#max jagerman is such a good bully character

[thewhizzyhead]

WAIT I WANNA BRING UP ANOTHER THING ABOUT HOW BULLYING IS ADDRESSED IN NERDY PRUDES MUST DIE. one thing I really liked about how Max is shown as a bully is his talk with Pete at the Pasqualli's parking lot. When Pete tries to stand up to Max, Max pushes him down and emphasizes that Pete isn't a loser because of his own qualities - rather, Pete is a loser because Max simply said so.

Of course we can attribute this to Max's god complex but I think that this point in particular is less than often really brought up in teen-centered media featuring bullying: that bullying exists not because of nerdy behavior or whatever the fuck, but because bullies will it into being. And to have a BULLY of all people say that out loud - to have the main villain point out the root of their behavior without showing any kind of shame whatsoever - showcases just how much of a menace Max is.

[canonicallyginger]

I finally watched Nerdy Prudes Must Die a few days ago and it was pretty good. I was kind of disappointed that Ziggy was only there for like five seconds. I was really hoping they'd have an actual role in the story. Since they only appear in one Nightmare Time episode and it's almost completely disconnected from the rest of the horror of the setting. Also I was disappointed that the one bisexual character is never allowed to be bisexual without it being played as a joke at her expense.

But here's some of my own analysis under the cut (spoilers ahead)

Max Jagerman's personality is clearly a result of being failed by the school system (for instance, he's in a "remedial algebra" class). He's well aware that he doesn't have much of a future beyond high school. Most bullies aren't so self-aware, which begs the question: who told him that high school would be his peak? Was it a family member? What was his home life like anyway? His family is never even mentioned.

It's also clear that him being so controlling of everyone led his "friends" not to think of him in a positive light. He dies, and everyone gets over it within two weeks and they're all so much happier. I wonder if it was upsetting, to see that his death brought happiness to everyone who knew him.

Another thing: right before his death, he had a moment where he was actually genuine. He was definitely drunk when he got to the Waylon house, and he faced his fears, and then he found out it was a set-up. It made him happy (even tho the intent was to terrify and humiliate him) because that's the most effort anyone has put into anything made for him alone. Which is pretty sad honestly. It implies that he's never even had a birthday party that was put together as anything more than an obligation. The bare minimum.

It makes his interest in Grace Chasity seem like there's something more to it. Her being "forbidden fruit" is part of it for sure, but she also has parents that she's close with, she has the self-confidence to speak her mind (even when what's on her mind sucks) and to always be herself (even though most people find her off-putting and annoying at best). I feel like there's a lot of exploration that could be put into him as a character. I haven't kept up with any Team StarKid news, so idk if they're planning on a third season of Nightmare Time, but if they are, i hope Max gets more development. I don't want him to get a redemption arc or anything like that, but I do want to see more of the circumstances that made him who he is

[starcanwrecked-confessions]

