30-Day Book Challenge: Day 5

I'd like to give a shout-out to Marton Csokas, whom you better know as Celeborn. I do not know him personally, but he turns forty-five today. Happy birthday, sir.
    Back to business.

Day 05: First "Dirty" Book You Read

To be honest, I haven't really read any "dirty" books if by "dirty" you mean something really sexual.
    Why did I put this book, then? I consider this book "dirty" because there is so much language; in fact, The Catcher in the Rye probably contains the most profane language of any book I've read. And that is not a compliment.
    I hated this book. Hated, hated, hated it. I still do. There are only two good things I can say about it. One, it ends. Two, the first sentence rips on Dickens' David Copperfield, which I tried to read but found unbelievably dull.
    Where can I start? How can I begin to express how much I despise Holden Caulfield? I get it; he's in a tough situation. Does he have to bitch and mope about it in every sentence? No.
    I'm not sure whether to be offended or amused by his extremely limited vocabulary. I didn't bother keeping track of the number of times he said "G*dd*mn," "phony," or "sonuvab*tch," but I wish I had. It would probably have made for a great drinking game or something; you take a shot every time he says "phony." You could even take a shot every time he says "f*** you." He doesn't use that until the end, but he probably says it five or six times on one page.
    Beyond that, he manages to tear apart pretty much every aspect of his life, and he does so quite brutally. His brother's a phony because he works in Hollywood, and Hollywood, according to Mr. Caulfield, is full of nothing but phonies. He doesn't like his parents and can barely tolerate his sister. He hates his roommate at his boarding school. He hates all his classmates. He's not exactly respectful to females, but he's not quite rude to them either.
    Also, he rips on religion, particularly the Catholic Church. He says that he means no disrespect to religion, but I find that very hard to believe. This may just be because I take my faith very seriously, but I took more offense at his remarks on the Catholic Church than anything else.
    Caulfield kept talking about his occasional suicidal thoughts. The silliest things made him want to kill himself. I very quickly thought, "Please do. You'd be doing us all a favor."
    By this point you're probably wondering why I even finished the book. I finished it because it was part of a summer reading assignment for AP English. I ended up having to switch to Dual Enrollment English because of a schedule conflict, but I learned about said conflict well after I finished The Catcher in the Rye. So I read that stupid piece-of-crap book for nothing.
    I know plenty of people who consider The Catcher in the Rye one of their favorite books. I am very sorry if my rant angered you. I respect that you like the book, but it just does not appeal to me.
    Now that my rant's over ... The Catcher in the Rye was the first "dirty" book I read. In addition to generous use of bad language, there are a couple of sexual references. (For example, Caulfield mentions a friend who has made love to many a young lady.) However, I am never reading this book again. NEVER.

30-Day Book Challenge: Day 4

So .. if you missed The Return of the King at theatres last night, boy do I feel sorry for you. It was amazing. I felt so reminiscent, and I want to see it again on the big screen soon. Like, TONIGHT soon.
    Back to business. The challenge continues, and I am very nerd-happy.

Day 04: First Adult Book You Read

I can't believe I read this book when I was in seventh grade. What was wrong with me?!

    Oh yeah. I read in Videohound's Golden Movie Retriever that Elijah Wood had portrayed The Artful Dodger in a 1997 Disney adaptation. That was incentive enough for me.

    It took me a good year to finish Oliver Twist. It was probably tedious at the time, but this book is one of my all-time favorites.

    I consider Oliver Twist an adult book not necessarily because of the content, but because of the language. I really don't get how twelve-year-old me was able to read all 508 pages without getting lost. The vocabulary is so dense and so ... well, old-timey. After all, this book was written in the 1800s.

    I have more than one Dickens book, and I find that his style, while very good and interesting, can sometimes be borderline rambling. I sometimes feel like he gets a little too preoccupied with the unimportant details. I think Oliver Twist would have been a much better read for young me if Dickens had been a little more concise. I admit that I haven't read the book since I was in eighth grade, though, and an adult perspective might make Oliver Twist a little more fun to read.

