Why did the villain in the first Men in Black movie care about Earth's Cockroaches?Men In Black: After Agent...
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Why did the villain in the first Men in Black movie care about Earth's Cockroaches?
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Jay is able to distract the Bug by throwing things at him, jumping on him, and stepping on cockroaches
From the wiki page: Edgar the Bug.
Near the end of the 1997 movie Men in Black, the villain known as Edgar nearly made his escape ignoring Agent Jay's attempts to distract him. The only thing that got Edgar's attention was Jay stomping on a cockroach and almost supernaturally (or comically) Edgar took notice, jumped down to confront Jay and bought time for Agent Kay to find his gun inside the creature after being swallowed.
This is not also the only time in the film Edgar has shown offense to this. He also seems to care about other of Earth's insects. There was that part with a bug exterminator and that clerk who was swatting flies.
Why does Edgar care? He is not exactly of the same species or even from the same planet.
men-in-black
edited Feb 26 at 10:50
TheLethalCarrot
45k16237288
asked Feb 26 at 10:32
mr.eavermr.eaver
6502514
add a comment |
Jay is able to distract the Bug by throwing things at him, jumping on him, and stepping on cockroaches
From the wiki page: Edgar the Bug.
Near the end of the 1997 movie Men in Black, the villain known as Edgar nearly made his escape ignoring Agent Jay's attempts to distract him. The only thing that got Edgar's attention was Jay stomping on a cockroach and almost supernaturally (or comically) Edgar took notice, jumped down to confront Jay and bought time for Agent Kay to find his gun inside the creature after being swallowed.
This is not also the only time in the film Edgar has shown offense to this. He also seems to care about other of Earth's insects. There was that part with a bug exterminator and that clerk who was swatting flies.
Why does Edgar care? He is not exactly of the same species or even from the same planet.
men-in-black
edited Feb 26 at 10:50
TheLethalCarrot
45k16237288
asked Feb 26 at 10:32
mr.eavermr.eaver
6502514
5
Isn't there a line where he calls them "my baby"? It may be something added in the french traduction.. Will investigate it at my lunch break.
– Drag and Drop
Feb 27 at 9:32
If you went to another planet and saw a giant mosquito about to eat a Vulcan, how would you react? You're not the same species, or from the same planet.
– Arcanist Lupus
2 days ago
2
Kai's comment below gave a good point about this. It could be totally subjective. We cherish certain animals while kill others out of necessity. Like Jay said "Big bad bug got a bit of a soft spot", it could be a personal thing for edgar or it maybe it's part of his culture to care about creatures that look like themselves. Though I think it's a fair point to make that we can't really project human emotions on an alien.
– mr.eaver
2 days ago
Maybe he was the antagonist and not the villain?
– jmoreno
15 hours ago
add a comment |
Jay is able to distract the Bug by throwing things at him, jumping on him, and stepping on cockroaches
From the wiki page: Edgar the Bug.
Near the end of the 1997 movie Men in Black, the villain known as Edgar nearly made his escape ignoring Agent Jay's attempts to distract him. The only thing that got Edgar's attention was Jay stomping on a cockroach and almost supernaturally (or comically) Edgar took notice, jumped down to confront Jay and bought time for Agent Kay to find his gun inside the creature after being swallowed.
This is not also the only time in the film Edgar has shown offense to this. He also seems to care about other of Earth's insects. There was that part with a bug exterminator and that clerk who was swatting flies.
Why does Edgar care? He is not exactly of the same species or even from the same planet.
men-in-black
edited Feb 26 at 10:50
TheLethalCarrot
45k16237288
asked Feb 26 at 10:32
mr.eavermr.eaver
6502514
Jay is able to distract the Bug by throwing things at him, jumping on him, and stepping on cockroaches
From the wiki page: Edgar the Bug.
Near the end of the 1997 movie Men in Black, the villain known as Edgar nearly made his escape ignoring Agent Jay's attempts to distract him. The only thing that got Edgar's attention was Jay stomping on a cockroach and almost supernaturally (or comically) Edgar took notice, jumped down to confront Jay and bought time for Agent Kay to find his gun inside the creature after being swallowed.
This is not also the only time in the film Edgar has shown offense to this. He also seems to care about other of Earth's insects. There was that part with a bug exterminator and that clerk who was swatting flies.
