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[notgreat]

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NAME: Carolyn AGE: So old. CONTACT: smugfrog@plurk, kavalier#7118@discord

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CHARACTER NAME: Bob Benson CANON: Mad Men CANON POINT: 6x11, “The Quality of Mercy,” after his confrontation with Pete Campbell. AGE: Claims to be 28, actually 31. HISTORY: Bob and Mad Men (basically all you need to know setting-wise is: New York, 1968, advertising, everyone is a raging alcoholic who's unfaithful to their spouse) PRO OR ANTI: Pro. Bob isn't a killer (not yet, anyway), but he gravitates toward and tries to ingratiate himself with those in power. If society's power elite are in favor of purge night, Bob will support it—as a way of showing he's one of them. If he can gain standing by spouting pro-purge rhetoric or joining in on preparations, he'll participate enthusiastically. His personal feelings will likely be more complicated—he's never outright committed murder, though shortly after his canon point he becomes complicit in someone's death—but Bob has a lot of practice keeping his personal preferences to himself. STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES: STRENGTHS Ambitious: Bob is driven. To succeed, yes, but more than that, to distance himself from a life he cannot return to. Gaining status is a matter of survival for him—the higher he climbs, the more secure he'll be—and his commitment to achieving his goals is therefore absolute. Persistent: As a salesman, as a junior account man, and as someone whose presence can frankly be grating, Bob's used to hearing no. He doesn't let that deter him, though—he'll either keep at it until the other party gives in, or figure out another way of getting what he wants. He's a hard worker who's willing to perform almost any task, no matter how menial. Manipulative: Bob's entire career is the product of his manipulative abilities—he conned his way into Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce with nothing more than some fake references, a stolen client list, and a winning smile. Because he's unfailingly friendly and deferential, Bob's often seen as harmless, but the truth of the matter is he excels at insinuating himself into someone else's life and encouraging them to rely on him. He's very good at spotting and exploiting other people's weaknesses. Attentive and observant, he'll hoard details about his coworkers' lives—he knows Don Draper played football, for instance, and that Pete Campbell only recently learned to drive—until he can use them to his advantage. Adaptive: Bob's managed to—almost—completely obscure his origins and—almost—seamlessly blend in at SC&P as just another well-bred, well-educated account man. He may not do it as effortlessly as a certain series protagonist, but he's able to alter his behavior to make a more favorable impression on those around him. He's also adept at thinking on his feet—when Joan's being ignored in a hospital waiting room, he tells a nurse that she swallowed furniture polish so she'll get treatment immediately. Street Smarts: Bob's checkered past means he's not only seen but inhabited the seamier side of the world. While he may seem open and trusting, Bob is far from gullible—he knows people will take advantage when they can. It's also safe to say he's picked up some odd skills over the course of his life, and although he's not a world-class (...or any class) fighter, he knows how to defend himself. Bilingual: Bob speaks Spanish! WEAKNESSES Sycophantic: Bob's efforts to please others or tell them what they want to hear are often cringe-inducingly transparent. Pete describes him as “expertly servile”—he's frequently so eager to please that his dignity falls by the wayside, and it's difficult to respect someone like that. Desperate: Bob is always a phone call away from being discovered for the fraud he is, one misjudgment away from being outed as a gay man. He lives his life backed into a corner, and although he's very good at masking any anxiety, this desperation means he's prone to taking extreme measures to protect his secrets, often without fully considering the consequences. Selfish: Bob looks out for himself—nobody else is going to. It honestly wouldn't occur to help someone simply for the sake of it, or make a decision based on what's “right.” He doesn't have that luxury. His survival is always on the line, and morality takes a backseat to that. Self-loathing: The sixties were not an awesome time to be gay. Homophobia was rampant, and homosexuality was considered a criminal act and a mental disorder. As a result, Bob thinks of himself as flawed in a way that can't be fixed. He goes so far as to propose marriage to Joan—not out of love, but as a means for them to protect each other. When Joan tells him he should be with someone who loves him, he can't even entertain the thought. He can't conceive of anyone loving him for who he is. (He also hates himself for having been poor! And for allowing himself to be degraded.) Annoying: Much of the time, Bob is like a market-tested version of a person—relentlessly cheerful, speaking almost entirely in cliches. He blatantly ignores signals that his presence isn't wanted, and has been known to barge into people's offices or interrupt conversations. It's. Annoying. SAMPLE: Here!