Favorite character

Pixar's Feature Films Monsters, Inc. / University
#121

Alright post by post…

Pitbulllady
You

know very well I don’t mean that.

Thanks. I suppose that is what really bugged me.
Not to mention

Sullivan had time to switch Randall between hands. Anybody notice that?

Mitch
Good admit that. Many

people have much to learn about Ran and the Monster World in it’s entirety. Not that I’m one in particular, but

either way.

Hope that view changes in time to a less…“despised” way.

Star

Swordsman
He was CLAIMING it back. Randall was originally Top Scarer. Sullivan had held the Scare Record for

simply a year. And I would never doubt that some CEO had a hand in it.

Lizard Girl
True point. Shows

that Randall does NOT take credit unless he earned it. Showing that he probably had to earn everything his whole

life, not being given it on a silver platter.

True.

You have a LOT of competition in that field

heh.

Pitbulllady
True. Randall’s “attitude”, before their involvement in the incident,

would be influenced by thinking Sullivan HAD cheated in some way (PLEASE…Slumber Party at that moment? COME

ON). Remind it’s been only ONE YEAR since Sullivan got the title. We do NOT see Randall in the early times of

that reign. He might have been shocked at first that a pupil had beat him, but it does NOT mean that he swore

he’d get it back, although he would have jokingly said Sullivan wouldn’t be up on top too long.
And

also…notice the numbers. How Sullivan’s point increase is ALLOT more than Randall is.

Mitch

Yes. Randall was trained to be a scarer. And Monsters Inc. was one of the more famous of the scream production

plants. Waternoose being the CEO would have control over him more than anyone else. He was a MINORITY

WORKER.
Unsure of employing African Americans in the past, but I believe there was something about having at

least one employee.
And from what we see Randall IS that one employee. It would be no chrushing blow if

Randall was removed.

  1. Could be said that. Though remember his sleep deprivation and such. As I said

before, at this time Randall would be thinking Sullivan and Wazowski were cheating. And NOT beating them to get

his spot back just infuriates him.

  1. Randall’s an honest worker. Go in, work, maybe mingle a little,

grab the paycheck, go home. Normal guy. He didn’t want to cheat.
Randall wanted to PROVE himself to everyone.

That he could accomplish something without being underhanded.

No as far as I see.

You want to know?

Well I could tell you Mitch, but you would probably discard it. However if you want to know, and willing to

accept…all you need is to ask me. I’m sure Randall wouldn’t mind if it helped his

reputation.

Pitbulllady

Well humiliation would get to someone like Randall. But having bottled up

rage being hold back, probably would not have bugged him then.

True about the Scare Record.

One

caught with no way out bares their teeth at everyone.

Star Sworsman
Actually that was uniquely done by

Ty Parsec.
And yes. It would be nice to see that now wouldn’t it.

DoubleLatte
The title was not

GIVEN, it’s earned. Sullivan did not have the WHOLE company on his side. Most are what I call

“migraters”. They always migrate and stick to the leading man. You can easily see this when Sullivan

lost the position and they flocked to Randall (who did NOT boast at this, unlike Sullivan), then migrated back to

Sullivan when he went up again.
Well said. Sullivan was like the Jock in a High School film. Had several

friends, well known, and did great in sports. Randall wasn’t as well liked given the racial factor. Had few if

any friends, Fungus probably the ONLY one if any. Though he did good on his grades, while Sullivan got his help

from his friends and family.
Randall nearly had nothing and Sullivan had everything. Once Sullivan took his

Top Scarer position…well that bottle inside him was starting to tip the lid.

Lizardgirl

That’s

correct.

Really makes you think. Randall species is hated allot. Not JUST in the Monster World, but here

as well to a degree. Not to mention several religions refering to reptiles as serpants of hell. Just because of

scales and such.

I recall that episode and I think the same thing.

Hardly anyone notices it.

Heh. Good point. Waternoose is willing to do anything. Even to someone he, as seen, respected.

Sullivan got in his way and Waternoose banished him.

Either way Randall was sunk. Suppose the delusion of

actually getting what he should is what kept him going.

True. Who’s REALLY heartless

then?

Pitbulllady

Hehehe. Have to admit you have done ALLOT of long posts Pitbulllady. But they

all speak the truth and are very detailed.
Just to say I’m glad I’m on your side heh.

One of the main

reasons is the pain of segreation society. The pure idiotic result of discrimination that causes such

things.
I remember in an X-Files episode concerning mexican immigrants. And a quote speaks a subtle

truth.
"These people are like ghosts…you never take a minute to look at them…the truth is…nobody

cares"

True. Take a good look when Randall is alone with Boo on the door. You can see the thoughtful

look on his face. Contemplating, “What should I do?”
Allot had happened in the past two days.

Randall had allot to think of in so little time. He was in the Door Vault, taking the kid back. But what after

that? Did his dillusion of rewards disappear? Was he thinking "Should I go back? What should I

expect?". Randall probably had little want in reparing the extractor. It had ticked away his life and

brought him into the cover-up.
But now that he was away from that. Away from the Extractor, away from

Waternoose, and away from all that happened for that moment, he had to think of what to do. Can you imagine how

that felt? TRYING to think your way out of something horrible with so little time?
Did help that Sullivan came

crashing in.

