Sports:
As a general rule, an interest in sports indicates athleticism, charisma, competitiveness and enthusiasm. Most sports will be seen as a male domain, and any woman entering into them will be part of a You Go, Girl! storyline. However, a few sports will be seen as ladylike and feminine, implying quiet strength, gracefulness, and determination rather than the supposedly "masculine" attributes listed above.
- Bodybuilding: Often in a favorite pastime of Jerk Jock, or if they're not school athletes, The Bully. Jerk Jock and The Bully portrayals show bodybuilders as vain and narcissistic who spend hours looking at their muscles in the mirror and bragging towards others about how strong they are. Positive portrayals tend to show people who indulge in this hobby as The Stoic or involved in other manly hobbies such as car racing. Both negative and positive portrayals show practitioners of the hobby as all round strong people in every way be it a la Jack of All Stats or even the Lightning Bruiser within their team. Also popularly portrayed as something taken up in the backstory of those who Took a Level in Badass and even credited as the primary reason why The Load in the cast became much stronger later to hold off on his own and indeed why the victim of The Bully finally was able to stand up later in the plot. In addition to often being the pastime of physical Jack of All Stats and Lightning Bruiser, almost any modern sports fiction shows all athletes in the plot doing at least some form of weightlifting (which is Truth in Television as in recent years competitive sports emphasized weights as a way to increase one's edge in any sport).
- Baseball: Often regarded as a Game of Nerds, even by its own fans, though it can also show that a character is their setting's equivalent to the All-American Face.
- American Football: Players will either be good, all-American boys or the Jerk Jock. In recent years, it tends to be the latter. Either way, ego issues will probably come into play at some point; between cheerleaders and celebrity status at their school, football players will probably get above themselves eventually, and have to be brought down a peg or two. As a spectator sport however, American football is universal, resulting in many armchair experts passing comments on the game, and many, many male bonding episodes.
- Association Football (Soccer): In the UK, this is seen as a normal, wholesome hobby that every male should be into: knowing the offside rule is tantamount to Being A Man. As with American football, boys will usually play it when they're younger and be content just to watch it as they grow up. If a young boy isn't into football, expect it to be a plot point (and probably a major source of conflict between the boy and his dad). Japan shares this view to a certain extent, with football players in anime being good athletes and all-round decent guys. In the USA however, soccer is viewed as fairly sedate and boring, with American Football filling the role of the "everyman" sport. In fact, the "soccer player" in American works tends to be a totally different character, usually a foreigner in the "Pelé" mold, while soccer fans tend to be depicted as pretentious, Bourgeois Bohemian yuppie types. Girls' soccer is also sometimes shown in American works, indicating the character is athletic without the You Go, Girl! plots that are obligatory when a girls' football team is featured in British media. Can also be used as part of their nationality, working class British characters in American works will often be football fans.
- Golf: Generally reserved for the rich and/or professionals such as doctors, although working-class characters will sometimes visit the golf course either as caddies or because they aspire to a higher rank in society. Golfers are generally portrayed as smug and boring. They are also often shown as being prone to cheating, with underlings being warned not to beat the boss at his favourite game. Note that in works by older authors, such as newspaper comics, golf can also be viewed as an activity for the everyman, although it is considered leisurely and relaxing rather than particularly athletic. Almost always associated with middle aged or older men; while younger men (or women) might play it as part of the plot, it's rarely their hobby.
- Tennis: Traditionally seen as an upper-class sport like golf, only for younger and more athletic people.
- Horse Riding: is largely dependent on the type of saddle used — English, Western, bareback, or side saddle in period pieces. Whether a woman, given the option, rides or avoids side saddle is a rough indication of her view on stereotypical gender roles. English saddle riders are often upper class, snobby, and possibly asocial, brusque and impatient. Polo playing or fox hunting can be used to demonstrate a savvy character who expresses disturbing brutality in socially acceptable or discreet ways. Western saddle riders are often practical working class people, hands on and free spirited. Young horse riders are portrayed more sympathetically, seen as enthusiastic and genuinely loving their four-legged friends, the odd Spoiled Brat ("I want a pony!") notwithstanding. The Pony Tale, of course, broadens the personality types considerably... although it still likes to employ the stereotypes as well.