you're allowed to like bad characters without being a bad person. i remember seeing a few debates about whether you're a good person if you're a fan of max jagerman since bullying as a real thing that can cause trauma, but as someone who has experenced said traumatic bullying in the past, i love max! he's fucking funny!! hes a fictional bully in a fictional story about ghosts and shit!! ive been in so many fandoms where people accuse you of supporting a villains ideals if you like them (cough cough owl house fandom) and i dont want this fandom to do the same. (this also includes all wilbur cross fans. i see you and i appreciate you and i am one of you)

~~~

[janes-a-charted-stan]

Glee NPMD AU

I'm considering writing this into a fic so if you like this idea please let me know! I have most other characters cast as well but for now here are the main ones. :]

Featuring:

Sam Evans as Peter Spankoffski

Sci-fi geek

Was friends with Santana in middle school but they had some kind of a falling out over Brittany which eventually snowballed into Santana bullying Sam and his friends throughout high school

Tries not to make waves but will stand up for himself and his friends if the situation calls for it

Mercedes Jones as Stephanie Lauter

Likes to gossip and party, but feels like she doesn't really fit in with the rest of the popular group

Briefly joined cheer but decided it wasn't for her, popular by association with friends on the cheer squad

Is constantly told that she needs to "just try harder" and is subject to a lot of judgement and criticism

Quinn Fabray as Grace Chasity

I mean honestly who else would this be lol

Sexual repression and trying to be a good Christian lead her to become progressively more unstable until she finally flies off the rails and starts seducing and killing men

Santana Lopez as Max Jagerman

A bully who has her own shit going on and drags other people down to feel better about herself

Her sexual tension with Quinn would be off the charts, and I for one can't wait to rewrite Dirty Girl as a Quinntana scene

Tina Cohen-Chang as Ruth Fleming

Touch-starved bisexual

Loves musical theatre but doesn't feel confident enough to pursue it

Artie Abrams as Richie Lipshitz

Loves gaming and big titty anime girls

"All my favourite characters are men because most female characters just aren't well written"

[all-for-geek]

The Story Max Jagerman Never Got to Tell (Silly Goofy things I think about if Max didn't die and had gotten a redemption arc)

So I like to think that he is very slow going at the whole being nice to people thing. Like outside of the main 5 he is still very much the Literal Monster, and even within the main friend group still verbally bullies them he just isn't physically hurting them anymore. As he learns and grows with them, he gets better. First learning to treat his friends on the football team better, and eventually tolerating the other nerds. He still slips up occasionally and says things in the moment that he regrets later, but he's learning to apologize when that happens.

I think once he finds out that the prank was Grace's idea, he is convinced that it was Grace secretly letting him know that she liked him back. He proceeds to start full on courting her: he walks to all her classes, he buys her flowers on special occasions, she even has special privileges to go to the football games (still early on in character development). One day when she goes, he introduces himself to her parents, and the Chastitys make it clear that no one outside of the church can date their daughter. So Max converts. Or at least tries to. He can never grasp his head around all the rules, and by the end of the week, he has decided that it's better if he and Grace are just friends.

At first, he mostly uses Pete as a free tutoring service. He's upset that Pete won't just let him cheat off of him like he did with Steph, but it doesn't even take Max that long to figure out why Steph is different. He makes Pete a deal that he will let him date Steph if Pete cheats for him. Pete talks him down to tutoring with the promise that if it doesn't work, then he will help Max cheat. It turns out that Pete is actually a really good teacher. Max also has certain learning disabilities (I'm gonna go with dyscalculia since we know he's in remedial algebra) that never went addressed since his dad refused to get him tested. Pete is able to show Max techniques that help, and once Max's head no longer hurts from looking at numbers too long, he begrudgingly admits that it's not so bad. Pete also notices that the halls are little quieter before and after Max's math class now.

