The Boys Season 3: Boys Will Be Boys

[Peelee]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfmoRAMrQEc

Short, but deeply unsettling. Anthony Starr is phenomenal. The ad with The Deep seemed a bit heavy handed, though.

[Bunny Commando]

Short, but deeply unsettling. Anthony Starr is phenomenal. The ad with The Deep seemed a bit heavy handed, though.

I would say that The Boys has been never much about subtlety as a show.

[Peelee]

I would say that The Boys has been never much about subtlety as a show.

Fair, but the subversive humor tends to be less in-your-face than having children say "it's hard to breathe" while burning a plastic trash pile in front of them.

[Bunny Commando]

Fair, but the subversive humor tends to be less in-your-face than having children say "it's hard to breathe" while burning a plastic trash pile in front of them.

Well, I would say that the whole superhero industry, the Homelander, Stormfront, the Deep, the Believe Expo are quite in-your-face - I won't go into details because I believe it would quickly go against the forum rules, but IMHO The Boys definitely lacks subtlety.

[Peelee]

Well, I would say that the whole superhero industry, the Homelander, Stormfront, the Deep, the Believe Expo are quite in-your-face - I won't go into details because I believe it would quickly go against the forum rules, but IMHO The Boys definitely lacks subtlety.

They're not, though. The marketing around them hides everything pretty well, it's a carefully cultivated image. We see what it's really like because we see the things that aren't marketing. The ad in that teaser is marketing, though, and it's significantly different from all the other marketing. From an innocent viewers standpoint, it's a terrible ad and The Deep had to know wouldn't present the image he wants.

[Bunny Commando]

They're not, though. The marketing around them hides everything pretty well, it's a carefully cultivated image. We see what it's really like because we see the things that aren't marketing. The ad in that teaser is marketing, though, and it's significantly different from all the other marketing. From an innocent viewers standpoint, it's a terrible ad and The Deep had to know wouldn't present the image he wants.

Oh, you meant it's pretty heavy handed from the point of view of the secondary world.
In that case, I would agree; still, it's not something that would look out of place in an Ennis' work, so it doesn't surprise me to see this kind of humour in the show as well.

[Peelee]

Oh, you meant it's pretty heavy handed from the point of view of the secondary world.
In that case, I would agree; still, it's not something that would look out of place in an Ennis' work, so it doesn't surprise me to see this kind of humour in the show as well.

Yeah. Like, I could easily see that happening in the actual world of The Boys, but I have a hard time believing it in as a corporate ad in that world.

[Psyren]

Yeah. Like, I could easily see that happening in the actual world of The Boys, but I have a hard time believing it in as a corporate ad in that world.

I'd say it's in line with Vought's typical obliviousness personally.


Short, but deeply unsettling. Anthony Starr is phenomenal.

Absolutely, he's phenomenal in this role. He looks like he's hanging on by a thread. Haven't read the comics, but I wonder if this is the season where he finally snaps and lasers an audience?

[Peelee]

I'd say it's in line with Vought's typical obliviousness personally.
When has Vought ever been oblivious like this regarding branding?

Absolutely, he's phenomenal in this role. He looks like he's hanging on by a thread. Haven't read the comics, but I wonder if this is the season where he finally snaps and lasers an audience?
I also haven't read the comics, but I've had some of the highlights told to me. The show seems less dark than the comics, I gotta say. But yeah, Homelander is just terrifying. They're doing a great job of making it seem like he can snap at any point.

[Psyren]

When has Vought ever been oblivious like this regarding branding?

Off the top of my head, weaponizing Starlight's trauma after being sexually assaulted by Deep to turn it into a #girlboss moment came off pretty tone-deaf, especially since they forced her to still wear the skimpy superhero outfit she was openly objecting to while having her go on tour - trying to position her as being empowered and strengthened by the experience they failed to prevent.

Note I'm not saying Vought is incompetent - but in general, where they don't have to go out of their way to avoid being callous without impacting the bottom line they usually won't.


