“You are bad guy, but this does not mean you’re bad guy”
The Office of the Villain in Despicable Me, Megamind and Wreck-It Ralph
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21420006 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Timothy D Peters (0000-0001-5644-5402, University of the Sunshine Coast School of Law and Society 38 Harding Street Kallanger Queensland Australia 4503 Australia, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 73 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 165-190 |
| Publication date | 2023-08-16 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Saeculum (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0080-5319 • E-ISSN: 2194-4075 |
| Publisher | Walter de Gruyter GmbH (PUBLISHER • DE) |
| DOI | 10.7788/saec.2023.73.1.165 |
| OpenAlex | W4385876289 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
Drawing upon the work of Giorgio Agamben, this article seeks to critically think the “office” of the fictional villain. It argues that a focus on the image and office of the fictional villain is important, not only because of the role that our fantasies play in reflecting and reinforcing particular ideologies – as the superhero genre is criticized for doing –, but because all heroes and villains only function through their representations. Challenging the gritty realism of the dominance of the superhero genre on screen, it considers three satirical animated presentations of the supervillain: Despicable Me, Megamind and Wreck-it Ralph. The significance of these comedic films is that, in all their ridiculousness and over-the-top performance, they provide not only a necessary critical response to the dominance of the superhero genre, but also a more nuanced and sophisticated presentation of evil, the role of the fictional villain and its reflection upon reality. This is because they present the way in which the structural role of the fictional supervillain can be understood as the fulfilment of a particular “duty” or “office”. In doing so, they engage in a critique of the ethics of duty and its own potential for villainy. The article concludes by turning to address the banality of villainy and emphasising the importance of being together in community
Educational Leadership and Practices · History · Humor Studies and Applications · Interdisciplinary Cultural and Social Studies
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2024 - 2024 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |