Shaming the Mob: Difference between revisions

{{quote|''I said, 'Hey,' Mr. Cunningham. How's your entailment getting along? Don't you remember me, Mr. Cunningham? I'm Jean Louise Finch. You brought us some hickory nuts one early morning, remember? We had a talk. I went and got my daddy to come out and thank you. I go to school with your boy. I go to school with Walter; he's a nice boy. Tell him 'hey' for me, won't you? You know something, Mr. Cunningham, entailments are bad. Entailments... Atticus, I was just saying to Mr. Cunningham that entailments were bad but not to worry. Takes a long time sometimes... What's the matter? I sure meant no harm, Mr. Cunningham.''|'''Scout''', ''[[To Kill a Mockingbird]]''}}

 

'''Dr. Hibert''': We've given the word 'mob' a bad name.|''[[The Simpsons]]'', ''Rosebud''}}

 

* 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.

* From ''[[One Piece]]'', the people of the Ryuugu wanted to {{spoiler|kill a World Noble who was stranded in the island as retribution for their treatment as slaves.}} Queen Otohime stops them with one sentence.

* Kotetsu from ''[[Tiger and Bunny]]'' tries to call out Sternbild's government for twiddling their fingers while {{spoiler|the terrorist group Ouroboros is launching a city-wide attack}}. [[Subverted Trope|As it turns out,]] he's not very good at this impromptu monologue thing.

'''Kotetsu:''' Yeah, that's it! }}

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

* Parodied in ''[[The Animal]].'' When the mob has the main character cornered, his black friend suddenly confesses to being behind it all. The mob stops and disperses, not wanting to be known for lynching a black man.

** Also subverted earlier, when one of the mob members who keeps asking questions finally asks what the viewers are thinking:

'''Mob Leader:''' Any other questions? Good, let's go. }}

* Subverted in ''[[M]]'', when the peculiarly sympathetic childkiller protagonist Hans Beckert gives [[What Is Evil?|an extremely moving speech]] about how everything he does is the product of mental illness, not genuine malice. He also notes that while he is insane and can't control his abhorrent actions, the criminals who are attempting to lynch him are criminals entirely by choice. The angry mob don't listen, but [[Holding the Floor|he manages to buy himself enough time]] for the cops to arrive and arrest everyone present.

* In ''[[It's a Wonderful Life]]'', there is a run on the Building & Loan and a mob is demanding all their money. George Bailey shows up and explains that the money is not there because it's been loaned to their friends to build homes. He calms them down and convinces them to take out just enough to get by, thereby saving the Building & Loan.

* Done well in the 1953 biographical film ''Martin Luther'' and especially well in its excellent 2003 remake, ''Luther''. Martin is horrified both that his best friends are being [[Burn the Witch|burned at stake for heresy]]--an unfortunate touch of [[Truth in Television]]--and that his supposed followers and converts to a way of peaceful reform have instead decided to take up arms against Catholicism, looting and pillaging churches and Spalatin, even [[Moral Event Horizon|killing a priest]]. Martin confronts them at the steps, fiery-eyed.

'''Spalatin in [[Torches and Pitchforks|Mob]]''': ''No...it's...[[Reign of Terror|the people's work]]!''<br />

'''Martin''': ''The people's work? The...''people's work...?<br />

* Subverted in ''[[The Muppet Movie]]'', where Kermit gives a speech to Hopper about all he's learned during the film about the importance of friends and family. Hopper simply scratches his head and then orders his men to kill Kermit.

* Artie delivers such a speech in ''[[Shrek]] the Third''. The speech turns inspirational, with a hilarious ending:

'''Member of the Mob''': Get him! }}

* ''[[Clerks]]''. "Bunch of easily-led automatons! Try thinking for yourselves before you pelt an innocent man with cigarettes!"

** [[Christopher Moore]]'s ''[[Lamb: The Gospel According To Biff|Lamb the Gospel According To Biff]]'' elaborates on the scene by making note of what Jesus was doodling on the ground before he said the famous line - namely, a documented list of every mob-goer and their sins (a common theory from some time before). One involved doing [[But You Screw One Goat!|something unmentionable with a goose]].

** Spoofed in [[Robot Chicken]].

* Keeping with the [[Older Than Feudalism]] theme, the first epic simile in the ''[[The Aeneid]]''.

* Also see [[Mark Twain]]'s ''The War Prayer''.

