Eli5 what does the phrase “love to hate” mean. I’ve only heard it regarding characters in tv/movies/books/etc. How can you enjoy hating something?
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Someone that’s fun to hate. That makes a good “villain” sometimes.
It can be a normal, non-negative thing sometimes. Think of the “heel” character in professional wrestling. The “bad guy” wrestler that comes in and cheats in the ring, and says mean things, and provides someone for the fans to have fun booing and hissing at, just waiting for the happy ending when the heel finally loses.
Or it can be more actually negative. Someone that is still a “bad person” but not as part of staged entertainment. Just someone that people find entertainment in watching the scandal of. The Kardashians. Kanye. Justin Beiber. People that the public doesn’t like or approve of their actions, but people find it highly entertaining to watch their scandals, and gossip about their latest misdeed. You don’t “like” the bad things they do. But you can’t wait for the next piece of news about “ohhhh did you hear what they did Now? The scandal!”
People hate the characters and therefore find it satisfying to watch them lose/fail at their goals. The feeling of satisfaction is worth the hatred
Someone that’s fun to hate. That makes a good “villain” sometimes.
It can be a normal, non-negative thing sometimes. Think of the “heel” character in professional wrestling. The “bad guy” wrestler that comes in and cheats in the ring, and says mean things, and provides someone for the fans to have fun booing and hissing at, just waiting for the happy ending when the heel finally loses.
Or it can be more actually negative. Someone that is still a “bad person” but not as part of staged entertainment. Just someone that people find entertainment in watching the scandal of. The Kardashians. Kanye. Justin Beiber. People that the public doesn’t like or approve of their actions, but people find it highly entertaining to watch their scandals, and gossip about their latest misdeed. You don’t “like” the bad things they do. But you can’t wait for the next piece of news about “ohhhh did you hear what they did Now? The scandal!”
People hate the characters and therefore find it satisfying to watch them lose/fail at their goals. The feeling of satisfaction is worth the hatred
People hate the characters and therefore find it satisfying to watch them lose/fail at their goals. The feeling of satisfaction is worth the hatred
Remember Dolores Umbridge (Harry Potter)? Played by Imelda Staunton. Looked and (superficially) behaved like everybody’s sweet grandmother. But was actually one of the most vile characters in the entire series.
Everybody hated Dolores, but the writing and portrayal were top notch.
Remember Dolores Umbridge (Harry Potter)? Played by Imelda Staunton. Looked and (superficially) behaved like everybody’s sweet grandmother. But was actually one of the most vile characters in the entire series.
Everybody hated Dolores, but the writing and portrayal were top notch.
In most fictional works, characters typically have some sort of narrative purpose. Heroes should be likable, people to root for. Mentor characters should provide a moral guide for the story. Etc.
Villains and Bad Guys are designed to be hated by the audience. In most traditional stories, you want the audience to dislike your villain, as it gives them something to root against. It can also act as a counterpoint to specific traits in the hero that an author wants to highlight. For example, a brave hero looks better when compared with a cowardly villain.
“Love to Hate” characters are a super-traditional version of this type of character. The story actually makes it fun to dislike them. This can be done in multiple ways- making them evil in an over the top way, making them comical, giving them undeserved success, etc.
Remember Dolores Umbridge (Harry Potter)? Played by Imelda Staunton. Looked and (superficially) behaved like everybody’s sweet grandmother. But was actually one of the most vile characters in the entire series.
Everybody hated Dolores, but the writing and portrayal were top notch.
In most fictional works, characters typically have some sort of narrative purpose. Heroes should be likable, people to root for. Mentor characters should provide a moral guide for the story. Etc.
Villains and Bad Guys are designed to be hated by the audience. In most traditional stories, you want the audience to dislike your villain, as it gives them something to root against. It can also act as a counterpoint to specific traits in the hero that an author wants to highlight. For example, a brave hero looks better when compared with a cowardly villain.
“Love to Hate” characters are a super-traditional version of this type of character. The story actually makes it fun to dislike them. This can be done in multiple ways- making them evil in an over the top way, making them comical, giving them undeserved success, etc.
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