Two Sides, Same Coin
Is your character an arrogant dirt bag or a lovable slacker? Either way you look at it, their intelligence isn’t the effect, but the cause or reason why everyone wishes to wrap their hands around their neck.
Now don’t get things confused, these characters aren’t necessarily
the villain and yet when they open their mouths are the closest thing to one
except they are on the side of the good guys. Wisecracking, Unfeeling, or just
plain a Know it All. These basic traits and be seen in both the arrogant dirt
bag and the lovable slacker characters. Depending on the settings or events
they are placed in and how they deal with the situation, one is seen in the
same light as a glass that is half filled or a glass that is half emptied.
However, in all cases, both are clearly unpleasant to be around, argumentative
at best and downright offensive at worst, objectionable to all options, but
their own, insufferable when other opinions are considered with the same
importance of their own, off-putting in their approach to everything and
everyone, awful, terrible, a dreadful person, hateful towards any truth not of
their own making, and disgustingly intolerable to the point where contemptible
is a step up. Is your character an arrogant dirt bag or a lovable slacker? Either way you look at it, their intelligence isn’t the effect, but the cause or reason why everyone wishes to wrap their hands around their neck.
According to http://dictionary.reference.com/ ; Arrogant is making claims or pretensions to superior importance or rights; overbearingly assuming; insolently proud. Where slacker is an especially educated young person who evades his or her duty or work. In both cases, there is a built in confrontation to other characters that can add humor or drama to any given story. The best part of having characters like these are they can dip into the dark side and still come out the hero in the end. Let’s take a look at some of the most prevalent traits starting with Wisecracking.
Wisecracking
Everyone loves a good joke, but not when the outcome is on the line. However, when the joke isn’t funny, or only a chosen few would understand the joke at all (normally the villain), it intensified the dislike for the character to the point where even their teammates wish to leave their shoe mark on their butt. The best trait that most wisecracking characters have in common are that they can both be on the side of good or evil and can be a man or woman. In some cases you can have two wisecracking characters on both sides of the fight intertwine with each other to add even more excitement. Take for instance, Batman and Cat Woman when they discover the person who they are in love with is the same person they are fighting against. There can even be a blur line on whose is the hero and the villain like the husband and wife assassins in Mr. and Mrs. Smith. My point is that funny can be good, but saying the wrong thing at any time can add that extra bit of cruel excitement to shake up any given story. “Whose Your Daddy?” “Whose Your Momma?” Wisecracking characters are bad enough, but things have a way of turning darker when you have a character that is unfeeling.
Everyone loves a good joke, but not when the outcome is on the line. However, when the joke isn’t funny, or only a chosen few would understand the joke at all (normally the villain), it intensified the dislike for the character to the point where even their teammates wish to leave their shoe mark on their butt. The best trait that most wisecracking characters have in common are that they can both be on the side of good or evil and can be a man or woman. In some cases you can have two wisecracking characters on both sides of the fight intertwine with each other to add even more excitement. Take for instance, Batman and Cat Woman when they discover the person who they are in love with is the same person they are fighting against. There can even be a blur line on whose is the hero and the villain like the husband and wife assassins in Mr. and Mrs. Smith. My point is that funny can be good, but saying the wrong thing at any time can add that extra bit of cruel excitement to shake up any given story. “Whose Your Daddy?” “Whose Your Momma?” Wisecracking characters are bad enough, but things have a way of turning darker when you have a character that is unfeeling.
Unfeeling
Excluding all robotics, computer generated artificial intelligence, and how you truly feel about some old relationship you wish is never mentioned by family and friends (especially mother-in-laws), the unfeeling character isn’t necessarily a one detention pain in the butt. Some of the reasons why the unfeeling character is, at times, a good choice to add to your story is their back story doesn’t necessarily have to be in great detail. With only a few words you can completely set the mood early in your story and will seldom have to reiterate, justify, or explain their lack of emotional attachment. They can be the butt of a joke and have it backfire on the person telling it with little or no effort at all. And, when they show any emotions it can be used as a highlight of your story. Some of the most well-known characters who fit this description are L from Death Note (Japanese Anime & Live Action), Doctor Frost (Korean Drama based on a Webtoon by Lee Jong-bum) and my life long favorite Mister Spock from Star Trek (Immortalized by the late Leonard Nimoy). Each of these characters brings an out of hand situation to some semblance of calm by their mere presence. This inherit trait also brings a new heighten sense of aggravation with them as soon as they utter a word. This is a perfect lead into the Know It All.