** As does Vimes, with an especially poignant example in ''Night Watch''.

** 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:

** There is also a villainous example when the vampires do it in ''[[Discworld/Carpe Jugulum|Carpe Jugulum]]''.

* 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 ''[[Firefly]]'' episode "Safe". A mob has gathered to [[Burn the Witch|burn River, who they believe is a witch]]. Simon attempts to shame them out of it by yelling that she's just a girl. It seems to be working, as the town elder acquiesces...and then River brings up a shameful thing from his past that she couldn't have known. Commence burnination, although Simon interrupts ''again''--this time by [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming|accepting River's fate and climbing up to the stake so he can be burned with her.]] This causes them to hesitate just long enough for the [[Big Damn Heroes]] to show up.

** Re-subverted upon the arrival of the previously-mentioned [[Big Damn Heroes]], who -- instead of attempting to [[Shaming the Mob|Shame The Mob]] -- put the town elder at gunpoint and ''force'' the issue.

'''Mal''': So cut her the hell down. }}

* Subverted in the "Mummy Daddy" episode of ''[[Amazing Stories (TV series)|Amazing Stories]]''. An actor in a highly-restricting mummy-suit is caught by a [[Torches and Pitchforks|lynch-mob]] of bloodthirsty [[Deep South|Redneck Hicks]]. As they are preparing to hang him, an angelic-looking [[Children Are Innocent|young child]] suddenly steps forward:

'''Child:''' But we better not take any chances! String 'im up!! }}

* Gets dangerously subverted in the ''[[Doctor Who]]'' episode "Midnight".

== Music ==

* 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'':

We turned and followed him as a man sir, for five or six hours without powder, match or bullet we disputed the town. }}

* In ''[[The Protomen]]'', Protoman actually calls out a crowd on being too ''passive'', asking if there's no one among their ranks who is brave enough to make a stand. The crowd remains silent, counting on Megaman to fight him.

** There is also the story of Washington, years later, brow beating and dressing down a group of officers who wished to make him King of the United States.

** What makes that first one a [[Crowning Moment of Awesome]] is that it wasn't Washington's words that first pulled it off. Though that ''was'' when some began to cry, he first managed to shame them by ''putting on his spectacles.'' The man had presence.

* During the Australian Aboriginal "Freedom Ride" of 1965, in one small town there was a mob of angry white men who threw things at the Aboriginal freedom riders... until one local Aboriginal woman called out some of their names and revealed they had been sleeping with the local Aboriginal girls. She did this ''in front of their wives''. The men had no choice but to am-scray.

* When [[Napoleon Bonaparte|Napoleon]] returned to France, a group of soldiers were sent to kill him. When they got to him, he said something to the effect of "If you would shoot your Emperor, then do it." They, of course, didn't.

** 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.

** Played with when the Mob at first starts to take his speech as further incitement.

** Also, in the episode "Whacking Day", Lisa, Bart, and Barry White manage to shame a mob who are about to gleefully club to death every snake in Springfield, as per the holiday tradition.

** And in "The Boys of Bummer", when [[Mama Bear|Marge]] [[Moment of Awesome (Sugar Wiki)|shames and chews out the whole town]] for harassing Bart to no end [[Disproportionate Retribution|for accidentally costing the town the Little League Championship]] and nearly drove him to suicide and landed him in a coma. The town is shamed (a "Bart Sucks" sign is replaced by "We're Sorry") and everyone agrees to restage the game so Bart can win.

** Played with yet again in another episode, when Homer and Bart are trying to escape in a float going 5 MPH.

'''Moe:''' Let's go there anyways. Get some cider. }}

** Parodied and subverted in a Halloween episode where Marge is going to be pushed off a cliff for being a witch:

'''Chief Wiggum:''' The Bible says a lot of things. Shove her. }}

** Seen in the episode "Radioactive Man", when Mickey Rooney criticizes Springfield for bankrupting the movie crew which had set up shop, and which had to leave as a result of running out of money.

'''Mayor Quimby:''' No. }}

* Subverted in a gag in ''[[Family Guy]]''. Jesus delivers the "let he who is without sin" line only to...cast the first stone.

* Subverted on ''[[Camp Lazlo]]'': an angry mob has run Almondine out of camp for not wearing a wig ([[Noodle Implements|don't ask]]), when Patsy and the rest of the Squirrel Scouts step between them and announce that it's not the wigs that make them pretty. They proceed to take off their wigs, hair, noses, eyes, etc. to show that they're still gorgeous on the inside. The mob isn't ''shamed'', but the walk off out of disgust and annoyance anyway. Then everyone starts dancing.

* On ''[[Jimmy Two-Shoes]]'', Jimmy tries this on a mob that's trying to capture a space alien. It fails.

 

{{reflist}}