So I was watching The Fairly OddParents the other day, because yes, I still watch cartoons. In fact, that's pretty much all I watch. Anyway, they had an episode on entitled "Imaginary Gary". Gee, I wonder what this episode's about?
Well, Timmy Turner, the show's ten-year-old main character was apparently bored out of his mind. Even though he has Fairy God Parents that can give him anything he could possibly want, so that doesn't even make sense. Suddenly Timmy remembers his imaginary friend, Gary, that he used to play with when he was five. So, of course he wishes for Gary to become real, so he can play with him again. (...Why couldn't you just pretend to play with Gary again, Timmy? I mean, come on. You're ten, your childhood hasn't up and left you just yet.)
But that wouldn't leave for an interesting plot twist, right? So Gary turns into a real boy and Timmy gets super excited, wanting to play all the old five-year-old games they used to play. But Gary isn't exactly what Timmy imagined him to be. Rather then wanting to do everything Timmy does, like he would have been 'forced' to do while he was trapped in Timmy's imagination, he's now a rebellious jerk, who act kind of like the Fonz.
I've often 'wished' that Jake could become real. Though I doubt that if it somehow happened, it would be as bad as Timmy Turner's experience--I'm not a fan of Fonzie, sorry--I'm sure he wouldn't turn out as amazing as I imagine him.
Plus with Jake staying safe in my imagination, he's able to constantly mold and chance depending on what I want him to be like. Hell, if I wanted Jake to be a bloodthirsty elephant tomorrow, then he'd be one.
-Lauren & Jake
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Sunday, October 7, 2007
So I talked with some of my friends, to see if any of them had imaginary friends when they were younger (or even if they still have them today), and the range of answers I got was pretty wide. When I sorted it all out, it seemed that having an imaginary friend could encompass more than just a make believe, invisible buddy.
Here's what I was able to break it down into:
Created Figures
This is the basic type of imaginary friend I stated above. Basically, it's when you need something more to interact with then what's around you, so you use your imagination to create an ideal friend.
These created figures can be any form: Human, animal, insect, monster, some hybrid form. Pretty much anything you can come up with.
Normally, this type of imaginary friend takes on traits that it's creator would ideally like to see in themselves. Shy people may create an outgoing friend or the friend's looks may reflect what the creator desires.
Jake is a great representation of this type of friend. Being an invisible, human form friend, he represents to me the strong, levelheadedness that I need when I'm facing a stressful situation.
Another example would be talking to stuffed animals or other inanimate objects. Say you were having a tea party with Mr. Snugglekins the stuffed bunny, Fluffywuggums the stuffed bear, and Sugarpuss the stuffed cat. But what Sugarpuss doesn't know is that Mr. Snugglekins and Fluffywuggums have been having a dirty affair behind his back for months. In this instance you are giving the inanimate objects personalities and essentially making them friends, even if they are doing horrible things to one another!
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Pre-existent Figures
This type occurs when the creator's imaginary friend is a character that was previously created by another source.
Say for example, you're six years old and you've declared that Rainbow Bright is your official BFF. That would be a having a pre-existent figure as an imaginary friend. Rainbow Bright isn't really there with you, nor does she really exist, (SPOILER ALERT!) but going on imaginary journeys with her can still count her as your imaginary friend.
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Self Insertion
Kinda similar to the last one, and it pretty much has to go hand in hand with it. Self insertion means creating a unique character for yourself to act as, and inserting that character into the plot of a pre-existing story line.
I'll give you a great example that my friend Liz told me. She used to watch the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles when she was little. And who didn't! And like everyone (or at least everyone SHOULD have) she pretended she was friends with the Ninja Turtles.
If we stopped right there, it would be simply pre-existent imaginary friending..... BUT THERE'S MORE!!
Liz would pretend that she was Shredder's wife! (I'm sorry I think that's so great. Hahahaha. Ok back to the post.) So, since Liz invented a character for her to pretend to be while she was pretending to play with the Ninja Turtles, she was inserting herself into their pre-existing world.
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Self Talk
This would be the most common form, I would think, for adults. Though I don't think many people would think just talking to yourself to be a form of imaginary friend, essentially that's all it is to begin with.
Here's what I was able to break it down into:
Created Figures
This is the basic type of imaginary friend I stated above. Basically, it's when you need something more to interact with then what's around you, so you use your imagination to create an ideal friend.
These created figures can be any form: Human, animal, insect, monster, some hybrid form. Pretty much anything you can come up with.
Normally, this type of imaginary friend takes on traits that it's creator would ideally like to see in themselves. Shy people may create an outgoing friend or the friend's looks may reflect what the creator desires.
Jake is a great representation of this type of friend. Being an invisible, human form friend, he represents to me the strong, levelheadedness that I need when I'm facing a stressful situation.
Another example would be talking to stuffed animals or other inanimate objects. Say you were having a tea party with Mr. Snugglekins the stuffed bunny, Fluffywuggums the stuffed bear, and Sugarpuss the stuffed cat. But what Sugarpuss doesn't know is that Mr. Snugglekins and Fluffywuggums have been having a dirty affair behind his back for months. In this instance you are giving the inanimate objects personalities and essentially making them friends, even if they are doing horrible things to one another!
- - - - - - - - -
Pre-existent Figures
This type occurs when the creator's imaginary friend is a character that was previously created by another source.
Say for example, you're six years old and you've declared that Rainbow Bright is your official BFF. That would be a having a pre-existent figure as an imaginary friend. Rainbow Bright isn't really there with you, nor does she really exist, (SPOILER ALERT!) but going on imaginary journeys with her can still count her as your imaginary friend.
- - - - - - - - -
Self Insertion
Kinda similar to the last one, and it pretty much has to go hand in hand with it. Self insertion means creating a unique character for yourself to act as, and inserting that character into the plot of a pre-existing story line.
I'll give you a great example that my friend Liz told me. She used to watch the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles when she was little. And who didn't! And like everyone (or at least everyone SHOULD have) she pretended she was friends with the Ninja Turtles.
If we stopped right there, it would be simply pre-existent imaginary friending..... BUT THERE'S MORE!!
Liz would pretend that she was Shredder's wife! (I'm sorry I think that's so great. Hahahaha. Ok back to the post.) So, since Liz invented a character for her to pretend to be while she was pretending to play with the Ninja Turtles, she was inserting herself into their pre-existing world.
- - - - - - - - -
Self Talk
This would be the most common form, I would think, for adults. Though I don't think many people would think just talking to yourself to be a form of imaginary friend, essentially that's all it is to begin with.
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