That is true. Randall did not know the TRUE reason for why Sullivan and Wazowski wanted

the kid. And the costume was a slap in the face.
Interesting though. How Boo, the kid that this whole thing

centered around, was there with Randall at that moment (I mentioned above) wearing a costume that signifies, to a

degree, with what he looked like. Add that to his thoughts. Thoughts of anger "trying to take a stab at me

with that stupid suit", “aint enough to ruin me!?”. Thoughts of sorrow, "why am I doing

this?".

If anyone would just stop and THINK for a moment. Not at WHAT their seeing, but WHAT they are

NOT. You stare at a person and wonder about their actions and their appearence, but not what they are

thinking.
Kind of like Live Actors. It’s a split. What is the actor thinking? Probably shown in a commentary.

But what is the character thinking?

#122

I wasn’t talking about “sides”. Just likeability in general.

Everyone, including you and me, naturally would gravitate towards somebody you admire or deem “cool” in

terms of personality or position. Sullivan, in his co-workers’ eyes, had both. He was a celebrity around that

factory and even out of it; he’s given reservations to booked, high-end restaurants in town and is asked to sign

autographs by the CDA instead of stripping down and getting decontaminated. It’s more of

who he was and even how he looks rather than what he had accomplished that swooned

the locals. The title of Top Scarer only added more to the package of what people are looking to like. Wanna bet

Randall wouldn’t have earned half as much of that love and admiration because of who he was and even looked to

everyone in his world? This brought up a little fact about how WE view the less aesthetically gifted individuals

in OUR world; despite accomplishments, successes, and talents, employers stick with the more attractive man or

woman, even if their competence is less outstanding than that of their less attractive counterparts. We’re ALL

shallow little critters. Cute children are viewed as less “naughty” than their average-looking

classmates or siblings; juries go easier on an attractive convict’s sentence than someone who is unfortunate

enough to look less appealing. A lot of the employees DID flock over to Randall when he had the Scare Leader

position for about a nano second, but how long do you think that “oooh” factor would have lasted, as

excited and impressed as they were? This is RANDALL they’re shaking hands with, afterall. Bad, grumpy,

“creepy” guy, remember? Those 15 minutes of fame, even if he HAD stayed as Scare Leader, would have

waned by day’s end.
And, call me a little off, but hard worker or not, I really don’t believe that someone

as close to the CEO as Sullivan could have, entirely by himself for one year straight, have

earned that position as Top Scarer without a little help. PLUS, I bet if it weren’t

even for Mike urging him to haul some arse and going around acting as his personal fitness trainer, Sullivan

would have probably spent his mornings sleeping in instead, and watching the telly and scarfing down chips during

his evenings off from work. Just my two cents’ worth.

#123

I LIKE your "two cents’

worth", DL! I know a LOT of people do not want to believe that there are people in this world who get where

they are, FAST, by virtue of who they KNOW, not necessarily how hard they work or how talented they are. I’m

not saying that the “great James P. Sullivan” was a slacker, but y’all saw how difficult it was to

even get him out of bed, and if it weren’t for Mike’s constant pushing him, combined with a bit of

behind-the-scenes manipulation on the part of another close friend, the company’s CEO(which Sulley probably had

no clue about, and never even remotely considered), there is simply no way he could have gotten where he was in a

single year! That whole scene in which Sulley “just happens” to stumble upon an entire

slumber party, immediately after A Randall tops him on

the Scare Board, and B, Waternoose walks up to him on the Scare Floor cannot

possibly be a mere coincidence; as Blooregard Q. Kazoo would put it,

“Suspiiiiiciousssss”!

It’s also very, very true what you said

about people being favored because of their looks. Randall, unfortunately, seemed to have been born with the

wrong looks insofar as what monsters consider attractive. Look at the ads that appear in the newspapers and

supermarket tabloids in the movie; many are for growing hair, for gaining weight and bulking up, so apparently,

being big and furry in the Monster World is analagous to being “buff” and “ripped” in the

Human World if you’re male, and being thin and scaly is comparable to…well, being thin and scaly in OUR world.

That hatred and fear of reptiles, especially snakes, that so many humans have apparently got carried over that

barrier between the two Worlds. Even IF Randall HAD been born into and raised by a close, loving family,

eventually the emotional pain of constantly being treated like a pariah because of what he looked like alone

would have worn on him considerably. It’s possible that the only reason he was even hired, initially, was due

to some form of Affirmative Action in his world, and he had worked his butt off to prove that he really was good

enough for the job, and not being kept just because of some quota, but that still would have earned the

resentment of his peers, who would have still felt that he did not deserve it.

pitbulllady

#124

DoubleLatte
There is a difference between Fans and Friends. Fans do not neccesarily LIKE

the person as much as their work. Seeing as how this is employee/employee, the fans hang with the Top Scarer

simply because of the title.
(I consider Randall a friend if anyone is going to use that one me in this

heh.)

Scareing is everything in the Monster World. It is the ideal job. Sullivan got his reservation and

interview status simply because of that title. Nobody really admires a normal Scarer over the Top

Scarer.