- Alternatively, if the horse rider is a female love interest, this is to show that she is a free spirit, a woman who yearns for freedom and adventure. The male will usually undergo a Secret Test of Character in the form of befriending the lady's steed, or taming a particularly wild one in her collection.
- How a character rides matters as well — whether they're disciplined, fastidious, passionate, competitive, or domineering. How they treat their horse will definitely show what they value.
- Riding disciplines often cue personalities in barn-centered works, particularly English (Western is usually just Western).
- Dressage: Quiet, disciplined, and focused. Most likely to be a snob.
- Showjumping: Flashy, athletic, vivacious.
- Eventing: Hard-working, courageous.
- Rugby: Has a bit of a mixed reputation. On one hand, as an English Public School staple, it's seen as a "serious" sport practiced by the elite of society — one witticism runs "Rugby is a game for Thugs played by Gentlemen; Football is a game for Gentlemen played by Thugs." On the other hand, however, it's tough, physical and the injuries can be pretty horrific, making it a sport for the hardy working class man. Characters can therefore vary between the "sportsmanship at all costs, old chap" schoolboy and the unstoppable macho man. The elite, Public School stereotype is traditionally associated with Rugby Union, with Rugby League being the sport for the working class, but many people confuse the two. If American football is mentioned, a rugby-playing character will sneer at it as "not a proper sport": despite looking very similar to American football, rugby is played without the copious amounts of protective equipment (at which the fan of American football will remind the rugby player that the American sport has the body armor because the hits are much, much harder).
- Skateboarding: The premise of the rebel, skateboarders are usually cool and street-smart. They may be Book Dumb through a lack of interest rather than lack of talent. They are often reckless, and rack up quite an injury list, but bounce back fairly quickly. Skateboarders are often portrayed committing misdemeanors while partaking in their hobbies, particularly graffiti and trespassing on private property.
- Cricket: Often the domain of intelligent but eccentric types, frequently concerned with fair play. Often rather posh as well, although they tend to be a bit less smug than their golfing counterparts. Can also be a sort of Commonwealth equivalent to baseball as a Game of Nerds. Similarly to football, Cricket is often associated tied to nationality. Upper class or intellectual British characters in American works will often be Cricket fans. On the rare occasions that they appear Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi characters will almost certainly be Cricket fans.
- Ice Hockey: Often depicted as the most rough and tumble sport where fighting is all but encouraged and the players are hulking bruisers with teeth missing. For some variety, there is the Wayne Gretzky type of a small, but phenomenally skilled and fast player who skate rings around his opposition, even if it's his goon teammates who cover his flanks as he breaks for the goal. If a character is Canadian, this hobby tells you nothing, because most Canadians love hockey. Except when they don't.
- Basketball: This is usually reserved for the inner cities or colleges. If a white guy plays on the playground, that's a sign that he has connected with the poor but talented ballers that live around the playground. But remember, White Men Can't Jump.
Combat Sports / Martial Arts
While in a pre-modern setting partaking of recreational combat will be seen as the absolute proof of being a real man, in the modern world fighting is viewed as a semi-barbaric pastime, crude and denotative of a violent personality. Combative hobbies are often used to exhibit the character's inner fire, and symbolic of their fighting spirit, whether they be a business executive or a schoolgirl. A fighting hobby indicates a self-sufficient or independent personality. If a fist-oriented sport, will always be shown as a way to relieve stress.
