Which gender do you find yourself identifying with in novels, films and television?

[Dawna Ellen Bays]

It depends on the character...and usually how she looks, what she wears, and how she carries herself. Most recently I wanted to look like Brittany Daniel in the HORRENDOUS sci-fi flick "Skyline."

As far as "what she's wearing," my first experience with that emotion was Catherine Mary Stuart in the 80s sci-fi "Night of the Comet." I didn't like THAT movie, either, to be honest, but there's a scene where Stuart and another girl try on "high-fashion" clothes in an abandoned department store, and I SO wanted to be doing that with them.

And THAT reminds me of the scene in the original "Dawn of the Dead" where the female lead (a very plain-looking woman) gives herself a heavy makeover at a mall makeup counter. I remember thinking as she slid off one of her false eyelashes "Oh, WHY can't that be me?" Except for, you know...all the zombies...

But I probably mostly identify with the male lead...he gets to be with the girl in question...

Be warned that the clip contains a "sexual-orientation" slur...don't let it ruin your enjoyment of the scene...

Edit: the "Night of the Comet" scene is here :
The part I love starts at the 2:14 mark, but the moment I love most is 3:08 to 3:31. I wanted to BE her from the shoes up to that silky black dress, applying mascara...

[joan47]

A no brainer, female 90% of the time

[Claire Cook]

More and more I identify with the female roles. I read a lot and I find myself reading more and more books by females authors with female lead characters.

Me too -- although the Alice books were always my favorites as a kid and I strongly identified with her .. and of course I wanted a dress and apron like she wore!

[noeleena]

Hi..

So for me then wishfull thinking out right lying or a cracked brain. hmmm , Whats I R L, no idear.

okay i can handle the being nuts , insane & out of my tree.

Tho i will say im just a woman who is different & intersex may have a little to do with that .
So as i cant relate to men , it'll have to be women only,

Im so glad im insane at least i dont have to prove who i am. & them from the assylum told me im a woman.

...noeleena...

[sometimes_miss]

"Which gender do you find yourself identifying with"
Depends on the story; also, if there are no female characters in it, then the question is moot, don't you think?

[Elena Ornamental]

The question of identification is interesting to me. It is essential that the viewer is able to RELATE to characters in media; otherwise the media will be unsuccessful in it's aims. Identification seems to me to be stronger; I think of the example that women watching Clark Gable in a movie fantasize themselves playing against him. This is an "inside" feeling by the viewer. I read a lot (science fiction, fantasy, biography) and to me what I read is "outside", something I'm watching happen. Maybe it depends on how alienated a personality is? Anyway there's RELATING to a character and IDENTIFYING with a character which are two different things.

[Fractured]

I'll be a monkey wrench too then.

My interest in female characters is either 1) want what she's wearing, or 2) want to see her naked. Or sometimes both.

As for identifying with characters... Charlie in "Two and a Half Men" would be a good example.

And since most of the trannies I've met IRL (about 30 now) think this way, I'd have to suggest that a lot of replies in this thread are outright lies, wishful thinking, or cracked brain stem.

The question of identification is interesting to me. It is essential that the viewer is able to RELATE to characters in media; otherwise the media will be unsuccessful in it's aims. Identification seems to me to be stronger; I think of the example that women watching Clark Gable in a movie fantasize themselves playing against him. This is an "inside" feeling by the viewer. I read a lot (science fiction, fantasy, biography) and to me what I read is "outside", something I'm watching happen. Maybe it depends on how alienated a personality is? Anyway there's RELATING to a character and IDENTIFYING with a character which are two different things.

Good distinctions. So let me rephrase - I usually end up rooting for the female lead. If I were to actually analyze to the minutest detail I'm not sure I can say which I would identify with. I can't identify with Charlie Sheen's "Two and a Half Men" character since I don't have the personality, traits, or history of that persona. I can relate to them in that I find the situations funny and wish I had as many relationships (ok, maybe not that many) and a smartass comeback line to anything. I seem to empathize more with female characters than I do with male characters. I can feel bad for Will Smith's character in Legend and feel the loneliness when he gets angry at a mannequin for not talking to him but I can't be sure that it's a stronger empathy than I feel for the lead in My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

Perhaps it would just be safer to say I like the female characters more without saying I identify or relate better to them. But then that isn't answering the question, is it?

[t-girlxsophie]

I have always Identified with the females in costume dramas or tv progs from the 50/60s mainly for the clothes and the look,These days I would love to be action hero and as there seems to be stronger roles for woman in thrillers/action films it would be even better to be the Action Heroine even better could combine the two a la Kiera Knightley in Pirates of the Carribean

Sophie

[abigailf]

Yet, I love Drizzt Do-Urden (a male lead) in the Dark Elf Trilogy by R.A. Salvatore.

I have always identified with Cattie-Brie in that series. I read them all, 16 or so books.

[suchacutie]

Both....

Makes sense

tina

[Kate Simmons]

I believe a lot of us are decended from the Zep Tepi(literally meaning "First Ones"). According to some of their legends a group of beings known as The Neteru ruled Heliopolis in ancient times. They were both male and female but all had the ability to assume any form they chose, including both men and women. I believe our sense of adventure comes from this.

[Fractured]

I have always identified with Cattie-Brie in that series. I read them all, 16 or so books.

Cattie-Brie was a decent charcter but I didn't much care for Wulfgar. Drizzt's struggle with his family and his heritage are what really got me though - deciding that he beliefs did not match the rest of Menzoberranzan and fighting against them all then going to new territory looking for a place to belong. That struck a chord in me.

[Barbara Dugan]

The characters that always I identify on any type of media are the gender bender ones like Drag Queens, Cd's or transvestites

[tabithavalentine]

Like a few others, I focus on the character, not the gender. The one place where this changes is in RPG games. Back in my World of Warcraft days, I always had an alt (which more than often became my main) that was a female. I guess I've finally figured out why

[Michaela42]

For the most part I relate to the female characters, but with a bit of an exception. I really associate with strong female characters (such as Buffy Summers) who can show their vulnerable side. The weak and whiny ones (like Dawn Summers) grate on my nerves and I want to hurt them

[Mary Morgan]

As a child, I was always trying to be the heroine when we played cowboys. I identified with Miss Kitty (Amanda Blake) and Maureen O'Hara, Cappucine, Ann Baxter, and so on. I still do.

[Andromeda]

I find that I identify with the protagonist in any well written book or well filmed show. Gender does not seem to be much of a factor. I will admit that I am always interested in how the writers and or directors actors and the like handle the female characters especially when they are the main characters as these these tend to be less stereotyped at present.

[Chun-Li]

Usually the male characters. I keep as slender as I can for my CD purposes, but the inner male in me wishes to be big n muscular and more manly.

But in videogames I always go female since it's more of an extension of yourself.

[ArleneRaquel]

The female characters of course.