On the optimism of moustache-twirling villainy

[davywavy]

I think it's fairly obvious that Richard Asquith Dastardly, or "Dick" to his friends, is a hero of mine. I've been asked from time to time why it is I use a selection of pulp and comic villains as my LJ icons and I think that's something worth asnwering - it's because comic villains, as opposed to real villains, are aspirational.
Perhaps not in their objectives, but in their degreee of motivation. Dick Dastardly, for example, is utterly indefatigable. No matter how badly wrong things go for him, within thirty seconds he's back on his feet with another plan. He is a paragon of imagination and optimism - much more so than many other characters or real people one might meet. How might we all learn from that? Life throws him off cliffs, blows him up with dodgy ACME products or runs him flat with a steam engine, but Dastardly never stops trying. He's full of get up and go. This is true of all great cartoon vaillains. They are never at a loss for a plan or for optimism. They're proactive, inventive and constantly 'think outside the box' - all things which we're encouraged to do in our everyday lives.
Moreover, villains get all the girls, the best dialogue and they seem to have the most fun. After all, who seems to enjoy themselves more? Dick Dastardly or Peter Perfect?

With that in mind, I've given up on my ambition to own a Lotus, and I want one of these instead:


And as soon as I can find a girl who'll drive round in this, I'm sure we'll have a whale of a time together:

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Sadly, real life teaches us two things about villainy:

Real villains are not moustache twirling fiends with grandiose plans for world domination,they are self serving gimps from Sedgefield.

They usually get away with it.

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

There's a difference between comic villainy and real villainy, which is why I restrict myself to the comic variety, whilst dedicating myself to real life goodness. I'm like the best of both worlds.

[(Anonymous)]

Do you also extract some amusement from parodying Her Majesties Government, which has chosen an entirely opposite course?

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

It's the only way I'm going to get any satisfaction out of that bunch of worthless, spongelike vermin.
There was a headline in the financial pages of one of the papers a while back which said something like "Labour Party Bankrupt". I was surprised to learn that they didn't mean morally or intellectually, but just that they've been running their own finainces in the same way that they've been running the country's for the last ten years and it's finally bitten them.
I was toying with making a post along those lines too.

[(Anonymous)]

Save your energy. Anyone who can read has already drawn that inevitable conclusion. Devote yourself to good works, like creating wealth, so when this current shower are ousted, (one would hope directly to the tower) their replacements will find the country not beyond repair.

[robinbloke.livejournal.com]

Do those cars actually work? :)

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

I believe they do. I have dreams of driving the Rocket racer in pursuit of some blonde ahead, leaning out of the car, waving my fist and shouting "I'll get you, see if I don't!", just to see the reactions on people's faces.

[(Anonymous)]

The pictures appear to have been taken at the Goodwood festival of speed, and a quick google search for goodwood wacky racers reveals this to be the case, where pictures of not only this, but several other wacky racers may be seen in action.

Rock.

[robinbloke.livejournal.com]

You'd need some kind of lunatic to be with you, dressed in a shabby dog suit and snickering wildly.

I hereby volenteer.

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

You're in!

Robin, you snickering, floppy-eared hound
When courage is needed you're never around!
Those medals you wear on your moth-eaten chest
Should be there for bungling, at which you are best.

[robinbloke.livejournal.com]

Scanafranaratsanwade

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

Robin! Dooooooooooo something!

[robinbloke.livejournal.com]

Spins his tail wildy and pulls you from the jaws of a robo-crocodile

[vulgarcriminal.livejournal.com]

I happen to be blonde.

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

Penelope Pitstop should be your bimbo project icon.

[miss-s-b.livejournal.com]

I'll fight you for the Dick Dastardly car.

Although if you were really, REALLY nice to me, I might let you be my Muttley. I need SOMEONE to blame when my nefarious plans all go to cock.

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

I'll fight you for the Dick Dastardly car.

Fair enough. Once you've lost you can have the Arkansas Chugg-a-Bug

[miss-s-b.livejournal.com]

Look, just because I don't have a moustache to twirl doesn't mean I can't handle myself, ninja boy.

[calligrafiti.livejournal.com]

villains get all the girls, the best dialogue and they seem to have the most fun.


They also tend to dress far better than the heros. (Or maybe that's just Buffy the Vampire Slayer specific.) So often, when one of the good guys goes bad, she or he starts wearing a lot of black leather. Or tasteful black and grey costumes. Or, well-tailored suits. It could be that evil pays better, thus allowing one to upgrade one's wardrobe accordingly. But mostly, I think evil has better taste.

The Joker notwithstanding.

[drkwzrdmalfoy.livejournal.com]

Oh evil definitely pays better. *smirk* And looks better, and comes with lots of power, and wears lovely tailored robes, and is much more charming, and sexier, and carries a big fecking stick as well.

*trademark sneerage*

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

Be off with you, impersonator.

[drkwzrdmalfoy.livejournal.com]

Ah, but YOU sir, are the imposter! Vex me no further or a good bout of thwacking will surely ensue.

[theoldcatlady.livejournal.com]

I'd drive the pink monstrosity! It's hysterical and probably comes with nifty gadgets and an ejector seat. LOL!

OK, let's be off!

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

I'll get you, Penelope Pitstop! Just you wait!

that is one sweet princess ride

[kormantic.livejournal.com]

I have to say.

(g)

[elbly.livejournal.com]

I'm generally not interested in cars for their looks, but I'd drive the pink thing!!! - so long as I can change the colour of the lips to and the hair flicks to black

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

You'll never make a Penelope Pitstop!

[elbly.livejournal.com]

Pah! I'd have a much nicer looking car though, particularly after I'd changed ALL The yellow bits to black, and the eyelashes to dark green, painted the rest of the pink to more of a baby pink with black pin stripes...

now THAT would be a car!

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

Well, you would get Dick Dastardly pursuing in you in such a motor, but for quite different reasons.