Why does Edgar care? He is not exactly of the same species or even from the same planet.
men-in-black
men-in-black
edited Feb 26 at 10:50
TheLethalCarrot
45k16237288
asked Feb 26 at 10:32
mr.eavermr.eaver
6502514
edited Feb 26 at 10:50
TheLethalCarrot
45k16237288
asked Feb 26 at 10:32
mr.eavermr.eaver
6502514
edited Feb 26 at 10:50
TheLethalCarrot
45k16237288
edited Feb 26 at 10:50
TheLethalCarrot
45k16237288
edited Feb 26 at 10:50
TheLethalCarrot
45k16237288
45k16237288
asked Feb 26 at 10:32
mr.eavermr.eaver
6502514
asked Feb 26 at 10:32
mr.eavermr.eaver
6502514
asked Feb 26 at 10:32
mr.eavermr.eaver
6502514
6502514
5
Isn't there a line where he calls them "my baby"? It may be something added in the french traduction.. Will investigate it at my lunch break.
– Drag and Drop
Feb 27 at 9:32
If you went to another planet and saw a giant mosquito about to eat a Vulcan, how would you react? You're not the same species, or from the same planet.
– Arcanist Lupus
2 days ago
2
Kai's comment below gave a good point about this. It could be totally subjective. We cherish certain animals while kill others out of necessity. Like Jay said "Big bad bug got a bit of a soft spot", it could be a personal thing for edgar or it maybe it's part of his culture to care about creatures that look like themselves. Though I think it's a fair point to make that we can't really project human emotions on an alien.
– mr.eaver
2 days ago
Maybe he was the antagonist and not the villain?
– jmoreno
15 hours ago
add a comment |
5
Isn't there a line where he calls them "my baby"? It may be something added in the french traduction.. Will investigate it at my lunch break.
– Drag and Drop
Feb 27 at 9:32
If you went to another planet and saw a giant mosquito about to eat a Vulcan, how would you react? You're not the same species, or from the same planet.
– Arcanist Lupus
2 days ago
2
Kai's comment below gave a good point about this. It could be totally subjective. We cherish certain animals while kill others out of necessity. Like Jay said "Big bad bug got a bit of a soft spot", it could be a personal thing for edgar or it maybe it's part of his culture to care about creatures that look like themselves. Though I think it's a fair point to make that we can't really project human emotions on an alien.
– mr.eaver
2 days ago
Maybe he was the antagonist and not the villain?
– jmoreno
15 hours ago
5
5
Isn't there a line where he calls them "my baby"? It may be something added in the french traduction.. Will investigate it at my lunch break.
– Drag and Drop
Feb 27 at 9:32
Isn't there a line where he calls them "my baby"? It may be something added in the french traduction.. Will investigate it at my lunch break.
– Drag and Drop
Feb 27 at 9:32
If you went to another planet and saw a giant mosquito about to eat a Vulcan, how would you react? You're not the same species, or from the same planet.
– Arcanist Lupus
2 days ago
If you went to another planet and saw a giant mosquito about to eat a Vulcan, how would you react? You're not the same species, or from the same planet.
– Arcanist Lupus
2 days ago
2
2
Kai's comment below gave a good point about this. It could be totally subjective. We cherish certain animals while kill others out of necessity. Like Jay said "Big bad bug got a bit of a soft spot", it could be a personal thing for edgar or it maybe it's part of his culture to care about creatures that look like themselves. Though I think it's a fair point to make that we can't really project human emotions on an alien.
– mr.eaver
2 days ago
Kai's comment below gave a good point about this. It could be totally subjective. We cherish certain animals while kill others out of necessity. Like Jay said "Big bad bug got a bit of a soft spot", it could be a personal thing for edgar or it maybe it's part of his culture to care about creatures that look like themselves. Though I think it's a fair point to make that we can't really project human emotions on an alien.
– mr.eaver
2 days ago
Maybe he was the antagonist and not the villain?
– jmoreno
15 hours ago
Maybe he was the antagonist and not the villain?
– jmoreno
15 hours ago
add a comment |
5 Answers
5
active
oldest
votes
I'm not sure there is much to this other than he felt some kinship to the insects as they looked similar and so was annoyed when they were being killed like they were nothing. This is probably best answered with an analogy: how do we, humans, feel when gorillas and other apes are killed like nothing? How would we feel if we went to another planet and they were being killed in a manner such as Jay stepping on the cockroach?
The script seems to indicate that the sound of Jay crushing the cockroaches is one that enrages him so much, I would assume he would make the same noise if something big enough were to step on him.