He never really hung out with Steph that much before. They knew each other and flew in the same circles, but they never really talked before. Max definitely learns how not-okay his dad is by seeing how Steph's dad treats her. As they get closer, he starts getting madder and madder about how the Mayor talks about her. It takes a long time for him to reflect on what he's saying and realizes that his advice works on him too. Him and Steph start bonding over their horrible dads and help each other out when home gets to be a lot.

Ruth is the one that it is the hardest for him to vibe with. While the others he either finds something kinda cool about or can use, Ruth is...Ruth. He doesn't actively bully her anymore, but he doesn't go out of his way to be around her either. He does inadvertently teach her how to be cool though. It's not intentional, but he is less willing to put up with Ruth's whining about how unlovable she is than the others. One day, he starts yelling back to her that maybe if she wasn't constantly complaining about never having anyone around her, then maybe more people would want to be around her. The others call him out for being out of line, but it starts a path for Ruth about learning to be more confident in herself.

I think Richie is the first one to be onboard with the whole 'Max is suddenly chill with us' thing. He's seen enough anime to know a redemption arc when he sees one. He also has a more intense look on Max's growth being around him so much as the mascot. He's the first one to reach out to Max about coming over and watching some anime with him. Max is unsure at first, but Richie convinces him that Attack on Titan actual is really cool and has a lot of blood and guts and fighting in it, so Max agrees as long as Richie doesn't tell anyone what they're doing. Max actually does get really into it, but Richie notices that he seems pay more attention to the "found family" aspects and the character interactions than the fight scenes. He gives Max DVDs that he can watch on his own if he wants: a combination of shows and movies about sports, fighting, and some introspective character pieces as well.

Max also spends the most time at Richie's house than the others. Not necessarily because he prefers Richie, but because Richie has the most chill homelife (the Chastity's still bug him about coming back to church, Steph's dad reminds him to much of home, and Ruth's parents are convinced that he and Ruth are dating. Pete is a close second, but his weird older brother is over a lot, and Max just gets a bad vibe from him). He will just casually pop into Richie's window some nights and say that they are going to watch anime. Richie agrees obviously, but he also wonders what else is going on. It's only after a really personal episode of My Hero Academia that Max lets slip about his dad.

In short, Max Jagerman has so much potential, and it is a shame that he has been doomed by the narrative to never show it.

[1lovesickfangirl1]

obligatory nerdy prudes must die tier list! (explaining under the cut)

Bully The Bully- OKAY THIS IS MY FAV SONG AT THE MOMENT IT'S SO FUN!! Just some kids planning to prank the bully and no one dies :D! I will now list some of my favorite parts because I love it so much

° the entire cool beans section (i used to say cool beans so much a few years ago)

° the jAgermAn??

° "Petey gonna jump on out *he jumps* "JAGER GONNA JAGER OUUUT" (been repeating this part a lot)

° "We're gonna make a dirty movie where the losers win, and the joke is on him!" (AAAAGH I LOVE HARMONIES)

Nerdy Prudes Must Die- Will and Jon in this song?? IM EATING THIS SHIT UP!!! Jon sounds so good omg. Max's ghost form is sick as hell.

High School Is Killing Me- the opening song is a bop. THE HARMONIESSS!!

Cool As I Think I Am Reprise- AAH THIS SONG DESTROYED ME. HOW DARE THEY BE IN LOVE WITH EACH OTHER

Literal Monster Reprise- DUDE I LOVE WILL'S PERFORMANCE!! really hoping to see him in more Starkid stuff. performing this song looks so fun. Max is an asshole, but so goofy.

Lords In Black- idk why The Summoning and Lords In Black are separate things, thought The Summoning was the intro to the song but whatevs. love the designs of the lords in black. such a fun song, really should listen to it more.

If I Loved You- H A R M O N I E S!!! love when Pete was talking about the football team he swung his arms like a bat.

Bury The Body- love Grace being unhinged good for her. the panic is so good in this scene. again, HARMONIESS!! and hooray for cutting off nips.

Hatchet Town- EVERYONE SOUNDS SO GOOD. all the references were fun! it's giving McCarthyism

Cool As I Think As I Am- love Pete and love this song, but there are songs that i love WAY more. this song is iconic tho, it's got the line that comes back across the musical!! build that confidence king!

Dirty Girl- a Definite Bop. and Will is RIPPED GODDAMN. but maybe just a liiiittle too long. and when she was repeating im a good girl I was kinda uncomfy lmao.

