Shaming the Mob: Difference between revisions

This sometimes works on a [[Powder Keg Crowd]] as well, but only if done before the violence breaks out. Once the riot starts, nobody's listening.

 

{{examples}}

 

== Anime ==

* 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.

'''Barnaby:''' Self interests.<br />

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

 

== Comic Books ==

 

* 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?")

* Attempted in ''Courtney Crumrin and the Fire Thief's Tale'', when a mob of townsfolk corner and plan to kill a group of Gypsies who they (correctly) believe to be werewolves. Knowing that the Gypsies aren't dangerous, a woman from the town tries to shame them out of it, asking them how they'd feel if they shot a child and found out the Gypsies were ordinary people after all. It doesn't quite work, though no Gypsies die.

* 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]].

'''Mob Member:''' This mob blows. ''(goes to the back of the mob)''<br />

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

* Subverted in the 2008 ''[[Horton Hears a Who]]'' where Horton tries a rousing speech to explain to the mob why he is so devoted to protecting a speck on a clover which contains a microscopic community on it. At the end, even the Sour Kangaroo notes that the speech is moving, but immediately orders Horton bound and caged anyway.

* Subverted in the theatrical cut of ''[[A Knight's Tale]]'' when Chaucer, who has previously demonstrated his ability to work a crowd, tries to shame the mob that's gathered around William, who is in the stocks for impersonating a knight. He's pelted with vegetables before he can even get started.

** However, in the extended cut of the film, Chaucer succeeds in [[Shaming the Mob]] into chastened silence before Prince Edward steps in. This scene was cut to beef up Prince Edward's role.

* 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.

{{quote| '''Martin''': ''You think this is '''[[If You Kill Him You Will Be Just Like Him|my work]]'''?! This is '''never''' my work!''<br />

* Anyone who's familiar with [[The Bible|the origin]] of the term "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone" will know that this is also [[Older Than Feudalism]].

** Done several times, in fact. Also subverted several times. Late in Acts, Paul gets [[Dangerously Genre Savvy]] and turns the mob (a courtroom staffed by opposing political parties) against itself.

** Spoofed in [[Robot Chicken]].

{{quote| '''Jesus''':(smacks tied up man in head with rock) Blammo!}}

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

** Subverted in that the "mob" dismisses the shamer as a lunatic, and carries on anyway.

*** The footnoted analysis of this scene takes up about half a page in This Troper's edition of the book, which basically boils down to "Twain is using this to satirize the Southern code of 'Justice.'"

* 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]].

** 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:

{{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.)

** Later subverted when the Hound is on "trial" by the Brotherhood Without Banners for the various atrocities committed by his brother and other Lannister soldiers. He gives a speech [[Not So Different|calling them out]] and pointing out he's not personally guilty of the murders. Arya Stark interrupts, pointing out one murder he ''is'' guilty of: namely, he chopped her friend Mycah almost in half.

* In ''[[Treasure Island]]'', Long John Silver's men are getting tired of waiting for the treasure he says he's leading them to, and are prepared to kill him. He manages to turn the situation around by asking which of them had desecrated his Bible to make the Black Spot, the traditional declaration of impending death.

* In ''[[The Good Earth]]'', when a starving, angry mob attacks Wang Lung's home in hopes of taking its non-existent food, O-lan shames them for trying to steal from someone equally as poor as them.

* A Charisian Guard manages to do this to a mob forming outside a church in Manchyr in the fourth ''[[Safehold]]'' novel. Unfortunately, he didn't manage to do it to the people who had organized the mob, who manage to restart it.

 

 

== Live Action TV ==

* 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.

** Episode "[[Nightmare Fuel|Miri]]" had Kirk guilt a mob of ''kids'' out to lynch him. {{spoiler|They were [[Really Seven Hundred Years Old|actually]] around 300 years old.}}

** 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.

{{quote| '''Patron''': The girl is a witch.<br />

[Cocks shotgun and aims at Town Patron]<br />

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

{{quote| '''Child:''' I dunno. He looks like a ''good'' mummy...<br />

'''Actor:''' ''(muffled by bandages)'' Yes! Good mummy! Good mummy!<br />

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

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

* 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.

 

Captain Lilburne, well, he rode after us all, he grabbed our colours sir and bid all those with weak hearts to march back to London, but calling on those with the spirits of men and the gallantry of soldiers to follow him back to Brentford.<br />

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

** 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.]]

 

 

== Video Games ==

** [[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]].

* Happens in the first chapter of ''[[The Witcher]]'', although it's debatable on whether the witch Geralt defended deserved it or not. It's also up in the air on whether Geralt shamed the mob, or scared them off by threatening them with violence.

 

== Western Animation ==

** 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.

** Subverted to Hell and back in the O.J. Simpson episode: {{spoiler|When the mob reaches the Griffin house to lynch O.J., he stops them by acknowledging his mistakes and concludes that he isn't perfect, then asking anyone else who isn't perfect to stand with him. Then when the entire mob has come to stand with him, he pulls out a knife, kills three of them, and runs off.}}

* 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.

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