[^Don’t share with him bc Lestat’s pig ok, we all know it]
No but really, I think that’s what shipping is about. You can live vicariously through one or the other of them, and get the best of the whole ship ❤
I do think there’s some truth to the idea of shipping as a way of learning about relationships and in engaging with the characters, who are otherwise just ink on paper and only really exist in your imagination. Lestat speaks directly to the reader, breaking the fourth wall, but he can’t really speak to each individual reader, he doesn’t know your name or anything about you specifically, but it’s a form of intimacy bc you know so much about him. It’s the one-sided relationship of an actor to their audience. He knows he has an audience and he can see faces in the crowd, but he can’t actually have a relationship with a real reader since he’s fictional.
But you can get close to the characters by identifying with them. I can love Lestat for some of the reasons Louis does, and I can love Louis for some of the reasons Lestat does, and in agreeing with them, it’s a form of connecting with them individually. Like we’re sitting at a cafe together gushing about how cute it is when Lestat throws a tantrum over someone (usually just himself) spilling blood on his new Gucci blazer (bc deep down he doesn’t mind that much, he just likes having smtg to throw a tantrum about), or Louis defending his right to making stacks of books in the parlor (bc deep down he likes having an excuse to talk about books in any capacity). That kinda thing.
I think that’s where ppl are really going when they say, “My son” or “My husband” or whatever, about fictional characters, you want to express a form of devotion to them bc they belong to you, too; your vision of them (your headcanon) is truly your own.
So you can have them both, you’re invited into that ship whenever you open a book or read/write fanfic about them, enjoy/draw fanart of them, individually and as a ship!
I FEEL YOU 1,000% I think Tom had the rights to TOBT so he could star in it, even tho that’s the bodyswap episode at best, and all this other soggy mess at worst… I think the 90′s audience and reviewers being all IWTV was “TOO GAY”/”NOT GAY ENOUGH” really soured him on the whole series, but he has always kept Lestat in his heart ❤ (Brad, not so much)
I would love it if Tom were consulted on his opinion re: casting, and then when they do cast a Lestat, Tom could train/advise him personally. BC PLENTY OF PPL WHO NORMALLY DISLIKE TC ADMITTED THAT THEY LIKED HIM IN THAT ROLE.
Brad’s advice to the new Louis would probs be “You’re going to be miserable, just don’t hold back with that… You do get like 2 scenes to take out your aggression when you get all fiery so take full advantage of that.”
My not-so-secret casting fantasy would be to have Tom back to play the Marquis. LIKE HOW PERF WOULD THAT BE?? He’s old enough for it… more villain roles for TC! *bangs fist on table*
I-want-my-IWTV 