love triangles poll!

[kindkit]

I've been thinking about that ever-so-common plot device, the love triangle, and wondering if I'm especially weird in how much I hate them. So, a poll! It asks only about the "two men in love with and competing for the same woman" kind of triangle, because that's by far the most frequent kind and the kind that especially puts me off.

Everyone is welcome to vote--you don't have to know me or subscribe to my journal or whatever. And if you'd like to elaborate on your responses in the comments, that's great.

ETA: The second question is meant to be pretty flippant and silly, so don't feel like you're answering it "wrong"!

Poll #15018

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 79

View Respondents

1) You learn that a book/film/TV show features a love triangle of the "classic" sort: two men who both love the same woman. Are you:

View Answers

More interested in reading/watching than you were before
0 (0.0%)

Less interested in reading/watching than you were before
60 (75.9%)

Neither more nor less interested in reading/watching
19 (24.1%)

2) Love triangles can be resolved by:

View Answers

Duels
8 (10.5%)

Fistfights
4 (5.3%)

Flipping a coin
5 (6.6%)

Heroic renunciation on someone's part
15 (19.7%)

Kidnapping
2 (2.6%)

Plot-convenient death
11 (14.5%)

Polyamory
64 (84.2%)

The two competitors behaving as though the love object's own feelings mattered
67 (88.2%)

The vertex/love object declaring "a pox on both your houses" and running away
62 (81.6%)

The two competitors realizing they're actually triangulating their forbidden love for each other
55 (72.4%)

Comments

[magnetic_pole]

I'm not much of a fan, either--in fact, none of the choices in the second question sounded even vaguely appealing. Insofar as I can drum up any interest, I invariably find myself sympathizing with the "losing" party and getting frustrated... M.

[boxofdelights]

But polyamory? Nobody loses?

[magnetic_pole]

Point taken! But I feel like I haven't seen much of that scenario (I'm thinking here of published fiction, rather than fanfic).

Like kindkit, perhaps (kindkit, correct me if I'm not representing you well), my frustration comes from the fact that human relationships are presented as a reductive, winner-take-all situation, where it's not just that three people can't fall in love, but that the entire scenario of falling in love (or lust) becomes schematic. Also, I always want the heroine to get together with her friend, rather than either of the two dashing young men presented as the only options! M.

[kindkit]

Well, the second question was meant to be tongue-in-cheek, but I think it ended up sounding more serious than I intended. Maybe I should have included the Twilight resolution of: one competitor imprints upon the infant daughter of the other two, who will be his True Destined Love as soon as she's old enough to fuck. Leave it to Twilight to find the most appalling way out.

[magnetic_pole]

No, no, I knew you were being tongue-in-cheek, I just couldn't summon up a sense of humor about it. That said, your comment about imprinting did make me laugh. Leave it to Twilight! M.

[diony]

Perhaps the author had been reading about the Bloomsbury group. (Unlikely, I know, but the thought pleases.)