I guess the horror and thriller genres are the most guilty regarding this but I've seen it in other genres as well.

Anyway, my question is do characters who tend to investigate things, whether it be to satisfy their own curiosity or something more nobler or important, (in other words nosey characters) cost the respect of the audience by doing what they do? If the audience cares about the character, does their snooping add suspense or does it cause the audience to lose sympathy for them? It seems no matter how justified a character's motives for snooping are nowadays, someone in the audience will still find them stupid (last semester, one of my professors was ranting about how stupid the Clarice Starling character from Silence Of The Lambs was).

I ask this because it's always better for characters to make decisions that progress the plot. But often their decisions may be ones the audience might not agree with.

Feedback would be much appreciated.

So like in a Comedy IE Stifler and the guys trying to find out if those two girls were gay they snooped through their bedroom?

I think that made us like those characters but in Horror yes it does make the characters well stupid.

Quoted from James McClung ...it's always better for characters to make decisions that progress the plot...

You need to construct your story so their decision makes sense.

Their decision shouldn't be "questionable" -- it should be the only decision that makes any sense -- a decision they are forced to make, often against their better judgement.

Any given Friday the 13th flick is ripe with characters who go off to investigate a strange noise or find a missing friend while repeating their name ad nauseum.  As for Clarice Starling being stupid for being nosey, that was here entire character - there wouldn't have been a movie if Clarice had not yearned for knowledge, or investigated the cellar, or looked in the storage garage.  So whoever wrote that is either a total moron who doesn't grasp even the most basic characterization/motivation, or they just had a momentary brain fart.

As someone else mentioned above, if it fits the character, makes sense in the story and furthers the plot in a plausible manner then yes, have little Sally go off to investigate a rustling bush while a homicidal maniac runs loose in the forest.  But if all it is, is an attempt to lead a character into a gratuitous murder scene then there are far better ways to get him/her from point A to point B.

Thanks for the feedback, Tomson. I know if a character in a horror movie goes to investigate a noise, they'll be considered stupid no matter what. I completely agree with that mentality. I wasn't thinking along those lines. More along the lines of Clarice Starling or Niaomi Watts' character in The Ring going around asking questions and snooping around private property.

And I think my professor's problem with Clarice was that she didn't wait for police backup before going into Buffalo Bill's house. I'd have never thought of it that way. I don't know what he was thinking.

Personally, I believe character's decisions should be grounded in common sense (whatever that is). So, does it make sense to investigate a strange noise outside your house in the middle of the night? Not in my opinion. I hear strange noises outside sometimes and I never check them out. Why not? Because I DON'T want to meet anyone out there in the middle of the night, that's why. My house is locked and I know no one can get inside without raising a huge ruckus, so if they want in, they'll have to come to me...where I wait to blast 'em.

As for characters who are supposed to nose around, I accept this within reason. Does it make sense to sneak in somewhere to get evidence? Sometimes. Does it make sense for a woman to go alone into a situation that could easily end her life? Probably not. I always test stuff with this question. What would I do? Would I go in there knowing what the character knows? Would I do what I'm telling the character to do? If I don't say yes, I ask myself why not? After all, if I don't believe it, why should I expect anyone else to?