During the investigation of recent hollers in the Complete Monster thread, it's become apparent to the staff that an insular, unfriendly culture has evolved in the Complete Monster and Magnificent Bastard threads that is causing problems.
Specific issues include:
- Overzealous hollers on tropers who come into the threads without being familiar with all the rules and traditions of the tropes. And when they are familiar with said rules and traditions, they get accused (with little evidence) of being ban evaders.
- A few tropers in the thread habitually engage in snotty, impolite mini-modding. There are also regular complaints about excessive, offtopic "socializing" posts.
- Many many thread regulars barely post/edit anywhere else, making the threads look like they are divorced from the rest of TV Tropes.
- Following that, there are often complaints about the threads and their regulars violating wiki rules, such as on indexing, crosswicking, example context and example categorization. Some folks are working on resolving the issues, but...
- Often moderator action against thread regulars leads to a lot of participants suddenly showing up in the moderation threads to protest and speak on their behalf, like a clique.
It is not a super high level problem, but it has been going on for years and we cannot ignore it any longer. There will be a thread in Wiki Talk
to discuss the problem; in the meantime there is a moratorium on further Complete Monster and Magnificent Bastard example discussion until we have gotten this sorted out.
Update: The new threads have been made and can be found here:
for the earliest date a work can be discussed, (usually two weeks from the US release), as well as who's reserved discussion.
- Why do a cleanup?: This trope definitely exists and has a well documented history of use. That being said, it frequently gets misused to a character who meets one of the components, namely that they are smart, charming while not necessarily even being a villain, or create good plans. While these are components, there is also a certain personality required, not to mention that all of the above are required to be present for a character to be a true Magnificent Bastard. As the trope attracts interest, it unfortunately brings in a lot of misuse and I thought the best way to rectify this would be a Perpetual Cleanup Thread, as is being done and has seen success with Complete Monster.
- What makes a Magnificent Bastard: Below is a list of the individual components to make this character. Note that they must all be present, not just some, which has lead to frequent misuse:
- Must be intelligent: Goes without saying, to be a Magnificent Bastard, the character has to be smart in the first place and use their brain to work towards whatever their end goal may be;
- Must be a Bastard: While going overboard in how vile the character is can be detrimental, a key aspect is the Bastard part of the trope, whether the character is an out-and-out antagonist in the work, some manner of Villain Protagonist, or something in between, they at least have some unscrupulous qualities to qualify for this trope;
- Must not be too detestable: Again, there is a ceiling on how bad the character can be before they just become too nefarious, blocking out the Magnificent part of the trope. A genocidal racist or child-raping Sadist aren't going to make the cut;
- Think on their feet: In addition to being a Chessmaster, a Magnificent Bastard, if the character deals with situations in which their initial plan is ruined, has to be able to pull a Xanatos Speed Chess and at least come up with a competent strategy to make up for lost time, otherwise they fail for being unable to think in tough spots;
- Have charm: Even if they don't necessarily make every character they meet fall in love with them and can even be detested by others, the audience has to find an amicable social relation to the character, or they are failing to make the impact required for this trope.
- What to do if a character is listed on a page but has not been approved?: They need to be removed, all candidates need to come through the cleanup thread first. The character could well count but they need to be analyzed properly and voted on first.
- Do we list Playing With this trope?: No; as a YMMV trope, this cannot be Played With, so we only want examples that are Played Straight.
- What do I do if I want a character to be listed as a Magnificent Bastard?: The greatest success Complete Monster saw for its cleanup effort was from the invention of the effort post format, so, borrowing from that, a troper wishing to propose a Magnificent Bastard will create such a post in the following format:
- Begin by describing The work, this will help establish the setting the character is in and for the reader to understand what kind of a scenario they are in;
- Summarize The character's actions, this will provide a listing for readers to understand what they do and how it applies to this trope because charm and lack of smugness are so crucial, this is a good time to be incorporating exactly the flavor of how they operate to explain this;
- List circumstances in which the character must Think on their feet, these are times where a wrench might be thrown in their initial plan and they have to adapt on the spot or even come up with a new scheme all together, this is also a good time to explain how the villain reacts to defeat when they have to face it, a true Magnificent Bastard won't break down into tears at the thought of death, they should have known such a possibility could occur and be able to handle it with more dignity;
- The competition, similar to the Heinous Standard dealt with for a Complete Monster, this section is to deal with how successful the character is in carrying out their plans compared to other characters. While, as a villain, they probably are going to lose in the end, it is good to explain how other characters handle the same situation. There is no exceptionalism case to be made for this trope but explaining the variety helps the reader have a better understanding of the proposal.
