In Defense of Tony Stark

I must admit that a post by Marissa Baker got me started thinking about bad boys vs. good guys, etc. So you can actually give her a kudos for inspiring me to delve a little deeper into the reasons why I like some bad boys compared to others. It all boils down to 4 qualifications that they exude, either a few of the qualifications or all of them: Power, Seduction, Wealth, Intellect. All the bad boys on my list have at least three of these qualifications, if not all of them.

I'm not talking about the dirt poor, rides a Harley, wears black leather, smokes and does drugs type of bad boy. Because for me, that type of dude is not attractive because he has literally no prospects and no desire to reform. Not even Marlon Brando in The Wild One or James Dean in Rebel without a Cause would ever convince me to date them or run away with them, because what would I be running to? A hovel with a potentially violent husband? No thanks.

So, prep yourself for my discussion on bad boys over the next week or so. And no list of bad boys would be complete without the inimitable Tony Stark in the lead.

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In Defense of Severus Snape

I was already an adult when I first experienced the Harry Potter series. My parents were of the same mindset as most Christian families, that Harry Potter was evil and their children needed to be protected from it. I never really minded all that much, apart from missing out on the latest thing that had all the kids my own age salivating. So, when I did finally watch the movies and read the books, it was without the wide-eyed wonder I would have used as a child reader. I wasn't moved by the story. Oh, it was interesting, but nothing spectacular, and I couldn't see what all the fuss was about. Ron was a jerk. Hermione was a know-it-all. And Harry, well, Harry goes it alone far more often than I liked in a child.

Fortunately for me and the best friend who has waited oh, so patiently for me to join her fandom, my opinions are prone to change. I wasn't ready to love Harry Potter when I read it 6 or so years ago. But I was ready when I plunked myself down in my office chair for a long work-day, and plugged myself into the audiobook version of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I was hooked from that moment on. I couldn't wait to start my day so I could spend 6 or so hours with Harry and his friends. I love going to work every day anyway, but listening to Harry Potter made the day that much more enjoyable. I lost myself in that world, a world come alive through the voice acting of Jim Dale. I'm very much an auditory and tactile learner and the books themselves were too long, too burdensome, for me to fully enjoy reading. You must admit that Rowling got more verbose as she went along. I didn't remember much of them after my first reading. Now, I feel like I remember almost everything. Sure, some details have escaped me, but where I saw Harry's world in black and white before, now it's in vibrant color with scents and sounds and sights that before I couldn't even imagine. Jim Dale did it for me. He drew me into the world of Harry Potter, a feat I thought impossible.

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