I think the ooh would have lasted longer than you think. Randall originally had the Top Scarer

record before Sullivan and had held it for just as long.

Your agreeing on the fact I stated in my last

post I see.

Pitbulllady
As said stated.

Furries are the second most common monster, next to

those with tentacles.

Randall would not have been as hurt really if he had his family with him. At least

after days of discrimation and racism he’d have something to come hom for.

#125

Exactly. Affirmative Action, or least the Monster World’s equal

of it, was also something that had crossed my mind earlier. If reptilian looks really are considered a

characteristic of a minority group in the Monster World (which they probably are, since I admit that Randall was

the only one), then they must have some forms of racial and ethnic issues in their

world, as well as laws to enforce “equal” rights and prevent racism. Personally, I’m entirely against

that particular “corrective” measure (Affirmative Action) of achieving a diverse school/working

environment. Just as nepotism gets others places, affirmative action might also apply, in others’ views, as a

fast n’easy way for members of a minority group to get into prestigious colleges or get hired over White

applicants, or whatever group applies as the majority in the Monster World. Randall, unfortunately, might have

felt he needed to do something MORE to prove to everyone that he wasn’t just there because of this preference to

minorities because the company needed to maintain a certain percentage of diverse racial groups within its

employees. Given his competitive nature, determination and competence as a skilled Scarer, I have little doubt

that Randall would have even needed that special push (or in some cases, extra browny points) to land him that

job in MI if a policy such as Affirmative Action would have applied in Monstropolis.

#126

The

Monster World society is advanced in terms of the Scream technology and the doors, though in terms of ethical and

racial issues, the acceptance, or at least some kind of acceptance, we have today in our world hasn’t quite come

for reptiles yet.

Hard to say HOW Randall was hired. He was a scareing verteran. He probably got into

Monsters Inc. because of AA, but his skills probably proved to be more valuable.

#127

He could not have

been much of a veteran at the age of 25, especially not if he did have a four-year degree. At the most, he would

have worked there for four years, and while that would give him enough time to reach the top, being that he was

good enough and had a unique “Super” ability, if you will, four years hardly qualifies someone for

being considered a “veteran” on any job, unless it’s catching Alaskan Snow Crabs or serving in the

military. Now, he could have worked there a bit longer if he’d been hired right out of high school, but that

would have meant foregoing any formal education.

pitbulllady

#128

Agree with PBL. I know next to nothing about mechanics or the process of building something as complex as the

Scream Extractor, but to know that much, I know Randall would have at least acquired

a Bachelors degree, which I’m pretty sure (or more like 100% convinced) it’s in engineering. You don’t learn

how to build something like that by taking shop in high school.

#129

And the sad thing is, is that he was treated like by his peers like an idiot, despite

the fact that he was probably more intelligent than the whole lot of them put together. No wonder he was

endlessly frustrated with Fungus, who was also a culprit of demeaning Randall’s intelligence.

#130

You guys have got me topped. I probably have no say in this, but I felt that it

was necessary to include my two cents worth:

Last night,

I popped Monsters Inc. into my dvd player, turned off all the lights, and sat by the

living room heater. I must admit, all of you guys’ talk concerning Randall’s black working career got me

interested, and so I proceeded to study more about this fascinating character…

Needless to say, I

learned a few things. Not to mention, I spent at least two hours last night thinking and dreaming about Randall.

However, a select few notifiable scenes entered my mind…and will now pour themselves from the keyboard and onto

this post:

Consideration -

I noticed one, rather tender, personality

trait within Randall: He did seem to care about others within and outside of the

Monsters Incorporated facility.

For example, he gave Mike a chance to return

Boo – it was within a limited amount of time, but he did give him a chance. Of course, this could have been due

to a number of reasons, mainly the fact that he didn’t want there to be any trouble – he knew that Mike was

“vulnerable” and would give him the kid if he (Mike) got out of the tense situation. Randall would get

Boo, and Mike would be out of his way.

It seemed like the only time Randall wanted to hurt anyone was when

there was either no choice (ie., what Waternoose says goes) or if there was something in it for him (ie., extract

scream from Mike = eliminate some of the “competition”). Although, if Randall was in his right mind, he

(of course) probably wouldn’t have tried to strangle Sulley. Part, or all, of it might have been peer

pressure/depression.

Pleading -

Yes, Randall pleaded. I don’t know

why I never spotted that before. It is right before your favorite part pitbulllady,

when Randal is thrown out the door and into the human world (snigger – I’m just joking; you know I’m joking;

no offense meant):

“No, please, no!”, Randall said. But Sulley and Mike disposed of him anyway.

Now, here comes the surprising part: I was officially heart-broken to hear

Randall use his last resource and begged for mercy by simply saying “please”. I don’t know why, but

that kind of a thing always has a great impact on me.

Anxious -

Now

this kind of…“disturbed” me, so to speak. When Boo came deadly close to experiencing the full power

of the Scream Extractor, I realized that Randall sure seemed mighty pleased concerning Boo’s would-be fate. I

suppose this was simply because getting rid of Boo would mean that he would be “free” of the load that

he had carried on his shoulders for the past couple of nights. Either that, or Waternoose would have "let

Randall go" after Boo was gone, so to speak.