- How do you know when the character's arc is done so they can be proposed? When their tenure as a villain or antagonist finishes. This could happen in a single Story Arc in an entire work, a single work of a franchise, or the whole series in general. We'll show lenience to Long-Runners with constantly recurring candidates or series with outstanding continuities (ex. comic books), and it's entirely possible to count in a work or two but not in general for a reason like Depending on the Writer.
- What about candidates evil because of external sources? Those Made of Evil can qualify if they show enough individuality and tactical acumen — in other words, they have the personality to fulfill the magnificence requirement. Conversely, those brainwashed, especially if they're a better person without it, may fail the individuality aspect and cannot count.
- What if they are under orders from a higher-up? Depends. If the boss created the plans down to the letter and the candidate is just following them, sounds like we should discuss the boss instead. However, if the candidate takes creative liberties with the orders, adds their own charm and flair to them, fills in holes in the orders, and/or actively deals with obstacles their boss did not talk about, the candidate shows enough individual thinking to qualify.
- What about Character Development? An MB is something a character can develop into... a nice person who plots well might become more morally gray as the work goes on and hits the "Bastard" criteria, thus making them viable. Likewise, a Smug Snake might shed their ego, become more understanding of the threat others pose and gain the personality or "Magnificent" criteria, likewise making them viable. Conversely, a character who looks like this trope might suffer from a Sanity Slippage or just get outed as not being as smart as they thought they were and become incompatible with MB.
- Can an MB be a good guy? Not in the conventional sense... it is required they have at least some dubious traits lest they fail the "Bastard" criteria. That being said, a character who pulls a Heel–Face Turn or eventually stops taking villainous actions is still fair game: as there was a point in time where they were both "Magnificent" and a "Bastard" at the same time and they've merely adapted as time goes on. Now... if such a character begins showing other issues (i.e.: becomes prone to freak outs or starts getting outwitted) then they're compromising their Magnificence and will probably be deemed a cut. What's important is stylishly operating while at least for some time being willing to take at best underhanded methods to see a job done. A Heel–Face Turn in itself isn't a disqualifier but they do have to have been "Magnificent" and a "Bastard" at the same time and afterwards can't start slipping on the former front.
- What about characters whose stories can take different routes?: When proposing a character in a form of media that has them in multiple story routes. Said character must be consistent with their characteristics in all routes. (ex.: Can't have an example who shows promise on one route yet fails in another.) The only exception is if a later installment of the series confirms the character's actions which made them worth proposing are the canon route.
- Is there a timeframe rule like with Complete Monster?: Yes, please wait two weeks until after the work has concluded before proposing a character (again, usually using the North American air date). As is the case with CM, we want to give a reasonable time frame so that everyone interested in seeing the work has done so and can participate in the discussion without having anything spoiled.
- What about groups like with Complete Monster?: This is a point of divergence between the two tropes. While CM does not allow for a single entry encompassing more than three characters lest their heinousness for crimes becomes too watered down, with MB as long as they are treated as one "unit" it is acceptable to lump all characters provided they share acts of charm and intelligence.
- Can I propose my own work's character as a Magnificent Bastard?: No, this is a YMMV subject and the creator of a content is way too biased to be able to evaluate the criteria we're looking for without a second opinion taking over. That being said, you are more than welcome to encourage someone to consume your creation and if they feel a character counts, are more than welcome to suggest them.
- My example/edit has been approved, but the example subpage is locked! How do I get it added?: The moderators do not add examples to locked example subpages in the MagnificentBastard/ namespace directly. Rather, you need to do the edit to a sandbox page that follows the format Sandbox.MagnificentBastard<Name of the example subpage> (e.g for MagnificentBastard.Fullmetal Alchemist it's Sandbox.Magnificent Bastard Fullmetal Alchemist) and on a Friday, ask in the locked pages edit requests thread for the content to be swapped in.
