[PREV - SECOND_MURDER]    [TOP]

SECOND_LEAD

                                             April 22, 2022

                                             Another entry in the
A pair of syndromes:                         section on low-fiction
                                             critical apparatus
  Second Male Syndrome  or
  Second Lead Syndrome                       MAPPING_THE_LOWLANDS

and                                            These "syndromes"
                                               weren't invented
  Second Couple Syndrome or                    by me for once.
  Second Relationship Syndrome
                                                       SYNDROME_SYNDROME


A common plot in "Romance Fiction"
is the triangle: the female lead
meets a male character and begins                 The phrase "Triangle" is a
to get involved with him, then                    bit of "low fiction
meets a second male character who                 cultural apparatus" that's
provides competition for the first.               too obvious for even a
                                                  pendantic nerd like myself
           In the kdrama version of               to expound on.  I think.
           this, the female lead is
           *required* to return to the
           first male.  The first love
           is always the true love.

In a typical story though,         An oddity kdramas: they frequently
it would leave you with            discover their "first meeting" wasn't
the feeling that this              actually their first, and they knew
might've been a mistake:           each other when they were children.
the second male almost
invariably seemed like a
beter person.

The first male invariably
comes off like a jerk, often
leaving you wondering if               As I see it, there are (at least)
he was really a good choice.           two reasons for this syndrome:

And that is "second lead               (1) Gender sterotypes: real men
syndrome".  Why did that               are buttheads, and real women
nice guy finish last?                  have an infinite capacity for
                                       for forgiveness.

                                          And they lived happily ever
                                          after in a state of co-dependency.

                                       (2) it generates dialog and slows
                                       the plot progress.

                                       Having them fight with each other first
                                       gives the story a place to evolve from,
                                       and giving the female lead a grievance
                                       (whether legitmate or the ever-popular
                                       "misunderstanding") is a useful hang-up
                                       for the first relationship, giving the
                                       second male a plausible window of
                                       opportunity.

                                                The fact that this
                                                genre element serves
                                                *multiple* purposes is
                                                pretty key, I think--

                                                And this can make it hard to
                                                percieve what's going on with
                                                a genre element-- you might
                                                think you understand the
                       As I may be missing      appeal of a common feature,
                       something still          but still be missing an entire
                       about why second         angle on it.
                       lead syndrome            
                       proliferates.               These structures have 
                                                   always evolved,          
                                                   they're only partly   
                                                   designed, which can    
                                                   complicate attempts at 
                                                   doing variations.         
                                                                    
                                                   You may think you're
                                                   being innovative and
                                                   getting away from a
                                                   dull cliche, without
                                                   fully understanding
                                                   it's function.




--------
[NEXT - SECOND_COUPLE]