Another thing I noticed about the guy was that he

really never gave himself a chance to relax and rub shoulders with his fellow co-workers.

When Sulley

said, “Hey. May the best monster win”, Randall’s first reaction was to turn away and voice his opinion

on the matter. Of course, he had other things on his mind at the time, and the last thing he wanted to do was get

his mind off his goal…at the moment. Deep down, I’m sure he wanted to be free of all that anxiety and relax

for a minute as well. However, he could have shook Sulley’s hand. He did have a

choice at that moment. Perhaps his reluctance to “ease out” a little bit led to his eventual downfall.

Of course, that’s not to say that Randall isn’t still out there in the human world somewhere, trying to find a

way back to his homeworld…

Comfort -

Now here is where my last two

cents play their part: Randal has, in a sense, the “comfort” of knowing that he was

not banished. He has a right to return to his world…and perhaps that will keep him

going in his quest to find another closet that will lead him back into the monster world, if that is his quest

(and I’m sure it is). That’s what I would do if I were kicked out of my home for no reason – I’d go back and

set things right…if possible. And if I was like Randall and made myself unpopular, I would fix that, too.

Unless that

shovel just simply knocked some sense into the guy, I’d have to say that I am finally starting to feel bad for

that lizard that you guys like so much.

But remember: Randall is not my

favorite Pixar character. Never has been; never will be. Please forgive me, but the guy just creeps me out, even

if he is a cool creation. Heck, I jumped out of my seat twice in the theater when

Randall first appeared on the screen. I hope no Randall-like monster ever comes out of

my closet… :stuck_out_tongue:

#131

I really don’t think Fungus demeaned Randall’s intelligence, and if he

did, he wouldn’t do it intentionally. Either way, with Randall’s flaring temper

and constantly being on the verge of a nervous breakdown, Fungus wouldn’t dare. :3 The guy just blabbers a lot,

which doesn’t get the work done. I can understand how he can get on Randall’s bad side VERY fast after pulling

off a full-time shift AND after-work hours on the SE with Fungus chattering away. His head is probably on the

verge of exploding by the day’s end.

#132

Pitbulllady
You

would be surprised at how fast Randall completed his training and what academy he went to after his school years

heh.

Double Latte
So your saying Randall had NO natural talent in machine-making?

Mitch
Heh.

Interesting experiment Mitch.

Consideration: For the first part about the chance. Randall GAVE Sullivan

and Wazowski a chance to get out. But did they give him the same chance?
And he was trying to scare Wazowski

into not blabbing, not eliminate him.

Pleading: Exactly. And how did Waternoose act? With hostility. Now

how does that seperate these two?

Anxious: The test with Boo meant the end of everything in, seemingly, a

lighter way to him. No more undercovering, finally free from the whole thing. (and again not "dispose

of" her).
True. Though the bathroom scene does give him a chance to pull on the breaks a

bit.

Randall knew he was the better Scarer than Sullivan was. In terms of the handshake, at the time

Randall had the thought that SULLIVAN WAS CHEATING. Who would shake the hand of someone who you, at least, think

is cheating?

Comfort: I don’t really think it would be much of a comfort. Banishment is banishment. For

Ran it’s exhile. Either way he’s still there. Even if it was normal banishment he’d come back

somehow.

The shovel was injury to insult (the insult being beaten by those two, I know the normal saying

is switched). At the time before being cast away, Randall was actually back to normal.

Hehehe…be glad

Randall’s not hunting for dooes at the moment or he could come into your room heh heh.

Double

Latte
Not so DL. If I recall, and Pitbulllady can assist me on this, there is a form of mental abnormality

that causes a person to enjoy other people’s stress.
Fungus is probably NOT a racist, but does have the views

of seeing reptiles in a darker light.
You CAN see, RIGHT before Fungus comes into the bathroom scene that he

is SMILING. And wouldn’t you know it, he lands the whole “kid is on the loose” thing that Randall

ALREADY knew about.

#133

On the note of formal

education - I’d just like to remind you that lots of inventive/engineering geniuses drop or fail out of school

(esp. college) because they’re just bored with it. Bill Gates comes to mind, heck - so does a fair chunk of the

Pixar population including Steve Jobs, John Lasseter, and Brad Bird.

Somehow Randall strikes me as that

type (as does Syndrome to a lesser extent) - ingenius enought to do anything but not “qualified” or

“experienced” enough to get what he deserves.

#134

You DO realize that something like the Scream Extractor wasn’t meant to kill, right?

It was meant to gather screams without Monsters doing any of the actual scaring or worrying about getting dead

doors in the process. PLEASE, tell me you didn’t think that Randall, upon spending maybe a few years (Yep.

