Let's be real... the villains are the best. They're usually the most dynamic and are so deep and emotionally entangled. They've been wronged in some colossal narrative and the only way to right that wrong (in their mind) is an eye for an eye or causing enough pain to heal their own. It's misguided and often overly dramatic and but damn if they aren't fun to watch. In films, television, literature even music... the villain is often our muse. And often we can empathize with their struggle.
Redditor u/murdo1tj wanted to hear form everyone who they believe had justifiable actions by inquiring.... What villain was actually somewhat justified in their actions?
Tom for the Win!
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Tom, from Tom and Jerry. I mean that's his job, there's a rodent in the house. bizzywhipped
Ever notice how normally Tom is just going about his business when that thieving little sod Jerry turns up and starts messing with him?
Tom IS the good guy. GrinningD
Go head Medusa Girl!
Medusa. She gets such a rep. First she's assaulted by a god. Since she was assaulted in Athena's temple, Athena gets mad at her and turns her into a monster. Super sucks so she goes to live in an isolated place where men keep coming to try to kill her. She kills them, which I think is super justified until Perseus comes along and chops off her head. allycakes
The Humans are the Villains....
The ship from Wall-E.
Humanity had already doomed its home planet and transformed into a population of lazy slobs that could barely walk. Sending them back to Earth in the feeble hope that a lone sprout could revitalize a garbage-strewn wasteland was a death sentence, and the ship knew it... true love be damned. drmcsinister
Magneto Knows....
Magneto. In every X-men movie he keeps saying "The humans are going to wipe us out!" and then in Logan you can see that the humans have pretty much wiped them out. Reddit
Yes! The center conflict between Charles and Erik is that Charles believes humans can learn to accept them, and Erik believes that in their fear they will destroy them. Erik is obviously shaped by his experiences in the holocaust, and he knows exactly what humanity is capable of.
In pretty much every storyline, Erik's predictions come true. nuggetblaster69
From eating Trix to turning them...
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The Trix rabbit, all he wanted was a bowl of cereal and those kids never offered him some. So he turned to a life of crime thieving cereal. Tragic. HeyDannie
Imagine how much the Trix rabbit hates Tony the Tiger, who eats delicious cereal for every meal with no interference from meddling kids. sordines
The Machines the Saviors....
The "machines" in the matrix.
We destroy our own planet to destroy the machines, only to have the machines kindly take us underground and put us into pods where we can live in virtual reality that's exactly like how we lived before we destroyed our planet. megiverly
Just trying to survive!
Galactus.
Guy doesn't even want to conquer or destroy planets cuz he's "evil," literally devours planets just because it's how he stays alive. thepotatoprime
Yeah he's not a villain, he's just a force of nature. Not good, not bad. jjacobsnd5
Doing it for Justice....
General Francis Hummel
- Was completely bluffing
- Just wanted recognition and compensation for fallen heroes. walkingcarpet23
Poor judge of character when it came to picking his officers. RockerElvis
We all got bills to pay!
The landlord in "Rent."
He just wanted them to pay their rent. LAST YEAR'S RENT. He was very forgiving to let it go on that long! Like, it's all well and good that they're bohemians and pursuing acting and music and stuff, but maybe get a job on the side? bsweddingthrowaway
Not just a Monster.....
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Frankenstein's Monster, dude was just trying to make the best of his situation and kept getting shat on and never asked for any of it. Frankenstein was just a dweeby little prick who stumbled on something greater than his own understanding. XtacleRonnie
Be Invincible!
Ozymandias. Also, Robot from Invincible. xenulives
He saved the world from nuclear war, but he was a total butt about it. zzzaacchh
"Primed" & Ready....
Choose a Tales series villain. They tend to do this with their baddies.
Schwartz from Legendia wants to end human suffering... by destroying time itself.
Grand Maestro Mohs (pro. "mows") from Abyss wants to keep to what's known as the Score, a prophecy that promises prosperity for the planet... after a colossal war between the two largest countries that will kill a huge portion of the population.
Mithos from Symphonia wants to stop racism against half-elves... by genocide of humans and elves.
Bakur from Xillia 2 wants to help save the world by easing the burden of rebirth for the spirits... but that requires destroying parallel worlds. Plus it's suggested by some characters that the protagonists may not be from the "prime" dimension. Aniki1990
Gotham's Freakiest....
