Character Meme: Ryan Howard
cascades gave me Ryan Howard. I'm still at work. I probably shouldn't be filling out a meme all about Ryan Howard while there are so many THINGS TO DO, OH GOD. But at least my zero productivity is thematically appropriate.
1. Do you like this character?
Oh, yes. I like Ryan Howard so much that it feels very wrong to say I like Ryan Howard. I AM SO IN LOVE WITH RYAN HOWARD feels a bit more appropriate. He has the intelligence, education and looks that are necessary to succeed in the business world, but then he also has so many emotional insecurities and character flaws that he ends up being a total ineffective douche who is just as terrible at yielding results as Michael is at proper management. I think that aspect of his character is fucking fascinating, because a lot of what drove Ryan before S5 was how much he never wanted to be like Michael in any capacity, and the fact that he kind of showcases incompetence more than any other character (aka being inept at all his job responsibilities ever despite being academically savvy and commercially palatable)-- that just REALLY REALLY HITS ALL THE RIGHT BUTTONS DAMN. How can any person's failures be so amazing? Seriously, you guys. Seriously.
2. What name/s do you call this character?
I call him Ryan. In my head "Ryan" is shorthand for "Michael's Smart and Sexy Boyfriend," but I cannot be bothered to type MICHAEL'S SMART AND SEXY BOYFRIEND every time I want to talk about Ryan. "Michael's Smart and Sexy Boyfriend rocks the house!" "Michael's Smart and Sexy Boyfriend is super awesome." "I love Michael's Smart and Sexy Boyfriend so much I can BARELY SEE. OH GOD, Michael's Smart and Sexy Boyfriend!" I really don't think it's just me who finds that irritating.
3. What colors do you associate with this character?
In season 4 it was dark, desaturated blues, but as a standard, I associate Ryan with Cheap Polyester Blue or every shade of blue that can be found in JC Penny's clearance isle. I know that is not particularly flattering but his ties reflect the OBVIOUS TRAGEDY of the clearance isle so well that the association has become permanent.
4. What songs do you associate with this character?
Aside from canonically relevant songs (We Didn't Start the Fire by Billy Joel and Tribulations by the LCD Soundsystem, I associate Ryan with Nightlife and After Every Party I Die by IAMX. Which is the same as saying I associate Ryan with erotically dark electro music about narcotic intoxication, alienation and decadence. Those were the good old days, Ryan.
5. What blood type do you think this character is?
I have no damn idea. Wait. I just looked up "blood type theory" on wikipedia and it says that Type Bs are wild, active doers who are also selfish and irresponsible so if I believed even a bit in pseudoscience I would think Ryan is a Type B. Realistically he is probably Type O or A. They're more statistically viable. That's right, I'm always thinking.
6. What character do you like to put with this character?
Michael's Smart and Sexy Boyfriend belongs with Michael. I think that conclusion is just logical in my head. What's attractive about this pairing, aside from Michael being OBVIOUSLY IN LOVE with Ryan, is how Ryan begrudgingly receives that love throughout the series because in order for Ryan to counterbalance his self-esteem issues, Ryan needs people to place him on pedestals. Ryan needs somebody in his life who is going to believe in him. He needs somebody who is going to stay by his side and draw him out of his insecurities. And Michael, he can provide that kind of emotional support for Ryan because not only does Michael have complete faith in Ryan's abilities, he has the type of personality that makes him utterly loyal to the people who have won his heart. But I mean, let's not go overboard with how WONDERFULLY HEALING Michael and Ryan's relationship could be. It probably couldn't be that wonderful. This isn't buddyslash. The pairing is about complicated emotional insecurities and just becoming part of one another's gravity because Michael and Ryan are both so intensely in need of being needed. Which is really what I think is so fascinating about it, the possibility of them pulling toward one another despite the gaps between them in their personalities. Shipping Michael and Ryan is about bridging those gaps, and doing so knowing that you're shipping two characters who are afraid of being unloved--of being not chosen--but who also wouldn't fall into each other's arms at the drop of a hat. It's more that Ryan wouldn't fall into Michael's arms, but I think that Ryan is finally starting to appreciate Michael on some rudimentary level. There's something about Ryan humoring Michael and occasionally enjoying it that I find really beautiful for the ship's potential. I'm not so naive as to think OMG HAHAHAH YAAAY NOW THEY ARE SO PERFECT THEY CAN GET MARRIED. They'll never be that Match Made in Heaven couple. They're just two people who could tentatively put down roots around one another to find comfort in that moment. There's a lot of emotional risk involved with that kind of relationship, but there's also a compatibility of grasping for something good to hold onto that I find particularly appealing.
Oh God. I did not intend to write an entire PARAGRAPH about Michael/Ryan. It just dribbled out because I love them so much.
7. What would you want to say to this character?
You should read fmylife if you are still depressed about getting shitty breaks all the time. I'm pretty sure those people are fishing luck from the same crap pool as you, so you could be all, "Yeah, no wonder your lives suck, you biters. You deserved that one."
8. Which do want to do with this character: Shake hands, hug, fuck or kiss?
What I really want is to dance with Ryan. I REALLY ENJOY Ryan's dancing and I would like to see it up close and personal. But a kiss would be lovely as well.