ON THE BUG as he flinches on the ladder -- he hates that sound.
It's also worth noting that in Men in Black II Kay almost steps on a bug and then stops and the bug remarks:
Damn decent of you.
This implies that maybe some of the bugs on Earth are more than we know and could explain further why Edgar was so annoyed.
answered Feb 26 at 10:50
TheLethalCarrotTheLethalCarrot
45k16237288
6
Pretty wholesome answer, makes sense too. Humans take killing bugs very lightly, but when comes to killing other mammals, it's different
– mr.eaver
Feb 26 at 11:21
4
Though i think i should've emphasized, how Edgar seemed much more affected by the roaches' deaths. It almost was like it was hurting him physically or telepathically. But that's another topic.
– mr.eaver
Feb 26 at 11:23
29
Which animals we're okay with killing or not seems to be cultural, though often due to judgement on their traits such as how charismatic the animal is, or how intelligent it is. For instance, killing a horse is often seen as taboo while cattle in the same culture are commonly killed for food. In other cultures, cattle are sacred, and killing them is so anathema, people have been committed mob justice over it. Charisma seems to trump intelligence, however, as few cultures have problems with killing the octopus, even though they can be extremely intelligent.
– Kai
Feb 26 at 12:07
4
I thought the implication was that ALL bugs (or at least all cockroaches) were actually alien babies of the same species as Edgar, and have been all along. Kind of the main theme of the MiB series is that aliens have been among us for a long time, and just keeping on the down-low forever.
– Darrel Hoffman
Feb 26 at 14:03
8
+1. If I was on some strange planet with aliens that seemed totally unknown to me, and they were killing humanoid species that resembled me a bit, or even just mammals that I felt an affinity with, that would upset me.
– Revetahw
Feb 26 at 23:10
|
show 5 more comments
Although this question has been answered and accepted, let's not forget that Kay said:
Imagine a giant cockroach, with unlimited strength, a massive inferiority complex, and a real short temper, is tear-assing around Manhattan Island in a brand-new Edgar suit. That sound like fun?"
He's one of them. Not literally but effectively. And anyone who picks on his "kind" is picking on him and with a massive inferiority complex, he's going to want revenge.
answered Feb 26 at 14:09
StephenStephen
50134
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According to the film's official novelisation, Edgar the Bug (AKA Kerb) recognises the roaches as his distant relations.
Edgar finally found what he thought might be a hiding place for his
ship, a mostly empty structure that was home to myriad small
creatures, six- and eight-legged ones. From their forms, he could
recognize a certain ancestral kinship. Little brothers, as it were. Or
maybe little great-great-grandfathers.
His species is far more advanced than humanity and it would appear that this includes a higher morality toward other bugs and insects, to the point that he's willing to delay his departure to take care of a monkey who's crushing his brethren with gay abandon.
answered Feb 26 at 22:06
ValorumValorum
406k10929553180
add a comment |
Men in Black had a running theme where Jay, in the first movie, and the viewer are very unaware of the scope of the universe. Probably because imagining the scope of ourselves in the universe is difficult to do in general. So, the movies end with scenes like the marbles games, or the lockers where some of the characters in the movies are very much aware of a larger overall scale of the universe which becomes revealed.
I think you could continue this parallel to a character like Edgar. He was much more aware of the size/scale of the universe than Jay. So it’s possible in Edgar's species' evolution they were the "cockroaches" to another larger species, like a significantly scaled up humanoid.
I don't think this would be exclusively a "kinship" to bugs, though that would definitely be a part of it -- he did look a lot like a cockroach. I think the rest of it is tied into this repeated notion of the scale between things in the universe.
edited Feb 26 at 21:02
TheLethalCarrot
45k16237288
answered Feb 26 at 20:58
user112259user112259
911
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user112259 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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It's essentially the same if you landed on a foreign planet, and some alien just picked up a puppy and snapped its neck and threw it in the trash because it was being annoying.
Or, for a more direct comparison, a little tiny humanoid with pale-grey skin, and blue or grey eyes.
answered Feb 26 at 22:07
Ryan HofmannRyan Hofmann
811
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5 Answers
5
active
oldest
votes
5 Answers
5
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
I'm not sure there is much to this other than he felt some kinship to the insects as they looked similar and so was annoyed when they were being killed like they were nothing. This is probably best answered with an analogy: how do we, humans, feel when gorillas and other apes are killed like nothing? How would we feel if we went to another planet and they were being killed in a manner such as Jay stepping on the cockroach?
