- The Corrupted are the female villains of the story who were once good, but were corrupted by men and are therefore not entirely responsible for their evil actions.
- Type one are blonde and athletic who likes athletic, powerful men. They are beyond redemption, and are rude, aloof, and hateful to the GP for no reason.
- Type two are voluptuous, dark seductresses. One of the greatest feats in the story will be the GP's ability to resist the charms of the insatiable seductress. She will desire him to the point of absurd obsession for no discernible reason.
- The Damsel is an incredibly attractive women who is generally clueless about how attractive she is even though she is approached regularly by men. There will be half-hearted attempts by the author to include some traits of strength, but eventually she will need to be rescued by the GP. At which point, she will fall in love with him, of course.
- The Strong Independent woman is strong and independent. She also finds the GP irresistible because he respects her.
- She is the equal or better of the GP in at least one traditionally masculine ability, usually in physical strength and battle prowess.
- The GP finds it endearing and attractive that she bosses him around regularly, and she loves the arrangement too.
- The love interest of the GP will have large breasts, usually has red hair, and is the one to initiate sex in nearly every instance. She will be perfectly loyal unless corrupted by some sort of magical force or technological device.
Friday, January 22, 2016
The Gamma Protagonist, Part III
There are three types of women in the world of the Gamma Protagonist: The Corrupted, The Damsel, and The Strong Independent Woman. Average women, in terms of appearance, ability, and moral character, simply won’t exist outside of the occasional passing mention.
27 comments:
Fun to compare these traits to the characters in David Gerrold's Chtorr series.
Although since he is lambda and not gamma, it is a little bit off, but not by much.
I do not disagree at all with the Gamma Protagonist analyses presented here. They make intuitive sense based on what we know of Gammas and how they think.
The only issue I have with the analysis is that there are no examples presented to prove that the theory has predictive power with respect to science fiction. A few examples of science fiction novels/short stories in which the GP is a central feature would complete this excellent series.
To be clear, the theory absolutely DOES have predictive power- see my analysis of A Million Ways to Die in the West, which perfectly matches all of the characteristics outlined by the theory. I simply think that having a similar analysis of existing sci-fi canon would be most useful, both as a guide and a warning.
@Didact
The problem with "science fiction novels/short stories in which the GP is a central feature" is that they're not even science fiction. They're just generalized fiction with a futuristic backdrop.
And in the end, these rules are a good rule of thumb to all fiction that are Gamma-focused.
@Topic at hand:
Another thing about the Damsel archetype in the Gamma world is that due to rampant feminism amongst the Gamma ranks, they feel really really guilty for ever using it. But they still do, because they still find it attractive at some level.
And even though the Damsel is pure and chaste... the Gamma still won't pursue her. He'll rely on her "falling in love with him" and professing her love, while he's just woefully ignorant of her true and stupidly obvious feelings before that event.
There will also be scant few wives present. Other than some background characters.
Don't ask me why.
I've been reading The Gamma Protagonist series and nodding along in agreement and finding them amusing. I read a lot of sci-fi and was a Gamma with Gamma/Omega "friends" until high school so I could relate to some of the thought patterns.
Part III really hit home for me as I realized I still categorize the women I'm attracted into one of those three archetypes. I'm a Delta now, but it's clear I still have a lot of Gamma beliefs and attitudes fighting my Delta behaviors. I feel a strong pull to structure my interactions with women, believing it will play out like you outlined above.
It must hurt to read these posts if it fits your writing style. It would be painful reading, because it's all so true. I have seen these "Gamma Protagonists" over and over again. It was as if everyone was plagiarizing each other. Now I have a better idea what these stock characters are all about. I'm seeing what is basically a personality disorder
It must hurt to read these posts if it fits your writing style.
Style can change. Different choices can be made. What's more interesting is what readership appreciates. If readers are gamma, then maybe writing for them is important for sales, especially if you're looking for a mainstream publisher.
