Shaming the Mob: Difference between revisions

 

{{examples}}

* ''[[The Big O]]'': Dan Dastun shames the military police with a speech about them following Alex Rosewater’s deranged leadership and then performs the [[Insignia Rip Off Ritual]]. Later, the rest of the military police [[Turn in Your Badge|follows his example]] and attacks Alex Rosewater. [http://www.paradigm-city.com/scripts/article.php?a=ep26\], [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pgy5w8jRxWA\], [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eR9hs-M3GTQ\], [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Amw3DwVXHGU\]

* In ''[[Porco Rosso]]'', a gang of air pirates ambush Porco and threaten to trash his plane in an effort to get even with him, and are stopped only by Fio appealing to their sense of honor.

* This is how {{spoiler|Satou}} brings {{spoiler|the Club of Heracles's}} plan crashing down around his ears in ''[[Ben-To]]''.

 

* In issue 210 of ''The Uncanny [[X-Men (Comic Book)|X-Men]]'', Kitty Pryde, Colossus (in human form) and Magik find a mob about to beat a depowered Nightcrawler. Judging that using their powers would only make things worse, Kitty proceeds to shame the crowd, one at a time, until they leave. ("He scared my kids!" "YOU scare ME! Should I beat ''you'' senseless?")

* In ''[[Y: The Last Man]]'', since all the men have died the US Government has become dominated by Democrats, who elect women more frequently. A mob of [[Straw Character|shotgun-toting Republican Wives]] try to storm the White House to demand their husbands' political offices, but are talked down by the President (Who is, herself, Republican).

* Sonic and Sally attempt this with an audience swayed by Mina Mongoose's "Anti-NICOLE" protest songs in ''[[Archie Comics Sonic the Hedgehog|Sonic #221]]'', by explaining who was really in control of her actions, what she was doing when she was a [[Fake Defector]], and pointing out that ''she was the one who saved most of their butts during the invasion''. [[Ignored Epiphany|It doesn't stick]].

 

 

* At the climax of the film ''[[Young Frankenstein]]'', the monster, made newly articulate, manages to do this.

** Moderately subverted twice before; the first time, a respected elder tells a group of people that they should not chase Dr Frankenstein away, until they are sure he is creating a monster. The second time, he speaks to the mob, pitchforks and all, and explains that "A riot is an ungly thing... undt, I tink, that it is chust about time ve had vun."

* Occurs in ''[[The Elephant Man]]'', when Merrick is out on his own and is discovered by a crowd at a train station, who begin beating him due to his disfigurements. He screams "I am not an animal! I am a human being! I am... a man." which stops the crowd dead in its tracks, as they realize exactly what it is they are doing.

 

* One chapter of ''The [[Buddenbrooks]]'' takes place while a wave of revolutionary uprisings sweaps over Germany and an angry mob of workers gatheres in front of the council building. The council members decide to hole up and wait for the crowd to disperse, but when it gets close to nightfall, two of them go outside to see what the protesters want. When one of the workers shouts that they want a republic, he is reminded that the autonomous city has been one for centuries. When someone blurts out "then we want another one!", the protest pretty much instantly falls apart and everyone is quitly returning home.

* Scout, from ''[[To Kill a Mockingbird]]'', in both the book and the film, is unexpectedly present when a lynch mob comes for the accused rapist Tom Robinson. Recognizing one of the men, she gives the speech above—out of [[Children Are Innocent|sheer innocence]]—and she breaks the mob up. While this is quite possibly the [[Trope Codifier]], it's also a rare example when the shaming of the mob is entirely unintentional.

* Twenty pages into the first Commissar [[Ciaphas Cain]], '''HERO OF THE IMPERIUM!''' novel, Cain marches into the middle of a riot in the mess hall on his troopship and promptly starts yelling at the participants about the abominable state of the room and orders them to go get mops. Also a [[Bavarian Fire Drill]].

* Carrot in the ''[[Discworld]]'' novels does this a lot.

** There is also the ''vicious'' tongue lashing Lady Ramkin gave to the mob who were attempting to lynch the stunned dragon when they threw rocks at the Night Watch (who were trying to arrest it). She delivered it dressed in a torn nightdress and a pair of rubber boots and cowed the entire mob:

{{quote|'''Lady Ramkin:''' ''Who did that?'' I said, who did that? If the person who did it does not own up I shall be ''extremely'' angry! Shame on you all!}}

* An odd variation occurs in the first book of [[Terry Goodkind]]'s ''[[The Sword of Truth]]'' series, the hero attempts to shame a mob who are out to [[Burn the Witch]] - literally, as their target is [[The Obi-Wan]] of the series, who happens to be a wizard. His speech fails to convince anyone. It's followed up by the mysterious woman openly threatening them, but not knowing what she is, they aren't impressed. Instead, [[The Obi-Wan]] manages to ''scare'' the mob into backing down, by threatening them with the magic powers they are going to burn him for having. As he says to the others, "Too cold * points at Richard* , too hot * points at Kahlan* , just right * points at himself* ."

* Subverted in the ''[[Ender's Game]]'' sequel ''Xenocide'': Grego shames the living hell out of a mob of his fellow villagers... But only after they had already accomplished most of the damage they'd intended. (Even worse, it was Grego's mob in the first place.)

* Waco does this in the short story "A Man Called Drango Dune" in ''Arizona Ranger'' by [[J. T. Edson]].