Years. Common sense and crappy school projects tell me you don’t plan and build stuff like THAT in a week!)

building the Scream Extractor, had his heart set on going on a killing spree? Assuming Randall has an engineering

degree, he should know all about safety standards and procedures that come along with making a prototype (the

huge, clunky Scream Extractor? Yeah. That thing.) He NEEDED to take that responsibility seriously in producing a

design that would work as expected and NOT cause unintended harm to the children. Trust me; Randall would have

taken all measures possible to AVOID having to deal with a build-up of little children’s dead bodies. Not only

would it be a nasty inconvinience for him and the company, but it would also have become a problem once parents

started noticing their kids missing (kidnapped? Waternoose didn’t have a problem with it) or being dumped back

into their rooms, dead. Boo probably didn’t hold a lot of significance or importance to Randall other than

something to test his machine on and conclude if it works so they could get started

on full-scale production of it. He’s not wearing that smirk because he’s getting a kick out of inflicting pain

onto another sentient being; if you want something to explain that smile, consider how long he must have waited

to get his machine up and running and getting to see his years of slaving over it finally pay off (if it worked

accordingly) with an awesome promotion as an executive, and even better, as Sullivan’s supervisor.
Judging

by how Monsters constantly refer to kids by “it”, as one would an object or an animal, I doubt Randall

knew he was harming someone that would grow up equal to him as an intellectual being. Therefore, from his point

of view, what he did to Boo did not constitute as any form of wrong-doing. WE might see it as child abuse and a

horrible, unforgiving act of cruelty against a toddler, because WE knew, as humans, what Randall was really

dealing with. I’m sure all Randall knew was that humans weren’t toxic; but other

than that, who cares? Human children were a source of energy that kept their city lights flowing, not cute and

innocent little tykes that you could get attached to.

Here’s the thing though: An

individual like Randall, who sees a rival in the CEO’s favorite employee, might have interpreted his

well-meaning handshake either as a mockery or a challenge rather than a genuine gesture at burying the hatchet

and having some friendly competition. Randall already had witnessed Sullivan’s year-long streak as Top Scarer;

he already knew the drill, so why on earth would he shake hands with Sullivan

knowing he’d lose to him AGAIN? “May the best monster win”? Personally, I

admired Randall for possessing that much restraint and not throwing in something more scorchingly insulting at

Sullivan instead of just brushing off his gesture and setting his mind right back to work.
Who

doesn’t ever want to be free of ALL anxiety in this world?? Believe you me, had

Randall been given the choice to sit back and relax without having to worry about Sullivan beating him to the

record and forever remaining pathetically low in his boss’ eyes (and much, much more!), he would have snatched

up that opportunity without anyone asking him twice. Everyone assumes Randall acts like an ass by nature; sadly,

they never take the time to stop and think exactly WHY he might have refused to shake hands or act all peachy

keen with Sullivan. His blatant dislike for him was SO much more preferable to say, a mask of friendliness that

would have later turned to back-stabbing, which is the lowliest of lows you could possibly go. At LEAST with

someone like Randall, there’s a level of honesty, and you’d never have to worry about someone like him talking

smack behind your back and then transforming into a ray of sunshine as soon as you face forward.

Wait… what comfort? I’m VERY sure that in such a

position he isn’t thinking “well, technically, I’m not REALLY banished!”

He’s either dead, or extremely pissed. At this point, he’s seeing things in black and white: he’s out, they

kicked him out, and there is no middle ground. And which home are you talking about? Here in your own dimension,

or an another one? It isn’t as easy as knocking on your own door and asking to be given one more chance. How

does anyone go about WANTING to make themselves unpopular, or knowing that you indeed were unpopular, but now out

of the goodness of your heart wanted to be liked and somehow make everything all pretty again? Given the mess

Randall got himself into, if he went back, I’m willing to bet my part-time college job paycheck that he’ll be

handcuffed and frisked by the CDA. What IS there for Randall to “set right” again if everything has

been found out and Waternoose has already been hauled off by the CDA? IF he ever finds his way back, no one’s

gonna roll out the red carpet or embrace him in one huge, group hug.

'Mkay. Why does he creep you out? Just curious. I love Randall to death

and the term “creepy” or “creep” being used to describe him gets under my skin and qualifies

as one of my top pet peeves, to be honest. I don’t expect you, or anyone else for that matter, to idolized him

simply because of what you read on here. Just explain a little bit more on why exactly he “creeps” you

out.

Ok! That’s enough for me. Phew.

#135

Dash
Althought Randall wasn’t a dropout he did excel in terms of grades. Good point made.

Double

Latte
As stated.
True. Randall knew kids weren’t toxic. To those who doubt at the film, Waternoose knew

fully well and, to go smoothly, had to have told Randall. That is IF Randall didn’t know the toxic thing was

fake, though I believe he knew.

True. Which showed Randall’s “Bottle” of anger if you will. How

he slowly becomes more…well…hostile isn’t the word I would use but…hostile as the story went on.
When

Randall was Top Scarer he was rather good natured, EVEN toward Sullivan…

Randall knows he won’t get

the red carpet treatement. Initally on his mind is revenge. At this time, Randall would be struggling with his

thoughts. He was free of Waternoose, but Sullivan ruined everything for him. It had been a year at the end and,

as far as we could see, Randall wasn’t back.
A year of hell will not help Randall much with his concicence if

revenge is the only thing on his mind.

People have the opinions, but I have also have DL’s peeve. People

should never judge unless facts are taken into consideration. Though yes, I would like to know as well.

