Interesting concept - I've never heard of misaimed fandom, either, and find the concept that liking the wrong characters is a *major problem* quite mindboggling
( ... )
Also, I agree with you entirely on the appeal of the villain as such - well-written villains can be very engaging and powerful characters, and *should* be. Enjoying them for what they are is not a bad thing; liking them as characters is not the same as agreeing with their actions and/or their goals. Most authors do seem to understand that, fortunately...
It's as though because some people get their inspirations to do horrible things from books and movies, we're all suspect. Because I like Sonny, I might garrote a business rival. Because I like Merricat, I might poison my family.
It's assuming that we're all mentally unbalanced in one particular way, and as though people who are violent really need someone to show them how to kill people.
There are so many reasons for readers to prefer the villain to the hero, the idea that it's some kind of pathology seems ridiculous to me. People who go to franchise slasher movies like Halloween are going to prefer Michael Myers to the victims if for no other reason than he's the constant, and they know only one of the victims will survive. And they're going to see the bloodshed, so of course they'd prefer the one causing it.
And you're right about skinheads liking the racist villain--it's because that character mirrors their opinions.
I agree with you about Sonny. I've always been fascinated by the dichotomy of Frank and Sonny. Frank was the good guy, but in the beginning he was cold and sarcastic and did nothing to make Vinnie feel cared about. Sonny was the bad guy, but he was so warm and caring, Vinnie couldn't resist him (whether in a romantic way or not). And with Vinnie's own family cutting him off, that left only the badguy to be his friend. I love Frank, but he played that whole situation all wrong.
Since Stephen Cannell and Frank Lupo decided the relationship of the arc would be between Vinnie and Sonny, I'd say they had to have known that Sonny would have to be likable guy. (And Cannell cast Ray personally, so he knew just what he could bring to the role.)
I know how frustrating it can be for readers to focus on something other than what I consider the main point of the story. But that's entirely their right!
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It's assuming that we're all mentally unbalanced in one particular way, and as though people who are violent really need someone to show them how to kill people.
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And you're right about skinheads liking the racist villain--it's because that character mirrors their opinions.
I agree with you about Sonny. I've always been fascinated by the dichotomy of Frank and Sonny. Frank was the good guy, but in the beginning he was cold and sarcastic and did nothing to make Vinnie feel cared about. Sonny was the bad guy, but he was so warm and caring, Vinnie couldn't resist him (whether in a romantic way or not). And with Vinnie's own family cutting him off, that left only the badguy to be his friend. I love Frank, but he played that whole situation all wrong.
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I know how frustrating it can be for readers to focus on something other than what I consider the main point of the story. But that's entirely their right!
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