Town bully
Encyclopedia
The town bully is a stereotypical character, especially from the mythology of the American Wild West. The town bully generally oppresses meeker residents of the town. This character is often featured in movies, sometimes as a greaser or a gangster
. In 1980s films, he may be a bad-tempered preppy
. Usually he's the ring leader of a pack of lesser bullies.
The town bully usually achieves and maintains his power in large part because of the smallness of the town where he resides, and because of the collective apathy or timidity of the rest of the town residents. Often, the moral of movies featuring a town bully is that if the rest of the town bands together, they can rid themselves of the town bully. Examples of town bullies are Biff Tannen
from the Back to the Future
series of movies, and Nelson Muntz
as the main bully in The Simpsons
television series, with Jimbo Jones, Dolph and Kearney Zzyzwicz as his cronies.
, and Back to School)
Gangster
A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Some gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from mob and the suffix -ster....
. In 1980s films, he may be a bad-tempered preppy
Preppy
Preppy, preppie, or prep refers to a modern, widespread United States clique, often considered a subculture...
. Usually he's the ring leader of a pack of lesser bullies.
The town bully usually achieves and maintains his power in large part because of the smallness of the town where he resides, and because of the collective apathy or timidity of the rest of the town residents. Often, the moral of movies featuring a town bully is that if the rest of the town bands together, they can rid themselves of the town bully. Examples of town bullies are Biff Tannen
Biff Tannen
Biff Howard Tannen is a character in the Back to the Future trilogy, serving as the primary antagonist of the first two films. He is played by Thomas F. Wilson in all three films as well as the ride, and Wilson voiced the character in the animated series....
from the Back to the Future
Back to the Future
Back to the Future is a 1985 American science-fiction adventure film. It was directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale, produced by Steven Spielberg, and starred Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover and Thomas F. Wilson. The film tells the story of...
series of movies, and Nelson Muntz
Nelson Muntz
Nelson Mandela Muntz is a fictional character and bully from the animated TV series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Nancy Cartwright. Nelson was introduced in Season 1's "Bart the General" as a bully but later turned into a friend of Bart Simpson, who is best identified by his signature laugh .-Role...
as the main bully in The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
television series, with Jimbo Jones, Dolph and Kearney Zzyzwicz as his cronies.
External links
(features Scott Farkus, a great town bully). (The quintessential 1980's class bully, in such films as The Karate Kid, Just One of the GuysJust One of the Guys
Just One of the Guys is a 1985 comedy film, directed by Lisa Gottlieb. The film is marketed with the tagline "Terri Griffith is about to go where no woman has gone before." This movie ranked number 48 on Entertainment Weeklys list of the "50 Best High School Movies".-Plot:Terry Griffith is an...
, and Back to School)