Throwing in my late-night thoughts on this... I wonder whether if that's due to there being a less-than-coherent-canonical-Rodney?
I think you're absolutely right, there. I think the creators have given us just enough rope for every aspect of his character to hang ourselves with our favorite. *g* And they've certainly gone a lot more places with the character of Rodney than they have with John's. They've actually been rather closed-mouthed about John, and comparatively consistent with him--he's hero guy, he has murky, people-and-Wraith-killing depths, he's quirky, he displays like a male model. (Or is that last part just me? ;) He hasn't exhibited the spectrum of behaviors and modes Rodney has, and he's easier to get a handle on. When he's portrayed as a teenaged girl in fic, it's easy to point and say, "but John never behaves like that on the show!" But, with Rodney, it's harder--he's done just about everything. So people latch onto the bits that appeal to them most, or serve their story idea best, and run with them.
I think the emotional level some of the discussions reach, though, may also have to do with who we identify with more. I'm sure that's not true of everyone, but I think that may be, in part, why some have taken Rodney to their fannish bosoms more than John. I certainly identify with him more than I do John, so maybe that's why I care more when I feel people are missing important aspects of his character in their characterizations of him? I mean, I mind when any character is written in a way that I don't agree with, but I may mind more when it's Rodney. Dunno. But I'll agree too that he's probably much harder to pin down than John is.
Re: a tiny comment on a tiny part of this comment
I think you're absolutely right, there. I think the creators have given us just enough rope for every aspect of his character to hang ourselves with our favorite. *g* And they've certainly gone a lot more places with the character of Rodney than they have with John's. They've actually been rather closed-mouthed about John, and comparatively consistent with him--he's hero guy, he has murky, people-and-Wraith-killing depths, he's quirky, he displays like a male model. (Or is that last part just me? ;) He hasn't exhibited the spectrum of behaviors and modes Rodney has, and he's easier to get a handle on. When he's portrayed as a teenaged girl in fic, it's easy to point and say, "but John never behaves like that on the show!" But, with Rodney, it's harder--he's done just about everything. So people latch onto the bits that appeal to them most, or serve their story idea best, and run with them.
I think the emotional level some of the discussions reach, though, may also have to do with who we identify with more. I'm sure that's not true of everyone, but I think that may be, in part, why some have taken Rodney to their fannish bosoms more than John. I certainly identify with him more than I do John, so maybe that's why I care more when I feel people are missing important aspects of his character in their characterizations of him? I mean, I mind when any character is written in a way that I don't agree with, but I may mind more when it's Rodney. Dunno. But I'll agree too that he's probably much harder to pin down than John is.