[ SECRET POST #2640 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #2640 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 031 secrets from Secret Submission Post #377.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

One thing I always want to throw out in discussions of OOCs is that there can often be interpretation involved in what is in-character to begin with, especially in things like TV and comics where a character is not consistent over time. A lot of times people say something isn't in-character when really it's what someone else is legitimately seeing in that character. Sometimes they're putting their own wishes into it but sometimes there really is room for argument.

I feel like you can't just make sweeping statements about OOCs in general because sometimes it's inexperienced writers not completely understanding a character, sometimes it's writers wanting a certain outcome and characterization be damned, and sometimes it's intentional because writers want to explore something (maybe how an evil version of a nice character would work or how a character might be different if they were tortured/had a nice life/whatever). Can you honestly say that you don't understand ANY of these at all? Absolutely EVERY kind of OOC baffles you?

With regards to AUs, I think it's important to remember that people are watching the same thing for different reasons -- that what you think is important isn't what everyone thinks is in important. When people are honestly baffled that people make AUs and write OOC, I think they're doing the whole you're-not-liking-this-right kind of thing (though probably not intentionally).

Maybe you love the SPN universe and the boys and everything about the universe as is. That's great. But for the people who watch it because they love the relationship between Dean and Sam, then keeping them in the SPN universe isn't so critical (and can you honestly not see how some people want to give them something happier?). And if they only love Meg, then adhering strictly to the boys' characterization isn't a priority -- especially if you want to give her some love after she's been tortured or whatever. HER characterization might matter but for the sake of the story the author wants to tell, others' might not.

And then there's stuff like where a character appears to be one way right away but then slowly evolves into something else. Maybe people really like how Castiel appeared in his very first few episodes when he was just an unfeeling badass and there was a lot of mystery surrounding him. Since the show's evolved him from there, fanfic's the place you'd have to go to explore that character you might have fallen in love with but isn't around anymore. It is in-character for the first few episodes.

And for people who watch Firefly because they love Simon and River's relationship, then it doesn't seem so strange if they make strong sibling bonds among other characters who don't have those bonds. That's what they love about the show after all.

These are just some examples of a ton more. There are all sorts of reasons people are drawn to a particular media and all sorts of things they are taking from it. Obviously there will be exceptions but I feel like most AUs and OOC I see (when not from inexperience) are generally in-character to the things that people love most about the media. It's just not the same as what you love about it.

[(Anonymous)]

Yes to all of this. You put it more succinctly than I could. People can legitimately and sincerely have different interpretations of a character, and it doesn't necessarily mean they are pulling random nonsense out of their ass or just making things up; two different people can watch the very same episode or scene and have radically different reactions. That's why some people can hate Character X while other people love him/her.
Ditto to your observation that characters change over time, and also that a writer can choose to focus on certain facets of the character while downplaying others. Doesn't mean those facets don't exist, it just means the writer might want to explore different avenues; might want to take one particular idea and run with it, especially if an idea was raised in canon, then dropped, and the fanfic writer wants to pursue it.