Should Villains Be Able To Swat Away Autograph Books To Stay In Character?

[Cosmic Commando]

Not sure how old this one is:
http://d24w6bsrhbeh9d.cloudfront.net/photo/6916528_460s.jpg

interesting....

I thought you guys were being facetious, but in case you aren't... this "blew up" online like a month ago. I don't think we ever even decided whether it was official or the characters having a little fun, but it doesn't matter now. Because everyone knows about it now, the characters can't do it because there were people yelling "Andy's coming!" 25,000 times every millisecond.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

The villains tolerate the tourists because they know that the families are there to pay homage to the villains. All villains always assume that you are the highlight of their trip, and that sort of flattery will buy you a few seconds for a picture and an autograph.

That is absolutely the way to think about it. I couldn't quickly discover where it comes from, but your post reminded me of the quote, "Every villain is the hero of their own story." That is totally the way the villains think about themselves and they assume you're part of their fan club.

 

[Disvillain63]

I need my photo with Maleficent and other villains. I tell my 2nd graders that she is related to me. Watch them ponder that during a class.

 

[JIMINYCR]

Nah, Villains shouldn't be poor sports to any child,, even if it's true to their on screen character portrayal. Playing the part to a point is fine but when it comes to signing autographs and the close interaction with the kids, ALL Disney characters should act with class. It's Disney and youre there to have a pleasant time, make them walk away smiling.

 

[jw24]

Well, I can't speak from experience considering that my favorite Disney villain is Frollo and my other favorite villains aren't meetable characters as we speak. But personally, I don't think villains should be that cruel to park guests. I mean, the people who meet and greet the villains are there for a reason. Maybe they're on that mission to get as many autographs as they can in one trip. But still, I don't think anyone wants to see a meet and greet end in a child crying in sorrow after their interaction with the characters.

 

[Sped2424]

My cousin asked for a signature from cruella and she said "Off course darling who wouldn't want one" then gave the book back rather half-hazardly felt very authentic!

 

[englanddg]

I think being over the top as opposed to being "arrogant and self-centered" in a playful manner are two different things.

Compare these two videos...both Darth Maul (different ones, I assume). Now, mind you, I am not commenting on either one, but merely pointing out how pressing too much of "staying in character" can actually lead to off putting experiences (compare the first to the second).

Darth Maul pushes a mentally disabled kid (again I want to be clear, I am NOT judging the CM playing him at all...the kid was not being supervised, but it still could have been handled better. It's quite obvious Darth Maul was stuck in his character when you observe how previous characters interacted with the kid.)


And this


Then again, having done work in costumes, and been attacked by kids (kicked in the privates, punched, bitten, list goes on), I can understand why it can be very frustrating work. Disney costume characters have it easy compared to many others.

Try being a hockey mascot (which I was for a while)...where you have drunk adults actually TELLING your kids to kick you in the butt! (yeah, nice show Greenville, SC...your fans are terrible!)

 

[Tip Top Club]

I would speculate that most of the villains are egotistical enough that they probably enjoy the attention, even from kids.

 

[GenerationX]

Sure, they're going to sign. They have families to feed, henchmen to pay, and villainy to conduct. That's not cheap.

 

[Villains0501]

Nice ideas! But first you have to actually find the villains in the parks. I mean, let's face it, unless your at WDW during October, it's pretty slim pickings.