Valentine's Day Is Here, I Wish My fictional Crush Existed!

Fictoromance, fictosexuality, and fictophilia are words that have gained popularity on the internet in recent times. They indicate a strong feeling of attraction, love, and desire for fictional characters. Sounds weird? Actually no, fictional crush is a real thing and to me, it sounds relatable. My real life is not always sunshine and rainbows. There are lonely nights and even days too. The void in my life hits me really hard. Somewhere my fictional crushes help me cope up.  I’m going to share my guilty pleasure that might actually be relatable to some.

So, I have this guilty pleasure of crushing on fictional characters. I know they are unreal; they don’t exist, and whatever I dream of will always remain only in my fantasy land. Yet, the momentary pleasure that I gain from living a fictional life is something that makes me happy. Earlier, I used to think that I was the only weird adult who did this, but then I met other women who related to it as well.

Valentines day with fictional crush

The women I have spoken to belong to different walks of life, but we all share this guilty pleasure in common. Crushing on a fictional character is quite easy, even if they are toxic, because there are obviously no real conversations, no compromises, no meetings, and no future happenings. So, it’s more like we are scripting a story in our heads and playing the lead.

For all the obvious reasons, these men are written to be perfect. Even toxic characters like Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries or Joe Goldberg from ">You are scripted so they are sexy, charming, adorable, and desirable. As long as we don’t begin liking bad boys in real life, it’s all good. For me personally, I have a huge list of fictional crushes, and more than half of them would qualify as toxic. But then, I’m very conscious of not being drawn to toxic people in real life.

Deepika* (name changed), 29, said, "Crushing on fictional characters is the epitome of one-sided love. In no particular order, I've got a huge crush on these characters: Jack Pearson from This Is Us, Joe from Gilmore Girls, Mike Ross from Suits, Jake Peralta from Brooklyn 99, and Dhruv Vats from Little Things." She added, "These characters reflect the kind of people I wish I had in my real lives. So, I just do it to escape from reality."

"I have crushes, but it’s more of a type. I’m very much into Spanish and Turkish men. Their sexual appeal is incredible!" Shreya*, 27, said. "It's not because I'm lonely, but because of the sex appeal and hotness they bring to the table. "Honestly, nothing, not even my partner, can ignite me in the same way that these characters do. I have huge million years crush on Victor from Spanish series Valeria," she added.

Kriti* 28, said, "I’m married; I love my partner, but still, there are times when I indulge in my secret guilty pleasure. I make up an imaginary world in my head and live there with my fictional crush. "It's my la la land, and it certainly doesn't affect my relationship."

"I crush on a few fictional characters that are thoughtfully written. These characters are literally role models for men. They are hardworking, ambitious, and focused. Most importantly, they actually respect women, and that is a huge attraction for me," said Hassini*, 35. "Sometimes I do fantasise about them sexually when I feel lonely; I just fantasise being held, kissed, and cuddled," she added.

Many a time, I have wondered if what I was doing was healthy. But then, guilty pleasures tend to bring out positive emotions; they help secrete feel-good hormones; they lower stress levels; and they improve overall emotional health. So, what’s wrong with indulging in some harmless guilty pleasures? It’s absolutely fine to have a crush on a fictional character that we read about or on a character in a movie or web series that we watch. However, there is a risk of becoming obsessed with that fictional world and losing touch with reality. It's perfectly normal as long as our feelings aren't intense or obsessive, and we are able to live a perfectly normal life and maintain healthy relationships.

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