Which, really, is another factor. In so many pairings, or at least the ones I go for, there's the element of him not being good enough for her, but he loves her enough to make up for it, but also the element of her being good for him, but not necessarily him being good for her.
Which, IMO, is a part of the backlash against female characters..they're able to do something good for the guy, and you know that usually, he benefits more from it, from a technical perspective. Even if people don't want to realize it, when a character you think is hot/awesome/great/etc. needs someone to given them purpose or drive or help them control themselves or ground them or whatever, that means there's something to that character that isn't perfect" that there's a flaw in them that they need help with. No one wants to admit the person they like is flawed, and combine that with the "my woobie/hottie" reaction most women have to males in fiction, and there's a backlash. Then, of course, there's the fact that female characters tend to acknowledge their flaws and weaknesses more than males do, which tends to point out the flaws and weaknesses of the reader/viewer.
That is an excellent, excellent point. I especially like how you pinpoint WHY the male-not-worthy-of-the-female is so powerful. Because it's TRUE. While I was reading this, I was just running through all the pairings it works for, and you're right, most of the time, the guy is much, much, better off for being with the female, but the girl isn't getting that same kind of compensation.
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timeasmymeasure
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Which, IMO, is a part of the backlash against female characters..they're able to do something good for the guy, and you know that usually, he benefits more from it, from a technical perspective. Even if people don't want to realize it, when a character you think is hot/awesome/great/etc. needs someone to given them purpose or drive or help them control themselves or ground them or whatever, that means there's something to that character that isn't perfect" that there's a flaw in them that they need help with. No one wants to admit the person they like is flawed, and combine that with the "my woobie/hottie" reaction most women have to males in fiction, and there's a backlash. Then, of course, there's the fact that female characters tend to acknowledge their flaws and weaknesses more than males do, which tends to point out the flaws and weaknesses of the reader/viewer.
That is an excellent, excellent point. I especially like how you pinpoint WHY the male-not-worthy-of-the-female is so powerful. Because it's TRUE. While I was reading this, I was just running through all the pairings it works for, and you're right, most of the time, the guy is much, much, better off for being with the female, but the girl isn't getting that same kind of compensation.