Canvassing the Internet: Platonic Admiration

[tealin]

I know I was behind the door when hormones were handed out, but surely I am not the only one who finds it possible to respect and admire someone – or even just like a fictional character – without being sexually attracted to them. In high school the response to a statement of such admiration was usually full of conspiratorial innuendo, accompanied by a virtual 'wink wink nudge nudge.' I thought that when I joined the grownup world that mindset had been left behind, but I've encountered it a few times recently and it's got me wondering. Anyone out there know what I'm talking about? Opinions? Insights? Observations? Advice, even?

Comments

[plottwist13.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, I totally get what you're saying. I used to fall madly in love with every fictional character I respected or admired or thought was awesome, but now it's more a 'hey you're neat' reaction. Vetinari, for example, is someone that is awesome and that I would totes chill with, but would absolutely not want to do anything biological with. I mean, a) he's like old and b) he's kind of a weirdo. But whatever, I don't judge.

But yeah I get what you're saying. And I was definitely not behind the door when the hormones where handed out lol.

[chainedwind.livejournal.com]

Er. I wouldn't want to chill with Vetinari either. Admire from a distance, perhaps.

I believe that fandom sexualizes its objects of admiration out of force of habit more than any inherent trait of said object. That has got to be the only explanation for the abundant blatantly OOC sexual idealizations out there.