Helpless and Hopeless: A No Fail Formula

[sisabet]

Does the new season of QaF start Sunday?

Does Brian finally develop superpowers this year? See, I've kinda been meh about the new season and about B/J in particular. I don't know why really - I think it is the lack of superpowers. Maybe if Brian could just have a tiny little power that isn't really a power, I'd be more excited.

Or be a vampire. I kinda really dug that. Oh, I also really like invisibility - but only if its use and presence will gradually drive our intrepid hero insane and cause great physical pain. Mmmm, angstalicious. Mmmm, mental anguish.

Brian could have x-ray vision. He wouldn't use it for good - that much is a given, but I am okay with shades of gray.

I was explaining to sockkpuppett a few weeks ago that I think all of my fannish crushes can be broken down into one of 2 groups: Hopeless versus Helpless. Let me explain. I like a lot of different characters - but it takes a specific type to interest me in daydreaming and pondering and basically just obsessing constantly. This is my attempt to make sense of it all - also - I like categorizing things.

Little boxes, on a hillside, little boxes made of ticky-tacky, little boxes on a hillside, little boxes all the same


The Hopeless dude is just that - without hope. He has pain. You can't even begin to fathom his pain - and in some cases you only know enough about him to know that it is bad. He typically is a loner. A OTP is not necessary - although if one exists - he will lose that person. This is a given and he knows it. His future is bleak and the Hopeless guy doesn't really believe that anything around the bend is going to be any better. But here is where the thing that makes The Hopeless guy more than a Gloomy Gus and into the object of my obsession comes into play: He still doesn't give up. Maybe in little ways, you can see his facade cracking, because the burden he carries is deep and wide and without occasional falls, we wouldn't know how far our hero has traveled. But there is no point and the pain continues, on and on and into infinity.

Examples: Angel (AtS). Mal Reynolds (Firefly). Brian Kinney (QaFUS) falls into this category by default, but if he had a superpower, it would just really help me out. Clark Kent (SV, Superman). Xander Harris (BtVS - but only as he exists in fanfic. I like Dark Xander).


there's a blue one and a green one and a pink one and a yellow one, and they're all made out of ticky-tacky and they all look just the same



Now the Helpless guy is actually quite gifted. He possesses a talent or knowledge or something that sets him apart as special, unique and Important to the Universe. He also possesses a knack for putting himself in situations that inevitably lead to extreme danger. If left to his own devices, the Helpless guy will get himself killed. He needs protecting (and possibly cuddling and soup) and this is where the presense of a OTPing - a protector - can really shine. Saving the Helpless Hero from himself - I LOVE this. The Helpless guy cannot exist for more than short-term on his own. He requires a Partner/Protector.

Examples: John Crichton {Farscape), Darien Fawkes (I-Man), Fox Mulder (TXF - and Mulder probably imprinted this type on me), under certain conditions Lex Luthor (SV, Superman), Wes (AtS) once fit fairly well into this category, but he is moving right along into Hopeless as the seasons progress, Spike feels right in this category - but I think I am thinking more in terms of fanfic again -- I just can't buy Spike as Helpless - except he does have a talent for getting himself almost killed - but then he usually acts as his own Protector and that brings me to my next point:

My favorite dynamic is when the Hopeless Hero takes on the Protector/Partner Role of the Helpless Hero. I get two types, forged together in one irresistable dynamic. It is just lovely, you know? Plus - painful and also DOOMED (doomed). Seriously, it is an angst-producing formula that just cannot fail: You've got the Hopeless dude and all of his lovely pain and just a glimmer of hope given to him - a reason for it all - by the sheer presence of the Helpless Hero. And then shit happens. It's enough to make me want to buy a TIVO.


And then you have Spike - who apparently can be his own OTP. It's actually that quality about him that I find most appealing.

ETA: Linked in the comments - but noteworthy in typing archtypes - is the Clam/Anti-Clam discussion in elynross's LJ. Chances are a pairing you are a fan of got brought up as an example - I think *all* fandoms were incorporated.

http://www.livejournal.com/users/elynross/32583.html

So yeah - gotta go with laurashapiro's comments below: Hopeless Heroes are clams intrinsically - they *have* to be clams. If they are not clams, People Die (the fact that people die anyway, just from being in their proximity, is not lost on them).