#136

Nexas - Thank you for taking my views and opinions into consideration; however, it

looks like I’ll be dead by the time pitbulllady gets through with me. :stuck_out_tongue:

DoubleLatte - Before I make my reply, let me say this:

You guys love Randall. Henceforth, you will do everything in your power to

defend him if needed. I, on the other hand, do not share this proposed “love” for Mr. Boggs, so I

cannot state my peace in a “worthy” manner compared to you all. I do my best to understand the

material, but I am only an adolescent and still at a young age. All of you older folk (over the age of 19; no

offense here – heheh) know alot more than I do, so you can state your views clearly.

Now, let me brake

this down, Miss. Ka-chow:

Consideration - I don’t believe that Randall

wanted to kill anybody, but I do believe that the Scream Extractor had the power to

eliminate someone…if needed. Those buttons could go pretty high; however, now that I read your post, I realize

that this is not so. Hey, like I said, I don’t know everything…so bear with me here. :stuck_out_tongue:

Pleading - So it was the competition that kept him away? The rival

“perspective” and the like? Ok, I get you…

Comfort - Dude, you

know what I’m talking about. Sure, anyone would feel absolutely horrible for getting kicked out, not to mention

the fact that – in Randall’s case, anyway – there were dead ends everywhere: stay in the human world and spend

a life of unrest, or find a way back to the monster world and get locked up anyway. But yeah…

And now

for the part you have all been waiting for:

[i][b]Why does Randall creep me

out?[/i][/b]

Randall is the exact person (or monster,

in this case) whom I would keep as far away from as possible. From my perspective (and from a first glance), this

is how Randall looks to me:

  • Power-hungry
  • Unrelenting
  • Slightly vain
  • Rude (at times)

Unpredictable

Despite the vain and unpredictable parts, all these traits are characteristics that I

absolutely hate/despise. Would you want to be around a person/monster like that? No

way – not me. As a matter of fact, I would attempt to put some distance between myself and that person. Either

that, or I would try to make friends with the foe…which might be impossible…when refering to Randall.

Secondly, things that creep up on me give me the whillies. Who doesn’t get the butterflies in that kind

of a situation, though? Yes, Randall is cool, but picture this: You’re in the bed/at work/whatever, when

suddenly…this lizard-like creature materializes out of no-where and gives you a nice “jolt”. Not to

say that Randall isn’t cool – he’s incredible. Who wouldn’ want to have the ability to blend in with your

surroundings, not to mention the superb flexibility factor. But hey…that’s just me.

However, I am not

entirely unrelenting. Now that I know more about Randall, let’s just say this: If Randall came out of my closet

right now and tried to scare me silly, the first thing I would do is hug him. He could certainly use it…after

all that coffee he was drinking… :unamused:

#137

Here’s a few more comments, and since there’s so much to be quoted, I won’t do that, but will weigh in on

some observations that were recently brought up.

One: Randall’s apparent glee at seeing Boo in the seat

of the Scream Extractor-The Scream Extractor was NOT intended to be LETHAL! Let’s get that point straight right

off the bat, OK? It would be absolutely stupid, and certainly beyond absolutely stupid for someone of Randall’s

intellect(education or not, the guy was brilliant)to design a machine that would kill its victims. It’s one

thing for a child to wake up screamin in the middle of the night that there’s a monster in his/her closet, since

parents will simply close off their own childhood memories and chalk it up to a nightmare. BUT, if kids start

turning up DEAD, by the thousands each night, in their rooms, or start disappearing altogether, SOMEBODY in the

Human World is going to become VERY suspicious and start really making an effort to get to the bottom, and that

means a ten-fold increase in the likelihood of the Monster World being discovered, when a monster is actually

caught taking a child, or bringing a portable version of the Scream Extractor into a room. Plus, if it was

intended to kill or even seriously harm its victims, you could only collect screams from each particular child

ONCE.
Randall had worked for two long years, at least, on this thing, and he was FINALLY about to see his

efforts reach a conclusion. THAT alone was reason enough for him to celebrate. He was about to finally see what

this thing he’d invented and slaved over for so long could actually do; it would be comparable to someone

inventing a new engine in our world that runs on “greenhouse gases”, and will be hailed as the ultimate

in clean, cheap fuel-would YOU not be thrilled with anticipation upon watching its trial run?

Two:

Randall’s response to Sulley’s offer of a handshake-Moments before, Mike had brought up Randall’s second place

status(and to a competition-driven individual like Randall, second place is the first loser)and rubbed his nose

it, then Sulley had talked to him as a adult would speak to a child whom they find annoying. While I have to

admit that Randall CAN be immature(I mean, he IS a 25-year-old male), he did not appreciate being talked down to.

That encounter in the locker room set a tense precedent for the atmosphere for the rest of the day. Had Mike

ended up laughing off Randall’s practical joke and attempt at humor, things probably would have gone quite

differently. But instead, Mike and Sulley(perhaps unwittingly on the latter’s part, but definately intentional

with Mike)had rubbed salt in an already-painful wound.

Three: At the point in which Randall is about to be

tossed into the trailer, he KNOWS that he is defeated. He KNOWS, and has known all along, that he has done

something very wrong, and mistakenly assumes that his captors are going to give HIM the second chance that he

gave THEM earlier, by allowing Mike to bring the “kid” back to her door. Mike wanted to rid himself of

a problem, and Randall intended to help him get rid of it.

