Wednesday, January 12, 2011

What color is YOUR bathroom?

As you know (or should), I spend most of my time in the company of my four-year-old son, who is obsessed with Batman. So a lot of our conversations revolved around the Caped Crusader and all the "billians" he fights. Although, in Brady's world, they don't fight so much as they have adventures and "do missi'ns".

So on Monday morning, before we left for my doctor's appointment, all the Imaginext Batmans and Billians went into a backpack to come with us. As we drove, "the guys" sitting on Brady's lap, we discussed what each guy's bathroom was like.

Yep.

So, for example, Penguin's bathroom had lots of--go figure--penguins. Penguin shower curtain, penguin toothbrush holder, penguin wallpaper...

Joker's bathroom had violent green bathmat and toilet cover; the walls were painted magenta and the shower curtain was green and purple...

Riddler's bathroom had a stack of puzzle books and a few pencils with the erasers worn down, in a basket next to the toilet...

Two-Face had two bathrooms: one's very nice, the other--not so nice...

Clayface's bathroom has mud all over it. On the floor, red mud footprints, in the tub, red muddy puddles...

As we discussed each villain's bathroom decor, I realized--what an interesting way to figure out your characters. What are their bathrooms like?

Are there magazines in there? Are there towels--and are they rolled and placed in a basket or folded and put in the closet? What kind of knobs are there on the sink? What sort of shower curtain do they have? What kind of soap do they like--bar or bodywash? What scents do they prefer? How about shampoo? Premium stuff or the cheap stuff? Do they throw away their bottles or do they keep the empties lined up on the edges of the tub? Do they prefer baths or showers? And--do they clean their own toilet, or do they have hired help?

We decided that Batman has a normal bathroom with a rocket toilet. Alfred keeps it clean and there's a rubber duck in the tub for Robin. Go figure. So I leave you with something different to think about, just another--different--angle of characterization: What color is your characters bathroom?

3 comments:

  1. I think my heroine would have black or grey walls cos her heart is so black it will take a miracle on the hero's part to change her

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  2. Gotta love the mind of a little boy. They definitely take you in directions you never knew.

    Imagining their bathrooms is proving too difficult for me at the moment. I might have to get back to you on that.

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  3. I'd never even thought of the colour of the bathrooms. Hm...you're right, another door to the character.

    P.S. I sent you a message on facebook.

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