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the concept of the villan in Beginner's Luck

posted 5 years ago by doug78595 (107)
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Throughout the entire 22 year run of the Our Gang shorts the gang always took care of the villan. If it was the bully, the spoiled rich or the brat. They took extra special care if it was an adult that got into their way, it seems the viewing audience liked it even more if it happened to an adult. In the case of Beginner's Luck in the early stage it seems that it's Spanky's mother. She has her son recite in front of her friends, then signs him up to preform on stage where he clearly wants nothing to do with it. So the Our Gang fan sits back and says OK how are the writers going to give this girlie her just deserts. But you see her at the theater her son is furious at her, her mom is laughing at her behind her back and then in her face , she is having a running gun battle with the MC. Her sons friends are plotting to destroy his act. All this stuff going on and she tries to help saying Spank could give the prize to Daisy, She would talk to the gang and try to tell them Spanky's message. When he goes on he falls and she jumps to speak to the MC to plead with him to get the house lights on. When the gang start with the peashooters and the noise makers she can be seen waving for him to step off. When all is lost and Spanky is being humiliated out there she begs to have him taken off only to be laughed at. Then she tries to run out on stage to get him back only to be stopped and pulled back. With no other choice she attempts to pull him off only to be taken care of by the MC and Grandma.
I believe the real villans of the short are the granny and The MC.

[–] Robbie (249) 5 years ago

I agree, spankys mother came off as really bitchy in the beginning but quickly got her commuppance after she saw her son being made a fool of, she desperately wanted her son to do good and the gang made a fool out of him so she had to go into protective saving face mode. She had to save face for spanky as well as herself. And unfortunately it all blew up in her face. Spanky than tried to unsuccessfully save , cover his mother but that didn’t work out! It was a complete and utter disaster. She and her son were utterly humiliated, embarrassed. Red faced! Lol

[–] doug78595 (107) 5 years ago

The use of giving the villan a comeupence had worked so successfully thru he series and I originally believed the mother was the bad guy. But I kept hearing people say they were upset seeing what happened to her or were freaked out by watching her experience. The mother wanting her son to expand his horizon and start reciting Shakespeare doesn't really sound what a typical mother wants to pass on to their children.
Striping her was one thing but he stage prop went way, way over the top.
The way the MC laughs in her face when she pleads to put on the house lights and then almost smacks her in the face as he is putting them on. Grabs her when she steps on the side curtain looking for Spanky is assaulted by the MC. Then in a frantic effort to stop her son's humiliation gets a hook up her skirt.