Corrupt Corporate Executive: Difference between revisions

Another variation on the CCE, found mostly in [[Walking the Earth]] series, is basically a [[Corrupt Hick]], with a business. The "corporations" they represent are not major multinational conglomerates, but small businesses like trucking companies, hotels, or other "mom and pop" ventures that simply want their competitors out of action. They tend to have little power outside of a single town or county, but can usually amass a small army of redneckish goons and threaten violence with impunity by virtue of paying off local law enforcement and/or the judiciary. This flavor of [[Corrupt Corporate Executive]] favors harassing a competing store owned by [[Wasteland Elder|a kindly old man]]/woman and/or their family.

 

 

 

Compare [[Greedy Jew]] and [[Pointy-Haired Boss]].

** In the live-action series, the Old Man is considerably more well-meaning and altruistic; still expects a profit margin, but not willing to cause undue suffering to get there. His company, however, is crawling with CCEs on every level, providing handy throwaway villains for every episode. The Old Man is constantly surprised that someone with a Harvard education could be so corrupt.

** Seemingly the only remotely honest person working at OCP is Donald Johnson who was Bob Morton's #2 at Security Concepts, and even he has ''some'' morally ambiguous dealings

* Beckett of the second & third ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean (Film)|Pirates of the Caribbean]]'' movies is one.

* Elliot Carver in the [[James Bond (Film)|James Bond]] flick ''[[Tomorrow Never Dies (Film)|Tomorrow Never Dies]]'' is a corrupt media mogul who has no problem with covertly [[War for Fun And Profit|starting a war between China and the UK to boost his ratings]].

* Ed Dillinger in ''[[Tron (Film)|Tron]]''

* As mentioned above, Joseph Pulitzer in ''[[Newsies]]''. He raises the wholesale price of his newspapers by 10% because he wants more money (and who cares about the starving homeless orphans who have to pay for it?). Later, when his actions have provoked a strike that actually ''costs'' him money, he still won't back down, because giving in to demands from ragged street kids would make him look weak.

* Ian Hawke from the ''[[Alvin and The Chipmunks]]'' [[Alvin and the Chipmunks (Film)|film series]]. In the first film, he discourages Dave from furthering his music career at the beginning, then once the Chipmunks get famous, he proceeds to spoil them, distance them from Dave, and tire them out from constant tours. It wasn't until the Chipmunks see Dave infiltrating one of their concerts that they realise Ian's a [[Bitch in Sheep's Clothing|bastard in sheep's clothing]]. In the sequel, he is jobless, but plans to get his revenge by adopting the [[Distaff Counterpart|Chipettes]] and putting their Battle of the Bands audition on the Internet. They end up getting the opportunity to open for [[Britney Spears]], and Ian puts it in top priority over the actual Battle of the Bands concert, [[Complete Monster|threatening to barbecue them if they don't comply]].

* Parker Selfridge in ''[[Avatar (Film)|Avatar]]''.

* Grossberg, the first head of Network 23 on ''[[Max Headroom]]'', is so archetypal that every [[Corrupt Corporate Executive]] since has, perhaps unintentionally (or indirectly, by way of Gordon Gekko of ''[[Wall Street]]''), paid him homage. Specific foibles of the character type that he manifested include an almost [[Bishonen]] level of grooming, [[Good Hair, Evil Hair|slicked-back hair]], and a severe facial tic.

* Ziktor of ''[[VR Troopers]]'' was essentially a Grossberg clone, with the added twist that he was also secretly a monstrous being from [[Another Dimension]].

* Anton Mercer of ''[[Power Rangers Dino Thunder]]'' was at first almost indistinguishable from Ziktor. His twist, though, was that he wasn't actually evil: he was just acting that way to keep anyone from noticing that he was in a [[Jekyll and Hyde]] relationship with the series [[Big Bad]].

* Jim Profit (''[[Profit]]'') was another in the Grossberg line -- and he was the central character of the show.

* Edward Vogler from ''[[House (TV)|House]]'' was a very classic example.

* Gene McLennen and Jonas Hodges in ''[[Twenty Four|24]]'' (as well as a handful of others throughout the series).

** Also, The Collector from the 4th Doctor episode ''The Sun Makers'' - defeated when the Doctor taxed him to death.

** And there's Morgus from ''The Caves of Androzani'', who murdered the president, conducted industrial sabotage on his own company, arranged for vagrants to toil in his work camps and perpetuated a planetary civil war just to keep his profit margins acceptably high.

* Most of the villains who appeared in ''[[Knight Rider]]'' and ''[[The A-Team (TV)|The A-Team]]'' were of the combination [[Corrupt Corporate Executive]]/[[Corrupt Hick]] variety.

* Everyone initially in Wolfram and Hart of ''[[Angel (TV)|Angel]]''. Especially Holland Manners.

** This series version of Tombstone also is one.

* Mr. Boss from ''[[Codename Kids Next Door (Animation)|Codename Kids Next Door]]''.

* The big-guy-versus-little-guy version is subverted by ''[[South Park (Animation)|South Park]]'' in the "Gnomes" episode. Tweek's dad's coffee shop is threatened by the imminent arrival of a Starbucks-esque chain, and he conscripts the kids into encouraging the town to prevent this. However, the kids learn from the Underpants Gnomes that successful corporations often get that way because they have a better product. When the townsfolk actually try the chain's coffee, even Tweek's dad agrees it's far superior to what he was making, and the town relents.

** Much more recently is a evil, sadistic, foul-mouthed Mickey Mouse in the [[Jonas Brothers]] episode who plays this trope straight.

[[Category:Villains]]

[[Category:Corrupt Corporate Executive]]