MisterMonkey
I am the sort of person that gets really involved in any stories I read or films I watch, however recently I have come across several people that watch a lot of films, but don't get absorbed
Even a really good movie, they won't feel empathy when people die, or excitement when a hero triumphs! Sometimes I can get goosebumps just talking about a favourite scene! but I have been told similar things to:
(when asked if zombies are creepy [they freak me out! - monkey])
"No, they are just people in make up, they are not real!"
(when asked who the strongest female character in a show is)
"I don't think of any of them as strong, how can they be? they are just words in a script"
(when talking about his girlfriend watching a well known TV show)
"and then she got all upset when the bomb went off and she was like 'all those people died ' and I was like, 'but they're not real!' lol"
To me this thought process is completely alien! I know the people in the TV show / novel aren't real (we're just talking fiction, not based on true life films etc), I don't have a problem separating my real life and the TV shows / books I love... but I do feel sad when a good character gets murdered, or relief when the good guys escape etc
And I feel like if novels, movies & TV shows ever stop absorbing me I will give up reading / watching
How does everyone else feel? Do you know people that claim to enjoy fiction but don't care (for the duration of the show/book at least) about what happens to the characters? Is it possible to be a writer but not get absorbed?
I just don't understand these people and any insight would be appreciated
Even a really good movie, they won't feel empathy when people die, or excitement when a hero triumphs! Sometimes I can get goosebumps just talking about a favourite scene! but I have been told similar things to:
(when asked if zombies are creepy [they freak me out! - monkey])
"No, they are just people in make up, they are not real!"
(when asked who the strongest female character in a show is)
"I don't think of any of them as strong, how can they be? they are just words in a script"
(when talking about his girlfriend watching a well known TV show)
"and then she got all upset when the bomb went off and she was like 'all those people died ' and I was like, 'but they're not real!' lol"
To me this thought process is completely alien! I know the people in the TV show / novel aren't real (we're just talking fiction, not based on true life films etc), I don't have a problem separating my real life and the TV shows / books I love... but I do feel sad when a good character gets murdered, or relief when the good guys escape etc
And I feel like if novels, movies & TV shows ever stop absorbing me I will give up reading / watching
How does everyone else feel? Do you know people that claim to enjoy fiction but don't care (for the duration of the show/book at least) about what happens to the characters? Is it possible to be a writer but not get absorbed?
I just don't understand these people and any insight would be appreciated