Yeah... just a little question. People keep telling me that media emotional attachment can be a really bad thing at times because it can make you do unthinkable things. I'm not saying that I'm the "slit my wrist" grieving type, just saying that my depression can make me do unusual things. Some people have even told me that I need to seek professional help and yada yada yada. But I've done that in the past, but obviously it doesn't help much. They tell me that the best thing to do is to keep talking about my problems and that's it. But the main thing is: Can getting attached to fictional characters in books, movies, tv series, and games really be bad for you? I'm not asking as just a Transformers fan, but also for other reasons. Per favore (please), can you tell me if too much of it is really that bad? And don't think I'm being emo about you-know-who's death. I'm just handling grief like I always do. We all have our ways of grieving for people we care about. It's what makes us human, right?
I don't think it is bad, as long as it is not to much. I for one miss the show TSCC and every once in a while I google desperately for news on the show, there won't be. But I loved the show... It's a good thing if a show is good enough that you really care for the characters and think about the stories, as if sometimes they were real things. But I can't understand how some people go crazy like those twilight fans. I mean, they are many. But most of them really need psychological help. They are so proud of what they are, but even Stephanie Meyers seems to need some help, if you analyze her stories. THAT is some real freaking weird shit. But on the other hand I can't even understand or imagine how it is possible that some girls lose their consciousness when they see a movie star or band singer, etc. edit: If you really suffer from depression it has probably nothing to do with media attachment if people say you should go see a doctor. Depression is nothing like being sad and you get better the next day, it is a serious mental sickness which needs to be treated by specialists or doctors at least. My mother has depression, too. But she hid it all years and did not want to realize it herself for most of the time. I wish she realised earlier, things would have been different for us all
Becoming emotionally invested in a fictional character is a good thing, it helps to elevate stories and connect with us better, there is a line though that you must realize at the end of the day, no matter how "sad" X character's death was, he/she is being written by another human being that decided it would make for good story telling.
It all depends on the degree of attachment. If you take it to 'mai waifu' levels and lobby for marrying your favorite fictional character, then you're beyond all help and should be euthanized.
Well, good thing I'm not. I know a couple of people who are over-obsessed with a couple of characters, but I won't say names and point fingers. The thing is you-know-who's death just shocked me and I cried during his death. I had a bit of nightmares, but that's just it. I'm over the death now. But when I think about it, it just leaves me sighing, not crying or anything. I've accepted it as it is. No more nightmares, just the thought that makes me feel sad, not enough to make me burst into tears again.
generally speaking, too much of anything can be a bad thing. The thing about films, books etc is that to be effective they have to get you to care about the characters. But you're supposed to forget about that when the show's over. They're not real, they're fictional creations. In some ways they can feel more real.
At the end of the day, if you realize that the character is just a fictional thing in a story, then you'll be just fine. There are some people that take it to a level where it is mentally unhealthy.......and....unfortunately, I've had the displeasure of talking to said individuals at work.
Emotional investment in characters is not weird, it's a necessary part of good fiction. Of course, there's always what Nachtsider said...
There's something to be said for drawing inspiration from fictional characters, but like others have said, the issue is the level of attachment. A fictional character can never interact with you outside of the imaginary universe they inhabit, they can never love you back no matter how much you love them, they can never help you with your problems or be a part of your life outside of the detached impact their story has on you. Mourning the death of a fictional character is futile, because they were never really alive to begin with, and their fate was decided the moment their author created them / took control of the character. It is a better thing to cultivate relationships with real people, who are a part of the same world as you, whose lives you can directly enrich and who can enrich yours in return.
Simple cure, write your own fan fiction where the person really wasn't dead and goes on to live happily ever after. For example, if you hated that Skids & Mudflap die in DOTM, write a story that a few days after the movie ended, Prime used the Matrix to revive their sparks. Good as new. They retire from the Autobots & drive off into the sunset.
This is all implying you didn't cry like a little bitch at the end of Terminator 2. (Or Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan, take your pick)
It's perfectly natural to have some emotional attachment to fictional characters; like Jazzmasta said, it's part of what makes good fiction. The feelings are real, even if the person isn't. There probably aren't many people out there who haven't been sad at the death of a favorite character at some point in their lives. I've definitely been there a time or two. The problem comes when fiction starts replacing reality, or when fictional events are having too much impact on how you feel in real life. Imagination is great, but it shouldn't replace who and what is really here. This is good advice.
Who are you upset about? As for me, I've only felt bad for fictional characters a handful of times. As a child, I cried for these characters 1. Little Foot's Mother- WTF man! Why did Sharptooth have to kill her. 2. Bambi's Mother- Again, WTF MAN! Damn hunters 3. Ant from Honey, I Shrunk the Kids- WTF! Damn Scorpion As an adult, oh man... I hate to admit this. 4. Toy Story 3. I had to walk out LOL! That part when they all hold hands and accept their fate, really got to me. 5. Dexter Spoiler Rita's Death - I was pissed lol! It really made me feel bad Anyhow, I got over all these death scenes pretty quick. If your holding onto the death of a fictional character for days afterward, get some help. Unless it was Little Foot's mom, I'll spit on a T-Rex today if I saw one, douchebag
Perspective is where it's at. At the end of the day, one has to remember that it's just a piece of fiction. It's fine to have an attachment to favorite characters, but as in anything else, there is too much of a good thing. I can remember being absolutely stunned in the theater watching the Enterprise burning its way through the atmosphere of Genesis (I think the guy in the back screaming "That's bullsh*t!" was a bit more upset, though). You could have heard a pin drop in the theater at the end of Star Trek II. Worst of all for me, watching Anakin Skywalker breathe his last was a sad moment. I can't say that I ever cried or got upset over the death of a favorite character. It's not like the character's death in the movie makes your toys fall apart, or causes your books/comics to suddenly burst into flame. Perspective. If it's affecting someone that much, they might need to take a step back and take a deep breath.
Gah, seriously. Still need to see season 5 to see how he dealt with it. I have cried at certain fictional characters' deaths (Old Yeller, Dinobot, Spock, etc...) but I've always gotten over it by the time the credits are finished. I actually cried worse when Next Generation ended because there would be no more Next Generation.
I got emotionally attached to every aspect of Six Feet Under (and the same could be said about all of the Star Treks), and doing so made me a better person. Heck if anything, I have no doubt that the latter of which contributed to the fact that I'm not a racist or sexist asshole because really, when you grow up with the understanding that humans will live among with other races & that people should be judged simply for who that person is (rather than where they might be from, etc), skin colour & earthy nationality really doesn't mean very much in the grand scheme of things.
That's what I got out of it. And the fact that they did that with awesome ships and phasers and transporters and stuff is what made Star Trek pure freakin' win.
Yeah. I always found a lot of the technology to be unrealistic, but then again, people from the 50's would say the same thing about the computers & things of our time. Still awesome however, and being able to go through the original, tng, ds9, voyager & then enterprise was great as well. In that respect, I don't think it ever "ended" for me, especially since I watch em all the time on the space channel.
