Been Away Too Long

Yes, the title is a reference to the new Soundgarden single, and yes, Soundgarden rocks most of the time. But enough about them. You most likely came to listen to me talk about some random thing I've pulled out of my butt. Not an apology, although I may be mistaken.

While thinking about... well, I honestly have no idea what I was thinking about.

Anyway, when thinking about something important (in order of most important to most common: all the people/animals in my life who've been dying, finals, that paper due tomorrow that I had just started to write, that paper due in over a week I had started to write, video games, cafeteria food, etc.) I realized something. One of the most common criticisms of fictional characters is how dumb they are. For years, I have agreed with them. But then, for some reason, I thought about it.

The one thing inherent in all people, no matter what skin color, gender, religion, astral sign or whatever they are is that they are idiots. Ok, I suppose a term like "idiot" is hard to define, but its true. If you've ever known or observed someone who you think is exceptionally bright, you will see them do something stupid and think, "Man, that is dumb. How can someone that smart be so wrong?"

If, say, Albert Einstein can make a horrible mistake, then why can't some person in a movie? Also, if people can be dumb in real life, why can't they be dumb in that video game? However, the problem occurs when a writer keeps telling you a person is teh most smartest person evarr and keeps having that character act like an idiot. Or that stupid moron in horror movie investigates a strange noise after he knows three people have been murdered! [Author pants after screaming about stupid people in horror movies for five minutes.]

Anyway, after someone is in a movie does something stupid, please ask yourself several questions:

1. Do I know how I would react in his/her situation? In a horror or action story, or a story with a mystery, the characters are almost always under pressure. People under pressure make mistakes. When you are stressed after due to a heavy work load, you make mistakes. So, if the characters are being picked off one by one by someone or something hiding in the shadows, or if a bomb is set to go off in twenty seconds, forgive them their mistakes.
2. Have I been trained for this situation? Has the character been trained? The main reason I hate the movie Quarantine 2 is because of the SWAT officers in it. I admit that I have not been trained as a SWAT officer. But I feel I can make two assumptions: If ordered to fire, most SWAT members will open fire. When warnings to lie down and put hands above heads go ignored, most people with guns will see that excuse to unload the disobeying person full of lead. However, sometimes the answer to this question instead of making people seem like even bigger idiots gives them a perfectly good excuse.
3. Do I know something they don't?