I
love a lot of things – almost like my heart pumps love instead of blood. And
the things I love, well, I love them a lot, which results in me getting a tad
bit…obsessive...over some things. But even though I’m walking around with this
huge love-heart bursting with happiness over my favorite things, you just can’t
like everyone you meet. Which brings me to today’s Top 5 Tuesday – characters I
hate from things I love.
Before
I get started, here’s a (hopefully) brief explanation of the criteria I used in
making my selections. None of these characters are “bad guys”. In fact, they’re
all protagonists, even if they’re not the lead character in their work. Also, I
couldn’t just limit myself to books with this one, because my dislike of
certain characters doesn’t respect boundaries between fictional media. Oh, and
I ought to mention that for all of these characters, my dislike is fairly
irrational (or, according to my loving husband, completely irrational and I’m
certifiably insane).
So,
intrepid explorers, read on to discover who I hate!
1.
Peeta Mellark (from The Hunger Games)
Yes, you read that right, folks. The
character I dislike the most out of all the (otherwise totally normal and
likeable) fictional characters is Peeta. Seriously, though, I just can’t wrap my
head around a 16-year old kid that is so in love with a girl (that he’s too
afraid to talk to!) that he’s willing to risk his life for her. I just can’t do
it. I don’t care that he appears to be sincere, I just don’t believe it. I do
feel bad for him – the Capitol did make his brain their very own neural
playground, after all, but that doesn’t mean I have to like him. From the very
beginning, I wasn’t a Peeta fan at all, which no one apparently understands. I
don’t think he’s right for Katniss (actually, I don’t think anyone’s right for
Katniss, but that’s a story for another day), and I don’t understand people
holding up to this ideal of what you should look for in a boyfriend. Sorry, but
I don’t want someone willing to lay down their life for me. I want someone
willing to listen to me (which Peeta doesn’t do) and be my friend (which Peeta
definitely is not).
2.
Ron Weasley (from Harry Potter)
Peeta just barely edged Ron out on this one, because I really, really dislike
Ron Weasley. I think he’s annoying, useless, and an incredibly horrible friend.
Look, I understand why Ron is the way he is – you definitely get enough of the
Weasley family dynamic to understand that Molly and Arthur had more kids than
they were able to pay attention to – but I’m still annoyed by him. What does
Ron really bring to the “golden trio”? Not a whole lot, if we’re being honest.
He isn’t the best at spells (that’s Hermione), the smartest (Hermione again),
or bravest (Harry, this time). He’s not really good at anything, which isn’t a
problem by itself. On Buffy, for
example, Xander is pretty useless, but he’s at least a supportive ally. Ron
completely abandons Harry – twice! – for stupid, selfish, jealous reasons. I
mean, he leaves Harry and Hermione in Deathly
Hallows because he basically misunderstands the mission (yes, I KNOW there
was a Horcrux involved, but really, it just amplified Ron’s already crappy
feelings). Ok, stopping there, because my Ron-fueled anger could rage for days.
3.
Vala Mal Doran (from Stargate)
Here’s the thing - I really wanted to like Vala. I think she’s
hilarious in Prometheus Unbound and I
LOVE Claudia Black (I’m one of perhaps 18 people that adored Farscape), but when Vala became a series
regular, I just hated her. Honestly, I would almost have a physical reaction
every time she was on screen. It’s not that I don’t feel bad for the things
she’s gone through, but there’s just something about her that really bugs the
hell out of me. To be sure, she does grow a lot over the course of her stay on SG1, and she becomes a much better
person because of her time at the SGC. However, you don’t have to like someone
to recognize an excellent character arc, and I think Vala’s got to be one of
those cases for me.
4.
Rory (Williams) Pond (from Doctor Who)
You know, Rory is genuinely likeable. He’s
funny, loyal, and really cares about looking out for Amy’s safety. However,
kind of like with Vala, there’s just something about him that I don’t
particularly care for. He’s like a puppy, a sad, sad, puppy who wants to go for
a walk (i.e. travel with Amy and the Doctor), but when he gets outside, he
realizes that the world is really scary. The end of series 6 has started to
change my opinion (a bit) about him, but I don’t know that Rory really fits in
as a companion. And, for that matter, I don’t know that he’s a good fit for
Amy. They do balance each other out quite a bit, but something about that
dynamic just doesn’t work for me.
5.
Eddie Dean (from The Dark Tower)
This is the only character on this list that
I truly have no explanation for disliking. Sure, he starts off as kind of a
bastard, but by the end of the series, Eddie Dean has really matured into a
hero. Roland even trusts him more than the rest of the ka-tet, saying more than
once that if he (Roland) should fall, Eddie would be the one to lead Susannah,
Jake, and Oy on towards the Tower. He loves his wife, wants to protect the
other members of his ka-tet, and really comes to believe in Roland’s quest. All
around, he’s a pretty great guy. However, I just can’t get into him as a
character. He just really bothers me.
Ok, there you have it.
Characters that are otherwise likeable that I just can’t stand. Disagree with
me? That’s totally fine (but please be prepared to provide examples of why I
should care about Peeta or Ron).
Mischief Managed,
Slim Pearl
Silver-Feather
Currently Reading: Blood Promise, Richelle Mead (I’m kind
of slow these days, aren’t I?)
Books Read in 2012:
21
1 comment:
That's a good list (though I must admit I skimmed most of the Eddie entry for fear of spoilers).
I do need to reread "The Hunger Games" to see if I can understand your take on Peeta, though. I get that he's essentially the Bong girl to Katniss' 007, but I never felt that his motivations weren't believable. I can remember being a hormone-fuled 16-year-old boy, and I'm sure there were dozens of girls I was totally in love with, never talked to and would have fought armies for.
And he really does care about her. Being that he's one of only three people in the books that can say that, it's not nothing.
Post a Comment