The script seems to indicate that the sound of Jay crushing the cockroaches is one that enrages him so much, I would assume he would make the same noise if something big enough were to step on him.
ON THE BUG as he flinches on the ladder -- he hates that sound.
It's also worth noting that in Men in Black II Kay almost steps on a bug and then stops and the bug remarks:
Damn decent of you.
This implies that maybe some of the bugs on Earth are more than we know and could explain further why Edgar was so annoyed.
answered Feb 26 at 10:50
TheLethalCarrotTheLethalCarrot
45k16237288
6
Pretty wholesome answer, makes sense too. Humans take killing bugs very lightly, but when comes to killing other mammals, it's different
– mr.eaver
Feb 26 at 11:21
4
Though i think i should've emphasized, how Edgar seemed much more affected by the roaches' deaths. It almost was like it was hurting him physically or telepathically. But that's another topic.
– mr.eaver
Feb 26 at 11:23
29
Which animals we're okay with killing or not seems to be cultural, though often due to judgement on their traits such as how charismatic the animal is, or how intelligent it is. For instance, killing a horse is often seen as taboo while cattle in the same culture are commonly killed for food. In other cultures, cattle are sacred, and killing them is so anathema, people have been committed mob justice over it. Charisma seems to trump intelligence, however, as few cultures have problems with killing the octopus, even though they can be extremely intelligent.
– Kai
Feb 26 at 12:07
4
I thought the implication was that ALL bugs (or at least all cockroaches) were actually alien babies of the same species as Edgar, and have been all along. Kind of the main theme of the MiB series is that aliens have been among us for a long time, and just keeping on the down-low forever.
– Darrel Hoffman
Feb 26 at 14:03
8
+1. If I was on some strange planet with aliens that seemed totally unknown to me, and they were killing humanoid species that resembled me a bit, or even just mammals that I felt an affinity with, that would upset me.
– Revetahw
Feb 26 at 23:10
|
show 5 more comments
I'm not sure there is much to this other than he felt some kinship to the insects as they looked similar and so was annoyed when they were being killed like they were nothing. This is probably best answered with an analogy: how do we, humans, feel when gorillas and other apes are killed like nothing? How would we feel if we went to another planet and they were being killed in a manner such as Jay stepping on the cockroach?
The script seems to indicate that the sound of Jay crushing the cockroaches is one that enrages him so much, I would assume he would make the same noise if something big enough were to step on him.
ON THE BUG as he flinches on the ladder -- he hates that sound.
It's also worth noting that in Men in Black II Kay almost steps on a bug and then stops and the bug remarks:
Damn decent of you.
This implies that maybe some of the bugs on Earth are more than we know and could explain further why Edgar was so annoyed.
answered Feb 26 at 10:50
TheLethalCarrotTheLethalCarrot
45k16237288
6
Pretty wholesome answer, makes sense too. Humans take killing bugs very lightly, but when comes to killing other mammals, it's different
– mr.eaver
Feb 26 at 11:21
4
Though i think i should've emphasized, how Edgar seemed much more affected by the roaches' deaths. It almost was like it was hurting him physically or telepathically. But that's another topic.
– mr.eaver
Feb 26 at 11:23
29
Which animals we're okay with killing or not seems to be cultural, though often due to judgement on their traits such as how charismatic the animal is, or how intelligent it is. For instance, killing a horse is often seen as taboo while cattle in the same culture are commonly killed for food. In other cultures, cattle are sacred, and killing them is so anathema, people have been committed mob justice over it. Charisma seems to trump intelligence, however, as few cultures have problems with killing the octopus, even though they can be extremely intelligent.
– Kai
Feb 26 at 12:07
4
I thought the implication was that ALL bugs (or at least all cockroaches) were actually alien babies of the same species as Edgar, and have been all along. Kind of the main theme of the MiB series is that aliens have been among us for a long time, and just keeping on the down-low forever.
– Darrel Hoffman
Feb 26 at 14:03
8
+1. If I was on some strange planet with aliens that seemed totally unknown to me, and they were killing humanoid species that resembled me a bit, or even just mammals that I felt an affinity with, that would upset me.
– Revetahw
Feb 26 at 23:10
|
show 5 more comments
I'm not sure there is much to this other than he felt some kinship to the insects as they looked similar and so was annoyed when they were being killed like they were nothing. This is probably best answered with an analogy: how do we, humans, feel when gorillas and other apes are killed like nothing? How would we feel if we went to another planet and they were being killed in a manner such as Jay stepping on the cockroach?