I also haven't read the comics, but I've had some of the highlights told to me. The show seems less dark than the comics, I gotta say. But yeah, Homelander is just terrifying. They're doing a great job of making it seem like he can snap at any point.

Yeah it had to be; the sheer levels of edgelord cringe in the comics version just wouldn't fly on-screen. (For example, the assault scene above was several orders of magnitude worse in the comics - instead of just Deep, every single male member of the Seven participated including Homelander.) The show managed to get the same message across in a much more measured way.

[Peelee]

Off the top of my head, weaponizing Starlight's trauma after being sexually assaulted by Deep to turn it into a #girlboss moment came off pretty tone-deaf, especially since they forced her to still wear the skimpy superhero outfit she was openly objecting to while having her go on tour - trying to position her as being empowered and strengthened by the experience they failed to prevent.

Note I'm not saying Vought is incompetent - but in general, where they don't have to go out of their way to avoid being callous without impacting the bottom line they usually won't.

There's being tonedeaf, and then there's having your character advocating for environmentalism actively throw trash on the beach in the ad about environmentalism. That's a pretty vast gulf, IMO.

[Psyren]

There's being tonedeaf, and then there's having your character advocating for environmentalism actively throw trash on the beach in the ad about environmentalism. That's a pretty vast gulf, IMO.

I'd say that was more Deep being his usual dumb self, and Vought not wanting to waste resources on a reshoot for something that's barely valuable as a tax writeoff when they can just send out their trashboy even if he ends up in frame. The speed with which the kid ran out there was almost certainly predicated by angry hisses from Ashley :smallbiggrin:

[Dragonus45]

I would say that The Boys has been never much about subtlety as a show.

It's still more subtle then the comic it was based on though, which is the one complaint I have ever really had about it. The show really could be even more absurd and blunt and gory and cursing.

[Peelee]

I'd say that was more Deep being his usual dumb self, and Vought not wanting to waste resources on a reshoot for something that's barely valuable as a tax writeoff when they can just send out their trashboy even if he ends up in frame. The speed with which the kid ran out there was almost certainly predicated by angry hisses from Ashley :smallbiggrin:

Let me rephrase. I could see (easily, at that) a major multibillion dollar corporation IRL doing what they did with Starlight. I cannot see that company doing the ad in the teaser. It's a bridge too far.

[Psyren]

Let me rephrase. I could see (easily, at that) a major multibillion dollar corporation IRL doing what they did with Starlight. I cannot see that company doing the ad in the teaser. It's a bridge too far.

They still line up for me, but I see where you're coming from.

What I'm truly excited for is more Giancarlo Esposito, especially now that he's thwarted Stormfront/OG Vought's longer game.

[Precure]

The boys not only had no subtlety, it actualy has negative subtlety.

[Peelee]

The boys not only had no subtlety, it actualy has negative subtlety.

Again, not The Boys in general. Specifically, the in-universe advertising and produced media in The Boys.

[Tyndmyr]

Well, I would say that the whole superhero industry, the Homelander, Stormfront, the Deep, the Believe Expo are quite in-your-face - I won't go into details because I believe it would quickly go against the forum rules, but IMHO The Boys definitely lacks subtlety.

I would agree.

The hypocrisy is quite front and center, it's not something any viewer is likely to overlook.

It's not a bad thing, it's more just the chosen style, and probably more tastefully presented than the comics.


When has Vought ever been oblivious like this regarding branding?

Most of the previous merchandising was pretty darned heavy handed. Very over the top corporate exploitation of pretty much every angle. Like, look at the guy pitching the movie concept in S2. It was so over the top it was basically parody.

As an aside, if you enjoy watching Homelander in this, and you should, because Anthony Starr's acting is fantastic, check him out in Banshee. Only four seasons, show's entirely over, but it's glorious. Though full warning, it's not really any less graphic/violent than the Boys. I totally see why he was cast in this role.

[Peelee]

Most of the previous merchandising was pretty darned heavy handed. Very over the top corporate exploitation of pretty much every angle. Like, look at the guy pitching the movie concept in S2. It was so over the top it was basically parody.