    I consider Oliver Twist my first adult novel because Dickens seems to be the kind of author that would be read and analyzed at the high-school and college level. However, I started Oliver Twist at age twelve, and I managed to enjoy it without all the high-school analysis. But that might be the case just because I wanted to read about The Artful Dodger. Whatever the case, I definitely liked the book and still consider it a favorite.

30-Day Book Challenge: Day 3

Today is a big day for Ringers everywhere.
    For the first time since 2004, The Lord of the Rings: the Return of the King returns to the movies. And it's the extended edition. This was the only movie of the three that I saw in theatres during its original running, and I cannot wait to see it on the big screen again.
    Also, the extended edition of the Lord of the Rings trilogy comes to Blu-Ray. I do not own a Blu-Ray player, but this news still makes me happy.
    Now, back to the intent of this post.

Day 03: Favorite Book as a Child

I don't think I read every single book in this collection, but I read a lot of them.

    Sadly, I do not remember as much of this series as I would like. There is only one book I remember vividly, and I cannot even remember the title. In this book, Frog and Toad bake cookies, but they can't stop eating them. Frog decides that they need to teach themselves willpower, so Frog thinks of different ways to keep them from eating the cookies. However, Toad points out how each idea won't work. Eventually, they both have the willpower to not eat more cookies, but Toad announces that he's going to make a cake.

    I think the main reason I like Frog and Toad so much is because they were the first books I learned to read on my own. My parents read me plenty of Eric Carle and Dr. Seuss, but Frog and Toad books were the first books that I made myself read. I probably took some kind of pride in that, and even if I cannot remember the books I read now, I remember really liking Frog and Toad as a child.

    The Frog and Toad books are my favorite books from my childhood because they were the first I read on my own, and the five- or six-year-old me was probably very proud of that. Plus, they were just good, entertaining books.

30-Day Book Challenge: Day 2

Welcome to Day 2 of this 30-day challenge. I will not go into detail again about the challenge. Here we go.

Day 02: Favorite Non-Fiction Book

For a while, I could not choose between this book and Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom. I'm not a frequent non-fiction reader, but I adore both Night and Tuesdays with Morrie.

    I eventually chose Night because of its personal significance. While I thought Tuesdays with Morrie was a powerful, inspiring, well-written work, I did not feel substantial personal significance because my life has not yet been affected by Lou Gehrig's Disease. Night has a lot of personal meaning to me because my father and his family are all Jewish.

    Because my father married my Catholic mother, I have been raised as a Catholic. However, I know a fair amount about Judaism, and I have attended many temple services, including a Bar Mitzvah for my cousin. I have also celebrated Hanukkah and the Passover Seder with my Jewish relatives, so I am fairly acquainted with this religion.

    As far as I know, no one in my father's family was affected by the Holocaust. Nevertheless, it definitely has me thinking. My great-grandparents were lucky enough to move to America well before Hitler assumed power. If they hadn't, I think it would be very possible that they or my dad's parents could have died in the Holocaust. If such a thing had happened, I could very well not be here today.

    Personal significance aside, I also feel that Night was extremely well-written. Elie Wiesel is unflinchingly vivid in his descriptions of the things he suffered and the things others suffered. Before the Holocaust, he was one of four children, having three sisters. During the Holocaust, he lost his mother, his youngest sister, and his father; he witnessed his father's death, but not those of his mother and sister. He saw many get shot, as well as many hangings. After the hangings, Wiesel writes, the other prisoners were forced to walk up to the gallows and look at the dead faces.

    Concentration camps were surely Hell on Earth. I cannot begin to comprehend what the prisoners had to suffer, nor how anyone could have the strength to survive. It is so unreal.

    Night is my favorite non-fiction book because it is a very real account of a moment in history we'd just as soon forget. It is emotionally charged, powerful, and beautifully written by a man who went to Hell and back and lived to tell the tale.

30-Day Book Challenge: Day 1

I'm not sure exactly how I found this, but this evening I found a page on Facebook called "30-Day Book Challenge." Being the book nerd that I am, I have accepted this challenge. However, rather than post all the pictures into a private Facebook album, I am posting them to this public blog. Enjoy!