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Ra's al ghul
Gotham never got better to my knowledge for all of Batman's antics over the years. It just kept locking away violent psycho criminals who would later escape and the cycle would perpetuate if not get worse. More villains kept creeping out of the woodwork as Batman went along too - some created by his own actions/indirect actions. Gotham was just a breeding ground for violence and psychosis it seems. In "The Dark Knight" the Joker alludes to this stating that Batman himself is partly responsible for "freaks" like him coming into being. Showerthawts
Be Doomed!
Dr Doom has beaten Thanos.
Dr Doom has wielded the infinity gauntlet.
Dr Doom cured cancer and ended poverty.
Dr Doom is doom. ukima9
You're not a mean one Mr. Grinch!
One of my favorite tweets I've seen was a guy who said that the Grinch was justified. Something along the lines of, "the Grinch didn't hate Christmas. He hated people, which is fair." Lol mermaid-in-disguise
They weren't materialistic though. The Grinch was and thought they were like him. When he stole Christmas they still enjoyed it anyway. G_Morgan
Don't want to Miss a Thing....
The asteroid in Armageddon. It just goes where Newton tells it to. Rhodie114
People don't think the universe be like it is, but it do. Red_Chinchilla_1
Not the movie version...
Mister freeze from the batman franchise. Man just wanted treatment for his wife, not to harm. Watashiwarsh
Let the Skyfall...
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Raoul Silva in Skyfall. Tortured for days even weeks, his cyanide capsule failed severely disfiguring him and from his point of view he was completely abandoned by his agency. But I may just be biased because I think Javier Bardem played him brilliantly. Mammoth_Entertainer
Yo-Ho-Ho!!
Cutler Beckett from Pirates of the Caribbean. Since when is wanting to wipe out pirates a bad thing? Mad_Squid
Cutler Beckett was really just a different side of the coin. He wanted money and power in the same way the pirates wanted money and power. Cutler got his from the existing power structure and the pirates got theirs from going around it. Flutterwander
Lex is the Best!
Lex Luthor!
Everyone seems to be alright with a power existing that could, on a whim, destroy the planet or take over. Lex Luthor is trying to protect to human race from a potential threat. He has some more selfish aspirations but at his core he is doing what is best for humanity. If he could stop being so damn evil and killing people for no reason, that might make him a little more of a complex character.
S/O to Injustice comic series/video games for giving us a good story where superheroes go off the rails and it's up to mostly human heroes like Luthor and Batman to take them down. MooneySuzuki36
Twitter user @Rich_Cooper stated:
"Dear feminists. You either get equality or chivalry. You can't have both."
Dear feminists. You either get equality or chivalry. You can't have both.— Richard Cooper (@Richard Cooper) 1536083523.0
One user responded:
"I'll take equality. I don't need special treatment."
@Rich_Cooper #BenevolentSexism is still #sexism. I'll take equality. I don't need special treatment.— ☮️ Minkajane ☮️ (@☮️ Minkajane ☮️) 1537276790.0
Cooper's rhetorical question did not go over so well. Both women and men expressed their disdain for his message.
One male user observed that chivalry was irrelevant and treating everyone with kindness and respect was compulsory.
"What people care about is caring, empathic [sic], considerate, thoughtful people, NOT whether THEIR door is held for them or THEIR meal is paid for them."
"Are there gender stereotypes in het[erosexual] dating? Sure. But that's separate from being a warm, giving, caring, grounded person."
@Rich_Cooper What people care about is caring, empathic, considerate, thoughtful people, NOT whether THEIR door is… https://t.co/wlGHWRzKLi— Mark W. Wilson, MD (@Mark W. Wilson, MD) 1537276816.0
Some women got right down to the point.
@Rich_Cooper Translation: I will only be nice to you if you agree to be subservient to me— Elizabeth Noll (@Elizabeth Noll) 1537292709.0
@Rich_Cooper Gotta love when a man tells women what they can and can't have. Thanks for the heads up buddy 😉 https://t.co/gDMJscuTac— Hannah ✊ (@Hannah ✊) 1537285112.0
@Rich_Cooper Translation: I couldn’t possibly be expected to treat women as equals, show them respect, and still feel like a man.— Dom (@Dom) 1537293169.0
@Rich_Cooper We are sooooo bored with "chivalry" which stems from the courtly love period in the middle ages when w… https://t.co/wRho1a9DTz— Jeanthejust (@Jeanthejust) 1537280103.0
@Rich_Cooper Dear man. As a feminist, I open doors for men all the time. I also offer my seat to men in need on t… https://t.co/uxdwfh1kEM— My ovaries dream of puppers (@My ovaries dream of puppers) 1537502301.0
The notion of chivalry and equality are mutually exclusive and not a lot of people thought it was a major priority for feminists.