Thread rules
When voting a troper must specify the effort post they're voting on and cannot merely vote on "Everything I missed" as in the past it has indicated the poster didn't read the effort post and is guessing instead of analyzing.
Resolved items
In general, a character listed on this trope is considered "settled". This means they should not be challenged unless information used to list them was incorrect or information was missed in the initial discussion.
However, when re-litigating a candidate, the same rules apply for when they were originally proposed. If they do not have five or more upvotes than downvotes for approval upon a re-litigation, including votes from the initial discussion if they do not change, then they are a cut.
This especially applies to the characters listed below, who have been discussed excessively and repeated attempts to get them listed/cut may result in punitive action for bogging down the thread.
Definitely an MB
- Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers: Any sadism Darkrai displays is limited in effect thanks to the game's nature and any cowardice which can be inferred about him is Alternative Character Interpretation about his tactical retreats.
- Avatar: The Last Airbender: Azula's Villainous Breakdown is undone in the sequel comic Smoke & Shadow where she regains her composure and ends up stable and in control enough to count.
Definitely not an MB
- South Park: The show's frequent use of vulgar comedy and mean-spirited humor leaves any potential candidates devoid of the dignity or charm to qualify.
Edited by GastonRabbit on Aug 31st 2023 at 4:15:22 AM
My thing is and always has been... regardless of source I don't want the quotes page to just be variations of the same thing being said about different characters.
Gotta love Jaws!
Honestly, I'm completely with you there. As long as the source is reliable, i don't mind where it comes from provided it offers something unique to the quotes.
"For a second there, I mistook ya for a threat... but you're just a dirty little man!"
Has anyone here seen Gremlins 2: The New Batch recently? I've been wondering if Brain Gremlin could qualify.
Goku Black
Oh man I love that film to bits.
I could totally see it. Man is weirdly charming and smart. Though it's been awhile. If you want to do him. I'd be open to an ep.
"That's right mortal. By channeling my divine rage into power, I have forged a new instrument in which to destroy you."
@G Have a good time! A girl I’m friends with went to Florida yesterday.
I still gotta see both of the Gremlins movies sometime.
In the meantime, I’m also eyeing another potential Joe Dante keeper: Lawrence Woolsey. That’ll make three with both of them and Chip.
Also, what about Veronica Rawlings?
Edited by futuremoviewriter on Mar 5th 2021 at 9:20:56 AM
The Brain Gremlin almost assuredly counts but nwot had expressed interest in him without anyone hoping to see him listed immediately so I was waiting on him to get to it.
The wifi here sucks
Brain Gremlin is on someone's to-do list but I don't remember who.
Hope your prepared for an unforgettable luncheon
![[tup]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Thumbs_up_emoticon_3268.png "[thumb up]"){kind=small}
to Morgrash, Macbeth and Integra.
for Morgrash, Macbeth and Integra.
I have a entry we previously I am going to call for a cut on:
So one of the earliest MBs I've discussed, and perhaps my most controversial effortposts(there was also Gehlen but that was deemed a no go really fast) in this thread is this incarnation of senator Bernie Sanders from Red World:
- Magnificent Bastard: Bernie Sanders, after losing his family in a political purge, sought to destroy the leadership of the American People's Commonwealth and install himself as dictator to avenge their deaths. To this end, he supplied far-right terrorists with the means to destroy the World Trade Center, co-opting a pro-democracy movement in the APC and exploiting the divides between the Anarchist Old Guard and the Stalinist New Guard to be appointed as part of the Central Committee and subsequently running for the position of president of the APC. Once in power, Bernie declares himself dictator, purges the Democratic, Anarchist and Stalinist factions of the APC and launches wars to unify all of North America under his rule. Despite this authoritarianism, Bernie remains committed to socialist principles and improving the livelihood of Americans, creating measures to improve the lives of American workers and farmers, while guaranteeing religious freedom for his subjects.
So playing through the American People's Commonwealth campaign once again, I am going to have to seriously re-evaluate this guy. Now it's not because he's too evil or too controversial; nothing changed about how he was characterized and now that we have some rather controversial CIA operatives from a movie upvoted on the CM thread AS well as an incarnation of the former prime minister of the UK upvoted as a CM as well from this same mod, the idea that a recent presidential candidate who is rather inoffensive politically isn't too controversial. However, what may do this entry in is the fact that I only talked about what happens to Bernie in one route, and not another one, where I think having him as a MB is rather more problematic.