Day 01: Favorite Novel

Right now, your mind is utterly blown by this. LOLJK. This was predictable. Too predictable, perhaps. But guess what?! I DON'T CARE!!
    If you can believe it, I wasn't too crazy about the books at first. This might be attested to the fact that my parents read The Fellowship of the Ring to my sister and me when I was nine. A nine-year-old cannot possibly have a keen interest in such a mature, dense trilogy. However, I was a fan of the books by the time I finished The Return of the King, which I finished at age ten.
    I admit that I prefer the movies to the books (this is the one time I will ever say that), but the books are still wonderful. J.R.R. Tolkien has such a gift with language. His vivid descriptions provide such a clear picture to the reader. In addition, the dialogue is simply beautiful. One of my favorite Lord of the Rings quotes is only in the books: "I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend," spoken by Faramir in The Two Towers.
    Let's not forget all the remarkable characters. Whether it's an unlikely Hobbit hero, a Ranger with hidden majesty, a wizard with the gift of wit, or a woman who kills a seemingly formidable monster, the characters are all astounding in their own rights. Even the villains are interesting!
    I think my favorite thing about the books is that they use the oft-used concept of good triumphing over evil, but Tolkien puts an entirely new spin on it. There are so many obstacles for the characters to overcome. Many times, their obstacles seem insurmountable, but they somehow manage to triumph. The Witch-King of Angmar is the one whom no living man can kill, but Éowyn, because she is a woman, kills him. Gandalf fell at Khazad-Dûm, but he comes back to life. Finally, of course, the Ring, evil at its purest form, is destroyed.
    Despite all this, the ending is not the typical "and they all lived happily ever after." In fact, the ending is very bittersweet. It is happy for many. Aragorn becomes King of Gondor. Sam marries, and Legolas and Gimli remain close friends. But it is not happy for all. I'm talking, of course, about Frodo Baggins, who sacrifices his life to destroy the Ring. He explains this to Sam as Frodo is preparing to leave the Shire for the last time: "I tried to save the Shire, and it has been saved, but not for me. It must often be so, Sam, when things are in danger: some one has to give them up, lose them, so that others may keep them."
    The final few pages are particularly bittersweet to me. They describe the sense of hope, comfort, and healing that comes over Frodo as he sails into the Undying Lands, and then the great despair and grief that enter Sam's heart as he watches the departing ship. I was reading those paragraphs recently, and they brought tears to my eyes. I had forgotten about that passage, and the great departure from joy to bitter sadness was overwhelming. Only Tolkien could master something like that.
    This trilogy holds a high place in my heart. I don't think any book can ever overtake this masterpiece. I love it.

The Fifty Guys Who Are Better Than Edward Cullen (Part 1/5)

Everyone knows someone who is obsessed with Twilight and Edward Cullen. And if you are like me, you are sick to death of hearing about it.
    One day, I realized that I could list a ton of fictional characters who are superior to Edward Cullen. Fifty, to be exact. So I will present these characters ten at a time. Feel free to read all five parts, or maybe just one part.
    *Disclaimer: I have grouped the characters according to book, movie, TV series, or play. However, I have not listed them in any particular order of importance. #1 might not be my favorite on the list, and likewise #50 might not be my least-favorite on the list.*

#1: Frodo Baggins.

Let me guess. At this point, you're thinking, "Enough already!"

    Fair enough, but please bear with me.

    I think it would be a waste of space to go into detail for the umpteenth time of why I like (okay ... love/obsess with) him so much, so I'll do the best I can to sum it up.

    He's perfect. He's handsome, kind, courageous, loyal, clever, sweet, tormented (wait, what?), wise, selfless, humble, and strong. Yes, you read that correctly--strong. Please feel free to read my other posts for further elaboration.

   You may be wondering why I'm attracted to his tormented side. I wish I could tell you the answer. Maybe deep down I'm a sadistic psycho who thrives on others' suffering. But I think the answer is that I have some nurturing side of me that has yet to appear, as I am not a parent, and that nurturing side just takes so much pity on Frodo's condition that I feel obligated to love and care for him.