@White Devil
If readers are gamma, then maybe writing for them is important for sales, especially if you're looking for a mainstream publisher.
Not true. Gammas are not the majority in any case, and in a real life example consider the state of Science Fiction over the years: Gammatization of major publishers at large has winnowed the consumer base down to where they're almost only Gammas left.
Instead, if you're looking for sales you want a story that can appeal to all sociosexual ranks.
The love interest of the GP will have large breasts, usually has red hair, and is the one to initiate sex in nearly every instance. She will be perfectly loyal unless corrupted by some sort of magical force or technological device.
Very interesting in light of my observations on homosexuals, narcissists, and gingers. I really wish somebody smarter than me would put some serious thought into this stuff.
I daresay this indicates that George Rape Rape Martin is a high-functioning Omega. (However, I've only read the first one.)
@White Devil But there few are few gammas. Have you seen what has happened to Science fiction book sales? They are in the toilet, yet every time a fairly good si/fi comes out (The Martin) the sales go through the roof.
Are you taking notes directly from Elliott Kay's /Good Intentions/?
@Blue
A disproportionate number of "geek" consumers are Gamma, enough to make Gamma fiction sell consistently if not well. You hardly ever see gammas in high-status positions save for a few high-functioning ones where you can't really tell until they break down, and even then they're probably more like the AnonCon's narcissist. Gammas flock to sci-fi, anime, and all sorts of other wish-fulfillment fiction where the fandom doesn't have many people who 'out' the gamma or make him feel inferior just by being there. Vox's gamma-lit checklist describes 95% of anime for example.
I'm personally aching to break into the scene
@Aeoli
I'm not sure about Rape-Rape- Dany falling in love with Khal Drogo after being 'raped', along with her fucking the alpha pirate behind her beta suitor's back are a little 'red pill', though omegas can be fairly red pill mentally. He writes sigmas like Euron Greyjoy and alphas like Tywin Lannister and Robert Baratheon realistically. There was a passage where Eddard Stark was described as the classic beta- "He's not cut out to be a leader like his brother was, so he follows the rules to a T". All his lipservice to feminists comes with serious caveats. Dany is overemotional and incompetent, leans on her male counsellors. The "strong independent female warrior" is a freak who is constantly rejected by men and disowned by society, like a woman who could compete with men as an elite knight would be. Cersei overplays her hand arrogantly and gets humiliated and stripped (literally) of power. The Greyjoy chick fails to convince the men of the Iron Isles to follow her as queen; both of her uncles beat her in that regard.
Rape Rape might be on the wrong side of the VP and a leftist, but the best part of ASOIAF was always the characterization, which was good because it was sociosexually aware. His sick pleasure in creating the kind of world that defies PC and spits on modern morality makes me think that he rebels against modernity in his heart. I'd have to meet the guy in person to be sure. I actually thought Vox's mudfights on Twitter showed some gamma traits until I heard the man speak and realized it was all pure rhetoric.
Rape Rape might be an omega with a fantastic capacity for observing people and replicating it in text despite no personal skills.
He might be an especially lucid gamma whose lie to himself is "the world is an evil place and that's why I'm not King" (his main characters get fucked over too much for the classic gamma. I think Tyrion is his self-insert, which seems like gamma wishful thinking about his own wits and cunning even though RR realizes that he's 'crippled' in some way that makes him unsuccessful)
He might be a delta with great mental powers and mediocre sociosexual ones. Many scientists and intellectuals are like this.
He might even be a beta with a twisted imagination. His letters to the RP about the Hugos preclude any higher status. He might have enough contempt for humanity to be a sigma but his blogging has no trace of the IDGAF outsider attitude.
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What Elsayed said. He's nearly as eloquent as Wendell.
@sigsawyer
A disproportionate number of "geek" consumers are Gamma, enough to make Gamma fiction sell consistently if not well.
This was not always the case. That was my point.