Common courtesy is not chivalry.
@Rich_Cooper Nah. That's some real childlike, oversimplified thinking. There are obviously more than these two op… https://t.co/lUqnEJhIAp— TheQuietRanger (@TheQuietRanger) 1537342901.0
@Rich_Cooper Wow, I had no idea that feminists were campaigning for chivalry, thanks for the Valuable Insight lol… https://t.co/iK62FTM9WY— Tracy Campbell the DM (Dungeon Mom) (@Tracy Campbell the DM (Dungeon Mom)) 1537294172.0
@Rich_Cooper I hold the door open for a guy walking into Starbucks behind me. Tomorrow, he might do the same for me… https://t.co/xWQEu6QHrM— Emma Scott (@Emma Scott) 1537294526.0
This user pointed out the fact that chivalry stems from a history of men outdoing other men. The concept had very little to do with women.
"Chivalry is a medieval concept of men dressing to impress other men. It has little to do with equality."
"Some men were on top, other men were beneath them. Historically, women were rarely invited into the process."
@Rich_Cooper @kent_imig Chivalry is a medieval concept of men dressing to impress other men. It has little to do wi… https://t.co/m8YPUkaUzm— Mark Findlay (@Mark Findlay) 1537257080.0
Neil Bradley described the outdated concept of chivalry as one that implies men being superior to women in a September 8, 2017, article for Medium publications.
"Examples: opening the door for a woman, paying for a woman's meal, gesturing for a woman to go first. The justification is either that women are not physically as strong (to open the door), able to provide (pay for their own meal), or are more deserving of compassion than men (allowing women to go first)."
Bradley also added that he wants to treat others the way he wants to be treated and asked if that approach should be motivated by chivalry or equality.
"If the genders are to be considered equal and treated equally, how a man treats a woman will essentially be the same as how a man treats a man."
"The obligation to open the door, pay for the meal, and let women go first vanishes. Men do not do this to other men, therefore why do it for women?"
His final take was that the two concepts can't co-exist. Either one is chivalrous or treats everyone as equals.
At the end of the day, people were happy to show chivalry the door.
@seanrmccauley @DoverCook @ShappiKhorsandi @Rich_Cooper @MarkFindlay26 @kent_imig Nobody needs chivalry. Equality a… https://t.co/isq5Fo84iU— John Dougherty (@John Dougherty) 1537357843.0
H/T - GettyImages, Twitter, Indy100, Medium
Hundreds of artists have signed a letter threatening a boycott if SiriusXM's parent company, Liberty Media, doesn't back down from opposing the Music Modernization Act.
The act, which was expected to pass through Congress, streamlines royalty payments in the new age of digital technology, but it seems SiriusXM is objecting to a small section that would have the satellite radio company paying royalties on recordings dating before 1972.
That's a whole lot of songs and a whole lot of money the company is hoping to skip out on paying, but not if stars like Paul McCartney, P!nk, Stevie Nicks, Sia, Carly Simon, Gloria Estefan, Mick Fleetwood, Don Henley, Max Martin, and Katy Perry can help it.
The letter read, in part:
I'm writing you with grave concern about SiriusXM's opposition to the Music Modernization Act (Classics Act included).
We are all aware of your company's objections and trepidation but let me say that this is an opportunity for SiriusXM to take a leadership position. As you are aware, 415 Representatives and 76 Senators have already cosponsored the MMA along with industry consensus. It's SiriusXM vs all of us. We can either fight to the bitter end or celebrate this victory together. Rather than watch bad press and ill will pile up against SiriusXM, why not come out supporting the most consequential music legislation in 109 years? We do not want to fight and boycott your company but we will as we have other opponents. Stand with us! Be brave and take credit for being the heroes who helped the MMA become historic law! Momentum is building against SiriusXM and you still have an opportunity to come out on the right side of history. We look forward to your endorsement but the fire is burning and only you can put this out.
SiriusXM resoponded with a letter of their own:
Over the past several weeks, we have been the subject of some stinging attacks from the music community and artists regarding our views on the Music Modernization Act. Contrary to new reports and letters, this is really not about a SiriusXM victory, but implementing some simple, reasonable and straightforward amendments to MMA. There is nothing in our "asks" that gut the MMA or kills the Act. So let's talk about the substance of the amendments we propose, because we truly do not understand the objections or why these concepts have incited such a holy war.ontrary to the accusations, SiriusXM has proposed three simple amendments to the MMA.
