Citizens of Metrocity!

[neuralclone]

I had another close encounter with Megamind at Office Works yesterday when I dropped into to buy some paper. They were playing the movie on their display screens while I was visiting, so I got to see Tighten's first fight with Megamind when I walked in, and after I wandered off to find my paper and came back again I got to watch Megamind's final

Comments

[fairest1]

My theory is that at least half the city's tourist industry is based around them having a superhero of their very own. New hero comes, new hope that the tourists will return to catch a glimpse of a flying guy.

[ladybookbat]

THIS.

This is actually how I crossover Megamind with the Incredibles...I just had this idea of the government initiating the Super Relocation Program, and Metro City getting all up in arms because we NEEEEEED Megs and Mets for our economy!

[fairest1]

And the t-shirt vendors form a human shield around the evil lair!

I feel this is supported by the fact that they considered it economically feasible to build a museum dedicated to first one, then the other hero. That, and the masks. Someone out there made high-quality Megamind masks.

[neuralclone]

The Metroman/Megamind Museum probably made a bundle out of merchandise in the museum shop. (A thought inspired by a recent visit to the Tutankhamun exhibition at the Melbourne Museum and some of the very expensive spinoff merchandise available in the shop there.)

Heh. Someone should start a thread for suggesting potential spinoff merchandise in the Megamind universe. Plushie brainbots? Minion bath toys? Plastic de-gun water pistols? *EG*

[aurawind]

actually, I believe that it happened the same with the people of Metropolis in the Superman comics... They also worshipped their super...

[pitbulllady]

It's NOT just people in the superhero genre, either, but a comment on people in general. Many are so quick to hail a new person in the political realm, who can talk a good game and promise great new changes over an unpopular "old guard", but no sooner than this new person is in office, everyone hates him, too. People are really attracted to flash and glitz; it's all about image, but often find out that the flashy image covers for some real faults. People nowadays seem to have a really deep NEED for a hero to worship, and as a result, often tend to take what they are offered without further examining what's below the surface. It's like that song by Living Colour, "The Cult of Personality", says: "I sell the things you need to be

[neuralclone]

Not just the country - the human race in general.

(I sometimes think how wise the British and Commonwealth countries are to hang onto the monarchy. It's archaic and anachronistic, but it does fill the need for an essentially powerless figurehead for people to admire and lessen the chance for a power-hungry political figure to step into the role.)

[neosildrake]

That's so true. Imagine GB without the Royals and what is left? A small country with bad taste in food

[neuralclone]

It would be interesting if the citizens got all defensive about Megamind while he was still a villain - "He's our supervillain, and he makes the city interesting - besides who would Metro Man fight if he was gone?"

Which suddenly has me envisioning a world where cities try and woo other cities' Supervillains and -Heroes away from each other... *G*

[joanhello]

Lest we forget, the word 'hero' comes from the ancient Greeks, who literally did build shrines to their heroes, the most popular of whom (such as Herakles and Theseus) were demigods. In fact, the comic book superhero's relationship with the city he or she protects is very like that of ancient Greek city-states with their divine patrons -- and with their earthly rulers, warrior aristocrats who physically defended their cities in time of war. Losing a war against another city-state meant the winner's soldiers would loot the losing city, so the people had reason to see their rulers as heroes defending them and theirs

[neuralclone]

Well it seems reasonably obvious that the political setup in the Megamind universe is different to ours: can you imagine Megamind being allowed to take over the city as "evil overlord" in our world? You'd have to posit a slightly different history - for example, the Founding Fathers of America modelling their constitution more closely on the Greek city states than the Roman Senate, for example.

(Which would have repercussions right through the timeline - Civil War? Prohibition? World War II? - they would have all played out differently. And of course if there were superheroes all through these eras - oh boy. %-) Actually it would be quite an interesting saga for someone to write!