#Villainism A Villain's Transformation

[ninarobinson-author]

The Joe Goldberg Effect

The Joe Goldberg Effect

Is a basic ball cap all you need to blend in with the crowd and schmooze your way to the top of the social order? 

Joe is perfectly bland and boring. He isn't extreme in his attitude or manners. His clothing is indiscreet, wearing only the basics that might be found in any light academia wardrobe. It's as if he is a movie star hiding from the paparazzi and he thinks his baseball hat and black sunglasses are going to make him blend into the background- and he might be right. The only things that stand out about Joe are his rare 1967 Buick Skylark and his murderous obsessive compulsions. Take away those two things, suspend your belief and Joe might just be a master of disguise.

Joe doesn’t allow himself to get angry or show that he is irritated. He definitely doesn’t show his hand and he keeps his cards very close to his chest. Always careful not to let others see his true motives or the real meaning behind his actions. Joe is known for his calm and collected nature. He comes across as fair and rational-minded. He seems to do everything just right. Playing the perfect boyfriend, the responsible employee, or the friendly neighbor, whatever the situation calls for. He is the dad of the social group, he always plays like he is the responsible one, keeping everything under control and is always looking out for his friends. Although Joe fantasizes about the perfect woman and projects this image of the perfect girlfriend onto almost any girl he meets. Joe is also capable of projecting this fantasy onto others to see him as the perfect person they wish him to be. Whether romantically or not, Joe is able to get others to like him by making himself appear like the fantasy figure the person in front of him needs and wants him to be. It’s not like they want it to be Joe specifically, but when no one else is able to fill the role, Joe is more than willing to make their wish come true. Joe does this to get people to relax around him and fall in love with him, making it easier for him to get what he wants. Using his hypnotizing voice that is well suited for ASMR, Joe tells people what they want to hear, knowing that people will believe anything as long as it fits their version of the truth. 

Now that these people accept Joe and even rely on him they will be more likely to go along with what he wants so they can keep getting what they want, which is Joe fulfilling their needs by playing a role. Joe gets people to depend on his very presence. Joe is quiet and willing to let others talk his ear off spilling their guts to him. This creates a therapeutic effect and people begin to identify with Joe making him out to be a closer friend then is actually the case. Usually Joe knows way more about them than they do about him. Not realizing that they've been doing all the talking and not asking him anything about himself. Joe is the perfect blank slate for people to project on. They believe Joe is whoever they want him to be, their best friend, their perfect boyfriend, whatever meets their needs. People realize they need to have Joe around because he is so pleasant and comfortable to be around. Not to mention, Joe is usually the most helpful person in the room. Joe is willing to do more for a perfect stranger than that person's close friends and loved one's are willing to do. Joe looks for what people are lacking in their life and fulfills the demand. Joe is patient and knows that putting a little time in his relationships will go a long way. Sometimes you have to play the long game to win the war.

Just like how Joe can mold himself into what others want him to be, he can also mold people into becoming what he wants them to be. Getting inside of their spirit by mirroring the people around him, he makes them believe he is not so different from them. Once they feel like Joe is one of them, he can convince them to make changes they otherwise would not. Joe knows that people are not willing to surrender their beliefs and preferences for someone they just met. Joe knows that if you just pretend to show the same unique sense of style and taste, they will come to respect your opinion, because they see themselves in you. People love to believe that their way is superior and will want to stick to their own ideas. If they see themselves in you, then they will feel like agreeing with you is merely affirming their own ideas.

When Joe is unable to charm his way out of his tricky circumstances, he is willing to resort to lying. Lying in the heat of the moment can prove more than difficult, especially if you are one to crack under pressure when put on the spot or just not as quick witted to come up with a reasonable lie that you won't regret later. Remember, your lies must match your entire story and they will need to check out when others test them for their validity. Others may not do their research and check up on your whole background, so you may be able to get away with a white lie here and there.

Now Joe is one to investigate and check up on people, including searching through their background thoroughly with a fine tooth comb. To some, Joe is a stalker, but Joe knows that you cannot go into battle without knowing thy enemy. When we first meet a new person or enter into a new group of people, whether that's colleagues or a community, we are usually in over our heads and have no idea what is truly going on. There is always a story and people always have a past. Like Joe, we wouldn’t want our fantasies and preconceived projections of people to interfere with the facts of who these people really are. Even after getting to know a person, we may disregard what we learn about them and only continue to believe the first impression they had on us. Despite the fact that the reality may not align with the idealized version of that person we created in our minds. Often, only when it is too late, do we realize our mistake and find out how we’ve overlooked their actions and completely missed seeing them for who they really are. Misjudging people and situations can be avoided. By investigating, we are able to remove our rose-colored glasses before we enter the battlefield. Joe has a radar for pretenders and confidence men, maybe because he is one. As you can tell from Joe’s inner monologue, he doesn’t see the world the same way as others do. He is able to see through the facade of every person around him, seeing them for who they really are and seeing their true intentions. Although Joe may wear rose-colored glasses when it comes to love, he is usually able to see right past the masks people wear and the theater people play. Joe looks past the pretense and gets right down to the bare bones of a situation, sometimes literally.