Conversely, the Helpless Hero has a bit more emotional freedom - he is an anti-clam. He is also generally a bit nuts. Most Helpless sorts are brilliant, but with a couple of screws loose. This is actually a defining characteristic: Has the candidate for Helpless Hero, ever been restrained for his own protection (tied to a bed, straitjacket, cuffs - you get the picture)? If the answer is no - then get back to me in two seasons.

Comments

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

There's a red one, and a green one, and a blue one, and a yellow one! And they're all made out of ticky-tacky, and they all look just the same.

So, where does BobbyHobbes fit?

[sisabet.livejournal.com]

I'm working that out. There is a still undefined category of Protector that would contain Bobby and Aeryn and so forth - they aren't Hopeless, by any means though. Perhaps Humanly (even when not) Flawed Hero? I don't know.

Rube is probably Hopeless but I resist putting him up there.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

For me, Bobby fits into my #1 category of fannish love: The Doggedly Loyal, Scrappy, Put-Upon, Devoted Best Friend and Co-Worker. Under this rubric, I have:

Leo McGarry
Artemus Gordon
Frank McPike
Ray Vecchio
Bobby Hobbes
Alexander Scott
Al Calavicci
Sam Gamgee

I'm sure there are others.

Replying to myself to add

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

Ron Weasley! Duh.

[sisabet.livejournal.com]

I like your category -- I too have a thing for the sidekick - maybe it is the loyalty thing? I need to figure this out so I can stack Scully and Sam and Bobbyhobbes in the right pile. Sidekick just doesn't cut it, though. It is beyond that cause Aeryn fits in there too. It has to do with Helpless and their interactions with him - but it is also something innate that all of these characters have.

On a sidenote - I might have to draft you to explain Due South to me one evening. There have been a number of fannish posts about it recently and I really hate not knowing what people are talking about. Plus, this two Ray thing (and people's reactions to the 2 Rays) fascinates me. I must know more.

Little Boxes...

[sisabet.livejournal.com]

Lately, I've had that song in my head whenever I'm sorting
/stacking things. It should be a vid - is it a vid yet?

Re: Little Boxes...

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

Heya - I can totally pimp you / explain dS - are you going to be around on AIM today?

Re: Little Boxes...

[sisabet.livejournal.com]

Tonight if I can stay awake after I taked the meds. Singulair makes me sleepy.

What I know - BF is a mountie from Canada who moves to Chicago to either avenge or investigate his father's murder. He licks everything in site, has a wolf for a pet, and there is a fire at some point. Also he is shot at a train yard and it is quite moving and he knows 2 guys named Ray and he takes one of the Rays to Canada. I'm mainly confused about the Rays.

Re: Little Boxes...

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

I will explain it all to you tonight, if you can stay awake.

[luna-k.livejournal.com]

Does the new season of QaF start Sunday?

Happy Hopping Bunny Day is Sunday. Happy Dancing Gay Boy Day is April 14.

[wrenlet.livejournal.com]

Nono, Happy Gay Vampire Day is April 14th. Happy Dancing Gay Boy Day is April 18th, at least in the states :D

[luna-k.livejournal.com]

Ack, you're right! Too many Happy Gay Shows to keep up. :)

[eleveninches.livejournal.com]

If Brian had superpowers I would be the happiest girl on earth. And fanfic where people don't use magic or powers is the hardest thing to write ever. Damn you, QAF!

[sisabet.livejournal.com]

You know - if you are writing the story and you want Brian to have superpowers, he can have superpowers. Wait - you knew that already.

I'm like Justin - I like to think Brian can at least levitate.

[eleveninches.livejournal.com]

I made him Buffy once, does that count?

[sisabet.livejournal.com]

Brian as Buffy absolutely counts - in fact it counts doubly toward...um.. whatever - A NEW CAR!!!

I'm still waiting for someone to make Brian Angel - or Dr. Dre. I think Brian would make an excellent Dr. Dre.

[wrenlet.livejournal.com]

I've talked about this before, on how it's sooooo harrrrrrd to put apocalyptic or near-apocalyptic elements into a series that doesn't have 'em :( No one's ever saved the world on QaF, it hasn't even been in danger. It's just not... epic.

See, even in Jenn's vampire!Brian, Michael steps up and saves, what, a couple handfuls of people? And he has no plan, like the White Hats in the Wishverse, he can't get 'em out of the city or take the fight to Brian, he can just go step by step and kill 'em when he finds 'em and wait for the vampires to pull down his comic shop. There's no End, no Grand Goal, just a day-by-day kinda life, like the rest of us.

