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

[bevinbaka.livejournal.com]

I'm totally with you on the hormone and platonic thing. Hell, I'm tired of every m/f relationship on TV going down the sex/romance road when the ratings get low enough-- amazingly, men and women are capable of having relationships with each other that don't revolve around sex. But yeah, I admire plenty of both male and female fictional characters in film, fiction, animation, etc., without having an actual crush on them. I think we're too used to compartmentalizing everything into separate little spaces that we don't know how to handle something that doesn't fit into any one box in a neat and tidy fashion.

[twirlynoodle.livejournal.com]

I'm tired of every m/f relationship on TV going down the sex/romance road

Yeah ... I have to admit this is a big reason why I've been so hesitant to explore seasons of the new Doctor Who past Season 1, because I've heard things. I loved that this wacky immortal alien-in-human-form could go on adventures through time and space with a young attractive Earth female and not get embroiled in chemistry -- I found that a refreshing, charming, novel and unique approach to a TV relationship.

we don't know how to handle something that doesn't fit into any one box in a neat and tidy fashion

We could ... make a new box?

[chainedwind.livejournal.com]

I AM SECONDING THAT THOUGHT.

Including the Doctor Who Corollary. And I wasn't even around for the old series; it's just logic... (although the fact that DrWh ranks like a 0 on the sci-fi hardness scale probably factors into it somehow)