Okay, maybe that should have been “With whom do you identify?” but that’s veering towards poncy-ness.
Anyway, a while ago, Stu_N and I were having a discussion about whether children needed a character in a TV show with whom they could identify in order to watch and enjoy said show. He argued that they didn’t, citing the opinion of the inestimable Oliver Postgate (creator of untold numbers of wonderful children’s shows including Ivor the Engine and The Clangers).
My counter-argument was the somewhat weaker point that I thought he was right, but apparently teenage girls wouldn’t have watched the last couple of series of Doctor Who if it weren’t for the character of Rose – someone supposedly with whom they could identify – so maybe there were certain groups of people (maybe just teenagers) who need a central figure just like them in order to watch and enjoy the show. It’ll be interesting to see if the randy med student Martha Jones will pull in the crowds as well.
I was pondering that thought yesterday and I’ve decided to launch a pseudo-scientific investigation of it that will also be a meme. You see, off the top of my head, I can’t think of a single character on a TV show that I’ve ever enjoyed whom I identified with. Admired, maybe. Thought ‘What a great character’? Yes. But identified with? Can’t think of anyone. But I’ve still watched a load of tele.
So, the burning question/meme for today – and for who knows how much longer – is “Is there a character on a TV show that you’ve ever identified with?”. Clearly, it would be fun to run psychological tests on everyone to see what their self-esteem is like and correlate that with the results, but I’ve run out of virtual clipboards and pens.
Thus, leave your answer below or on your own blogs, if you will, and perhaps also your musings on this vital question of the day. The Earth’s fate depends on it.
Too much?
