Why is it that people find themselves irrevocably attracted to evil comic characters? Is it some latent shaudenfraude that makes us giggle uncontrollably when we see the innocent suffer for the amusement of the more powerful? Is it a longing to break with the tradition of the goody-two-shoes hero?

Why do you find these evil, evil, evil beasts hilarious?

It's cathartic. Each of us secretly harbors murderous, violent impulses on a daily basis, and due to... um... societal and moral constraints, we rarely act on these impulses. Therefore, it's entertaing to watch someone else (i.e. a fictional character) do what we know we never would. It's the whole reason that Tom and Jerry was funny.

And of course, there may also be people who are picking up pointers. But let's not talk about them.

Those are the ones that weren't allowed to watch Tom and Jerry as a child...

I wasn't.....

Nice to know that humanity secretly harbours a firm root of psychosis deep, deep down in their psychological make up.

Yeah, you can always count on people to side with an enjoy the merciless sarcastic characters as long as they aren't already emotionally attached to the hero.

They also tend not to like it when the merciless sarcastic character is coming after them... ...oh well.


-Paeregrine Bombin-

But what if they merciless sarcastic character IS the hero?

Then we must be playing Ravencroft.

Or watching House. One of the two.

I watch House and I love Hugh Laurie. Then I put on Black Adder and see him in drag, and my heart is filled with shame.

ANYWAYS. Moving on.

I'm not sure that bad guys are all evil. Maybe they just go home at night and watch "My Little Pony: Terrorist Militants" and play with their portable guillotine. Then again, they could be sick and twisted and enjoy torturing people in horrible, disgusting ways and - oops, I just described myself.

Are the intriguing argument between Bad and Evil. Does being bad make you evil? Does being evil make you bad? Does this chain-mail make my butt look big? Such questions have haunted mankind from the begining.

Not all bad guys are evil, and not all good guys are virtuous.

I'd like to reference my absolute favorite comic in the entire plane of existance: Johnny the Homicidal Maniac.

While some people like it because it satiates the inner Jeffrey Dahmer (notice how I love referencing that guy?) in all of us, JTHM also shows us a psychological struggle between what we think of right and wrong, and what society thinks of right and wrong. Look at partisan governments.

And, like the Tom and Jerry thing, things that are more taboo only make it more intriguing.
Say I were to tell you "Don't think about unicorns". Well, you're going to think about them, either out of wonder or because you're trying to NOT think of them. Then you think about them more because you know thinking about them is taboo. It's a vicious cycle.

(I think this has been my longest post on this site, ever. And I just happened to be listening to Purple Haze while typing it...)

Ah but hasn't it got to the point where Evil IS the tradition?

There is nothing wrong with evil cartoons. Just don't mimic them (one more reason that the people on Jackass are idiots).

And JHTM is freekin awseome.

I don't think Evil could ever be the tradition.

I point to the Smurfs.

i just think its funny... who needs to examine the psycolagical implantaitions of a comic?

That is a very VERY valid point.

The what?

no. theres a reason why anti hero are so popular. Though they may be a badass, i.e. richard, they have this flawed glint of goodness and moralities...


it sickens me...

yes. that chain-mail makes your ass look enormouus, you heifer!

Richard has a hint of morality and goodness?

Umm yeah, he didnt exactly "kill" cale.
they did find a preistess and HEALED his sorry arse.
why would richard do that?
he also helped the preistess escape the kings leigon. he hates these people and is helping these rebels and misfits to right a wrong wether or not he knows it or better yet is actively acknoling (i cant spell i knw...) that fact.

er secretly...?

rarely...?

so I'm going to have to nix my plan involving James Blunt, an angry bull and 3 gallons of battery acid?

society is no fun...

Yah, yah, yah, all in favor of chucking society out the window say aye.

I thought he was going around with them out of boredom. He was in that tavern brawl because some guy was throwing daggers at him. I also beleive he wanted Cael rezzed so he could torment him some more.


aye

right but the fact is that he didnt pwn EVERYONE in the pub.
the guys attacking rich wasnt even with the leigon.

yea with the chucking...

Oh, don't not kill James Blunt on my account. He deserves to die. Bulls and battery acid seem fitting...

yea...that arse deserves it, along with justin timberlake...

where the f**k did sexy go??

nowhere hes just the center of gravity appearently...

I was always confused, cause he says 'sexy BACK' but it's not like he ever had it to begin with....


FREAK.

Sexy fled the possibilty of appearing bi-curious by being brought back by Justin Timberlake. It decided to crash at my place for a while until Justin Timberlake is shrouded in obscurity... again.

