History Main / BastardlySpeech

-->What great or noble work could we achieve if we think it enough? I see that some of you expect some rousing speech to make up your minds for you, but you won't get that from me. I want you to make up your own minds. There's no tangible prize and glory as the outcome, and none of you will personally feel any benefit from the bill I want pass, except in the knowledge that you will improve lives for others. It is a selfless goal. I go into this knowing that I will split the party. Some of you will never support me again. Those of you can stay and those can go as you see fit, but those who go will, in time, be envious of those who stayed with me. Take a firm step forward, as firm as your principles. I think some of you need to find your principles again. Be impartial. Be as gods. See what is right and follow it towards resolution. We are the law makers and in our hands are the possibilities of humanity. As it stands, we allow these wrongs to be carried out in our name and under our authority when we have the power to alter the course and prevent these crimes. We could create a better world for the people we represent. The cause is no legacy we inherited; we inherited a legacy of passivity from previous governments, and I do not want to repeat that. We are all guilty. We cannot blame others for what we had the opportunity to change. Let's not affix blame to others, for we, ourselves, allowed this to happen.
--> Acceptance is the enemy, selfishness and fear of change is the barricade. Those before us could no more ignore what has happened than if they had been blind. We must see with our eyes open and observe the suffering and injustice and hear the stories, for no two are the same, and find the answers. That is our purpose, and I think we've lost that. We must find ways to ensure that no single person ever suffers again in this country. This is a social sickness which has grown and spread for years, decades, perhaps for all of time. I don't accept that it's endemic in the human soul; only guidance and provision is needed. It won't be instantly resolved by the passing of one bill, not even in our term here in government, but it is a step which will one day find an end. I blame no one. Not one person, not one group of people. It is cowardice to think that enough has been done and that we can do no more but continue the status quo, for what we could do is too great a task. It is a great task, but it is no useless endeavour. No one weak in spirit has ever won anything. We should never be satisfied that we have done enough, for there will always be need for change. We should not turn from it. I want extreme goodness. I want to work for some ideal which, one day, I will be proud that I had some small hand in and that I lived in these times. Empathy is the source of humanity and without it we cannot understand or hope to change. Dedicate yourself to humanity, or else leave this building. We would be inhuman ourselves. This is a moment of change. You are in this room at the start of a new era. Be proud.

* ''WebVideo/DoctorHorriblesSingAlongBlog'' has the song "Everyone's A Hero" (which mixes this with TheReasonYouSuckSpeech), in which [[SmugSuper Captain Hammer]] talks about how much he cares about the homeless-- all the while comparing them to dogs ({{Lassie}}, but still) and calling them Scary Alcoholic Bums. While the audience cheers along, his "girlfriend" Penny is shown as absolutely disgusted by what he's saying.

* In ''TheLionKing'', [[EvilUncle Scar]] gives one of these to Mufasa's pride of lionesses ''as a eulogy'' after the latter's death and [[NeverFoundTheBody Simba's disappearance]], before [[ReignOfTerror assuming the throne]].

* In ''TheDarkKnightRises'', Bane gives a very rousing speech about stealing power from the corrupt and making Gotham stronger. The whole thing is a charade to humiliate Bruce Wayne, he has no intention of sparing Gotham.

-->"Look, Marge, you don't know what it's like. I'm the one out there every day putting his ass on the line. [[AndJusticeForAll And I'm not out of order! You're out of order! The whole freakin' system is out of order!]] [[AFewGoodMen You want the truth? You want the truth? YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!]] [[Film/{{Patton}} 'Cause when you reach your hand into a pile of goo that was your best friend's face, you'll know what to do!]] [[{{Chinatown}} Forget it, Marge! It's Chinatown!]]"

* ''WebVideo/DoctorHorriblesSingAlongBlog'' has the song "Everyone's A Hero" (which mixes this with TheReasonYouSuckSpeech), in which [[SmugSuper Captain Hammer]] talks about how much he cares about the homeless-- all the while comparing them to dogs (Lassie, but still) and calling them Scary Alcoholic Bums. While the audience cheers along, his "girlfriend" Penny is shown as absolutely disgusted by what he's saying.

[[AC:{{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]
* Light Yagami gets a particularly infuriating one in ''Manga/DeathNote'' - perhaps twice in the same episode, depending on how much emotional melodrama you think a monologue can stand before it stops being a speech. Actually, come to think of it, he does this in nearly ''every'' episode, to some degree.
** Shortly after [[spoiler:his father's death]], when Matsuda is questioning whether capturing Kira is right or wrong, Light says that history will favor the victor; Kira will be seen as a criminal if he's caught, and will be seen as justice if he prevails. While this is meant to come across as a suggestion that the investigation team will be vindicated if they are successful, it also represents Light's belief that the world will soon come to accept him.