- Fencing: Symbolic of Europe and the aristocracy, which has its roots in the rapier being a "gentleman's weapon" in the olden days. The bourgeois, conceited rich man will often be seen fencing in his spare time, sometimes killing his opponents if he is being set up to be particularly evil. Fencing is also used as a measure of intelligence — no dumb character wins a fencing match. If sympathetic and female, the fencer will usually be a Lady of War if she's an Action Girl or a Gentleman Snarker if not. The Socialite, Non-Idle Rich, Blue Blood, or Royals Who Actually Do Something might fence. If from the working or middle classes, only pretentious college students at Strawman U or plucky protagonists challenging the Old Boys Network would fence. It's also a great sport for a character who finds themselves trapped in a Sword and Sorcery world find that their sport has given them their only chance to survive with a combat sophistication that the Mooks there aren't prepared for.
- The style of fencing also indicates the personality and relationship of the practitioners. Of the three types of fencing, foil is the most often displayed. It's governed by a complicated right-of-way system that is often set in parallel to a witty debate ("Lunge! Parry! Riposte!") Epee, on the other hand, has no right of way, so that it is as important to avoid one's opponent's blade as it is to be the first to strike. Sabre, which allows for whipping blows with the side of the blade, is the most brutal. Your mileage may vary as many sabre fencers will be quick to point out how only the top half of the body is the target area, the requirements of priority, and how consistent speed in all three weapons requires sacrificing raw power. An out-of-hand match that ranges all over the stage will also show whether or not a character is resourceful or how equally matched the two combatants are. Foil has a more complicated priority system than the other two and a much smaller target area, requiring small accurate movements. Epée frequently requires high precision, as the ability to hit anywhere means the opponent can do the same, and an exposed wrist may as well be a point ceded to a skilled opponent. All in all, foil most closely mimics the style of a duel, saber is more of an actual swordfight, and epéeists tend to use unorthodox, sneaky attacks at any exposed part of the body.
- Kendo has its own extensive signifiers, including five stances that indicate the level of aggression in the practitioner. A character who consistently chooses one will show their strong-headedness, while a wiser character may choose a posture appropriate to the situation.
- The rapier's status as a "gentleman's weapon" is a definite case of Hollywood History. In the early Renaissance, the rapier used to be the weapon of highwaymen, street-side duelists, muggers, and murderers. Fencing masters were seen as criminals. Fencing academies were outlawed by the British as a source of great violence, as these were the province of no-holds-barred fighting using shields, daggers, cloaks, firearms, grappling, and every dirty trick they could dream up. Eventually, the aristocracy took to dueling and the image of the swordsman was cleaned up, but before then, calling someone a good fencer was a grave insult — like calling someone a good cocaine mule. Media don't portray it that way in period pieces as an Acceptable Break From Reality. Accurate portrayals of the complex and brutal swordsmanship of that era and the dangerous, gang-like life of these men would seem like a Deconstruction to audiences raised on more romantic depictions.
- Boxing: Reminiscent of the mid-twentieth century, when Muhammad Ali was a national hero and watching two men beat each other to a pulp was the single joy of the middle class. A present-day character who boxes in his spare time will be a down-to-Earth man with a backbone of steel, one who never gives up. Will frequently be seen hitting the bag to relieve stress. Protagonists into boxing are often the Standard '50s Father or at least have associated traits of the archetype as an integral part of his personality. Very occasionally presented as a past-time for the manly upperclass type, such as in English tales of boarding schools. One real life example is Brian Blessed and the Dalai Lama
of all people. - Judo: Largely a pastime of female characters, since it allows them to turn their (male) opponents' strength against them. Women's judo classes are used to show that while a woman may not be an Action Girl, she certainly has the potential for it. Often, a male protagonist will challenge her to a fight, which will end with the girl flipping the man onto the ground. Practicing Judo is often accidental foreshadowing that the character will be needing a miraculous escape from physically threatening events in the near future.
- Brawling: Not boxing but rather any street fighting club where there is one rule: "Anything goes". Usually a past time for ruffians and hoodlums, the fights are merciless fights to the point of exhaustion or death and protagonists often are seen as resourceful yet pessimistic, forced to partake in such bloodsports as a means to express their distaste for the world and the only thing that soothes them is a schoolyard brawl.