So the main storyline of the American People's Commonwealth is the conflict between democratic activists vs. the anarchist Old Guard and the authoritarian New Guard. Now I previously stated the New Guard were pro-Stalinist, this isn't particularly true. Their politics lie closer to authoritarian socialism true, but their views on Communism is closer to anti-imperialist campism rather than pure Stalinism(now you can argue that campists are indistinguishable from "tankies" but the thing is that campists tend to have more vague political views even through a lot of them do genuinely identify as Marxist-Leninist).
Bascically IRL, anti-imperialist campism, or Marcyism, is a extremely controversial belief on the far left that states that any socialist government, or any goverment that uses socialist symbolism is automatically on the right side of history against capitalism regardless of how authoritarian they are, and to critique the quality of these governments is tantamount to giving ammo to capitalist powers to use against these socialist governments. Marcyism is generally frowned on the American left, due to the idea that Marcyists are extremely myopic and ignore the political oppression and suffering of racial and gendered minorities within many of the countries they deem to be on the right side of history. In 99% of internet discussions featuring the far left Marcyist oriented viewpoints, especially their support for the modern day Chinese government as the bastion of world socialism, are a MAJOR Flame War topic. And that will be all I discuss on this matter.
In Red World, the campist New Guard are vague authoritarians that see the Soviet Union as a lesser evil to the democratic powers, and want to take over the American People's Commonwealth with the help of the APC's own Communist Party, and Chomsky and Sanders can both take different efforts to suppress them. But what if the New Guard overcomes them?
If the New Guard manages to impeach Chomsky, the pro-democratic wing of the APC, inspired by Sanders, will rise up in Civil War with Sanders as their leader. A few days after they rise up however, Bernie Sanders is found dead, apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Now if the New Guard actually killed Sanders and framed it as a suicide, it wouldn't hurt his chances. However the word of god was that it was a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Why? Sanders, according to both the guy that originally made Red World and the new team in charge, if made the figurehead of the pro-democratic uprising, will find himself in a situation where he is increasingly marginalized and being made a puppet, and there is a growing chance his behind the scenes role in the May 1st terrorist attacks by white supremacists will be uncovered. So, he kills himself rather than face the consequences of his actions.
If he killed himself for this reason, rather than maybe finding a way to rebound or try a new plan, it sounds like an unrecoverable Villainous Breakdown. Now this isn't made too clear in game, but there is enough evidence it's meant to be an unrecoverable Villainous Breakdown.
Playing through the American People's Commonwealth storyline again and paying attention to this detail makes me rather doubt his ability to qualify as a MB, given that in one route, it's heavily implied he falls into massive depression over his plans being foiled and potentially exposed and kills himself rather than think of a new plan to get out of the situation or even face any accountability for his crimes. So I'm honestly going to have to request that this candidate be removed as I no longer think he fits the qualifications for the trope due to this incident I've ignored for years.
I could maybe see Chomsky qualifying for this, and I think we might get a MB-style figure when the Soviet update hits, but for Chomsky I need to replay the APC again.
Edited by xie323 on Mar 5th 2021 at 11:32:24 AM
The Draftsman of Doom
I concur that this version of Sanders should be cut, or should I say, removed from office.
![[down]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_down.png "[down]"){kind=icon}
My personal opinions on Sanders aside, I agree.
Edited by SkyCat32 on Mar 5th 2021 at 2:39:37 PM
Disregarding my own personal feelings on Bernie being behind a white supremacists' terror plot (I find that extremely tasteless), I'm going to agree to cut him.
You can only write so much in your forum signature. It's not fair that I want to write a piece of writing yet it will cut me off in the mid
Edit: Nevermind my attempt at a joke, just cut Bernie.
Edited by Riley1sCool on Mar 5th 2021 at 11:47:26 AM
Uh... yeah, thanks for being so objective about your own candidates like always on the re-evals xie and I'll concur with the cut.
Gotta love Jaws!
Showtime!
So you're saying there's no way Bernie can still win? *dodges thrown fruit*
Cut him, yeah
Absolute destiny... apeachalypse?
