Unreasonable expectations...or are they really?

I have been watching Supernatural every day for the past few weeks, and I have developed a nice schoolgirl crush on Dean Winchester, as played by Jensen Ackles. I think that he is beyond adorable, and I can gush like a little girl about this man that doesn't exist. Which started me thinking...am I not perhaps setting myself up for disappointment in my next relationship already by starting to dream of the qualities within a fictional character?

In all seriousness, we have been brought up to have unrealistic expectations our entire lives, at least us girls. From the minute that we have any kind of understanding our mothers start reading us fairy tales. Everything from Snow White to Sleeping Beauty to The Princess and the Pea and Cinderella. In the majority of these fairy tales there is a Prince Charming who ends up "rescuing" the "damsel in distress" and then they live happily ever after. So for YEARS girls look forward to meeting their Prince Charming, being swept off their feet and living happily ever after.

And then reality hits. And we realize that there is no such thing as a Prince Charming. Neither is there an Edward Cullen (for the Twihards out there). What is out there are real people, with flaws and issues and baggage. We shouldn't be surprised to find this. We need to be real with ourselves and admit that the damn fairy tale is not going to happen, for none of us. And when you think you know of a fairy tale couple - it's a lie, a pretty facade, essentially they know how to WORK it! Also, Romeo and Juliet was not the most beautiful love story, it ended with everybody DYING. Thank you, but I still have a lot of life to live!

Now to get back to what I said about Dean. This man is NO Prince Charming. He can be selfish and self centered, as well as domineering and condescending. In the same breath he values family and friendship; he's brave and has a LOT of leadership qualities, and so far, whenever he interacts with a woman, he's a gentleman. So, no, maybe these expectations aren't unreasonable, because although he's a fictional character, he is far from perfect.