#DIRTY DUDES MUST DIE IS BETTER THAN NPMD

[nerdyspies]

i dont thinm we as a socisty talk abt dirty dudes must die enough ESPECIALLY THE LAST HALF (this part ⤵️)

like even ignoring the story telling angle of how this ending is such an interesting way to take grace's character, the song itself is just SO bone chilling. like.. theres a reason npmd (the song) is a fan favorite but smth abt this part of the song coming from grace makes it hit harder. the religious character who spends the entire play spiraling due to a sinful act she commited singing about how nobody will pray for you when you die due to these being the consequnces of your actions is so ??? and even ignoring THAT angela puts in an oscar worthy preformance. her "run you little bitch" is SO good and im sad its not in the cast recording.. hell even how her high note basically became an unhighed scream and transitoon into manical laughter.. its a good way to show how the events of the play literally brole her mind withput having to outright say it. LIKE IM SO OBESSEDDDD

[showtoonzfan]

Anyways I want to talk about Nerdy Prudes Must Die real quick, Starkid’s recent Hatchetfeild musical. I love the show, it’s amazing in so many ways, I can’t say much about it that others haven’t already said so I won’t be really vocal about how good it is, at least yet. That’s why I really want to share just a few criticisms or nitpicks I have, cause I don’t see a lot of people talk about that and I’ve personally been itching to get these out lol. Keep in mind I love the musical to death and I just want to see if other fans have the same opinions I do or not, if you disagree that’s fine! Spoilers for the musical!

- My biggest complaint is that I feel like Stephanie doesn’t get enough screen time. Not that she’s not developed or fleshed out, but after rewatching NPMD a million times you’ll know that the two main characters that get the most screen time are Grace and Pete. (Especially Grace cause she steals the show, not in a bad way tho). However, Steph is supposed to be a main character but to me she kinda feels like a side character pushed to the back. I’d say this starts when the kids plan to prank Max, and moving forward she eventually goes from someone being at the front to a follower until the near end where they have to summon the lords in black. I will say of course it does make sense, for a cast like this you have to move main characters to the back to leave room to develop others, that’s fine, but I still can’t help but feel that Steph lacked more.

I think of all characters she should have gotten her own song too, I was disappointed to hear that she actually DID have one and even a reprise until it was cut. Jeff had said it was about her being a popular kid and how she struggles with that, and I think it would have been really interesting to see, it would have added more. Though of course cut songs are cut for a reason, Jeff had said it didn’t fit or add anything but it’s still something I wish we had.

- Some fans have already said this, but it is distracting how glossed over the deaths of the characters are, mainly Ruth and Richie. Max’s death makes sense here, because he was a jerk and the theme of how the town and the kids didn’t care for him when he died and glossed over his death was done on purpose, but for Ruth and Richie…the characters they were actually friends with didn’t seem to care. For starters after Richie dies no one notices he’s gone, and when the gang do find out he dies, nothing really comes of it other than a “wait Richies dead?” Then the characters just move on, Ruth dies and the same thing happens to her, only a “wait she’s dead?” line and that’s it. Pete was the closest to these two and we don’t even get to see him mourn, or a simple line indicating that. I don’t blame the characters themselves but if you asked me if I thought the writing for the musical was just a teensy weensy rushed, I’d say yeah.

- That also leads to my other problem, “If I loved you” feels misplaced. The song itself is good but it takes place legit right after Ruth dies, a character who got an amazing send off. There isn’t time to process it at all because now Pete and Steph are arguing over their relationship, and after that Grace bursts in to kick off them leaving. I feel like “If I loved you” should have been placed before “Just For Once”, that would have been slightly better.

- Okay so this is just a nitpick but I didn’t like “Best of You”. For a horror musical (especially for Hatchetfeild) it feels VERY forced and preppy and it just threw me off I’m so sorry. That’s why I was thankful “Dirty Dudes Must Die” was the true ending because that fits more with the universe and the tone of the show. I guess it makes sense though because Jeff had revealed “Best of You” was an in universe pop song that the students were just singing, so after I heard that it made perfect sense on why I thought it was so cheesy lol because it wasn’t supposed to be a song for the show itself.

Still like some others have said, the way everyone is so happy in the ending throws me off. I get that they establish a few weeks had passed but after ALL of the hell the characters went through only to cut to them carefree at prom it’s….off putting. Like Steph is literally an orphan now and Pete’s friends are dead. And it doesn’t get addressed or acknowledged AKSKKSSM 😭

And that’s pretty much it regarding issues I had with the musical. It’s damn near perfect, I just think the script is a little rushed and the pacing is kinda all over the place. Other than that? It’s amazing and I’ll definitely talk about it more soon. Feel free to disagree with me!