The script seems to indicate that the sound of Jay crushing the cockroaches is one that enrages him so much, I would assume he would make the same noise if something big enough were to step on him.
ON THE BUG as he flinches on the ladder -- he hates that sound.
It's also worth noting that in Men in Black II Kay almost steps on a bug and then stops and the bug remarks:
Damn decent of you.
This implies that maybe some of the bugs on Earth are more than we know and could explain further why Edgar was so annoyed.
answered Feb 26 at 10:50
TheLethalCarrotTheLethalCarrot
45k16237288
I'm not sure there is much to this other than he felt some kinship to the insects as they looked similar and so was annoyed when they were being killed like they were nothing. This is probably best answered with an analogy: how do we, humans, feel when gorillas and other apes are killed like nothing? How would we feel if we went to another planet and they were being killed in a manner such as Jay stepping on the cockroach?
The script seems to indicate that the sound of Jay crushing the cockroaches is one that enrages him so much, I would assume he would make the same noise if something big enough were to step on him.
ON THE BUG as he flinches on the ladder -- he hates that sound.
It's also worth noting that in Men in Black II Kay almost steps on a bug and then stops and the bug remarks:
Damn decent of you.
This implies that maybe some of the bugs on Earth are more than we know and could explain further why Edgar was so annoyed.
answered Feb 26 at 10:50
TheLethalCarrotTheLethalCarrot
45k16237288
edited Feb 27 at 14:40
answered Feb 26 at 10:50
TheLethalCarrotTheLethalCarrot
45k16237288
answered Feb 26 at 10:50
TheLethalCarrotTheLethalCarrot
45k16237288
answered Feb 26 at 10:50
TheLethalCarrotTheLethalCarrot
45k16237288
45k16237288
6
Pretty wholesome answer, makes sense too. Humans take killing bugs very lightly, but when comes to killing other mammals, it's different
– mr.eaver
Feb 26 at 11:21
4
Though i think i should've emphasized, how Edgar seemed much more affected by the roaches' deaths. It almost was like it was hurting him physically or telepathically. But that's another topic.
– mr.eaver
Feb 26 at 11:23
29
Which animals we're okay with killing or not seems to be cultural, though often due to judgement on their traits such as how charismatic the animal is, or how intelligent it is. For instance, killing a horse is often seen as taboo while cattle in the same culture are commonly killed for food. In other cultures, cattle are sacred, and killing them is so anathema, people have been committed mob justice over it. Charisma seems to trump intelligence, however, as few cultures have problems with killing the octopus, even though they can be extremely intelligent.
– Kai
Feb 26 at 12:07
4
I thought the implication was that ALL bugs (or at least all cockroaches) were actually alien babies of the same species as Edgar, and have been all along. Kind of the main theme of the MiB series is that aliens have been among us for a long time, and just keeping on the down-low forever.
– Darrel Hoffman
Feb 26 at 14:03
8
+1. If I was on some strange planet with aliens that seemed totally unknown to me, and they were killing humanoid species that resembled me a bit, or even just mammals that I felt an affinity with, that would upset me.
– Revetahw
Feb 26 at 23:10
|
show 5 more comments
6
Pretty wholesome answer, makes sense too. Humans take killing bugs very lightly, but when comes to killing other mammals, it's different
– mr.eaver
Feb 26 at 11:21
4
Though i think i should've emphasized, how Edgar seemed much more affected by the roaches' deaths. It almost was like it was hurting him physically or telepathically. But that's another topic.
– mr.eaver
Feb 26 at 11:23
29
Which animals we're okay with killing or not seems to be cultural, though often due to judgement on their traits such as how charismatic the animal is, or how intelligent it is. For instance, killing a horse is often seen as taboo while cattle in the same culture are commonly killed for food. In other cultures, cattle are sacred, and killing them is so anathema, people have been committed mob justice over it. Charisma seems to trump intelligence, however, as few cultures have problems with killing the octopus, even though they can be extremely intelligent.
– Kai
Feb 26 at 12:07
4
I thought the implication was that ALL bugs (or at least all cockroaches) were actually alien babies of the same species as Edgar, and have been all along. Kind of the main theme of the MiB series is that aliens have been among us for a long time, and just keeping on the down-low forever.