First, SiriusXM has asked that the CLASSICS Act recognize that it has already licensed all of the pre-1972 works it uses. This amendment would ensure that artists – the people who are supposed to be at the heart of the MMA – receive 50% of the monies under those existing licenses. Is that unfair? Just today, Neil Diamond wrote in the LA Times that: "I receive a small amount of songwriting royalties, but no royalties as the recording artist." How can that happen? To date, SiriusXM has paid nearly $250 million dollars in pre-'72 royalties to the record labels. We want to make sure that a fair share of the monies we have paid, and will pay, under these licenses gets to performers. Without this provision, artists may never see any of the money SiriusXM paid, and will pay, for the use of pre-1972 works. Artists not getting paid hurts our business!
Second, Sirius XM thinks that the fair standard to use in rate setting proceedings is the standard that Congress chose in 1995 and confirmed again in 1998 – which is called the 801(b) standard. However, we are willing to move the "willing buyer/willing seller" standard contained in the MMA. In exchange, we have asked for the same concession that the MMA grants to other digital music services, but we were left out of — simply that the rates that were set last year for five years now apply for ten years. We thought this was a fair compromise when we read the "new" MMA that was released this weekend by the Senate, and are willing to live by that compromise.
Third, SiriusXM is asking the simple question: "Why are we changing the rate court evidence standard for musical compositions in this legislation so that it gives another advantage to broadcasters over satellite radio and streaming services?" There is no policy rationale for this change to tilt the playing field further in their favor, and frankly no one has been able to explain it to us. It is only fair that we debate why the change to Section 114(i) is in the MMA.
Did you all catch that? It sounds like lawyer speak for "we don't really want to say where we stand."
It seems all the letters were for naught. The Music Modernization Act passed in the U.S. Senate.
The #MusicModernizationAct has been passed by the U.S. Senate! 🎶 Along with our members across the country, we're e… https://t.co/52yNhtV4zk— Recording Academy / GRAMMYs (@Recording Academy / GRAMMYs) 1537318533.0
@kayhanley @SIRIUSXM Hi @kayhanley, I absolutely support the #MusicModernizationAct. I signed on as a cosponsor ear… https://t.co/j4JHXpLBxI— Elizabeth Warren (@Elizabeth Warren) 1537225190.0
People said this was impossible. Some even worked hard to make it impossible, even telling outright lies about wh… https://t.co/iMTlwJLWVw— Future of Music Coalition (@Future of Music Coalition) 1537309844.0
We're thrilled to share that the Senate has unanimously voted to pass the #MusicModernizationAct, an historic miles… https://t.co/Uuy2Yp8zCw— ASCAP (@ASCAP) 1537311517.0
It was time to celebrate and dance in the streets.
@ASCAP @Beth_ASCAP Grateful. That says it all. Grateful past language for the sweet souls who worked so hard to mak… https://t.co/JSeUNCwFSd— Paul Williams (@Paul Williams) 1537319434.0
@ASCAP @Beth_ASCAP @IMPaulWilliams YES!!!! Songwriters are dancing everywhere!— James Grey (@James Grey) 1537315642.0
@ASCAP @Beth_ASCAP @IMPaulWilliams Thank you for helping us all organize to get this done #MusicModernizationAct— Tangent Recording (@Tangent Recording) 1537311639.0
@ASCAP @Beth_ASCAP @IMPaulWilliams Greatness Is What Greatness Does....And This Is Great.— Eddie C Person Jr (@Eddie C Person Jr) 1537365270.0
@ASCAP @Beth_ASCAP @IMPaulWilliams #Love it!— CKGTHEDON (@CKGTHEDON) 1537315443.0
@ASCAP @Beth_ASCAP @IMPaulWilliams Fantastic News! Thank You U.S. Senate ~> Pass it House Of Representatives ~> Sig… https://t.co/tukiZ8Ryug— MarkAlexanderCarroll (@MarkAlexanderCarroll) 1537321589.0
@ASCAP @Beth_ASCAP @IMPaulWilliams Simply amazing hard work pays off.— PedroBarr (@PedroBarr) 1537320953.0
@ASCAP @Beth_ASCAP @IMPaulWilliams Thank all of you for your tireless efforts and work.Protecting what is important… https://t.co/goFps7yu2V— Roney Hooks (@Roney Hooks) 1537317136.0
@ASCAP @Beth_ASCAP @IMPaulWilliams I am so thankful for this wonderful change. We songwriters deserve it!— J.R. FOWLER (@J.R. FOWLER) 1537322119.0
As the saying goes, honest pay for honest work.