- Other Martial Arts: People who are training in these can be one of two types. Villains are learning to bully others with a teacher who sneers at mercy. Heroes on the other hand are usually honestly learning to acquire discipline at the instruction of a good sensei who ideally wants them to be Martial Pacifists, ever hoping to avoid violence but ready to kick butt with the best if necessary.
- Due to the preponderance of martial arts in East Asian popular culture the type of martial art taken as a hobby is usually reflective of the person's character.
- In Chinese works "Soft" styles like Tai Chi Quan or Ba Qua Quan tend to denote a philosophical or spiritual bent like a Warrior Poet or Martial Pacifist. "Hard" styles like Shaolin or Wing Chun belong to more action-oriented characters.
- If a character in Japanese works practises Kenjutsu (as opposed to Kendo), Kobojutsu, jujutsu or any combat-oriented martial art it's usually a sign of a conservative, traditionalist upbringing. Kyuujutsu and Naginatajutsu in particular are often trademarks of The Ojou or similarly privileged backgrounds.
- Wrestling: Also tends to have a mixed reputation, as it's an enormously physical sport, but is also respected in schools and academia, plus it requires you to pay extremely close attention to your weight, diet, and technique. Wrestlers tend to be more focused and intelligent than a boxer but more down-to-earth and approachable than a fencer. Expect an athletic wrestler to be meticulous about his metabolism but also fairly skilled academically. The sport is often used for the butt of jokes, either due to the extreme silliness of Professional Wrestling or the sheer homoerotic nature of the sport.
Arts
There's an unfortunate assumption in the media that if you weren't able to make your artistic hobby into a career, it's because you simply weren't good enough. Most of the hobbies listed below have a "thwarted artiste" element to them. The fact that some people simply want to keep their hobby as a beloved pastime rather than a stress-inducing job is usually overlooked. Even if it isn't, being "artistic" is synonymous with being an impractical dreamer. Children, however, can draw or write to their heart's content: they're allowed to dream, and it's often implied that this talent will eventually become their job. Arts are usually split evenly between men and women, although they're probably more "acceptable" hobbies for women (since most of the men who undertake them will get paid to do so...)
- Crafting: will usually indicate someone down-to-earth. A jewelry maker will be female and extravagant. A woodworker will be male and make simple toys for children. In some cases, moreso with bad ones, expect the crafter to give handmade gifts to friends who then have to pretend the item is the greatest gift ever. Crafters tend not to be quite as flamboyant as other artists, preferring to stay simple and neat.
- Drawing/Painting: The pastime of true dreamers, passionate and perceptive. Girls will be genteel and soft-spoken, losing themselves in the worlds they create with their paintbrush. Guys get a rougher deal — they're grandiose and melodramatic, thinking of themselves as the next Monet/Picasso/Van Gogh despite a probably glaring lack of actual artistic ability. Modern or post-modern art can provide a punchline in itself ("Er... what is it???) Then there's the "tortured artist" — gothic, self-obsessed and nihilistic, expect a woe-is-me tirade at least Once an Episode. Other artists may paint possessed by their emotions, showing a sensitive and easily overwhelmed personality.
- Cartooning: Amateur cartoonists in fiction are usually male and tend to have an active sense of humor. They're often a "loser" or The Slacker. Most of their characters are probably thinly veiled caricatures of their friends. They are even more likely than other artists to get lost in their fictional worlds, to the extent of hallucinating that their characters are in the room talking to them.
- Music: If you play an instrument, or sing, and aren't part of your local philharmonic orchestra...chances are that you suck at your chosen instrument. Neighbours will plug their ears, dogs will howl, cats will wonder who's calling for help, but the musician will be deaf to any and all criticism. Self-absorbed, and totally convinced of their own musical prowess, fictional entities who count music among their hobbies are pretentious and haughty. Instruments that nearly always sound terrible when you first learn to play them (such as the violin or the clarinet) are popular for comedy. The one exception seems to be the piano, which nearly always denotes a secret virtuoso talent and is rarely heard being played badly. However, if the musician is skilled yet doesn't play for crowds there may be chances they may be a Broken Bird or something may be keeping them from bringing it out for others to enjoy. On the other hand, though, if you play the drums, the electric guitar or the electric bass, you automatically become a magnificently awesome wielder of The Power of Rock.