– Darrel Hoffman
Feb 26 at 14:03
8
+1. If I was on some strange planet with aliens that seemed totally unknown to me, and they were killing humanoid species that resembled me a bit, or even just mammals that I felt an affinity with, that would upset me.
– Revetahw
Feb 26 at 23:10
6
6
Pretty wholesome answer, makes sense too. Humans take killing bugs very lightly, but when comes to killing other mammals, it's different
– mr.eaver
Feb 26 at 11:21
Pretty wholesome answer, makes sense too. Humans take killing bugs very lightly, but when comes to killing other mammals, it's different
– mr.eaver
Feb 26 at 11:21
4
4
Though i think i should've emphasized, how Edgar seemed much more affected by the roaches' deaths. It almost was like it was hurting him physically or telepathically. But that's another topic.
– mr.eaver
Feb 26 at 11:23
Though i think i should've emphasized, how Edgar seemed much more affected by the roaches' deaths. It almost was like it was hurting him physically or telepathically. But that's another topic.
– mr.eaver
Feb 26 at 11:23
29
29
Which animals we're okay with killing or not seems to be cultural, though often due to judgement on their traits such as how charismatic the animal is, or how intelligent it is. For instance, killing a horse is often seen as taboo while cattle in the same culture are commonly killed for food. In other cultures, cattle are sacred, and killing them is so anathema, people have been committed mob justice over it. Charisma seems to trump intelligence, however, as few cultures have problems with killing the octopus, even though they can be extremely intelligent.
– Kai
Feb 26 at 12:07
Which animals we're okay with killing or not seems to be cultural, though often due to judgement on their traits such as how charismatic the animal is, or how intelligent it is. For instance, killing a horse is often seen as taboo while cattle in the same culture are commonly killed for food. In other cultures, cattle are sacred, and killing them is so anathema, people have been committed mob justice over it. Charisma seems to trump intelligence, however, as few cultures have problems with killing the octopus, even though they can be extremely intelligent.
– Kai
Feb 26 at 12:07
4
4
I thought the implication was that ALL bugs (or at least all cockroaches) were actually alien babies of the same species as Edgar, and have been all along. Kind of the main theme of the MiB series is that aliens have been among us for a long time, and just keeping on the down-low forever.
– Darrel Hoffman
Feb 26 at 14:03
I thought the implication was that ALL bugs (or at least all cockroaches) were actually alien babies of the same species as Edgar, and have been all along. Kind of the main theme of the MiB series is that aliens have been among us for a long time, and just keeping on the down-low forever.
– Darrel Hoffman
Feb 26 at 14:03
8
8
+1. If I was on some strange planet with aliens that seemed totally unknown to me, and they were killing humanoid species that resembled me a bit, or even just mammals that I felt an affinity with, that would upset me.
– Revetahw
Feb 26 at 23:10
+1. If I was on some strange planet with aliens that seemed totally unknown to me, and they were killing humanoid species that resembled me a bit, or even just mammals that I felt an affinity with, that would upset me.
– Revetahw
Feb 26 at 23:10
|
show 5 more comments
Although this question has been answered and accepted, let's not forget that Kay said:
Imagine a giant cockroach, with unlimited strength, a massive inferiority complex, and a real short temper, is tear-assing around Manhattan Island in a brand-new Edgar suit. That sound like fun?"
He's one of them. Not literally but effectively. And anyone who picks on his "kind" is picking on him and with a massive inferiority complex, he's going to want revenge.
answered Feb 26 at 14:09
StephenStephen
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Although this question has been answered and accepted, let's not forget that Kay said:
Imagine a giant cockroach, with unlimited strength, a massive inferiority complex, and a real short temper, is tear-assing around Manhattan Island in a brand-new Edgar suit. That sound like fun?"
He's one of them. Not literally but effectively. And anyone who picks on his "kind" is picking on him and with a massive inferiority complex, he's going to want revenge.
answered Feb 26 at 14:09
StephenStephen
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Although this question has been answered and accepted, let's not forget that Kay said:
Imagine a giant cockroach, with unlimited strength, a massive inferiority complex, and a real short temper, is tear-assing around Manhattan Island in a brand-new Edgar suit. That sound like fun?"