    WAIT! I forgot his accent! (If you can believe it, I have not yet mentioned his accent.) If you're wondering which specific British dialect it is, the Hobbits (except Pippin) all speak in a Gloucestershire dialect (source: website of dialect coach Andrew Jack, who worked with the actors and with Peter Jackson during production of the Lord of the Rings movies). Anyways, I love foreign accents, and Frodo's is so smooth and delicate. I could hear him talk forever, especially since he speaks so many powerful words.

#2: Samwise Gamgee.

In the words of countless teenagers, "Well, duh!"
    I can't say anything bad about this guy; I just can't. I love him (not romantically; as a brother).
    He is loyal. He is unconditionally loyal, which you just don't see anymore. He nearly kills himself to get onto the boat with Frodo. Everything he says or does is said or done with Frodo's best interests at heart, and Sam does not want to let Frodo down.
    He is respectful. He has good old Southern manners, calling men "Sir" and calling Frodo "Mr. Frodo."
    His loyalty makes him unafraid to speak his mind. When he senses that someone is messing with Frodo, something snaps within him, and Sam lets that person have it. He only threatens people who threaten Frodo, and frankly, it is a lot of fun to see. I especially love the threat Sam makes to Gollum in the extended version of The Return of the King. I do not remember the exact wording, but Sam says that if anything happens to Frodo, Sam will kill Gollum. And you can tell Sam means it.
    His optimism is as inspiring as his loyalty. Let's face it: There is no hope to be found in Mordor, but Sam finds it. Even when Frodo's mental state has deteriorated completely, Sam manages to stay hopeful. I don't know how he does it; I just don't.
    And he is sensitive and caring. He knows that Frodo is suffering, and Sam wants to help him so terribly. Sam is just a wreck with pity, but he knows that he cannot do anything to ease Frodo's torment. But Sam does what he can, even if it's not enough.

#3: Legolas Greenleaf.

Here's my best friend's future husband!
    Orlando Bloom is one of those men with natural sexiness. Whether he is dark-haired, dark-eyed Will Turner or blond, blue-eyed Legolas, I cannot stop looking at him.
    But there is more to Legolas than his boyish good looks and that gorgeous hair. Although soft-spoken, he is interesting to listen to because his lines range from something profound to clever one-liners. ("Shall I describe it to you, or would you like me to find you a box?") You can tell that he genuinely likes Aragorn and Gimli, and I just love the Orc-killing contests he has with Gimli.
    And, of course, he's a walking death machine. He kills the way most people breathe. It is spectacular to watch, and with someone that skilled in battle, his spouse would certainly be protected. (His strong loyalty doesn't hurt either.)
    One last thing with Legolas; I promise. I adore his speaking voice. I love its natural softness, especially when he speaks Elvish. His accent is just icing on the cake. His talking voice could soothe me to sleep.

#4: Aragorn, Son of Arathorn.

Mmm. Rugged manliness.

    Yes, I am normally more attracted to fair men, but Viggo Mortensen was born for the "rugged man" look.
    Sexiness aside, we still have an amazing man. He is a capable leader (even if he does not want the power of kingship), intelligent, strategic, honest, and fiercely loyal.
    His loyalty to Arwen is truly inspiring. They are separated for months. They could very well never see each other again, but he keeps his fidelity to her. Of course, this loyalty causes him to reject Éowyn, but he does so as gently as he can. He does not accuse Éowyn of anything or call her any names. He simply says, "I cannot give you what you seek."
    I like watching him fight. He has that great combination of technique and improvisation. He gets really bloodied up in the process, but that makes his fighting all the more realistic.
    I also like that although he holds great power as the heir of Isildur, he does not abuse that power. In fact, he doesn't even acknowledge said power until The Return of the King when he convinces the Army of the Dead to fight for him. So much for "All power corrupts."

#5: Faramir.

Yeah, I'm probably one of not very many who would use this guy as an example.