![[lol]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lol2v12_4863.png "[lol]"){kind=small}
That was funny Emma!
![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
Macbeth's write-up is proving a bit more challenging than I expected, but in the meantime, here's the second of my Gargoyles candidates, Fox.
What's the work?
Gargoyles; rather than go to the trouble of re-introducing the series, I'll refer you to my proposal of Macbeth.
Who is Fox? What has she done? Born Janine Renard, Fox (voiced by an uncredited Laura San Giacomo) is the daughter of scientists Halcyon (also an industrialist) and Anastasia Renard (also, unknown to her human family, Titania, wife of Oberon and Queen of the Third Race, magical beings). Lacking her father's staunch integrity, Fox favours fun over honour, becoming a mercenary in her adulthood and forming a relationship with Halcyon's much-hated business rival, David Xanatos.
Introduced in the first season episode "Thrill of the Hunt", Fox is the leader of the Pack, a group of mercenaries who have since obtained fame and fortune as the stars of an action-adventure TV show called (you guessed it) The Pack. It's later revealed that Xanatos was responsible for the formation of the Pack, although only Fox is aware of this. Although the group is satisfied with money and fame, they crave action, and thus, Xanatos "anonymously" turns them on to the existence of the gargoyles (by implication, Fox knows perfectly well who sent the information), and when Lexington, who naively assumes the Pack to be genuine heroes, Fox charms him into bringing Goliath to meet the Pack as well, the group intending to hunt the gargoyle leader for sport. When Goliath and Lex arrive to the meeting they're immediately ambushed and lured into a gauntlet of lethal traps, taking the hunt to the streets and rooftops when the gargoyles escape. Using a variety of tricks, traps, and weapons, the Pack initially has the upper hand, the gargoyles manage to turn the tables, and a cornered Fox takes a hostage to try and stave off Goliath, but the Pack is defeated and Fox is arrested.
While in prison, Fox continues to lead the Pack to serve Xanatos' interests, directing Jackal and Hyena to steal a diamond, then to kill Xanatos when he interferes with the theft. When Elisa visits Fox, she admits that the whole thing is Xanatos' plan to recruit Elisa's brother as a bodyguard, expressing her admiration for his genius. Later, in season 2, during a breakout to free the Pack from prison, Fox refuses to escape with her team, even protecting a guard from Hyena. This is not entirely out of nobility, however; the deed is enough to win her an early parole, Xanatos' plan all along. In subsequent episodes, Fox and Xanatos marry, continuing in a loving relationship for the rest of the series.
Fox really gets to show her stuff in season 2's "Outfoxed", where she orchestrates a plan to steal her father's company, Cyberbiotics by arranging the destruction of Renard's airship, the Fortress II. To this end, she bribes Renard's right-hand man, Preston Vogel, to install a virus in Fortress II's robotic crew to have them take over the vessel and crash it into a Cyberbiotics facility, forcing Renard and Vogel to destroy Fortress II to save the people in the facility. The resulting devastation to Cyberbiotics stock would make Fox's planned hostile takeover easy. Xanatos expresses doubts about the plan, as it would wipe Renard out financially, but Fox is sure that her father will manage. Fox also shows that she is capable of going behind her husband's back, surprising Xanatos with test results from her doctor. The plan to destroy Fortress II fails because of Goliath's interference and Vogel's loyalty to Renard winning out over his greed. Vogel fesses up, but Fox is unfazed. Meeting with her father, Fox greets him affectionately and admits that, while Renard would simply hand her the company if she asked for it, she prefers the "fun" route of trying to steal it. They part on good terms, with Fox revealing the results of her doctor's test: she's pregnant, much to her and her father's joy.
In the episode "Upgrade", Fox and Xanatos engage in a little game where they set the Pack and the gargoyles against each other, with Xanatos aiding the Pack, while Fox manipulates the gargoyles. Needing to be less direct than her husband (who straight-up offers the Pack upgrades for their abilities), Fox offers an anonymous tip that leads the police— and thus, Elisa and half of the gargoyles— to the Pack, and later, uses a conveniently placed TV commercial to alert the remaining gargoyles to where the Pack is keeping their friends, leading to a battle that ends with the Pack's defeat and Fox's victory. Not that Xanatos minds; he sees being married to her, a true equal, as a victory all on its own.