- The kind of music that you listen to will also often signify something. Listening to classical music or opera will mark you out as an intellectual and/or a snob, cooler intellectuals will listen to jazz and blues. Rock will usually denote you a rebel, while liking modern pop is often the preserve of the popular teenager. Listening to country is almost unheard of, and most assuredly makes you a redneck from the Deep South. Hip-hop will mark you as either a gangbanger or a white suburbia-dwelling wannabe. People who do not listen to music don't exist.
- Guitar players in particular tend to fall into three archetypes: The first is little more than a frat boy who put forth a slight effort in learning the instrument to attract local girls. He only knows how to play three chords and has no knowledge whatsoever of musical theory. This archetype probably owns a basic acoustic guitar (or, alternatively, one of a big-name brand to show how "serious" he is) but his know-how on caring for it reflects his lack of skill. The second is part of the hipster aesthetic, and he appears to take guitar-playing more seriously. His skill may vary. A bad player might have comedic value, and a good player might show that he has hidden depths in his personality. Either way, he is probably very snobby and sees himself as a sort of visionary. The third archetype is an actual musician, someone who plays guitar for a living or is simply quite serious about it. Because he has deep skill and understanding of the instrument, he treats it as more an art form than anything else, and has an attitude more similar to practitioners of other arts. This will be tempered by his preferred style; a metal guitarist will have a more intense personality than a folk guitarist, for example.
- Writing: Much like drawing and painting, denotes a dreamer. However, since writing "overlaps" into the intellectual as well as the artistic, characters will be more able to voice their thoughts and speak up, so they're less introverted. Often showcases a wry sense of humour and an ability to observe and analyze people. One of the most positively portrayed hobbies, especially in literature... after all, guess what kind of person is creating the story.
- Different story (sorry, awful pun...) if they like to write poetry however. If it's not Emo Teen angst, it's an insult to the English language, full of bad rhyming schemes, malapropisms and no sense of meter. The wannabe poet is more akin to the wannabe musician than their storytelling counterpart, and a good poet is a rare creature indeed. When one is found, though, they have many of the same traits as a female painter.
- Fanfic writers also get a different treatment, as they meld with the Otaku or fanboy/girl culture. Good fanfics are seemingly unheard of in fiction, and their writers appear less interested in expressing themselves through the written word, and more interested in putting strange ideas or fantasies about their preferred franchise to paper.
- Songwriting is another matter as a fusion of writing and music. If the character is a dedicated songwriter as opposed to a performer, it means the person is a really creative quiet type, even if he has to be content writing advertising jingles. Furthermore, this profession means you can easily have him begin a musical number as he tests out his compositions by singing and playing them and usually displays so much talent that you wonder why he is not a performer himself. Of course, that move can be a plot, too, as the songwriter follows the example of Carole King and Neil Diamond as he decides to try to make the jump.
- Theatre: Five major categories are found here.
- The Acting Snob: Practices the Stanislavski method. Is often neurotic, and may randomly jump in and out of character. Is generally not into the fame game. Uses words like 'motivation' and 'objective'. Detests anyone not considered "a true actor". Can be just as snobbish as the Broadway Diva or the Movie Star. Prone to thinking they are the greatest thing since God. Often form their own group-within-a-group in theater circles.
- The High School Techie: Is usually stoned out of their mind, with several piercings and brightly-dyed hair. Often wears black clothes even when not actually teching. Likes explosions and stage fog. Opposite type may be the overworked, underappreciated Type A grunt.
- The Broadway Diva: Does musical theatre. Can sing and dance with the best of them. Is either the Alpha Bitch or Spoiled Sweet. Generally cannot act to save their life, or gets locked into one particular character type. If male, is virtually always gay.
