In 2021, the idea of being the “Main Character” emerged. All over the internet, people made videos about the moments that they felt like the “Main Character”. Whether the moment was driving at night with the windows down and music blasting or arriving at the airport of one’s hometown, people began to relate over this collective experience of having moments where they felt like the protagonist of their own lives.
This trend quickly developed into a meme as people began to mock the people who desperately wanted to be the “main character” and had this distorted perception of reality. It seemed as though people were mocking them for having a heightened sense of self-importance. While it is great that we find humor in this widely experienced phenomenon, I believe that main character syndrome is not at all a bad thing. In fact, what I have come to realize is that everyone is the main character whether they realize it or not.
The best movie of all time (in my opinion) is 10 Things I Hate About You. Does the movie have any profound message? Not really. Is it a cinematic masterpiece? No, it definitely is not. What makes this movie my personal favorite is the main character: Kat Stratford.
Kat Stratford has all the essential qualities of the type of protagonist I would want to be. She is not only beautiful but her defining qualities are her determination and disregard for others’ opinions of her. Kat also has a plethora of interests from literature to feminism to music. Everytime I watch this movie, I am left feeling inspired by her. I feel inspired to not be ashamed of the things I am passionate about and to adopt the same attitude towards life that she does.
Oftentimes, our favorite main characters of movies or books or TV shows are characters that we either identify with or aspire to be like. Whether it is the lavish lifestyle and irresistible charm of Blair Waldorf or the humble upbringing and courage of Harry Potter, main characters help us to find the qualities we admire or hope to develop in ourselves.
Each of us is the protagonist of our own lives. Our life is a storyline with many seasons. We will inevitably face conflicts. We will find love and experience heartbreak. Like the beloved main characters in pop culture, we too will experience character development over the course of our lives. If pretending we are the main character helps us to realize the significance and beauty of our own lives, then I say we are all main characte