And a lot of fanfic takes Epic Stories and breaks them down into that day-by-day existence, moves the goalposts, makes the heroes either fail or just slowly slide into darkness, but it's rillyrilly hard to go the other way with it, and put Epic-hood in where it did not already exist.

More's the pity :(

[talitha78.livejournal.com]

De-lurking briefly to say that I LOVE this post. I love when other people can articulate what it is about certain archetypes that really hits their buttons, because I usually totally agree. I'm all squirmy with delight here. :)

[sisabet.livejournal.com]

Aww thanks! Squirm away!

[falzalot.livejournal.com]

If it wasn't for the fact that I refuse to see them as doomed (and I'll stomp my feet about it too!), this seems to work for Highlander. You've got Duncan for 'helpless' and Methos as 'hopeless', as well as the Partner/Protector. :-) Wow! Archetypes!! And all this before diet coke!!

[sisabet.livejournal.com]

If it wasn't for the fact that I refuse to see them as doomed

See, that is just the thing - they are totally doomed - but they aren't - that makes the dynamic so enticing. Like there is no way this will ever ever work - something really bad is bound to happen and somehow they keep pulling through. But you are always on your seat because the mere presence of Hopeless means Bad Things Ahead.

Now, see I am glad I did not try to classify HL - because from the limited amount of time I have seen him, Duncan seems Hopeless to me. Granted I only know Methos from vids and that Movie. I can see how the dynamic could work that way in this situation -- but I don't know. We might need a new category for Methos (and possibly Spike) - what happens when Hopeless is saved by someone else?

OH! I like that too! And I need a category for the Scullys and Bobbyhobbes of the world. Wheee! Categories.

I can stack em in piles!!!

[laurashapiro.livejournal.com]

Fascinating way to break it down. I love the way people fiddle with the archetypes until they find rules that make sense for them. Sorta like the "clam/anti-clam" thing.

Hopeless types are almost always clams, I think.

[sisabet.livejournal.com]

Help me out here, as I am highly, highly and I must stress *highly* medicated right now - Clam as in closed off? Cause if so - yes - the Hopeless types really have to be clams.

The Helpless are all open and out there with there pain somewhat - my mind goes to John raging about on the dying Leviathan in "Crichton Kicks" - this might be because this is illustrative of that point, or it might just be because my mind wants to linger there for a bit. I really have no idea.

[laurashapiro.livejournal.com]

Well, I can't seem to find the post where killabeez talked about it, but yeah, that's the idea. The clam is the guy who keeps his feelings in, and the anti-clam is the guy who wears his heart on his sleeve. Spock is the original clam, Kirk the original anti-clam.

Mmm. John Crichton. I love the way he lets it all hang out, and it's funny because I'm normally more attracted to clams.

[sisabet.livejournal.com]

Well that is because John is half-clam at the very least. Yeah - he is really open emotionally - but he keeps a lot close to the vest - Scorpius, his feelings about Aeryn (depending on the season).

I mean - I understood how much having Harvey around bugged John - but I never got how much it pained him to have an outsider present in his brain (possibly because he *used* Harvey as an advantage in so many situations) - but I never really got how bad it was for him - until Jack killed Harvey in Infinite Possibilities II and we see John's reaction. That *kills* me because I had no idea, but now I do *and* made my subsequent reactions to John-on-Moya that much more intense, because he still has a neural clone and he is still just making the best of a really bad situation.

Now I need to go make John some soup.

[laurashapiro.livejournal.com]

"Come Together" is a lot about that, actually. John's frustration, anguish, and especially fear over being invaded by Harvey were always really clear to me. The idea of slowly going mad is just part of what makes the experience awful; the fact of being mentally raped is perhaps a bigger part of it. That loss of control, that's got to be horrible, especially when you consider that in this universe, John's mind is all he has to count on. He even makes some kind of comment to that effect in S1: "I can't lose my mind. It's all I've got left." Or something.

Yes. John needs soup. I need an icon that says "John needs soup."

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

It is likely the reason you couldn't find the post where Killa talked about it is that it was in Ellen's lj. :)

http://www.livejournal.com/users/elynross/32583.html

CLAM!

[sisabet.livejournal.com]

Whee - you guys talked about all fandoms in that discussion - lightening fast follow the pretty boys talk - Leo to Bobby to Horatio to wow.

