Villainy & Garbage
By Bethany Maines
I’m sitting in my backyard listening to my neighbors
complain about one of their roommates. Apparently, the miscreant roommate has
three bags of trash sitting by the door to his room that he has failed to take
out.
complain about one of their roommates. Apparently, the miscreant roommate has
three bags of trash sitting by the door to his room that he has failed to take
out.
“I mean, that’s not a problem…
exactly.”
exactly.”
Each of the guys carefully, and
politely denote their own housecleaning failures.
politely denote their own housecleaning failures.
“I never make my bed.”
“You never saw my apartment; I can get meh-ssy.”
“I have empty bottles in my room too.” (“Not like that,” interjects the first
guy.)
guy.)
They each tiptoe up to the line of declaring the roommate’s
behavior an actual problem, but don’t cross it. Clearly, the garbage is still being contained in the
room. But equally clear is that
they all find the roommates sloth disgusting. Note to the miscreant: When 3 twenty-something dudes, who
have only a tentative grasp on hygiene, find your housekeeping habits to
sub-par on the rank of foulness, you just might have a problem.
behavior an actual problem, but don’t cross it. Clearly, the garbage is still being contained in the
room. But equally clear is that
they all find the roommates sloth disgusting. Note to the miscreant: When 3 twenty-something dudes, who
have only a tentative grasp on hygiene, find your housekeeping habits to
sub-par on the rank of foulness, you just might have a problem.
All of which got me to thinking about villains and bad guys
and wondering whether or not they realize that they are failing at their end of
the social bargain. What if villains are just totally incapable of realizing
that their 3 bags of garbage is offending the other roommates? Getting kicked
out of the house will come as a total shock if you have no idea that a hazmat
suit shouldn’t be required dress for your room. Maybe if Sauron had just been a
little tidier maybe he wouldn’t have had to move in with the Orcs. If Darth Vader hadn’t grown up with
Jabba the Hut as role model maybe he wouldn’t have gone to the dark side. If
Voldemort hadn’t had to live on the back of some guy’s greasy head maybe he
wouldn’t have been so peeved all the time. What do you think? Do villains
choose to deviate from the social norm, or do they just blow right by the stop
signs without seeing them at all?
and wondering whether or not they realize that they are failing at their end of
the social bargain. What if villains are just totally incapable of realizing
that their 3 bags of garbage is offending the other roommates? Getting kicked
out of the house will come as a total shock if you have no idea that a hazmat
suit shouldn’t be required dress for your room. Maybe if Sauron had just been a
little tidier maybe he wouldn’t have had to move in with the Orcs. If Darth Vader hadn’t grown up with
Jabba the Hut as role model maybe he wouldn’t have gone to the dark side. If
Voldemort hadn’t had to live on the back of some guy’s greasy head maybe he
wouldn’t have been so peeved all the time. What do you think? Do villains
choose to deviate from the social norm, or do they just blow right by the stop
signs without seeing them at all?
Bethany Maines is the author of
the Carrie Mae Mystery series and Tales from the City of Destiny. You can also view the Carrie Mae youtube
video or catch up with her on Twitter and
Facebook.
the Carrie Mae Mystery series and Tales from the City of Destiny. You can also view the Carrie Mae youtube
video or catch up with her on Twitter and
Facebook.