- The Movie Star: The Rich Bitch all grown up. Steals all the best roles, but has very little actual talent. Cares more about this hour's fashion statement than learning her lines. Dislikes looking anything but flawless while onstage. If a main character, usually gets her comeuppance in the end, unless the movie is Notting Hill.
- Accidental Ingenue: Stumbles into auditions and blasts the director away with their raw and unharnessed, unpredicted talent. Gets the lead. Because of their lack of previous experience, usually modest and earnest worker, but with a hobby that will become a conflict.
Intellectual
Puzzlers, gamers, tech-heads...call them what you will, people who undertake these hobbies like to think. Like the artists, they're normally pretty introverted, but they're happy to brag about their I.Q. if asked. Their physique suffers for their sedentary nature though, and these folk aren't usually physically strong. Some may even be adverse to daylight/going outside, although they usually have a support group in the form of their chosen subculture.
- Chess: Quite simply, Smart People Play Chess. Patient, brainy, enigmatic... boring as heck. The chess player has a lot of mental prowess, but a limited social circle and little knowledge of the "real world". Speaks slowly and thoughtfully, and can be a master tactician, if called upon. Maybe that's why some of them toughen up, graduate to supervillainy and become very formidable foes indeed. In eastern works, this may be replaced with Go. If a Western character plays Go, you may be assured that they are an authentic genius.
- Then there's the street chess players, usually elderly or very young. May play outdoors at the park or for cash. These will be the beat the odds types, smart yet kept down by a lack of societal mobility or a refusal to compromise. Often told they could make something of themselves.
- Computer Games: Most kids will have a nodding acquaintance with Playstation/Nintendo/Xbox etc. but some have become masters of the console. Obsessive, anti-social and caught up in a world that doesn't really exist, there will almost certainly be a plot about convincing them to join the real world. That goes double if they're a PC gamer, and triple if they're into online roleplaying games. Then they're liable to forget their real name, and become totally convinced that they are Zaxxathor, Devourer Of Baby Unicorns. If their platform of choice is the computer, they are often portrayed as a Playful Hacker and masters of all things computer-related and are portrayed opposing the claim that Digital Piracy Is Evil. Very often gamers are given Geek Physiques unless they are female (where they are instead portrayed as Hollywood Homely and thus incredibly attractive). More positive portrayals portray male gamers as Closet Geek who love gaming as an integral part of their lives but rarely reveal their interest in the hobby with anyone but their friends.
- Game Programming: As above, but even more geeky and introverted (if that's possible).
- Crossword Puzzles: Like chess and reading, this is generally a quiet, solitary affair. Given the differences between crosswords in the United States and Great Britian, the reflection on the character depends on where the work occurs. See Crossword Puzzle for details.
- Reading: Since it's more passive than writing, and not "creative" as such, it falls into the intellectual category. Readers are quiet and don't like being disturbed; you'll find them in the library hissing "Sssshhh!" as The Hero and his team do battle with the monster that just jumped out of that scary looking book. Often an intellectual snob, shown reading books far above their peers' ability level. A prerequisite hobby for the TV Genius, unless he's solely a mathematical type. Children caught reading generally have a high level of imagination, and depending on how surreal the show is, the characters may end up interacting with the worlds from the child's books.
- Or, on the other hand, she (and it's almost always she) will be a Cute Bookworm who is too shy to make many friends and so escapes into the world of fantasy with her books. Expect an aesop about opening up and living in the real world, though she is likely to be portrayed very sympathetically the whole way.
- Tabletop roleplaying: a character with this hobby will always be a nerd and/or geek, usually a very stereotypical one.
- Tabletop wargamers and historical reenactors: will be just like the role-player, except he's borrowed someone far cooler's fatigues and doesn't really Dare to Be Badass, or worse, is an old ex-troop obsessed with their glory days.
Miscellaneous
Some people just defy categorization...