... What? I just rewatched that scene on YouTube. It's bog-standard superhero movie stuff, something I'd expect straight out of an Avengers movie. It's trite, sanitized corporate schlock at worst. What it is not is on the same level as talking about trash cleanup and immediately chucking an empty can onto the beach completely obliviously. That's nowhere near on the same level.

Also, I'm not talking about the backend. The ad is the finished product, what the public sees. Of course the entire show is off the rails with what Voight and the supes do off camera. I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about a supposedly completed and seemingly aired marketing spot designed to manufacture endearment which is a blatant failure and so glaringly obvious that it can't possibly have been missed by the marketing team.

[ben-zayb]

What I'm truly excited for is more Giancarlo Esposito, especially now that he's thwarted Stormfront/OG Vought's longer game.
That, but also whatever the hell is going on with Victoria Neuman. Does she have her own agenda , or is she controlled opposition for Vought? A bit of both?

[Ramza00]

Doesn't most aluminum cans now a days have a small plastic liner to prevent the acid from interacting with the metal, and about 4 other "positive" benefits concerning consistency and other food metrics?

[Psyren]

That, but also whatever the hell is going on with Victoria Neuman. Does she have her own agenda , or is she controlled opposition for Vought? A bit of both?

She was positioned as a thinly veiled sendup of a certain very famous congresswoman as a misdirect. My money is both.

[Bunny Commando]

My money is both.

Most probably. In S2E7 she seems to have Vought's back during the congressional hearing.

[Corvus]

The Seven at Seven with Cameron Coleman series is very well done. Not exactly subtle about who they are parodying, but it is very effective advertising.

[Iruka]

Also, I'm not talking about the backend. The ad is the finished product, what the public sees. Of course the entire show is off the rails with what Voight and the supes do off camera. I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about a supposedly completed and seemingly aired marketing spot designed to manufacture endearment which is a blatant failure and so glaringly obvious that it can't possibly have been missed by the marketing team.

I got the impression they really wanted to make fun of the real "sell water in aluminum instead of plastic to save the oceans" brand by a popular Aquaman actor.

[Peelee]

I got the impression they really wanted to make fun of the real "sell water in aluminum instead of plastic to save the oceans" brand by a popular Aquaman actor.

I'm not familiar with that, but just knowing about that makes it even funnier.

[Tyndmyr]

... What? I just rewatched that scene on YouTube. It's bog-standard superhero movie stuff, something I'd expect straight out of an Avengers movie. It's trite, sanitized corporate schlock at worst. What it is not is on the same level as talking about trash cleanup and immediately chucking an empty can onto the beach completely obliviously. That's nowhere near on the same level.

Also, I'm not talking about the backend. The ad is the finished product, what the public sees. Of course the entire show is off the rails with what Voight and the supes do off camera. I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about a supposedly completed and seemingly aired marketing spot designed to manufacture endearment which is a blatant failure and so glaringly obvious that it can't possibly have been missed by the marketing team.

Do you remember the S1 interview with A-train and the cancer survivor? Cmon, that was ludicrously bad. And it still went out to the public.

The show isn't afraid to have Voight display their arrogance and financial motivations pretty blatantly. Subtlety isn't really on display anywhere. Hilarious show, though.

[Peelee]

Do you remember the S1 interview with A-train and the cancer survivor? Cmon, that was ludicrously bad. And it still went out to the public.

Yeah, a live feed is notably different from a scripted and edited production. Again, that I could see IRL.

Look, I didn't mean for that very small complaint to take up like the entire thread so far. It's not huge. It was just noticeable, for me. The bigger take is that Homelander is going to ****ing murder everyone in that room in like two seconds. Perpetually. That's what his character seems like it exists in a permanent state of. Antony Starr is knocking it out of the park.

[Dr.Samurai]

This thread will go down as the time Peelee said the words "heavy handed" and the forum would not stand for it!

Geez....

[Kornaki]

I could see a real corporation doing this, as a joke to add some humor to the commercial. Obviously the kid wouldn't really be choking on smoke when they shoot it though.