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Old 24-08-06, 14:05   #21
jarhead
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oh the red baron
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Old 24-08-06, 14:25   #22
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^Killed the thread there Jared.

I can understand if people idolise actors, and long to have a talent as great as them, which makes more sense since there real people.
Johnny Depp for instance.



But then when you get people idolising games characters, Just because there so emotional and strong in the game, erm such as.... Just thinking of one off the top of my head, Cloud will do.

^This guy is not real, do not attempt to be him.
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Old 24-08-06, 14:30   #23
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Catapharact
My reply to that; There are real life ppl who overcame such odds and succeded. History is loaded with them.

Take Manfred Von Richthofen (The Red Baron) for instance:



Shot down 84 planes on his own making him the world's greatest ace. He was so respected by the allies that they burried him with their own dead.
Yes, but you're missing your own point. I'm not attacking the position of whether there are a huge number of impressive historical and contemporary figures that we can look up to; it's a simple fact, and I won't argue it. However, you said that it's 'not healthy' [sic] to admire the qualities of a fictional character. Here is where I'm going to have to disagree.

A character such as Lara Croft is quite a positive role model; she's smart, independent, driven and (in the main) always fights the side of justice. Now, I obviously don't have a daughter or son, but if I did I certainly wouldn't have any issue with them admiring Lara for those sort of qualities. In a way, her fictional status actually adds to her appeal, because she is free from the restrictions of reality - she never has to do anything 'bad', unless the writers feel that she should. Even the most upstanding real-life figure can't always boast that level of integrity.

And as for your other point, about people actually truly believing or personifying themselves as a fictional character, that is very rare outside of a mental institution; it's more frequently a symptom of personality disorders like schizophrenia. I don't personally see how it's relevant to this particular discussion

Last edited by ace_85; 24-08-06 at 14:41.
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Old 24-08-06, 14:31   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tr_mitch
^Killed the thread there Jared.

I can understand if people idolise actors, and long to have a talent as great as them, which makes more sense since there real people.
Johnny Depp for instance.



But then when you get people idolising games characters, Just because there so emotional and strong in the game, erm such as.... Just thinking of one off the top of my head, Cloud will do.

^This guy is not real, do not attempt to be him.
Hmm maybe...

Last edited by Lenochka; 24-08-06 at 16:09.
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Old 24-08-06, 14:44   #25
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Originally Posted by Catapharact
BIG difference between admiring character qualities and aspiring to be something that's not real. Have faith in ppl? Pfft... Those who I have faith in have never sunk low and always had enough pride to believe in who THEY are. However, the more I surf the online world these days, the more it becomes aparent the ppl can't seem to distinguish reality from fiction.

Those who do know for sure that getting hungup on a bunch of pixals or some movie cliche isn't healthy. Personification is one thing; Aspiring to be something that doesn't exist? You gotta be kidding me.

It may look cute on 9 yr. olds, but when you're above 15... Don't; Its not flattering.
There you again telling us all what's what..it ain't earning you any brownie points, dude. Who gave you point of authority to dictate from whom and where people can draw inspiration from? Story and character by definition work within a medium which is designed to reflect the nature of creativity and expression. If a character embodies a conceivable notion of 'truth' for an individual and that person can intuit truth (which is all around us) in what the character represents, then who are you to admonish against someone having an appreciation for that character? The fact is the world needs idealised role models that can stir the emotions of audiences around the world, it needs crystalised notions of the perfect human being to set the bar because the truth is there's simply no such thing in the real world as the perfect person. People need to be inspired..doesn't make a damn bit of difference if that comes from an animated character, a fictional world like Middle Earth, a top class athlete or anything else..all that matters is the individual's response to it and how it affects them.
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Old 24-08-06, 14:55   #26
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Being inspired by a game character is one thing, but basing inspiriation for a new hair style, based on an animated games character is another, and is highly 'silly'.
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Old 24-08-06, 15:00   #27
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I met a girl once who was a huge AJ fan. It went beyond being just a role model though, she had all the movies etc, tried to look like her, even got the same tattooes. Scarily she even took it as far as scarring her arms with blades, "because Angie used too" such a shame, because she was such a lovely girl.
Are role models bad?, I don't think so, it is quite healthy to have heroes or heroines to look up to, but there is a line that shouldn't be crossed, you should never apsire to be so much like them that you forget your own identity.
As for the whole gender-bender thing, I would much rather play an interesting female character, than a samey-samey bloke one. I wouldn't buy a game to play a certain character though, I only buy games that are fun and offer me some value for money. I don't play as barely clothed women characters for kicks, (honest ) but that is all that this industry seems to offer at the moment.
Perhaps when the industry matures some more, we will start to see some more female orientated games , filtering onto the market. Perhaps those of us that do play videogames will be seen less as the scum of the earth, smelly, spotty and violent people that we are usually stereotyped for, and from what I've seen in this place, seen more like the proper, ordinary and decent folk that we really are.
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Old 24-08-06, 15:02   #28
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I rarely play video games, and when I do they are usually games like TR or Resident Evil, where you don't always get too much of a choice on the gender. I like playing as females in some games simply because I prefer them in an aesthetic sense, just like my art. I prefer drawing females to males simply because they are more appealing to the eye.

I will have to side with Cat and Mitch in this 'debate'.....admiring a character's attributes (Lara's fearlessness and dedication to a worthy cause, etc.), but when people try becoming that character, then some serious identity issues come to the forefront...
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Old 24-08-06, 15:03   #29
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tr_mitch
Being inspired by a game character is one thing, but basing inspiriation for a new hair style, based on an animated games character is another, and is highly 'silly'.
Why not? People copy Beckhams hairstyle and Jennifer Annistons all the time, I really don't see any difference. It's just a haircut at the end of the day. When they pretend that they are that person afterwards, that's when it gets a little stranger.
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Old 24-08-06, 15:04   #30
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thepetemaster
Why not? People copy Beckhams hairstyle and Jennifer Annistons all the time, I really don't see any difference. It's just a haircut at the end of the day. When they pretend that they are that person afterwards, that's when it gets a little stranger.
Jennifer Anniston and Beckham are real people, and that's the problem if somebody gets a haircut like a certain games character, it's almost certain that they will pretend to be that person.
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