Four: Randall does not have a

“condition” that causes him to enjoy others’ torment. He is simply a very strong Type Three

personality, and when pushed to the limits by stress and anxiety, Type Threes typically resent success in others

and see them as impediments to their own success. That’s just how that personality type responds to being

burdened with more than they can handle, emotionally.

Five: Excellent point, Dash! My own grandfather

pretty much revolutionized the paper industry by inventing several machines for Sonoco Products, Inc., which

allowed paper to be wound in a dense spiral, creating a tube. When you use a roll of toilet tissue, wrapping

paper, paper towel, or other product wrapped around a cardboard tube, you can thank Joe Randolph McKenzie, who

had a third grade education, after having had to drop out of school at the age of 8 to support his family during

the Great Depression. He could not even sign his name to documents, or read a Little Golden Book story to me, so

he made up the stories as he went along rather than let his granddaughter know he could not read.

Six: I

guess that some of Randall’s characteristics that make some people find him “creepy” are things I

admire.
I don’t find him to be vain at all-nowhere does he EVER claim to be better than someone else at

ANYTHING, or act like he’s in love with himself, unlike ANOTHER character in the movie who shall remain

nameless. Randall doesn’t even know how to act in that brief instant when he pulls ahead of Sulley on the Scare

Board. If anything, Randall’s real opinion of himself is very poor; he is beginning to believe what he’s

probably always been told-that he is a loser.
Yes, Randall IS unrelenting. He is determined and persistent.

He is, to put things in Pit Bull Terrier fanciers’ lingo, “GAME”. I totally admire this in a person

or animal. I have no respect for quitters, or as I call 'em, “curs”. Anyone who hates an unrelenting

individual must have some real issues with the best athletes, the best soldiers or police officers, etc., the

people who either refuse to give up, or have to take a whole lot of punishment before they will concede defeat.

That’s a trait that Randall shares with my other favorite character, Wilt, from "Foster’s Home For

Imaginary Friends", their gameness.
“Power Hungry”? Can anyone on

this board HONESTLY tell me, with a clear conscience, that you have not, at one time or another, wished that YOU

were in charge? Wished that YOU had more control over your life and circumstances? That YOU have never wanted

to improve your situation in life and be the one in the “driver’s seat” for once? If you do, I can

tell you right now that you are LYING! It’s our nature, and presumably, it’s the nature of our Monster World

counterparts, too, and that is especially true for those Twenty-Somethings. I can look back on that age from the

perspective of someone much older, and recall how important titles and position on the workplace or corporate

ladder were to ME at that time, when I was still so insecure, and so naive as to think that there had to be some

other purpose in me working like a dog besides just paying bills.
I also would not call Randall

unpredictable. His reactions are exactly as I would figure them to be in each given circumstance. Randall is,

as DL pointed out, brutally honest. You KNOW exactly where he stands on issues, and how he feels about you.

Rude? Been accused of THAT a few times myself, and I won’t deny it, either. Try imagining yourself in

Randall’s position for the two years leading up to that movie-very little sleep, NO vacation time, NO social

time, virtually imprisoned in what amounted to a dungeon, NO holidays off, probably very poor meals, listening to

Fungus’ incessant Mouth That Would Not Be Quiet, being constantly reminded of a deadline, being constantly

reminded that you are a loser, being constantly told how much better So-and-So is at your job than you are,

having a very possible threat of actual DEATH over your head if you fail while being told that you are in fact, a

failure, losing any “significant other” that you might have had in your life prior to his(now what

would a girlfriend/spouse/fiance’ think of her man staying out all night, all weekends, etc., and refusing to

tell her what he’d been up to, hmmm?)or friends that you might have had, and having absolutely NO ONE to turn

to, to even vent to, and tell me that you wouldn’t get a bit of an attitude and a chip on YOUR

shoulder!

pitbulllady

#138

pitbulllady -

[b]The Scream

Extractor[/b] - Alright, I get it. The thing doesn’t kill. Got it. Of course, even if it was, they

could have just disintegrated the kids (ha – that would be horrible…); although, the parents would still

realize that their kids were missing anyway…

The Rejected Handshake - No, I

wouldn’t shake that hand either if I believed that the person who extended his/her hand was a cheater. Come to

think of it, when did Randall ever believe that Sulley was cheating? Mike, maybe. But

Sulley?

Tossed in the Trailer - Listen, if I was

tossed out like that in an unrelenting fashion, well…I don’t know what I would

do. Probably nobody knows what they will or won’t do in a certain situation…until they are placed in that

situation.

What was the first thing that Randall thought when he got thrown into that trail, anyway?

“Oh no, I went too far”, perhaps? I dunno… You tell me.

[b]The “Creepy”

Factor[/b] - I don’t mind it when someone is determined and persistance and not a quitter. Heck,

Randall’s personality sort of reminds me of my sister, so I have a perfect example right here at my home. But

when I mentioned that Randall is “unrelenting”, what I meant was that he doesn’t…umm… Ah,

heck…I don’t know how to say it.