In her next appearance, "Walkabout", Fox works alongside her mother to create the Matrix, an A.I. controlling a mass of nanomachines that could potentially be used to reshape the world, hiring her old teammate Dingo to act as security for the project. As such projects are wont to do, things go sideways, and the Matrix grows beyond their control, taking it's directive to create order to an extreme and threatening to consume the world. Dingo and Goliath manage to work together to talk the Matrix down, and the A.I. joins Dingo, becoming a superhero team. Not Fox's finest hour, but we all have our off days.
Fox's last major appearance in the series is in "The Gathering" two-parter, where she gives birth to her and Xanatos' son, Alexander. Soon after the child's birth, Anastasia reveals her true identity as Titania and, together with Oberon, decides that, since Fox's Half-Human Hybrid status has yielded no magical ability, Alexander should be taken to Avalon so that his magical potential can be nurtured. Since this means taking the child away from his parents forever, Fox and Xanatos won't stand for it. Granted an hour to say goodbye, the couple instead decides to prepare to repel Oberon. Titania alerts Goliath and his clan to the situation as well, and they lend their aid to their erstwhile enemies against Oberon. All parties involved put up a hell of a fight, but in the end, Fox is all that stands between Oberon and her son. With Oberon inches away from claiming Alexander, Fox desperately summons a burst of magical power that knocks Oberon back. Though she can't repeat the feat, Goliath successfully argues that Alexander could develop his magical power in the human world, resolving the conflict.
In the aftermath of this conflict, Fox and Xanatos become less antagonistic towards the clan, with Fox even coming to make peace with Lexington over a mutual protectiveness of Alexander.
Is she intelligent? Is she charismatic? Fox doesn't get the focus that her husband does, but she's every bit his intellectual equal, as Xanatos himself admits. She's a solid plotter, whether she's working with her husband or on her own initiative, and she's not overly fussed if these plans fail, as she's often more interested in fun than in results, as well as an Übermensch who legally changed her name from one she was given to one she prefers. She has a decent mind for science as well, and she shows some tactical skills in her team's first engagement with the gargoyles. She's pragmatic, too; during the first fight with the gargoyles, Fox waits until any witnesses have dispersed before resuming the attack, and during the jailbreak, she's smart enough to recognise that she has a better shot at freedom from parole than by escaping prison. As far as charisma goes, she holds up pretty well; the Pack were a solid team under her command, but once she's not in charge anymore, infighting gets a lot more frequent until the group breaks up. Fox is Affably Evil, affectionate towards her family, and has plenty of style, all of which earns her plenty of coolness points. She makes a few mistakes, but never completely loses her cool under fire, and only really loses her composure at the prospect of losing her newborn son, which is totally understandable.
What's the competition like? The series has four keepers at this point, but, as the above proves, she's perfectly capable of standing with them. Xanatos considers her his equal, and that's no Informed Ability. Fox's appearances show that she can match wits with her husband without a problem, and even get one over on him on a couple of occasions. She mostly shares her resources with Xanatos, so she manages to be on a different tier than Macbeth or Thailog, and her one-off magical power can't really compare to Puck. She measures up admirably against the series' other keepers.
Is she a bastard? Too much? Fox starts out as a mercenary perfectly happy to hunt a sentient being for sport, has no qualms about using her teammates, and tries to steal her father's company needlessly (and in a manner sure to humiliate him, to boot). She's also a party to many of Xanatos' schemes, and, as the incident with the Matrix proves, she's not averse to a bit of world domination if the mood strikes. That said, she's a charmer who dearly loves her husband, parents, and son, and fights tooth and nail to protect her loved ones, and doesn't go out of her way to harm innocent people. She strikes much the same balance that Xanatos does, albeit without as many Pet the Dog moments.
Verdict? Mildly unsure due to her lack of active plotting or action compared to the other keepers, but I'll call Fox a solid keep otherwise.
I really need to work on brevity.
Happy yea to Fox.
Goku Black
Fox
I agree, I think she's got the tactical mind to keep.
Funny quote, but I don't think it quite explains it enough. Still, I'm open to quotes from less official sources provided the character counts.
"For a second there, I mistook ya for a threat... but you're just a dirty little man!"