It would be quite a study I should imagine.

Comments

[growyourwings.livejournal.com]

"My brain goes into a different place when I read wincest (and watch the show for that matter). It's just them in their massively screwed up world and it just works."

This. My brain has long ago separated the wincest taboo from having anything to do with real life. First because...it's FICTION. And second because their lives are just so screwed up (ala Flowers in the Attic). And then my brain further separates any fanfiction (rps non-au or otherwise) from the real J and J. They are just different entities in my head. When I first saw the Js at the first LA con, for a few hours I worried that I would no longer be able to read RPF/S at all. And then I realized that my brain just compartmentalized RPF J&J as different people. Like the Js were being cast to play different characters, just in a fanfic (again whether au or non-au).

I know I'm not alone in that when I see photos of the guys I can almost always tell when the photo was taken when the Js were themselves or when they were Sam and Dean. It's just THERE in their faces, expressions, body language. I don't even need the clothing to tell the different a lot of times.