    As I think I mentioned in an earlier post, Faramir was my first Lord of the Rings crush. I really like his wavy strawberry-blond hair and his small, but expressive, blue eyes. He also has a good build; I feel like I would be satisfied if I saw him shirtless.

    I'm not really sure why, but I really seem attracted to introverts. Of course, Faramir is not as introverted as Frodo, but Faramir definitely keeps his thoughts to himself. (I blame his tyrannical father Denethor for that behavior.) However, when Faramir does express his thoughts, he shows himself to be an honest, observant person.

    Considering my obsession with Frodo Baggins, you might think I wouldn't like Faramir. After all, Faramir makes more than one threat to Frodo and has every intention of taking the Ring. However, Faramir changes his mind. He lets Frodo, Sam, and Gollum (not sure whether or not to call him Sméagol) go, even though he forfeits his life by doing so, and things are okay among Faramir, Frodo, and Sam in the end. No harm, no foul, as the saying goes.

#6: Éomer, son of Éomund.

One of my three Middle-Earth egos is a woman of Rohan named Nidmaras. This alter ego marries this man. 
    I like this guy for many reasons. Yes, I do think he's handsome, but that's only a small part of the equation. He is intelligent, logical, and a good strategist. He is not afraid to speak his mind, but at the same time he knows his place and holds back when he needs to. 
    He is also a good improviser. When he is banished from Rohan, he quickly adapts to his new life, soon becoming an even more capable fighter. 
    And he throws spears! How cool is that?! You never see spear-tossing today, except for the javelin toss at the Olympics.

    Sure, he is overprotective, but I don't consider that to be a serious problem. He is protective, but not extremely controlling. In fact, I am more attracted than repulsed by his slightly overprotective nature. He can tell that Grìma Wormtongue wants to hit on his sister, and since Wormtongue is at least twice Éowyn's age, Éomer feels the need to protect his sister, and I really like protective men.

    You might be wondering why I'm picking Éomer over Faramir; after all, the latter was my first-ever Middle-Earth crush. I am only picking Éomer because Faramir is taken; Éowyn marries him. As much as I like Faramir, I wouldn't want to ruin Éowyn's happiness, and I really like Éomer, so it really isn't a loss to me.

#7: Meriadoc Brandybuck.

One of my remaining two Middle-Earth alter egos is a Hobbit named Laurel Brandybuck. Merry is that alter ego's twin brother. (You can guess whom Laurel marries.)

    I think of the four Hobbits, Merry reminds me the most of myself. He is very sensible, down-to-earth, and direct. I feel that all three of those characteristics apply to myself, which is why I see most of myself in Merry. Merry is also that great combination of people who have fun and people who follow the rules. He gets into trouble all the time, but he gets out of trouble just as easily.

    He is also very loyal. He looks after Pippin like he would look after a younger brother, and when he and Pippin are separated, Merry really misses him. It's really quite sad, and their reunion, even though Merry is lying beneath a dead man when they reunite, is very touching.
    Plus, I'll just like him forever for helping Éowyn kill the Witch-King. The Witch-King is my second-most-despised literary villain, with Sauron being first. So anyone who in some way works to bring down the Witch-King will be an instant like for me.

    On an unrelated note, here's your fun fact of the day. Dominic Monaghan, who plays the role of Merry, originally auditioned for the role of Frodo Baggins. That was a pretty good consolation prize, don't you think?

#8: Peregrin Took.

 

Mmm. Scottish accent.

    To be honest, I just feel bad for Pippin. He tries so hard to keep himself out of trouble, but when he does something wrong, things go really, really wrong.

    He can't help being so foolish! He's a Took; it's in his genes!

    That being said, he is just a sweet person. He is very inquisitive, which can get him (and many others) in trouble, but he does learn quickly. I know people say that "the road to Hell is paved with good intentions," but I think Pippin's good intentions are part of his charm. And many times, his good intentions have good outcomes. For example, when he alerts Gandalf of Denethor's plans to kill Faramir, Pippin's actions end up saving Faramir's life.

