i don't have an exact definition, but the lines are very clear!

[schmerica]

I was telling ficbyzee the other day about how one of the problems I'm having as I get into DC comics, is that Dick Grayson's name makes it pretty much impossible for me to use the most relevent descriptive term for much of Batman's behavior. Because, honestly, Batman is a dick! But the names make it so difficult.

There are other similar terms, of course, but I personally have really strong connotative ties for various words in this case. "Dick", "asshole", "ass/jackass" and "jerk" all have similar denotations, yes, but they fit very different characters in my head!

(I put a little note here just so you know, the fact that I call a character one of these names doesn't tell you anything about how much I like them. The list below includes both people I absolutely adore and people I can't stand.)

For example:

+ Batman and McDreamy (Grey's Anatomy) are dicks.
+ Ray Kowalski (due South) and Rodney McKay (SGA) are assholes.
+ Dean Winchester (Supernatural) and John Crichton (Farscape) can be jackasses.
+ John Sheppard (SGA) and Casey McCall (Sports Night) are jerks.

See what I mean?

Of course, there are some characters who fit into more than one category -- in Hard Core Logo, for example, I would say Joe is primarily an asshole, but definitely can be a dick or a jackass, as well, whereas Billy Tallent is almost equally a jerk and an asshole.

--Somehow I suspect this is one of those entries that will end up not making sense to anyone outside my head. Heh.

PS. YOU ALL NEED TO GO PARTICIPATE IN weekend_battle! I REQUIRE COMMENT FIC TO ENTERTAIN ME PLEASE.

Comments

[sage]

What about "prick"? To my mind, Joe Dick's a prick (during the 98% of the time that he's not being a woobie)...because it's somehow more than just being asshole, and yet it's also not necessarily personal.

[graycastle.livejournal.com]

your system makes a PILE OF SENSE to me. rodney is totally an asshole to john's jerk. er.

and doesn't john have a line in Hard Core Logo where he says, "I may be an asshole sometimes, but that's because they're all pricks"?

[gloss]

I...still don't see Bruce as a dick. :/ Like, he can act dickishly, to be sure, but he's no McDreamy in my eyes.

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

You know, Zee had the same problem! I think maybe McDreamy is just a bad choice for an example, because, uh. NOBODY is anywhere as bad as McDreamy EVER, and without me having a better description of the meanings, it comes out looking like I'm saying being a dick = being McDreamylike HATE HATE HATE, which isn't quite what I meant.

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

Hmm! I think prick probably would work, and yet for whatever reason, I don't have the intense association of exatly what I mean by it. Ponder!

[etben.livejournal.com]

...I love your brain, dear. This makes SO MUCH SENSE! I am mad happy.

(also, hi! how are you? *is gleeful with her return to humanity/fandom*)

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

Awww! My brain loves you, too!

(Hi! I am good! School is hard, and so is writing, but fandom is yay!)

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

It sounds kind of familar, but I can't remember!

[cal-j-fielding.livejournal.com]

okay..i like your classification system, though I may have to add extra catagories (or possibly pair the words up) to include English versions. But I like, I like a lot.

And now you have my brain working, damn you, I'm going to have to subcatagorise this in order for my brain to except it...cause Kowlaski and McKay ARE both arseholes, but they are such different TYPES of arseholes...I could see this getting complicated.

[mimesere.livejournal.com]

Interestingly, I *totally* think Batman is a dick on McDreamy levels. It's -- for me, anyway -- a question of putting themselves on a moral high ground that they have absolutely no right to that pushes them right into dick territory it's entirely possible that Batman in his own book is *different*, but Batman in everyone else's book is just...in dire need of a swift punch in the face.

And possibly I should have gotten to know comics!Batman in his own book before getting to know him in everyone else's, but...it is there now and lodged firmly in my head.

comics!Batman is for me what Wally is for you, I think.

Also, you are much missed, darling.