[christianchasity]

introducing: dirty dudes must die! (a npmd au i made up in my mind in less than 10 minutes)

Okay so synopsis: Same events play out like in NPMD, but when Max was talking to them, Grace stood up and was about to tell Max something but before she could say or do anything- CRASH. The gang and Max rush down to save her, and Max tries to say that he was s- "SHUT UP MAX. YOU'RE JUST LIKE THE REST OF THESE DIRTY, SINFUL PEOPLE. DIRTY DUDES MUST PAY! DIRTY. DUDES. MUST. DIE." Two weeks later, everybody feels.... strange. Not better, but...strange. Jason is getting ready for the big game, when- "Jason." Jason dies, the gang gets investigated. Blah blah blah. Grace kills the same people. Richie, Ruth, Ms. Tessburger, Solomon Lauter. The summoning happens, Max has intercourse with Grace, Grace gets sucked down. Max is talking to PJ, (the girl from "literal monster"). Max pulls out the book and kills her. And Nerdy Prudes Must Die begins.

[starcanwrecked-confessions]

dirty dudes must die sound so much better to me than nerdy prudes must die, ddmd SLAPS and im tired of pretending npmd is so much better

~~~

[thewhizzyhead]

before I sleep, here is my definitive ranking on all the NPMD songs and some rambles on why I placed them there - also the ranking is based on how much I vibe with them (music production and lyricism have different rankings)

1. Hatchet Town (aka the hatchetfield trilogy theme song like this tune perfectly encapsulates the chaos Hatchetfield has to go through with every Starkid project pos-2018 and I love it - kinda wish it was a number that is more integrated with the plot with the kids tho BUT I REALLY DID LIKE that this melody was quite prominent in the other songs too)

2. High School is Killing Me (I've watched many teen centered musicals and believe me when I say that this song is one of, if not, the best introduction numbers out there for this genre - also it's a really great opening hook for a show)

3. Nerdy Prudes Must Die (FUCKING AMAZING HONESTLY - amazing way to REALLY re-establish a villain back from the dead and to establish the main theme for the nerds here: "I'm Not A Loser" (tho i fucking wish that motif was used a bit more))

4. Just For Once (everyone cheer for Lauren Lopez flexing not just her high tier soprano skills, but also how amazing of a fucking actor she can be like the concept of this song is quite layered and to pull it off both comedically and emphatically takes great lyrical and acting prowess)

5. The Summoning (a well-anticipated onstage introduction to all 5 of the LiB that balances out befuddling neon-entertainment with genuine fucking menace)

7. Cool As I Think I Am Reprise (A FUCKING GENIUS REPRISE I CAN'T STRESS ENOUGH HOW COOL I FIND THEM RECONTEXTUALIZING THE OG SONG AND IF I LOVED YOU TO FIT THE SITUATION AND BOTH OF THE CHARACTERS GROWTH. LIKE IN TERMS OF THEMATIC IMPLICATIONS WITH CHARQCTER DEVELOPMENT, THIS SONG AND ITS SCENE WOULD BE THE TOP)

6. If I Loved You (I think this song could be a bit more honestly like I know how much Starkid has explored Steph and Pete's relationship in their other projects and I was really hoping that they would have it more portrayed here - however the song is a bop nonetheless and it matches neatly with their themes and the harmonies are top tier. I placed this higher than the next just due to my personal bias like I really do like the song)

8. Dirty Dudes Must Die (A GREAT TWIST THAT MAKES ME WANT ANOTHER MUSICAL ABOUT GRACE CHASITY'S DERANGED SELF - also the new context of the song Grace is reprising here makes her a villain even scarier than MAX of all people but that's just me)

9. Literal Monster (A very catchy beat and well structured song that provides a good introduction to a jock-bully with the god complex. also kinda foreshadowing to nerdy prudes must die)

10. Cool As I Think I Am (the instrumentation reminded me of Dear Evan Hansen ngl fjsjd but it really does sound like an I-Want song from a teen-musical which is of course what they are going for - it sounds very nice and earnest though and I loved how it was utilised in the reprise. However I still fucking wish that the I'm Not A Loser motif was used more)

11. Dirty Girl (look I'm sorry for ranking this quite low on the list but like there is no fucking way I'm using this as bait to lure other people in like they'd be scared away I'm sorry fjdjs BUT I love how Will and Angela perform this though like top tier starkid performances ever - its not just what I would listen to on repeat personally jgjdjs)