    Like pretty much everyone so far on this list, Pippin is very loyal, especially to Merry. In the extended version of The Return of the King, Pippin looks for Merry well into the evening following the Battle of Pelennor Fields, and when he finds Merry, Pippin does what he can to make sure Merry is comfortable. In the few moments of their reunion, Pippin becomes the Sam to Merry's Frodo, and it is just so touching. Just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes!

    But I think the biggest thing about Pippin's charm is that he still remains relatively innocent when he returns to the Shire. He saw a lot of ugly things, but he manages to retain his childlike curiosity following the quest, and that really stands out to me.

#9: Gimli, son of Gloin.

This Dwarf is the kind of guy I would want as a friend.
   He has a proud, stern, very funny exterior, but deep down he is a sensitive, loyal, caring individual. As with Sam, I just cannot say anything bad about Gimli.
   There are plenty of lines from the movies that make me laugh out loud consistently, and Gimli is the source of almost every single one. ("He was twitching 'cause he's got my axe embellished in his nervous system!") I love that he has an attitude much bigger than his size would suggest. Normally I'm not attracted to pride, but for some reason Gimli's pride is okay with me. I think a humble Gimli would be boring, to be honest.
    But as I said earlier, he has a very sensitive and caring interior, try as he does to conceal that side with his pride. When Aragorn supposedly dies in The Two Towers, Gimli is in utter shock, and you can really hear the sadness in his voice when he tells Éowyn the bad news. Gimli is then every bit as overjoyed when he sees Aragorn alive and (for the most part) well.
    Gimli's loyalty is every bit as rock-solid as his stubbornness. He simply will stay beside Aragorn and Legolas, no matter the cost. I especially love that he tosses away that rivalry between Elves and Dwarves to form such a close, brotherly relationship with Legolas. The change in their friendship is one of many things I love about this trilogy.

#10: Gandalf.

This guy ... wow.
    As with so many preceding men, I cannot say anything bad about Gandalf. He is the man I would want as a father. He is full to capacity with wisdom, love, and remarkable strength. He is by nature a sweet, gentle, affectionate man, but when planning for battle he becomes tough, logical, and strategic. I love that.
    Unlike a certain wizard of Harry Potter fame (*cough cough* Dumbledore), Gandalf does not need magic to kick butt. In fact, he almost never uses magic. I really like that.
    His wisdom probably inspires me more than anything else. He uses that wisdom to give advice that puts Dear Abby to shame. Admittedly, some of his words can seem dark at first ("Bilbo was meant to find the Ring, in which case you were also meant to have it"), but soon those words become true inspiration. I think that without exception the line "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us" applies to everyone. Period.
    My favorite trait about Gandalf? That loving side. Until Gandalf falls at the Bridge of Khazad-Dûm and Sam comes along, Gandalf is Frodo's go-to guy. The relationship between those two is truly beautiful, like a father and son. Once Gandalf comes back, he has a mostly concealed fear for Frodo's safety. You can also sense a fear and guilt that he may have sent Frodo to his death.
    But what really gets to me is a scene in the Extended Version of The Return of the King. It's the scene in which the Mouth of Sauron presents Frodo's mithril and everyone thinks Frodo is dead. Gandalf silences Merry and Pippin when they give cries of grief, but as Gandalf holds the mithril in his hands, you can see tears in his eyes. He is crushed with grief and guilt, and since Gandalf is always the strong one, such an image really leaves one shaken.
    Now here are two more fun facts for you. Ian McKellen's Gandalf voice was an imitation of J.R.R. Tolkien's voice. Also, if Gandalf were to take the Myers-Briggs Personality Test, he would likely score as a Mastermind (INTJ). I, too, score as an INTJ. For that reason, I will always feel a deep connection to Gandalf.

This concludes Part I of my five-part series. This was fun to write, and I certainly hope you enjoyed reading it. Don't worry; I have only one more Lord of the Rings character to get through.