Edited my post to reflect the link, btw. Ain't fandom grand?

[crowie.livejournal.com]

Wandered over from a friends friendlist, hey!

Oooo :) I love meta-ponderings on what makes characters tick when it comes to which ones you really really like and why.

My personal kink is someone who is hiding parts of himself and is actually capable of alot more nastyness than you think when you meet him first. Which does explain my Methos, Wes and Angel obsessivness.

[sisabet.livejournal.com]

And what worthy subjects for obsession.

::congratulates your good taste::

[jackiekjono.livejournal.com]

You haven't joined the tivo cult, yet? You'd like it. And it's not nearly as expensive as the Mac cult.

*chants*

One of us. One of us. We will make her one of us.

[missmurchison.livejournal.com]

Oh, I also really like invisibility

I used to think I had acquired this power, as I hit middle age. However, it seems that the people at work can see me quite clearly, especially when things go wrong. It makes them point in my direction.

However, I am still invisible to salesmen and most of the service industry. I'm beginning to doubt this is a superpower after all. (Even though I'm convinced I could shoplift all of the contents of the computer section at Best Buy and still no sales clerk would look in my direction. Perhaps it's a power that can be used only for evil?)

I would like to comment intelligently on the rest of your post, but I find I cannot, although I found it compelling and thought-provoking. Apparently coherence is another power that I have lost. Maybe I should have my estrogen levels checked.

[mecurtin.livejournal.com]

You can see my personal no-fail formula in my icon: Hero/Geek.

I find your taxonomy fascinating in part because your definitions seem a bit . . . counter-intuitive.

In particular, your description of Hopeless seems to *me* to fit Lex Luthor to a T, while your description of Helpless is Clark Kent. Hopeless is doomed but keeps fighting -- and to me that's Lex. Helpless "possesses a talent or knowledge or something that sets him apart as special, unique and Important to the Universe" -- sounds like Clark to me.

Clearly there's some other factor that's really important to you, but what is it? Our fandoms don't overlap much, so it's hard for me to grok what you're going for. Do you do Sentinel and/or Highlander? In HL I would guess Methos=Hopeless and Duncan=Helpless; is that how you see it?

[sisabet.livejournal.com]

In some comments above fazalot and I actually discuss Methos/Duncan and I actually think Duncan falls into the Hopeless category and Methos falls into some other not defined category as of yet (along with Spike). The Hopeless/Helpless thing is not meant to be catchall - merely a way for me to classify what I find attractive in certain fictional characters.

In particular, your description of Hopeless seems to *me* to fit Lex Luthor to a T, while your description of Helpless is Clark Kent. Hopeless is doomed but keeps fighting -- and to me that's Lex. Helpless "possesses a talent or knowledge or something that sets him apart as special, unique and Important to the Universe" -- sounds like Clark to me.

I can see your point and here is where I make the definitions personal - this is how I see the characters - and the most attractive quality I see in Clark (as he exists in SV) is the potential for Hopeless Archtype - he lives on as everyone he loves dies. Clark's very invulneralbility does not allow him to be helpless - he does not need saving - either emotionally or physically - he just *is* - and I predict Great Big Pain because of that. Right now he is only a Baby Hopeless on SV - but the characterization that rings true to me in FF and comics - is a darker Superman - a very gray man who just does what he has to do.


Now I did qualify that Lex is Helpless only under certain conditions - I happen to like those conditions fictionally - where he his blinded in a quest or seeking some sort of answer in a Mulderist fashion - without any regard for the consequences or his own danger -emotionally or physically. Lex can be saved (conversely - Clark cannot be saved from his fate - it is part of who he is) - which bars him from Hopeless - but he is his own worst enemy. That and the straitjacket entrench him firmly as a Helpless Archtype in my mind.

[noshootingstars.livejournal.com]

My brain shut down for the day about two hours ago but I really enjoyed this post. I nodded my head at all of the characteristics you gave each type and the examples--which is quite an achievement considering I always like to disagree with at least something. *straightens Debate Club pin* ;)

Your point about Spike being his own OTP made me laugh because it's just so true. Many people call him the little black dress but I prefer what you hit on.

[burnitbackwards.livejournal.com]

that's interesting that you put lex into the "helpless" category and clark into the "hopeless" category; i always have seen them in the reverse, but the way you explain it, it works!