The Boys: Using Gore, Violence, and Debauchery
It has become popular in mainstream media to have a graphic depiction of gore, violence, and debauchery. More programs and stories use visceral stimulation to captivate the modern audience. Many see this representation as storytelling made realistic and thought-provoking. But, we must be cautious about this trend in content. Because the use of gore and violence can either be good or bad. It all depends upon the author’s intentions and execution. And a great example of graphic depiction done right and wrong is The Boys.
The Boys Comic
The Boys comic debuted in 2006. Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson are the authors of the comic. And they made their comic as a critique of the superhero genre. It is a satire of mainstream media’s depiction of superheroes. Thus, the Boys depict superheroes as horrible people. Here the authors paint superheroes as corrupt, debaucherous, and narcissistic individuals. Moreover, the horrendous characteristics given to the superheroes are the manifestation of the saying… “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.”
Gore, Violence, and Debauchery Without a Purpose
As such, the story follows the comic’s protagonists’ quest to terminate all superheroes. The comic is infamous for its extremely graphic, gory, and violent depiction of their termination. Hence, to justify the extreme brutality inflicted on the superheroes. The comic made the superheroes horrendously evil to a point of no redemption. Because of this, I cannot further describe the contents of the comic. So, I warn everybody to only read the comic if you are 18 years of age or older. Therefore, do not read this comic if you are under 18 years old. In addition, do not recommend this comic to anybody under that age. The Boys is a purely adult comic with extremely mature themes.
Personally, I do not oppose The Boys’ use of gore, violence, and debaucherous acts. My reasoning for uttering such statements is that those acts are common in the real world. And that most people with power are most commonly preparators of such acts. An exploration of such an act is a good tool for readers to reflect upon our society. The depiction of such acts is an examination of themes that revolve around power, authority, and morality. Thus, I approve of the intentions of the authors.
But, what I do not approve of is its execution. The Boys comic has worn out its use of gore, violence, and debaucherous. For me, as the comic’s story progresses the representation of evil has lost its meaning. Now it feels like evil deeds are only done for the shock factor and nothing else. Because of this, there are many instances where implying acts of horrendous deeds would be better. And the portrayal of horrendous acts no longer gave value to the story or plot.
The Boys TV Show
In my opinion, the TV adaptation of the comic is better. Eric Kripke developed the adaptation of The Boys television series. And the program is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video. Many elements of the comic continue with the show. The satire and critique of the superhero genre are still present. In addition, the use of gore, violence, and debauchery remain throughout the program. Hence, for me, the intentions of the original author survived the adaptation. But, the difference is the execution of themes and acts. This led to the show changing most of its story and plot elements.
In addition, the show continues this lineage by having an R-rating. As such, children and people under the age of 18 should not watch this show. And again, I cannot describe the majority content of the show due to its graphic nature.
Gore, Violence, and Debauchery With a Purpose
The best part of the show is the complexity of the world and the characters. Furthermore, the show has a better exploration of the theme… “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.” The comic seems to have dropped this theme. While the show for me has further developed its theme. Hence, unlike the comic, the show’s superheroes are not irredeemable monsters. Their characters are more complex and nuanced compared to their comic counterparts. But, do not mistake this change as the show makes the superheroes as good people. They are still corrupt, debaucherous, and narcissistic individuals.
The show’s superheroes do have good intentions. And they do have some redeeming characteristics. But, nulling those good traits is their hubris. And this led them to abuse their abilities. Contrast this to the comic where it seems like characters are only following their Id. For me, this narrative is much better than the comics. Because the audience can somewhat relate to the characters’ actions and motivations. This presents the idea that we might all be horrible monsters if given immense powers. Thus, fulfilling the theme of power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
So, with all of this in mind, you will become more invested in the plot and stories of these characters. In addition, the horrendous acts are much more powerful because the show lessens their use. The show does not have a constant stream of evil that jades the audience. All of this made the show more enjoyable and thought-provoking.
Conclusion
The Boys is not for everyone. There are many other stories that present the same themes but are more palatable. Therefore, try the first two episodes or chapters of The Boys. And then gauge whether or not it suits your taste. If it suits you, enjoy the rest of the series or comic. But if it does not suit you, try a different story like watching Game of Thrones. In the end, it is your choice what to watch. This is just to give you some extra information to think about.