9. Please choose 6 friends with your choice of character.
anoel - James Wilson
firthgal - Liz Lemon
lacidiana - Nathan Petrelli
nerdcakes - Ando Masahashi
nescienx - Dean Winchester
randomalia - Castiel
1. Do you like this character?
Oh, yes. I like Ryan Howard so much that it feels very wrong to say I like Ryan Howard. I AM SO IN LOVE WITH RYAN HOWARD feels a bit more appropriate. He has the intelligence, education and looks that are necessary to succeed in the business world, but then he also has so many emotional insecurities and character flaws that he ends up being a total ineffective douche who is just as terrible at yielding results as Michael is at proper management. I think that aspect of his character is fucking fascinating, because a lot of what drove Ryan before S5 was how much he never wanted to be like Michael in any capacity, and the fact that he kind of showcases incompetence more than any other character (aka being inept at all his job responsibilities ever despite being academically savvy and commercially palatable)-- that just REALLY REALLY HITS ALL THE RIGHT BUTTONS DAMN. How can any person's failures be so amazing? Seriously, you guys. Seriously.
2. What name/s do you call this character?
I call him Ryan. In my head "Ryan" is shorthand for "Michael's Smart and Sexy Boyfriend," but I cannot be bothered to type MICHAEL'S SMART AND SEXY BOYFRIEND every time I want to talk about Ryan. "Michael's Smart and Sexy Boyfriend rocks the house!" "Michael's Smart and Sexy Boyfriend is super awesome." "I love Michael's Smart and Sexy Boyfriend so much I can BARELY SEE. OH GOD, Michael's Smart and Sexy Boyfriend!" I really don't think it's just me who finds that irritating.
3. What colors do you associate with this character?
In season 4 it was dark, desaturated blues, but as a standard, I associate Ryan with Cheap Polyester Blue or every shade of blue that can be found in JC Penny's clearance isle. I know that is not particularly flattering but his ties reflect the OBVIOUS TRAGEDY of the clearance isle so well that the association has become permanent.
4. What songs do you associate with this character?
Aside from canonically relevant songs (We Didn't Start the Fire by Billy Joel and Tribulations by the LCD Soundsystem, I associate Ryan with Nightlife and After Every Party I Die by IAMX. Which is the same as saying I associate Ryan with erotically dark electro music about narcotic intoxication, alienation and decadence. Those were the good old days, Ryan.
5. What blood type do you think this character is?
I have no damn idea. Wait. I just looked up "blood type theory" on wikipedia and it says that Type Bs are wild, active doers who are also selfish and irresponsible so if I believed even a bit in pseudoscience I would think Ryan is a Type B. Realistically he is probably Type O or A. They're more statistically viable. That's right, I'm always thinking.
6. What character do you like to put with this character?
Michael's Smart and Sexy Boyfriend belongs with Michael. I think that conclusion is just logical in my head. What's attractive about this pairing, aside from Michael being OBVIOUSLY IN LOVE with Ryan, is how Ryan begrudgingly receives that love throughout the series because in order for Ryan to counterbalance his self-esteem issues, Ryan needs people to place him on pedestals. Ryan needs somebody in his life who is going to believe in him. He needs somebody who is going to stay by his side and draw him out of his insecurities. And Michael, he can provide that kind of emotional support for Ryan because not only does Michael have complete faith in Ryan's abilities, he has the type of personality that makes him utterly loyal to the people who have won his heart. But I mean, let's not go overboard with how WONDERFULLY HEALING Michael and Ryan's relationship could be. It probably couldn't be that wonderful. This isn't buddyslash. The pairing is about complicated emotional insecurities and just becoming part of one another's gravity because Michael and Ryan are both so intensely in need of being needed. Which is really what I think is so fascinating about it, the possibility of them pulling toward one another despite the gaps between them in their personalities. Shipping Michael and Ryan is about bridging those gaps, and doing so knowing that you're shipping two characters who are afraid of being unloved--of being not chosen--but who also wouldn't fall into each other's arms at the drop of a hat. It's more that Ryan wouldn't fall into Michael's arms, but I think that Ryan is finally starting to appreciate Michael on some rudimentary level. There's something about Ryan humoring Michael and occasionally enjoying it that I find really beautiful for the ship's potential. I'm not so naive as to think OMG HAHAHAH YAAAY NOW THEY ARE SO PERFECT THEY CAN GET MARRIED. They'll never be that Match Made in Heaven couple. They're just two people who could tentatively put down roots around one another to find comfort in that moment. There's a lot of emotional risk involved with that kind of relationship, but there's also a compatibility of grasping for something good to hold onto that I find particularly appealing.
Oh God. I did not intend to write an entire PARAGRAPH about Michael/Ryan. It just dribbled out because I love them so much.
7. What would you want to say to this character?
You should read fmylife if you are still depressed about getting shitty breaks all the time. I'm pretty sure those people are fishing luck from the same crap pool as you, so you could be all, "Yeah, no wonder your lives suck, you biters. You deserved that one."
8. Which do want to do with this character: Shake hands, hug, fuck or kiss?
What I really want is to dance with Ryan. I REALLY ENJOY Ryan's dancing and I would like to see it up close and personal. But a kiss would be lovely as well.
9. Please choose 6 friends with your choice of character.
anoel - James Wilson
firthgal - Liz Lemon
lacidiana - Nathan Petrelli
nerdcakes - Ando Masahashi
nescienx - Dean Winchester
randomalia - Castiel