 

* ''[[The X-Files]]'': “War of the Coprophages”: Scully attempts to control the mob with a speech about how they are giving in to [[You Can Panic Now|panic]]. The mob ignores her and creates havoc. [https://web.archive.org/web/20150403051509/http://x-files.wikia.com/wiki/Bambi_Berenbaum], [https://web.archive.org/web/20170614075320/http://x-files.wikia.com/wiki/War_of_the_Coprophages], [https://web.archive.org/web/20180119130429/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_the_Coprophages]

* The classic ''[[Star Trek]]'' episode, "The Devil in the Dark" had Kirk and Spock protect a horta from vengeful miners by telling them that the [[Monster Is a Mommy]] and had legitimate reasons for attacking them since they were inadvertently destroying her eggs. Fortunately, the combination of shame of the miners realizing the carnage they caused and the exciting proposal that the hortas can help them mine is enough to turn the mob around.

* Played with in the Pilot of ''[[Deadwood]]'', a Mob has come to kill a prisoner and the Sheriff tries to talk them down. They're having none of it, so the Sheriff hangs the prisoner right there ([[Squick|even helping to break his neck]]) so the mob wouldn't have the satisfaction of torturing him.

 

* A possible crossover with Real Life from Rev Hammer's album ''Freeborn John'', based upon the life of "Freeborn" John Lilburne. From the very moving song ''Battle of Brentford'':

{{quote|'''Nehemiah Wharton- Parliament soldier:''' My own regiment the Redcoats of Colonel Holles suffered the heaviest losses. We began to fall back to the town of Brentford sir, and when Brookes regiment saw our faces and our losses, well, they began to retreat also. Ah! who could blame them?

** Also qualifies as a [[Tear Jerker]], because Protoman ''desperately'' wants them to prove him wrong and rise up against Wily. [[It Was His Sled|They don't.]]

 

* [[Jesus Christ]] stopped a stoning by challenging the mob: "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." Nobody did.

 

* ''Thomas More'', a play written in the 1590s (Shakespeare did the speeches!), has its title character persuade a xenophobic mob to put down their weapons by appealing to their sense of justice and promising that none of them will be executed. They do surrender, {{spoiler|and get executed}}.

 

* The Nameless One gets to do this at a certain point in ''[[Planescape: Torment]]'', sort of. {{spoiler|He talks various rioters, looters and anarchists into abandoning their rather ill-timed plans and working together to reverse the city of Curst sliding into the plane of Carceri.}}

** [[Video Game Cruelty Potential|Or he could just give the town the little push it needs to go right over the edge.]] No one said you couldn't play him as a [[Complete Monster]].

* An inversion pops up in ''[[Mass Effect 2]]'', during Tali's treason trial. If Shepard managed to keep Kal'Reegar and Veetor alive, s/he has the option of rallying the crowd in Tali's defense, which causes the mob to shame ''the judges'' into letting Tali off.

 

* Subverted in ''[[Dominic Deegan]]''. [https://web.archive.org/web/20171012142710/http://www.dominic-deegan.com/view.php?date=2003-01-29 Greg and Luna are targeted by mass ridicule by the people of Lynn's Brook.] Luna [https://web.archive.org/web/20171012142634/http://www.dominic-deegan.com/view.php?date=2003-02-01 stands up for herself, and Greg], driving them off. Later, they appear at Dominic's house, since the mob learned Luna and Greg were staying there ''and'' Dominic already had plenty of heat with the townspeople as it was. They, again, have to be scared away, even after ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20171012142405/http://www.dominic-deegan.com/view.php?date=2003-03-05 Dominic calls them on all the dick moves they made towards his friends]''.

* In ''[[The Inexplicable Adventures of Bob]],'' [http://bobadventures.comicgenesis.com/d/20080823.html here,] Bob chews out the angry mob (actually just four people, but Heywood had to form it on short notice) that has been hassling Molly, and they sheepishly agree to mind their own business.

* In ''[[Impure Blood]]'', [https://web.archive.org/web/20131024232619/http://www.impurebloodwebcomic.com/Pages/Issue4PAGES/ib079.html Mac tries this.]

 

* "Rosebud", ''[[The Simpsons (animation)|The Simpsons]]''. Maggie has a teddy bear which belonged to Mr. Burns, and Burns has taken away television and beer from the town until the bear is returned. An angry mob comes to confront Homer and takes the bear away, but when they see how Maggie feels, they remorsefully return it. As Dr. Hibbert laments, "We've given the word 'mob' a bad name."

** A variation appeared in "Bart After Dark". A mob of [[Moral Guardians]] is about to tear down the Maison Derriere, a burlesque house, when Homer leads the mob in a [[Crowd Song|big song and dance number]] about how much it's a part of their history. It works. In an odd variation, the Maison Derriere is destroyed ''anyway'' by Marge, who wasn't there for the song. So apparently, the speech was very convincing. Marge promptly tries to re-incite the mob with her own song, but accidentally releases the brake on the bulldozer she had brought.

{{quote|'''Lucius''': Hey, [[Crapsack World|it is called Miseryville]].}}

 

* On October 5, 1789, Queen [[Marie Antoinette]] mounts a window balcony and curtsies to the angry mob that had converged on Versailles. At first stunned and silenced, they begin shouting, "Long live the queen!"

* One of many stories about [[w:Emperor Norton|Joshua Norton]], first and only [http://www.molossia.org/norton.html Emperor of the United States], says that he broke up a mob of anti-Chinese rioters by standing in their way, head down, reciting the Lord's Prayer. They left without incident.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Narrative Devices]]

[[Category:Psychological Combat]]

[[Category:Speeches and Monologues]]

[[Category:Older Than Feudalism]]

[[Category:Scenes]]