It’s a high school movie (not High School Musical, cause that’s bullsh*t). The unsung hero likes the abnormally pretty girl with character who is generally saddled with the handsome, mean-spirited Alpha…you know, captain of the football team, leader of the pack, etc. of the etc. The protagonist has a beautiful soul, some extraordinary talent and is actually kinda cute himself come-to-think-of-it. It’s just that the object of desire can’t see the hero because of the shadows cast by her radiance. But we know better and root for him. Why? Because he is us. More accurately, he is our perspective since we all experience life as the hero. Too bad in any story there can really only be one (f**king) protagonist and, let’s face facts, it most likely ain’t you.
Is this a piece about crafting effective protagonists or about trying to rise above the fray? I’d like to say the latter, since it is more poetic, but who knows. I’m on a train to Rome at the moment and travel always f**ks with my head opens my mind. (To be honest, I feel like I should be writing about how European girls kill it, but I need some time to figure out what that really means living in Brooklyn and all.) However, let me try to tie together these two ideas since I think there is something there and the last bites of my “Minonky” hazelnut wafer bar (with a heart over the “n”) might have inspired me.
It’s somewhat of a given (to me anyhow) that The Hero’s Journey has resonated so dominantly with most cultures since the dawn of communication because we all want to be “the one”. We really have no choice since we’re hard wired to be self-centered. So when we side with a protagonist, it’s because their struggle is a metaphor for what we face (or think we do). Don’t worry, I’m not going to get all Story on your ass. I’m just putting forth the idea that, regardless of the premise and character, a given movie wouldn’t work for shizz if the hero was un-relatable.
But the straight fact is we all can’t be protagonists…other than in our heads and come Dear Diary time. The big story is invariably about someone else. To support this notion I have a theory that the (unfortunate) rise of reality TV is for two reasons. One, an actual narrative, even if it’s contrived by way of lame contests and artificial time lines, still gets under our skin. Two, seeing folks just like us at the center of the story reinforces the idea that our lives are just as interesting as what we’re watching. Granted most likely they are not, but we feel like they are, in part, because of books, TV, movies and the like.
As you might have guessed, I call this The Protagonist Paradox. We all saunter about in our own tall tales that we are in no way central to. I know this is somewhat existential, but what gets interesting from a writer’s angle is being the one who creates the stories that perpetuate the audience’s feeling of narrative inclusion. This, in turn, gives the creative a role that could be interpreted as protagonistic. Weird huh?
I’ve finished the prosciutto sandwich I packed on board and just realized the drinks in Eurostar first class are free like on a plane. Of course I figured this out on my last train trip.
Anyhow, as my writing partner and I wrap up our “brilliant script that’s going to break us into the biz once and for all” I’m struck not only by the urgency of the whole process, but how that work has become central to our own identity. If we succeed, not only do we manifest our own destiny, but that narrative then might serve to create heroic association in audiences. If we don’t then we’re just another couple of punk asses aspiring protagonists who have yet to find their story.
Okay, I know this sounds fatalistic. But the fact that I’m creating something means I believe I can take on a more pivotal role in life. Whether or not it actualizes is up to me, but without effort there will be no shift, right? So to bust the shit out of my own Protagonist Paradox I need to create good, umm, protagonists. It’s mad circular, but it’s what keeps me going.
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Tags: film, hollywood, humor, paradox, protagonist, screenwriting