The Joe Goldberg Effect is so intriguing, because we aren't used to seeing a weirdo like Joe be able to fool people into thinking he is this suave and smooth guy. Joe starts out having no girlfriend, he has no money, no friends, and no sanity. Yet, throughout the series, he is able to win the hearts of his love interests and enter into a circle of wealthy friends and acquaintances. Due to the genre and nature of the drama in the show, Joe uses this chameleon super power to the extreme, literally changing his name and whole identity. This doesn't mean that this power couldn't be used in a less extreme way. Perhaps the Joe Goldberg Effect can be used for more noble purposes.

If you want to understand a villain like Joe Goldberg and learn more about evil used for good, then you should read Villainism by Nina Robinson. Joe's villain origin story began with reading books, so here is a good one to start your library.

In Netflix's "You" Season 4 it looks like audiences will get to witness the peak of the "Joe Goldberg Effect." Joe's stalker tendencies, turned full on detective- as he is dubbed a "Sherlock Holmes" in this new season of "You." We will get to see how he changes his entire identity twice, Nick in Paris to Jonathon Moore the London professor. I guess the ball cap isn't enough to suffice for two whole identity changes, so this time around he's hiding his true identity behind a Hollywoodian beard. Will Joe Goldberg once again be able to charm his way up the social ladder now that he's dealing with what appears to be the most wealthy elite in the world?

Written by Nina Robinson

Feb. 5 2023

Villainism.com

Photos from Netflix's You (season 1,2,3,4)

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[chrissy-kaos]

This guy doesn’t know it yet.. but he’s about to be addicted to sin 😈

[keferon]

I have finally watched Transformers One..

Of course. OF COURSE this fucker is my favorite

[somerandomcockroach]

[villainism-book]

If you are too lazy to read (which i know i am) then you can listen to me read to you here.

[atlasshrugd]

no but the thing is, when the hero falls in love with the villain she is falling in love with the darkest parts of herself. she is owning her shadow and the owning makes her stronger. it is not about whether a ship is toxic or romanticising abuse because it’s not about two individuals. the struggle is not one between two people, just like the love is not between two people. when the hero falls in love with the villain she is loving herself. when she loves herself she is stronger, better, able to transform darkness instead of running from it. at the moment of loving, a person changes. the loved changes. and the love of the villain changes the hero. it’s all about this, don’t you see?

[desertomb]

Starscream! 💫

[starburr]

I'm definitely biased towards the subtle anger in his face, that even while just offended at Optimus receiving the Matrix, that he feels he's been cheated out of the opportunity to do more with his life now that he's been given a choice. His much blockier, and imposing build after denouncing the Primes and taking Megatronus' t-cog in contrast to the gentle smoothened out design of Optimus. The way he feels betrayed and never does his anger fade at Optimus' saddened expression. The way Optimus keeps that soft yet grief-stricken expression of "Why?" while staring him down. The way Optimus' axe was about to collide with his head but you can see he purposefully veers it down after cutting down the cannon in half. How he doesn't want to hurt Megatron but disarms him from hurting anyone again because he still tries to make him see that violence isn't the way for them. Or at least, what could have been of them. It's heartwrenching to say the least.

[startheskelaton]

Okay so putting this here because this has been in my brain for so long and I need to share it because how has this not been done yet!! Image a cult in the Transformers universe, but it’s a decepticon convincing a bunch of humans that he’s an angel here to save them from the end of times.

Or just a group of people who worship a huge transformers corpse, and they drink the emerging blood as a form of ritual and are slowly growing clumps of energon from themselves.

[transformersxreader]

Have some Yandere-ish Sentinel and Airachnid animatic, I’m thinking that (Y/n) is like their child and they wanna keep them forever lock up or something like that,

But I’m still working on that idea

Peace ✌️

[megatronsimp]

I feel compelled to write this and I doubt I'll ever get a reply, but @maecatt never feel bad ever for creating Nightshade and having them be enby. You've made way more TF enbies happy than you've pissed off fascists. I'm so sad to hear about Earthspark's demise and really wish we could've had a longer run.

[ninarobinson-author]

[izunias-meme-hole]

Soundwave Appreciation Post

The braincell of the Decepticons since 1984.

[mrmeepsmadmind]

his horns (finials) (idk)(ears)(whatever) shaking... the jumping ??? the struggling 😭 the off center twitching ..he is PISSED. AWF !!!!!!

[foreverforty2]

giving up on you

[villainism-book]

villainism.com