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

[galwithglasses.livejournal.com]

A Dean without a Sam is like trying to make water without hydrogen.  You don't have a story without both of them.  Bardicvoice's article pretty much sums up attachment to a character though. (Bobby, have I mentioned I miss Bobby....)

Like someone mentioned above, I just get Dean.  There are parts of Dean I can't stand, but I still really understand him.  I'm an older sibling and ended up trying to make peace in the middle between Dad and a brother.  In the later seasons, I click with his depression.  He snarks like me to provide cover for whatever emotional crap he's trying to figure out.  He's loyal and tenacious in relationships, heart-wise or not.  That echoes me too.  He loves Sam beyond reason.  In the way that I get Dean, I get his Sam love too which essentially makes me as much of a Sam!girl as Dean is, which is to say huge.  I started out the show as a Dean!girl and I cared about Sam because Dean did.  Over the seasons though, I've come to really like Sam for his own self, not just as seen through Dean's eyes.

There are things about Sam that I understand that Dean never will.  I left for college to get away from crap at home and to make a better, safer life.  His go 'round with Lucifer after Cas brought the wall down and how he handled that really cemented my Sam appreciation.

So while, I get Dean on a gut level and will probably always gravitate to him first (he also does beautiful angst) Sam is right there with his "always trying to do the right thing even if it gets me killed" and his hair. I'd listen to Dean pour out his heart at the bar or research with Sam any day. Anything else would probably be dangerous for my health. 8-)

[ash48.livejournal.com]

A Dean without a Sam is like trying to make water without hydrogen.

Word!

I think get Dean also - on the level of being a big sister. But I also get Dean's character more than I think I get Sam's. I have Sam leanings but I spend a lot of the time trying to work him out. Dean seems ..um...less complicated. He still has flaws and lessons to learn and an interesting character journey - but how he feels and why he does things seem easy to grasp than some of the stuff Sam does.

I adore them both - and I love the way they are with each other. Even if I do want to smack them upside the head sometimes.

xx