Pygmalion and Galatea

In Book X of his Metamorphoseon, Ovid tells of the myth of Pygmalion and Galatea. Pygmalion was a sculptor that, finding himself disinterested in actual human women, crafted a beautiful statue that in his mind was "close enough." Pygmalion made offerings to Venus and requested that he should be a bride that resembled his statue. When he came home, he kissed his statue and copped a feel, as he often did, but found to his delight that she was "real girl." There is nothing heartwarming about this story of unlikely love. The sort of self-indulgence that is prerequisite to dating your own art is incomprehensible to me. Furthermore, I find it odd that Venus would grant such a creep his desires. This story reminds me of the fantastic Ryan Gosling film Lars and the Real Girl. In it, an unrivaled Gosling plays the title character who, due to his debilitating social anxiety and agoraphobia, develops a delusional relationship with a sex doll. However, Gosling's character is just coping with his inability to relate to other humans, while Pygmalion is just a creep - certainly an important distinction.

The lovely couple

If I could bring a character to life, it might be Martin Sheen as President Josiah Bartlet in The West Wing. I think that his idealism and democratic principles could be good for our country. Though he isn't a staunch leftist, he doesn't often stray into the sort of moderate appeasement that is too common these days.