- Collecting: Oh dear. In media-land, collecting is creepy. It shows obsessiveness and single-mindedness, possibly also rabid passion when some highly sought-after trinket appears on Ebay. Much depends on what exactly is being collected: stamp collectors are boring, train spotters are boring and slightly scary, ceramic pigs are quirky and silly, and weapons... well, let's just say "Uh-oh" and leave it at that.note Sports memorabilia, however, is acceptable and healthy, as are film/celebrity collections as long as they fall below the "scary stalker" line. Dolls of any kind equals serial killer.
- Fortune Telling: Fictional people don't have "a passing interest" in the tarot. They don't just draw the line at knowing their star sign. They are completely obsessed with the notion of "luck" and the movement of the planets, and won't get out of bed unless Jupiter says it's all right. Don't expect them to be otherwise sane and rational — they're almost invariably the Cloud Cuckoo Lander crossed with The Ditz. Unless, of course, they're the cynical Con Man (or woman), fooling gullible punters out of their cash. Fantasy tales, however, are more forgiving, and Anime and Manga tend to show fortune-telling in a positive light, with mild "dreamer" overtones. To add to all of the above, people involved in fortune-telling don't just specialize in one specific art form such as say astrology or cartomancy, but are often walking encyclopedias not just in a variety of arts from tarot to oracle bones, but also the occult and supernatural, period. At the very least, people into fortune-telling have a familiarity with taboo and paranormal subjects like demonology and Ouija boards) and often their backstory involves some past mishap with a wizard or demon or sorts of supernatural beings. If they are shown to be sane or not involved with occultic arts or supernatural entities, often fortune-tellers and people into the hobbies are portrayed as con artists who make big bucks daily communicating with the dead relative or predicting the futures of desperate people seeking guidance in personal matters (often the subject of love or money).
- Car Enthusiasts: A person who's into cars tends to be an adrenaline junkie who jumps into any situation with a cavalier attitude towards death. Otherwise, why would they love driving fast, or watching others drive fast? If this enthusiast also works on cars, they combine elements of Crafting above, whether it's installing the latest-and-greatest performance part (getting their paws on it may involve the single-mindedness of a Collector), or keeping The Alleged Car running just a little while longer.
- On the one hand, a car enthusiast may have elements of a Red Oni, being a loud, charismatic, devilish firebrand with a flair for the loudest, brightest, fastest cars around, and/or highly competitive like the Sports personalities at the top of the page.
- On the other hand, there may be the Blue Oni autophiles. Often portrayed treating cars as if they were people, even finding them easier to interact with than actual humans, this signifies a more intellectual variant, not unlike the puzzlers, but with a freer spirit that just wants to go fast.
- Improving Physical Appearance/Beautifying, Interior Decorating: Theoretically this can be as valid a hobby as any. However, most who indulge in this are presented as foolish and vain; The Dandy if male, or a Brainless Beauty if female. Sometimes it is allowed as a minor eccentricity to an upper-class hero or heroine, perhaps to make a statement. Interestingly, it is seldom presented as a hobby in itself for some reason or another. A common stereotype of gay men.
- Taxidermy: Let's face it, Taxidermy Is Creepy, and so are people who engage in it as a hobby. Taxidermy demands a great deal of skill, time, and knowledge of animal anatomy, so expect practitioners to provide useful yet unnerving tidbits of information, especially if there's some kind of mystery involved. It's not uncommon for these types to possess a morbid fascination for death. How they obtain their prey is important as well — going hunting might indicate violent tendencies and a disregard for life, while merely collecting corpses adds a whole new level of creepiness but keeps the "actually harmless" connotations.
- Cooking: Depends on whether the person in question is female, male (although the Supreme Chef is just as likely to be either), a terrible cook, a strange one, or very, very good. Can also be a total badass.
- Gardening: Usually female. Indicates a caring, nurturing personality and a telltale sign of the Nature Lover. Required outfit: overalls and a hat with a flower on it.