Just For Once- playing a character that's playing a character sounds difficult so props to Lauren. liked seeing more of Ruth's character in this song. feeling like her life is over even tho she's still young (oh no it's relatable)

Best Of You- THEY WENT THROUGH HELL THEY DESERVE A CHEESY ENDING SONG!!

Dirty Dudes Must Die- WOO GRACE GET THOSE DIRTY DUDES

Literal Monster- it's alright, don't have any strong feelings about it. Kim SLAYED her part tho!

The Summoning- just an intro, points for spooky vibes

Go Go Nighthawks- very unfortunate that this goes at the bottom of the list. love the football guys <3 FUCK YOU CLIVESDALE!!! it's good but just really repetitive :/

[slashingdisneypasta]

Hatchetfield anon here, and good to know it's fine to gush about them. (Had to Switch off from anonymous to send images :p)

The first one (and possibly less spoiler heavy) would probably be the diva, the queen bee-atch herself: Linda Monroe.

She's from Black Friday and she just scratches that part of my brain that's attracted to dommy rich ladies. She's important, her children are better than everyone else's, and though she thinks her husband is a sniveling fool, she appreciates his loyalty at least. She has a whole song about how she'll make everyone love her ("Adore Me". Quote: "You'll kneel before me, Kiss my toe"), and honestly? She's not wrong. Lot of people fell for the cult "exciting new little religion" that she started (me included. Lauren Lopez just eats her roles right the fuck up).

Then, of course, you have the cooky, reclusive, biology professor: Professor Hidgens.

Mad scientist mixed with theater kid vibes. Literally. He's as extra as you can imagine. And what I like best about him is that he's a "greater good" kind of villain. As soon as he realizes the alien hive mind that's turning the whole town into a musical (not the craziest part of this entire series, by far) could be humanity's last shot at world peace, he's all, "Okay. Yeah. Let's join the hive!", knocking out his allies, opening up the doors of his doomsday bunker, and attracting the hive zombies with his own, recently composed song, "Show Stopping Number" (quote: "it'll unify humanity, in a THUNDERING CHORUS! No exists from this Broadway venue~!"), which mixes in a except from the musical he wrote and was trying to get funding for called "Working Boys".

And finally, we have the most recent ones: Max Jagerman, and Grace Chastity.

Where do I start with Grace... She's a repressed Christian girl who thinks having no sexual thoughts until marriage is supposed to be the norm. Then she starts getting dirty thoughts, kills a man, gets her hands on a book full of rituals powered by eldritch beings and decides, "yeah. This is what I want to do with my life. Seducing pervy dudes and then, if they don't pass the vibe check, consume their soul in order to make me stronger..." One good day away from murder, really, as evidenced by her leading the songs "Bury the Bully" and "Dirty Dudes Must Die". Never really expected a character who has the canonical line "[after character A asks why character B would be in hell] -She's bisexual and dead, where else would she be?" to grow on me so strongly, and yet-

And finally we get to Max Jagerman. The unapologetically bastard of a jock with a God complex ("Don't need no one to tell me / High school will be my peak / So I'm willing to take advantage"). The way everyone paints him as this horrible monster in, well, "Literal Monster", and he doubles down on that when it becomes his turn to sing instead of the expected "I'm not *that* much of a monster, here's my redeeming qualities"... Even when his ghost is being sent to the shadow realm he reacts to it by literally saying "WORTH IT!". He's just hits all the right notes for me. The entirety of "Dirty Girl" was sung directly into my soul.

And i think that's about it for my rambling. Now I leave you with the knowledge that Grace and Max's most popular ship name (that I've seen) is "Holy Ghost/Spirit". Sorry for rambling and have a nice day!

THESE ALL SOUND SO GOOD! I definitely wanna watch these now, or at least just listen to the songs 😅😅😅

I don't even know where to start here! I cant even choose a favourite out of your descriptions!! Thank you so much!! Linda sounds completely like my type XD Oh- I have that same brain-part that makes you crave dommy rich ladies XD Especially if they're mean 😅 I'm happy to be a loyal spineless husband for a pretty woman with a sharp tongue XD Happy.

And Professor Hidgens looks promising too XD If you've been following my Callaghan meltdown you know I have a... Thing... for teachers ☠ And OH, just the way you've described him. 'knocking out his allies, opening up the doors of his doomsday bunker, and attracting the hive zombies with his own, recently composed song, "Show Stopping Number"'- Y E S. I'm all for this.