Excluding all robotics, computer generated artificial intelligence, and how you truly feel about some old relationship you wish is never mentioned by family and friends (especially mother-in-laws), the unfeeling character isn’t necessarily a one detention pain in the butt. Some of the reasons why the unfeeling character is, at times, a good choice to add to your story is their back story doesn’t necessarily have to be in great detail. With only a few words you can completely set the mood early in your story and will seldom have to reiterate, justify, or explain their lack of emotional attachment. They can be the butt of a joke and have it backfire on the person telling it with little or no effort at all. And, when they show any emotions it can be used as a highlight of your story. Some of the most well-known characters who fit this description are L from Death Note (Japanese Anime & Live Action), Doctor Frost (Korean Drama based on a Webtoon by Lee Jong-bum) and my life long favorite Mister Spock from Star Trek (Immortalized by the late Leonard Nimoy). Each of these characters brings an out of hand situation to some semblance of calm by their mere presence. This inherit trait also brings a new heighten sense of aggravation with them as soon as they utter a word. This is a perfect lead into the Know It All.
Know it All
Sometimes considered self-absorbed or just plain obnoxious. When these characters are essential to the story line, watch out. Deep down we would all like to see them fail except when they are needed most, but know that would cause us to miss all the havoc they inject whenever they open their mouths. These characters are often seen as having brilliant minds, but with a fatal flaw. They constantly see themselves as the smartest person in the room and no one else’s opinion matters except their own. What makes them also much sadistic fun is when someone else idea actually works and they still take the credit for the outcome. Of course their excuse is that they were shooting at a different target from everyone else and point out that they did hit the mark. Never being wrong is just one of the bothersome traits of the know it all. The one that is seen most is that in order for them to work quickly and most effectively is on their own. This is different from the standard lone wolf type of character who works alone, so no one can get hurt. The know it all character wish to work alone, so they won’t be proven wrong, and most importantly, doesn’t have to share the credit when the good guys win. They are the star of their own show after all.
Sometimes considered self-absorbed or just plain obnoxious. When these characters are essential to the story line, watch out. Deep down we would all like to see them fail except when they are needed most, but know that would cause us to miss all the havoc they inject whenever they open their mouths. These characters are often seen as having brilliant minds, but with a fatal flaw. They constantly see themselves as the smartest person in the room and no one else’s opinion matters except their own. What makes them also much sadistic fun is when someone else idea actually works and they still take the credit for the outcome. Of course their excuse is that they were shooting at a different target from everyone else and point out that they did hit the mark. Never being wrong is just one of the bothersome traits of the know it all. The one that is seen most is that in order for them to work quickly and most effectively is on their own. This is different from the standard lone wolf type of character who works alone, so no one can get hurt. The know it all character wish to work alone, so they won’t be proven wrong, and most importantly, doesn’t have to share the credit when the good guys win. They are the star of their own show after all.
No matter if
your character is stuck on himself, just going with the flow man, or is just
find all by themselves, throw in a good looking person for them to make a fool
of themselves and you have a quick and spectacular explosion. Because these
highly intelligent or advance thinkers have absolutely no experience with the
opposite sex (or same one if that’s your
preference), you have more opportunities to go in different directions than
you can possibly imagine. Of course, one of the benefits of playing the sexual
tension card is that you are now able to slap the comedy sticker somewhere in
your description. Every superhero has their Kryptonite or Achilles Heel or Sara
Walker (TV Show Chuck reference) and
this is especially true when the intellectual equalizer walks into the room
looking drool generating sexy as all get out or hunky handsome. So give your
next story a character everyone loves to hate and enjoy the fun of having them
cause as much drama as possible. You can always add your favorite intellectual
equalizer to keep things from getting completely out of hand. SD Tracy Harper
Illustration; www.huffingtonpost.ca
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