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.

[robinbloke.livejournal.com]

Do those cars actually work? :)

[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.

[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.

[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!

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