Is it normal to stop reading books/ watching shows when i hate the characters?

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11 Comments

I'm pretty observant and analytical. When I listen to music I always listen to the lyrics, unlike my friends who just HEAR it. If I think the lyrics are stupid I'll generally not like the song unless it has a great beat. With movies, shows or books, I actually get really into it and think about the characters motivations and the quality of the writing, whereas most people I know just passively watch it. (Btw I'm not referring to light hearted cartoons or something- I mean more serious dramas like Dexter, Breaking Bad, Big Love, Mad Men, etc.)

Sometimes I'll be really into a show, and then slowly the main characters will become total dirtbags without ANY redeeming features, and I'll start to lose interest in the show. The way I see it is, if I hated someone in real life I wouldn't be interested in knowing the details of THEIR life, so why am I supposed to care about or root for this fictional character anymore? I just find myself hoping they'll meet their ruin soon, but usually I just give up on the show because I don't care anymore.

Most people I tell this to say "Why do you care so much? It's just a SHOW." To me that seems like a strange response. Are you thinking about what you're watching, at all? Why would you watch something you didn't care about, or weren't into enough to form an opinion on?

I like to see imperfect characters put in a variety of challenging situations, but still retain some qualities I can feel sympathy with, and I don't find that very often. Is it weird to give up on shows/movies for this reason?

Voting Results
91% Normal
Based on 23 votes (21 yes)
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Comments ( 11 )
  • flightlesskiwi
    9 years ago

    I'm like you as well. I get fed up with TV shows, books and movies for the same reason you do. Like you I don't understand why most people don't feel the same way as us.

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  • woodchuckgra
    9 years ago

    Dude how funny. Not funny ha ha but strange funny. I am the same way. I like to read and when characters don't make sense I stop reading or in the case of television so watching the show. It just shows a more indepth view of life and art. My best friend from college taught me to listen to lyrics more indepth and really see what the artist is trying to convey. The only problem is that words can be interrupted in different ways according to ones own life experiences. For example I am black but hate hip hop. My father was a colonel in the air force and I didn't grow up in the hood, I do identify with country music, doing well by others, being a good person, and striving for a better life. So you are not alone keep on trying to grow and be a better person.

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    • [Old Memory]
      9 years ago

      That's awesome that you're the same way! Sometimes these people make me feel like I'm on crazy pills lol, like it's a crime to actually think about what you're absorbing through the media. I'm sure you've heard the phrase "you think too much" as often as I have. I do strive to grow and be a better person, always, and to me thinking and reflecting is the the first step in getting there.

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      • woodchuckgra
        9 years ago

        It seems to me that our country has evolved into a country of followers and not just on Twitter. We don't want to think beyond what is on our phone. I find it funny that we focus on simple ideas that have been regurgetated by some artist, I use the term loosely, that can't even come up with an original beat. There is a song from the 60s that talks about raping a poor girl and treating a rich girl with respect. It's called In the summer time by mungo jerry. Original thinking is frowned upon by the "establishment" because it decreases profits. I try to be a man that strives to think for myself.

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        • [Old Memory]
          9 years ago

          I'm a little confused. Are you saying that the song you referenced is original thinking?

          Also, I went and read those lyrics just now:

          "If her daddy's rich, take her out for a meal,
          if her daddy's poor, just do what you feel."

          I think it's reaching to say that means "rape her if she's poor."

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          • woodchuckgra
            9 years ago

            No I was saying that people don't listen to lyrics. Like I said words are up to interpretation. When I first heard the song I immediately thought if her daddy's poor just do what you feel refers to a guy taking a girl out and instead of wooing her with a traditional date and making out he could just take her through the town speeding along the lake taking the turns at 25 mph and doing what he feels with her. What can her family do if he did rape her.It is an example of the class system. If I thought that, then others surely would have, yet no one objected to the song. Other songs have been objected to for less.

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  • ArayaLioness
    9 years ago

    That's similar to me. In order for me to like the song, I'd have to like lyrics (most) and the beat.

    If I find a story that has a repulsive character that wins out the majority of the time, I will stop reading /watching it.

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  • Arm0se
    9 years ago

    I keep watch anyway. I stuck with them this far, I have to see how it all ends.

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  • RoseIsabella
    9 years ago

    I loved Breaking Bad, but Mad Men I fucking hated.

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    • [Old Memory]
      9 years ago

      Me too! Oh my god, everyone on that show was disgustingly corrupt, and the main character was the worst of all. I couldn't even find a side character I liked that I could maybe hold out for.

      At least in Breaking Bad, it took almost the whole series for me to hate Walt lol.

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  • Cuntsiclestick
    9 years ago

    This might sound strange, but I honestly felt the same way about recent SpongeBob episodes.

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