A Defense of a Worthy Defendee

You. Quit hating on Frodo.
    By "you," of course, I mean all Frodo-haters. If you like Frodo, or if you don't even know who he is, I salute you.
    Normally I don't let crap like this get to me, but I feel like things have gone too far.
    The Lord of the Rings film trilogy has an official page on Facebook, and on May 23 the page named Frodo Baggins their Character of the Week. Being the strange obsesser that I am, I felt obligated to comment at least half a dozen times and check back frequently to see what others were saying. Some comments I really liked and agreed with, but many made me mad.
    Why, you ask? Well, apparently people decided (for reasons unknown) to post comments describing in great detail how much they hate Frodo. Some comments were downright nasty, and I feel the need to rant.
    So kick back, relax, and enjoy as I completely obliterate their foolish arguments.

First argument: Sam did all the work.

    This is the only argument I partially agree with.
    I may be obsessed with Frodo, but I am not completely blind. I realize that the quest would have failed, had Frodo gone alone. I realize just how important Sam is to the quest's ultimate success. So don't think that I am completely dismissing Sam's contribution because I love Sam very dearly, and Sam is beyond a doubt the perfect friend and companion to have.
    That being said, I think it is really unfair to give Sam 100 percent of the credit and give none of it to Frodo. After all, who actually had to bear the Ring? Who had to fight the nonstop torment day and night? Who had to resist the Ring's corruption? Oh, that's right--Frodo.
    So don't say that Sam did all the work. Sam did half of it, but Frodo was the one who actually had to bear the Ring.

Second argument: Frodo is a wuss.

    No. Just no.
    I don't know how many ways I can say this. He is not a coward. He is not a sissy. He has courage. He has more courage than anyone else.
    Why, you ask? It's quite simple, really. He's a Hobbit, and Hobbits are considered the weakest race in Middle-Earth. They're only about three and one-half feet in height, and they have no knowledge of battle. Yet a hero arises from this weakest race. (Please feel free to read my post "Why Frodo Baggins Is a True Hero" for further elaboration.)
    Yes, yes, yes, there's the whole "Frodo runs away from a fight" thing. I recognize that people would conclude from this that he's a wuss, but it's still completely wrong. Hobbits are not a violence-seeking race. They prefer to avoid conflict at all costs; that's why they care so little about the goings-on of Men.
    And frankly, Frodo's desire to avoid a fight makes me admire him even more. Someone commented on the photo I mentioned earlier that Frodo "doesn't have any blood on his hands," which is 100 percent accurate. He is the only one of the Fellowship who does not kill or contribute greatly to a killing. I don't even need to elaborate with Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Gandalf, or Boromir. Merry kills many Orcs, and without him Éowyn would not have been able to kill the Witch-King. Pippin kills an Orc that was planning to kill Gandalf. Sam kills an Orc that was about to kill Frodo, and Sam would have killed Shelob if she hadn't fled. Frodo is the only one who doesn't kill, and I admire him deeply for that.

Third argument: Frodo is a whiner.

    Exactly what Lord of the Rings are you watching? Because the one I know does not have a whining Frodo.
    Yes, he complains. No, he does not whine. I consider whining to be nonstop complaining. Frodo complains a few times. He does not do so excessively.
    Let's count the times he complains, shall we? Let's start with the first movie.
    Final score after thinking it through (keep in mind that I have all three movies practically memorized): once. The complaining line: "I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened." Some might argue that the line "I know what I must do. It's just I'm afraid to do it" is a complaint, but I do not think it is. I think he is admitting to his fear and his vulnerability, but I do not consider that complaining. It's more a statement of fact than anything else.

    Final score of the second movie: once. The complaining line: "I can't do this, Sam." But what, you ask, about the line "The Ring is taking me, Sam. If I put it on, he will find me. He will see"? I don't think that's a complaint, either. It's a statement of fact.

    Final score of the third movie: thrice. The first line: "Sam, help me. [Sam: Mr. Frodo! Stand up, Mr. Frodo, stand up!] It's so heavy." The second line (omitting the repeated words): "I can't manage the Ring, Sam. It's such a weight to carry, such a weight." The third line (again, omitting the repeated words): "No, Sam. I can't recall the taste of food, nor the sound of water or touch of grass. There's nothing, no veil, between me and the Wheel of Fire. I can see him with my waking eyes!" For the most part, he barely speaks in Mordor, opting instead (as in the books) to suffer in silence. And even that first complaint is pushing it for me. I barely consider that a complaint.
    So by my count, Mr. Baggins complains a total of five times in the three movies. The extended editions are probably a good twelve to fifteen hours combined. So five complaints over twelve hours would be one complaint every 2.4 hours.
    Whining? I think not.