12. Go Go Nighthawks! (This one gets plus points because of FUCK YOU CLIVESDALE GO GET FUCKED. otherwise its nice and cheery and perfectly shows how happy everyone is without Max but um I kinda wish it could be a bit more especially in terms of showing how happy the other nerds are now that Max is gone but that's just me)

13. Bully The Bully + Bury The Bully (Look I couldn't decide which was better like they both are the same melodies so like gjxjs these two are cute though and I liked seeing the 5 kids bonding in Bully The Bully since we don't get that many scenes with them)

14. The Best Of You (the pop-punk happy number is a staple of teen-centered musicals and it does really sound nice - just isn't that much of a standout compared to the others.)

[aiscapades]

touchstarved m5 as npmd songs

i already did arcana x npmd so might as well do touchstarved

leander — dirty girl, hatchet town

vere — nerdy prudes must die, the summoning

ais — literal monster, the best of you

mhin — bury the bully, if i loved you

kuras — cool as i think i am (reprise), dirty dudes must die

defending myself brief explanations:

leander

dirty girl: he is a toxic alpha male "daddy" who would say the cringiest shit if it worked to manipulate mc. being attracted to someone you know is Not Good For You. the grace (mc)/max (leander) dynamic "you got me hypnotized / i'll never ever tell you to behave / i am expecting you to betray me" + "i am expecting you to behave / you want a tour of the house you better straighten out your crooked ways" just fits imo. he's so slutty. hatchet town: this song encompasses the anyone-could-be-a-monster mass hysteria that fills me when i look into leander's eyes.

vere

nerdy prudes must die: almost self-explanatory. he is in every shadow, hunting you. you cannot rid of him. he wants you dead? you're dead. the lyrics give cat-playing-with-their-prey vibes and that fits vere best imo. the taunting, the insults, the pettiness. sucks to be a nerd i guess. the summoning: i was conflicted abt this one. first i assigned it to kuras for the biblically-accurate angel vibes; then i wondered if it fit ais & ocudeus. i settled on vere because... he speaks in riddles similarly to the lords in black + vere is def the type to ask for what you cherish most in return for helping you + "take all our kingdoms back" because vere was once revered as a god but has now been reduced to the senobium's pet. also nibbly wanting to eat souls is vere-coded. && wiggly claiming to be their friend but obviously having nefarious motives. "our true form would melt your minds" can apply to kuras but i think vere would be pretty frightening as well. "you gamble it on the roll of the dice" befriending vere is a gamble; is he going to toy with you, kill you? or love you?

ais

literal monster: of all the m5 monsters, i think this fits ais best. "his fists are always half-cocked" ais is prone to violence. he's always up for a fight. worrying about associating with him because you are at risk of falling victim to ocudeus. "no one's gonna stop him" nobody seems to care he leaves people for dead?? people are too scared to interfere?? the best of you: this is a vague happy-lovey-dovey song that could apply to them all, BUT it reminds me of how ais seems especially attached to mc from the beginning and doesn't want them to lose themself to the seaspring. "i need the kind of love from someone else" + "it's like you test me but not to best me" their witty banter/teasing dynamic.

mhin

bury the bully: cutting up the body of some mf who bothered them is so mhin haha. not in a crazed killer way; the song is very matter-of-fact and it fits their medical vibe. they stuck their dagger in the neck of a soulless like it was nothing. "we're gonna hack all his limbs off / how else he gonna fit?" if i loved you: this is classic tsundere mhin vibes. arguing that they don't love you as they sing a love ballad—like c'mon!!

kuras

cool as i think i am (reprise): this is the part where pete is telling steph it's okay to sacrifice him if it ensures her safety. that is very kuras-coded to me. "let me take the bullet / is it really a crime if you get to live your life to the fullest?" he has lived for thousands of years; he would rather you have a fulfilling life than continue with his own miserable one. "if i loved you more than the stars above / i'd have to let you go" dirty dudes must die: the themes of repentance and sinning fit kuras; he's still a monster who has probably committed horrible atrocities (what is he repenting for?) even if he presents as a noble angel doctor. this song kinda gives the vibe of his bad ending maybe? giving in to your own sins to make those around you repent for theirs? "who will pray for you when your body is gone / this is the consequence for what you've done"