Umm…what I’m saying is that he doesn’t give himself a chance to

relent and apologize for things he has done/cool down, or the like. Too bad he couldn’t give Waternoose a piece

of his mind. He could have, but he probably would have gotten fired or banished in the process… He sure stuck

up for himself when in the company of his co-workers, though, and I do admire that

trait…

Power Hungry - Let’s just say this:

I hate some

characteristics of mine, and one of them is the fact that I want to be noticed and are, at times, "power

hungry", like you said.

Randall is that way, so when I see that particular trait in another

person/character, I back away…because I see myself in that person/character.

Randall "power

hungry" personality = my bad side. Heh. I will not give out false pretences and state that no-one is not

“power hungry” at one time or another. I would, indeed, want to go back and fix things in my life or

improve it all-together. But I can’t do the former, and of course…it is frustrating. I just don’t usually

take it out on other people, unlike Randall… But let’s not go there… Heh. :unamused:

Unpredictability - Let me ask you one thing: Are monsters considered

animals?

If yes, then Randall is unpredictable. All animals are

unpreditable, even if you know them really well.

If no, then you have the

upper hand here.

Like I said before,

please bear with me. (sigh)

#139

The only

thing I can really add on to what is being said here is that, due to Disney wanting there to be a villain in MI,

we see Randall at his worse. I’m not denying any of the traits you have mentioned, Mitch, not at all- he does

portray these traits throughout the film, over a period of two days.

But he really was at his worst,

getting more and more desperate by the moment. If we were to see anyone else at their worst, and only at their

worst, then we’d have a very different view of them than if we had seen them happy and relaxed, even with

characters such as Mike or Sulley.

Randall just isn’t given a chance to be

Randall. If he could just let go, and if he could just be himself, then I think

another side of him would have been revealed. He’s always gonna be short-tempered and slightly on the sarcastic

side- it’s just who he is- but there’s something else there that just isn’t shown in the film.

#140

Like I said, it would have been stupid to have

purposefully designed the machine to kill children, whether or not they “disentigrated”. To a parent,

a missing child is almost as bad, if not worst, than a dead one, and given the number of children that would

STILL be required for the Scream Extractors(yes, that’s plural, since Randall’s machine was merely a

prototype), we are talking THOUSANDS of children either vanishing forever, or turning up dead in their rooms,

each night. SOMEBODY in the Human World is gonna notice that, and recognize a pattern, and that is going to

increase a hundred fold the chances that a monster is going to get caught entering a child’s room, and that the

existance of the Monster World and its entrances will be discovered by humans.

I was not the one who

suggested that Randall believed Sulley was cheating. Sulley HAD spoken to him earlier in a patronizing tone,

after Mike boasted about how he and Sulley were going to humiliate Randall by breaking the All-Time Scare Record

before he did, which soured Randall’s mood for the day considerably. Randall probably DID suspect that

something was “fishy” with regards to Sulley’s climactic climb to the top

and his relationship with the CEO; it hardly requires a rocket scientist to figure THAT

out.

“Relent” means to give up, to quit, to stop in the pursuit of something. Randall had NO

CHOICE-what was he gonna do, suddenly stop and tell Mike and Sulley, "Geesh, I am SO sorry, guys-I’ve done

a bad thing, and I really want you two to know how bad I feel about it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go

be measured for some cement shoes my boss is gonna have made for me…" Yeah, it was to THAT point. He

couldn’t tell off his boss, and being fired would have been the least of his worries.

The power hungry

factor-Randall is, as you admit, no different from most people. Some people, when they get frustrated, take

their anger and frustration on other people, while others take it out on themselves; some do both, depending on

their personality types. Ever see the movie Anger Management? In it, Jack

Nicholson’s character describes two types of angry people, those who seem to go off at the least little thing

and yell at everyone, and those who “suck it up” and keep quiet, until one day they just can’t hold it

in any longer, and they either “implode”-take their own lives out of their anger and frustration, or

“explode”-go off and violently take that anger out on others around them, often random strangers.

Neither is good. A person who just holds in their anger is just as dangerous, if not moreso, than those who seem

to get angry over the least little thing.

Tossed in the trailer-Now seriously, does anyone here actually

belive that they would ENJOY being put into a situation where you KNOW, beyond much doubt at all, that you’re

going to be killed? I don’t think that anyone can honestly say they don’t know at least how they would feel

under those circumstances. Randall’s life was in danger, and he would be thinking(if that’s even the right

word, since by this point, cognitive thought processes have long since stopped functioning)only of

survival.

And NO, I do not consider monsters to be animals, anymore than WE are. Knowing Randall’s

personality, I can peg his next move really well, as well as that of most humans I know, if not better. I

consider them to be PEOPLE, not human people, but equal to us in every respect. Even with lower animals, though,

even with some degree of unpredictability, that does not in any way make them scary or creepy to me. In my

experience, a HORSE is one of the most unpredictable animals I’ve ever been around, but how can anyone call a

horse “creepy”? to me, “creepy” means disgusting, revolting, scary. We had a librarian one

year at a school where I worked who would talk about nothing but cancer, death, rotting flesh, etc., and pick her

nose in the cafeteria while lunch was being served and people were eating. THAT is creepy. Randall is

not.

pitbulllady