However, your more [[GambitIndex devious villains]] find it more amusing to put all their craft of eloquence into a speech that the members of the audience - but usually not the surrounding characters - know [[BlatantLies flies in the face of everything that has happened.]] The audience won't know whether to shake their fist in rage or their head in admiration.

* BlackJewels: Dorothea gives a damage-control one in the beginning of ''Queen of Darkness''. She finds it amazing that people are so desperate and/or stupid to believe it.

-->"Look, Marge, you don't know what it's like. I'm the one out there every day putting his ass on the line. [[AndJusticeForAll And I'm not out of order! You're out of order! The whole freakin' system is out of order!]] [[AFewGoodMen You want the truth? You want the truth? YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!]] [[{{Patton}} 'Cause when you reach your hand into a pile of goo that was your best friend's face, you'll know what to do!]] [[{{Chinatown}} Forget it, Marge! It's Chinatown!]]"

* Happens twice with the Joker in the film ''{{Batman}}'' (1989).

* ''WebOriginal/DoctorHorriblesSingAlongBlog'' has the song "Everyone's A Hero" (which mixes this with TheReasonYouSuckSpeech), in which [[SmugSuper Captain Hammer]] talks about how much he cares about the homeless-- all the while comparing them to dogs (Lassie, but still) and calling them Scary Alcoholic Bums. While the audience cheers along, his "girlfriend" Penny is shown as absolutely disgusted by what he's saying.

* Light Yagami gets a particularly infuriating one in ''DeathNote'' - perhaps twice in the same episode, depending on how much emotional melodrama you think a monologue can stand before it stops being a speech. Actually, come to think of it, he does this in nearly ''every'' episode, to some degree.

However, your more [[XanatosPlannedThisIndex devious villains]] find it more amusing to put all their craft of eloquence into a speech that the members of the audience - but usually not the surrounding characters - know [[BlatantLies flies in the face of everything that has happened.]] The audience won't know whether to shake their fist in rage or their head in admiration.

* ''DoctorHorriblesSingAlongBlog'' has the song "Everyone's A Hero" (which mixes this with TheReasonYouSuckSpeech), in which [[SmugSuper Captain Hammer]] talks about how much he cares about the homeless-- all the while comparing them to dogs (Lassie, but still) and calling them Scary Alcoholic Bums. While the audience cheers along, his "girlfriend" Penny is shown as absolutely disgusted by what he's saying.

* Vayne in ''FinalFantasyXII'' is introduced with a remarkably low-key BastardlySpeech. It's so well-done that the only reasons you know he's the villain are that he's incredibly pretty, and [[BadBoss the guards apparently don't want to make him angry]].

* [[MeaningfulName Rob Pierre]], at the end of an early ''HonorHarrington'' book, uses one to solidify his, you guessed it, ReignOfTerror.

* ''DoctorHorriblesSingAlongBlog'' has the song "Everyone's A Hero" (which mixes this with TheReasonYouSuckSpeech), in which [[SmugSuper Captain Hammer]] talks about how much he cares about the homeless. All the while comparing them to dogs (Lassie, but still) and calling them Scary Alcoholic Bums. While the audience cheers along, his "girlfriend" Penny is shown as absolutely disgusted by what he's saying.

* [=~Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog~=] has the song "Everyone's A Hero" (which mixes this with TheReasonYouSuckSpeech), in which [[SmugSuper Captain Hammer]] talks about how much he cares about the homeless. All the while comparing them to dogs (Lassie, but still) and calling them Scary Alcoholic Bums. While the audience cheers along, his "girlfriend" Penny is shown as absolutely disgusted by what he's saying.

** Actually, she's probably more disgusted/embarrassed by the fact that he starts off an entire verse with, "So, I thank my girlfriend Penny. Yeah, we totally had sex." in front of dozens of strangers and homeless people she worked with. (And the Mayor. Probably some religious types were there too, since it's a charity thing.)
*** She probably started out embarrassed about that and then got progressively more embarrassed as Hammer made a bigger and bigger idiot out of himself.

** Actually, she's probably more disgusted/embarrased by the fact that he starts off an entire verse with, "So, I thank my girlfriend Penny. Yeah, we totally had sex." in front of dozens of strangers and homeless people she worked with. (And the Mayor. Probably some religious types were there too, since it's a charity thing.)