Fourth argument: Frodo is emo.

    Seriously?
    It's not being emo; it's being tormented. While bearing the Ring, Frodo completely forgets every bit of his old life (see the final quote from the previous argument). The Ring, not Frodo, is responsible for that. The Ring is doing whatever it can to get back into the hands (or applicable body part) of Sauron, and if torment is what it takes, torment is what the bearer will get.
    But what, O what, about Frodo's state of depression following the quest? Well, can you really blame him? Just like his physical afflictions, his mental afflictions are incurable as well. It simply would not be possible to just "shake off" so much torment, madness, and despair--not to mention the guilt he might feel due to his failure to actually destroy the Ring himself. (But I defend that last part in the post I mentioned earlier.) Frodo says so himself: "There are some things that time cannot mend, some hurts that go too deep, that have taken hold."
    You try bearing such a terrible burden as the Ring and see what it does to you.

Fifth argument: Frodo is mean to Sam.

    I must ask again: Exactly what Lord of the Rings are you watching?
    I am seeing the exact opposite of this argument. Frodo really cares about Sam. While Frodo is extremely grateful for Sam's company and realizes that he would have not gotten far with Sam, Frodo does not want Sam to suffer.
    Frodo rarely becomes angry with Sam, and when he does, he almost instantly apologizes. And his apologies are sincere, not superficial. But, you point out, there's that time that Frodo told Sam to go home. Yes, I saw that part. But Frodo soon deeply regrets his words, and as soon as he and Sam reunite, the first words out of Frodo's mouth are apologetic and regretful.
    But what about Frodo's decision to leave Middle-Earth? That had nothing to do with Sam. There was no way Frodo would be able to heal at all while he was in Middle-Earth. Frodo went to the Undying Lands to find healing, not to abandon Sam. And of course Sam was distraught; how would you feel if your best friend was leaving and you would never see him again? But Frodo does what he can to make this painful departure as easy as possible, and when he is saying his final good-bye, you can tell that Frodo really hates leaving Sam, and I think that Frodo's decision to give Sam the book is a great testament of their friendship. If Frodo was mean to Sam, would Frodo have given Sam the book?
   
Sixth argument: Frodo and Sam are gay.

This one wins the "Sh!tt!3st Argument Ever" Award! Not to mention that this completely contradicts the previous argument.
    First of all, Sam marries Rosie Cotton, with whom he was deeply in love for the longest time. They have thirteen children together. I think that alone thoroughly disproves the argument, but I'll go on.
    Frodo and Sam are not a gay couple. They are best friends; they have a brotherly relationship. Each one cares very deeply about the other, but there is no romantic interest.
    Hobbits are an affectionate race. They have a wonderful quality that modern society lacks--they do not conceal any fond feelings they have for each other. Look at Merry and Pippin! They do everything together, and they miss and worry about each other when they're apart. How is that any different from Frodo and Sam's relationship?
    Wait. Let me guess. You're about to bring up that Frodo kisses Sam before Frodo leaves Middle-Earth. In the books, Frodo kisses Merry, Pippin, and Sam, not Sam exclusively. (Look it up if you want. It's the end of the final chapter of The Return of the King.) Plus, it's a kiss on the forehead. It's more of a blessing than a gesture of "I love you. Let's get married." It would be like a mother kissing her child on the forehead before she leaves for a business trip.
    Frodo and Sam are fond of each other. They are closer than brothers, and we could all learn a lesson from their friendship and the unconditional nature of it. However, they are not gay. End of story.

Well, this hereby concludes my ranting session. I really enjoyed writing this. It felt so good to rant. If you have another argument, let me know so I can demolish that one, too.