KP at 2009-01-14 16:28:00:

This is interesting to me because a while back I was thinking about what would happen if my boyfriend and I woke up one day in each other's bodies. Would I be able to live his life and vice-versa? What would it be like being a man? What would it be like seeing myself with his eyes?

I think the ongoing fascination with the body switching storyline has to do with...well, curiosity. What exactly would it be like to be ______? And, desire plays a part too. How many times has a person said "Sometimes I just wish I was _____." *shrugs*

Often the body switching is a predicament; there's a struggle to get back to being you, and it's used to teach the characters some sort of lesson about each other and themselves...but I still think it's appeal is rooted in basic human desire/fantasy, or else it wouldn't continue to attract audiences.

Sorry for the long post--this is been something I've been thinking about recently, oddly enough.

Scott at 2009-01-14 16:35:00:

KP, I think your analysis is right. Yes, the body switch is generally a predicament, an obstacle to overcome. But it's that core idea, actually being in someone else's body, another person's shoes, there's some wish fulfillment in that.

Suresh Kumar at 2009-01-14 19:45:00:

Hmm.... I think there are some other body switches which they made in genres other than comedy...

I mean THE SKELETON KEY was a horror movie which had this body switch element. I felt so bad at the end.

And what about UNBREAKABLE.. Though there was no body switched it seemed Samuel Jackson would have loved to do with Bruce Willis.

I would like to see the body switch between a old harassing boss and his young fun loving employee or still worse between osama and obama (all it requires is one letter change :)).