He makes a pretty mean fettucini alfredo, too. With turkey instead of chicken. You should try it.

eww an alfredo w/ turkey??

He didn't PWN everyone in the pub!?

He literally 'skeletified' everyone he saw as guilty. And probably some he thought were funny looking.

...nvm...
i PHAIL!

Because I myself play a Warlock.

I am deeply in tune with my inner psychosis, in fact my usual response to anything I dont like is to anhiliate the said being and anything remotely related to it.

I, however, have learned to quell such feelings for the simple fact that I do not desire to be put into any institution involving big burly men and the dropping of soap.

...being that I merely play a Warlock I cannot actually create arrows with my mind so I would be at a severe disadvantage.

that would be like the best attribute....EVER!

just imagin all the pain you could inflict wid mind controled arrows =)

Wouldn't mind controlled arrows eventually become mind-controlled daggers, just repeatedly stabbing people before nailing them in place?

I reckon people like evil because it makes them laugh almost nervously. its like when a guy gets kicked in his sensitive area. thats not funny, no one wants it to happen to them. So when a mad warlock burns down an orphanage, everyone laughs, because they think such and attitude will keep it from happening to them. you plot your own dooms >.>

Im just kidding.

But seriously, I'm not a fan of Richard for the evil, though the evil is cool. Im a fan cause I aspire to be more like him - do what you want, when you want, who cares what others think.

The Zen of Richard, like, again.

Read/listen to Stephen Kings new book Cell. There's a whole segment as to why the phone crazies are killing people left and right with their bare teeth: Because it's a core programming.
Richard is just the essense of this. He is so pure and untainted by life, that all he knows is his core programming: To kill everyone he comes into contact with. Of course, constant bombardment of negative influances like Cale are causing him to be more polite and not kill EVERYONE.
But that's just alot of BS.
Richard is entertaining, and that's all that really matters. Though I think he was bullied in HS. Notice how he tries to befriend the big tough guy? Yea, I think Richard himself is looking for a hero, a street-wise Hercules.
*grins*

Essentially, Richard is the physical personification of Freud's 'id' (Thats pronounced as 'id' not I + D). That meaning that Richard essentially follows all impulses as they occur to him. He doesn't plan, or consider the wants, needs, and/or desires of others, he simply reacts to any given situation. He is uncontrolled by the laws of society, or, indeed, conventional human morality. I say conventional, because Richard may indeed follow his own thus far undefined moral code. When a regular person allows their Id to take control, they become a sociopath, uncaring of the feelings of others, and completely devoid of sympathy.

On the other hand, Cale'anon could indeed be defined as a personification Freud's 'ego'. The ego follows (or in this case, attempts to follow) all the rules imposed on it by mrality and societal constraints, just like Cale'anon. It is considered to be a sort... big brother, for lack of a better term. The ego analyzes all of our actions and plans and sees how many rules they break, then attempts to prevent us from doing them. Another word for the ego could in fact be, 'guilt'. When a normal person allows their Ego to take control, they may develop OCD, in an attempt to perpetually satisfy a given rule or la.w

Of course, in reality, if either of these mentalities prevailed, then any given human being would be unable to function at all. Indeed, the comic displays this: the id and ego attempt to destroy one another. This is why Freud theorized the existence of another mentality: the 'superego'. The superego, perhaps represented by Gid, mediates between the Id and Ego, and then decides on the best course. In a regular human, this results in 'normal' behavior.In the comic, this results in Richard and Cale not killing one another. Mostly.

Wow. What kind of medication are they GIVING me?

I'm not sure, but I want some.

O.o

can you write my end of term psycology paper for me?

Hate to complain about such a well-thought post, but...

Shiosk, you mixed up the ego and superego. It's the superego that acts as the conscience, applying rules and societal mores to every action. It's the ego (literally, in latin, "Myself" or "I") that performs the balancing act between the Id and Superego, creating the individual's core personality by choosing a path somewhere in the middle.

Ah! Im in Science class all over again, make it stop!

I HAVE CREATED LIFE!

Oooog. My bad. I was high that day. Or whatever Sudafed and lots of sugar does to your body. But the point still stands.

That's why you take Robbitussen. Sudafed is laced with Roofies or something.

I think we like it when others get hurt is because other people are annoying and give us stupid and bad opinions, (aw hell, anything that I dont agree with is stupid or bad)

You make a good point.

of course i do, I'm me, if it aint me it sucks, thats my point

Schaudenfraude (may not be spelt correctly). - Pleasure derived from other peoples suffering.