And- just- Grace and Max sound absolutely perfect XD She seems so gross and awful which I l o v e (When female villains get to be truly despicable and broken??? 👌👌👌), and him?? A villain being exactly (if not worse then) what everyone says??? Absolutely obsess-worthy.

[hypertextdog]

theres a christian in the npmd tag who thinks it was good relatable stuff when stereotypical christian girl grace chasity had sexual fantasies about hot bully max jagerman secretly being christian. for the record, in npmd:

there is a running bit of christian characters saying that an unmarried couple holding each other's books is too far

there are multiple scenes where grace proclaims that the deaths of her classmates were acts of divine intervention

grace tries to get homecoming cancelled because she thinks her classmates will "use it an excuse" to have sex and leave, quote, "wayward spunk" in their high school gym

the scene being referenced as relatable is one of several wherein the phrase "dirty girl soup" is used several times to refer to grace's bath water. sexually. i mean come on. you are not supposed to say "real" when this part happens

it's satire. it's so obvious. it takes several metric tons of bad faith reading to interpret this musical as "pro-" christianity. maybe it is just making lighthearted fun of christianity, but more likely it's a funny and half-sincere exploration of some of the social and psychological repercussions of the sexual repression innate to a christian upbringing. come on dude. and if any unironic christians find this post let alone this blog good lord get out of here quickly and do nooot try to tell me that it is badass to co-opt satire ooooo aaaaa i say faggot its very scary and secular

[witchw00d]

ruth's guilty pleasure? cheesy fucking musicals. the good, the bad, the terrible, she loved them all. if they had catchy music, she could get away with mediocre writing. so, santa claus goes to high school? it was a fucking banger, and she refused to apologize for it. it had everything: catchy tunes, a tear-jerking inspirational message in the real meaning of christmas, and most importantly, a fucking smoke show of a main character.

if ruth could materialize chris kringle into a real guy, he would be her perfect package. large brown doe eyes, a mega-watt smile, athletic, kind, popular. she was, to put it lightly, obsessed with him. so much so that she had chris kringle doll sat on her bookshelf. if max jagerman ever caught wind of that . . .

speak of the devil.

fate had fucked her when she thought she'd be safe going to the bathroom during her normal time in calculus class. she was rounding the corner with her hall pass in hand when she had come face to face with the bully himself. she had squeaked and tried to run the other way before she was grabbed by the back of the sweater and shoved to the ground against the lockers. she was pleading for mercy when a strange . . . but also familiar? voice had rang out. she heard a 'who the hell are you?' from the bully before he retreated back to wherever he came from.

in her trembling state, ruth first noticed the red high-tops and dragged her eyes up the frame to the red jacket, baseball tee, and suddenly, the face that caused her chest to tighten. this was impossible. had max fucking killed her? knocked her senseless? how was chris fucking kringle standing here before her?!

" it - it's . . . it's you, " she breathed out, wide eyed and fixed on @hatchetswung before she scooted back on her ass and pressed against the lockers in fear. " h - how are you here?! "

[tiredandoptimistic]

I've seen a few posts talking about how ironic it is that Jagerman declares "nerdy prudes must die" and then kills some very horny people, but that's the point, isn't it? He tells Pete "you're not a nerd because of your glasses or your pimple dick, you're a nerd because I said so." None of these characters are actually "nerdy prudes," they're people who Jagerman has the power to hurt, and he's using that label as an excuse. We see Richie and Mayor Lauter both try to escape him by saying that they don't fit his target ("I'm not a nerdy prude, I'm not a loser!"/"that's not me, I'm the most powerful man in Hatchetfield"), but Max ignores both of them. He literally says "of course not, Richie, but you have lost everything." Aside from being a banger line, it proves that he doesn't care about who these people actually are, he wants to kill them because he can; just like he wanted to beat the shit out of Pete because he could. With Ruth, she's obviously not the least bit prudy, but why would Jagerman know that? He doesn't care about her as a person. It's not her traits that make her a nerdy prude, it's his wrath.