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fandomhigh2016-05-20 07:16 am
thisguyright.livejournal.com) wrote in fandomhigh2016-05-20 07:16 am
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Supervillainy and You! Friday, Period 1
"Branding! That's where a villain can really make themselves super," Fred said. Class was in the Danger Shop, and there was a collection of outfits and weapons available on racks and tables behind Fred. "And there are layers to it. Like me. Believe it or not, I didn't pick the name 'Boomerang.' I played pro baseball here in the States and I was a really good pitcher. But some weirdos in robes recruited me and decided that being awesome at throwing stuff meant that should be my thing. And hey, I'm Australian, so of course they give me boomerangs. And the costume was covered in them. And they named me that." Was there an eyeroll? Yes, there was!
"And you know what? I made it work for me," Fred bragged. "Most villain ranking lists have me as the number two mercenary tagged in the 'throwing stuff' category. The only guy better than me is named Bullseye, and guess what? That's the power of branding. He was paralyzed and didn't have the use of four senses and he was still number one because if he wasn't, he probably would've killed the people who made the list somehow. Then he went blind too. He got better, and that's what they were counting on. You wouldn't believe the number of people who didn't hire me to assassinate someone because they knew Bullseye would get better eventually. Anyway, that guy's insane, so I've got that on him. He's got more skill and better branding, but I'm not literally nuts." He just killed people for money or revenge or because they were in a fight together. Legitimate, non-crazy reasons!
"On the other hand, I know this one guy, the Trapster. Super generic, sure. The name makes sense, though, since his whole thing is this adhesive he made that he can shoot with a gun to trap people. Pretty on the nose, but who am I to judge?" Fred asked, sounding bored. "But! When he started, his name was Paste Pot Pete! I heard that early on he'd get away with some crimes because superheroes were having laughing fits when they heard his name. And sure, that's effective for a couple weeks, but SO SAD. But his dumb glue crap is legit. And since he changed the name, he's become a staple in a group called the Frightful Four. You don't get to join that with a dumb name like Paste-Pot Pete." That was factually wrong. He was still PPP when the Frightful Four started. If Fred knew this, he was choosing to lie about it.
"So here's what you're gonna do today. You picked a name last week. Extend that branding like me and Bullseye. Either go all out, or be the best in the world at whatever your name suggests. Or be like old Paste Pot Pete and Paste Pot Punt," Fred instructed. "Pick a new name and figure out how to brand yourself better now that you've had a week after your complete lack of trying. And just being honest, but that's most of you."
"End of class, show off what you do with your fancy branding, whether that's dressing the part, doing something cool, or something else entirely. Maybe rob a bank and come back with proof! Probably not that, but maybe some of you are go-getters." They weren't.
"And you know what? I made it work for me," Fred bragged. "Most villain ranking lists have me as the number two mercenary tagged in the 'throwing stuff' category. The only guy better than me is named Bullseye, and guess what? That's the power of branding. He was paralyzed and didn't have the use of four senses and he was still number one because if he wasn't, he probably would've killed the people who made the list somehow. Then he went blind too. He got better, and that's what they were counting on. You wouldn't believe the number of people who didn't hire me to assassinate someone because they knew Bullseye would get better eventually. Anyway, that guy's insane, so I've got that on him. He's got more skill and better branding, but I'm not literally nuts." He just killed people for money or revenge or because they were in a fight together. Legitimate, non-crazy reasons!
"On the other hand, I know this one guy, the Trapster. Super generic, sure. The name makes sense, though, since his whole thing is this adhesive he made that he can shoot with a gun to trap people. Pretty on the nose, but who am I to judge?" Fred asked, sounding bored. "But! When he started, his name was Paste Pot Pete! I heard that early on he'd get away with some crimes because superheroes were having laughing fits when they heard his name. And sure, that's effective for a couple weeks, but SO SAD. But his dumb glue crap is legit. And since he changed the name, he's become a staple in a group called the Frightful Four. You don't get to join that with a dumb name like Paste-Pot Pete." That was factually wrong. He was still PPP when the Frightful Four started. If Fred knew this, he was choosing to lie about it.
"So here's what you're gonna do today. You picked a name last week. Extend that branding like me and Bullseye. Either go all out, or be the best in the world at whatever your name suggests. Or be like old Paste Pot Pete and Paste Pot Punt," Fred instructed. "Pick a new name and figure out how to brand yourself better now that you've had a week after your complete lack of trying. And just being honest, but that's most of you."
"End of class, show off what you do with your fancy branding, whether that's dressing the part, doing something cool, or something else entirely. Maybe rob a bank and come back with proof! Probably not that, but maybe some of you are go-getters." They weren't.
Re: Listen to the Lecture
Rebranding was a lot harder, unless Marketing was making sure everyone thought of you as a villain. Liberty Bell had done it when she walked away, taking on the persona of Dead Ringer and entering into a deal with Hot Topic, but she was one of the very few. The best at branding was the Princess, but then, she wasn't truly independent. She had the power of Disney behind her and no one, not even The Super Patriots, Inc could touch The Mouse when it came to branding.