Or rather, in writing narrowly Gamma stories they completely shut out any sort of broader appeal Science Fiction might have had.
The Strong Independent woman is strong and independent. She also finds the GP irresistible because he respects her.
She is the equal or better of the GP in at least one traditionally masculine ability, usually in physical strength and battle prowess.
The GP finds it endearing and attractive that she bosses him around regularly, and she loves the arrangement too.
I've noticed this trend myself. This is Gary Stu with a sex change...Gary Sue?... Bottom line a wish fulfillment character but the writer is so far gone in prog-bubble-land he can't let himself create a fantasy version of himself that is still male. Prime fucking example
Sensitive
Joss
Whedon
Star Wars The Cuck Awakens is the newest example of this problem. All the characters in it were pretty good for an Abrams actioner. Sole exception; Rey. The SJW fantasy female. She starts her very dominate relationship with Finn by beating him up, then yelling at him for holding her hand while trying to save her. Then she holds his hand and successfully saves him while stealing the Millenium Falcon. A ship that she knows more about than Han fucking Solo. Then beats a Dark Whatever that has been training for years right out of gate. She then formally friendzones Finns comatose body before taking off to find Space Jesus (AKA Luke)
Credit where it's due. The Cuck is a black guy in this one. That is pretty different.
Oh...and the spunky beach ball droid is girl too, (Kathleen Kennedy insisted).
There clearly are these relationships out there. Scalzi likes to gross out the dudebros by going on and on and on about how he attends to his wife's needs...feminized. (* It worked. Cataline shudders in disgust and pours himself a shot Four Roses single barrel. *)
But by in large these are fantasy relationships. In the real world the wife either ends up cheating on him or worse makes the poor bastard agree to being a cuckold in the name of feminism.
Finn is going to end up doing the final scene from Last American Virgin, when he walks in on Rey and Poe at the wrong time.
Sensitive
Joss
Whedon
Awesome, thanks. I love some of Whedon's work but it gets painfully bad at times.
Thank you for breaking that down sigsawyer, but seeing it laid out like that just helps confirm my preconceived notion :-). The fact is that he's either Gamma, Omega, or Lambda, and of those Omega seems to fit best. That he's a highly observant Omega wouldn't be unusual- that's typically the case unless a psychotic mental illness is involved.
Unobservant Omegas get the shit beat out of them until they wise up to human nature, to the extent of their aptitude.
@ Cataline Sergius: There will also be scant few wives present. Other than some background characters.
And no children, because he never interacts with children, because of the creepy vibe that makes people wonder if he's a pedo. (Which as we've seen, in sci-fi, might actually be true -- but then it that case there will be children.)
If he needs the villain to kill some kids to cement how evil he is, then they'll suddenly materialize out of thin air. But they're objects, a plot device, not real characters.
Another tell: weirdly written sex scenes that make you wonder if he's ever even seen a naked woman outside of strippers and prostitutes.
He sits in a chair while she bounces on his dick, but even with her big tits in his face, he doesn't seem to be using his hands or mouth. Or she takes him over to her place, asks him if he likes what he sees as she strips, and when he suggests they go to the bedroom she says no and has him bend her over the kitchen table instead.
Stuff like that, where he's just completely passive.
Oh, and yellow fever. Asian women all over the place, falling for him for no particular reason. These examples are specific because I'm thinking of a particular short erotica that thankfully was just free on a website somewhere.
I found this because of a link from Donal Graeme. (The blog.)
My advice is, if you like sci fi read the Sad Puppies authors (who are evil). I doubt you will find this GP BS in their works.
The red-hair thing has always stood out to me. And notice that it's always *auburn* red instead of the copper-penny red that most natural redheads have. My mother-in-law is a natural redhead and, based on what she's told me, has never had men busting down her door.
Aren't these authors just pandering to their audience? After all, who reads science fiction? Cool alpha and sigma males are out getting laid, conquering the world, etc. They have no time or desire to read Star Wars fan fiction.
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