He's one of them. Not literally but effectively. And anyone who picks on his "kind" is picking on him and with a massive inferiority complex, he's going to want revenge.
answered Feb 26 at 14:09
StephenStephen
50134
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Stephen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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Although this question has been answered and accepted, let's not forget that Kay said:
Imagine a giant cockroach, with unlimited strength, a massive inferiority complex, and a real short temper, is tear-assing around Manhattan Island in a brand-new Edgar suit. That sound like fun?"
He's one of them. Not literally but effectively. And anyone who picks on his "kind" is picking on him and with a massive inferiority complex, he's going to want revenge.
answered Feb 26 at 14:09
StephenStephen
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edited Feb 26 at 14:23
answered Feb 26 at 14:09
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answered Feb 26 at 14:09
StephenStephen
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answered Feb 26 at 14:09
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According to the film's official novelisation, Edgar the Bug (AKA Kerb) recognises the roaches as his distant relations.
Edgar finally found what he thought might be a hiding place for his
ship, a mostly empty structure that was home to myriad small
creatures, six- and eight-legged ones. From their forms, he could
recognize a certain ancestral kinship. Little brothers, as it were. Or
maybe little great-great-grandfathers.
His species is far more advanced than humanity and it would appear that this includes a higher morality toward other bugs and insects, to the point that he's willing to delay his departure to take care of a monkey who's crushing his brethren with gay abandon.
answered Feb 26 at 22:06
ValorumValorum
406k10929553180
add a comment |
According to the film's official novelisation, Edgar the Bug (AKA Kerb) recognises the roaches as his distant relations.
Edgar finally found what he thought might be a hiding place for his
ship, a mostly empty structure that was home to myriad small
creatures, six- and eight-legged ones. From their forms, he could
recognize a certain ancestral kinship. Little brothers, as it were. Or
maybe little great-great-grandfathers.
His species is far more advanced than humanity and it would appear that this includes a higher morality toward other bugs and insects, to the point that he's willing to delay his departure to take care of a monkey who's crushing his brethren with gay abandon.
answered Feb 26 at 22:06
ValorumValorum
406k10929553180
add a comment |
According to the film's official novelisation, Edgar the Bug (AKA Kerb) recognises the roaches as his distant relations.
Edgar finally found what he thought might be a hiding place for his
ship, a mostly empty structure that was home to myriad small
creatures, six- and eight-legged ones. From their forms, he could
recognize a certain ancestral kinship. Little brothers, as it were. Or
maybe little great-great-grandfathers.
His species is far more advanced than humanity and it would appear that this includes a higher morality toward other bugs and insects, to the point that he's willing to delay his departure to take care of a monkey who's crushing his brethren with gay abandon.
answered Feb 26 at 22:06
ValorumValorum
406k10929553180
According to the film's official novelisation, Edgar the Bug (AKA Kerb) recognises the roaches as his distant relations.
Edgar finally found what he thought might be a hiding place for his
ship, a mostly empty structure that was home to myriad small
creatures, six- and eight-legged ones. From their forms, he could
recognize a certain ancestral kinship. Little brothers, as it were. Or
maybe little great-great-grandfathers.
His species is far more advanced than humanity and it would appear that this includes a higher morality toward other bugs and insects, to the point that he's willing to delay his departure to take care of a monkey who's crushing his brethren with gay abandon.
answered Feb 26 at 22:06
ValorumValorum
406k10929553180
answered Feb 26 at 22:06
ValorumValorum
406k10929553180
answered Feb 26 at 22:06
ValorumValorum
406k10929553180
answered Feb 26 at 22:06
ValorumValorum
406k10929553180
406k10929553180
add a comment |
add a comment |
Men in Black had a running theme where Jay, in the first movie, and the viewer are very unaware of the scope of the universe. Probably because imagining the scope of ourselves in the universe is difficult to do in general. So, the movies end with scenes like the marbles games, or the lockers where some of the characters in the movies are very much aware of a larger overall scale of the universe which becomes revealed.
I think you could continue this parallel to a character like Edgar. He was much more aware of the size/scale of the universe than Jay. So it’s possible in Edgar's species' evolution they were the "cockroaches" to another larger species, like a significantly scaled up humanoid.
I don't think this would be exclusively a "kinship" to bugs, though that would definitely be a part of it -- he did look a lot like a cockroach. I think the rest of it is tied into this repeated notion of the scale between things in the universe.
edited Feb 26 at 21:02
TheLethalCarrot
45k16237288
answered Feb 26 at 20:58
user112259user112259
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Men in Black had a running theme where Jay, in the first movie, and the viewer are very unaware of the scope of the universe. Probably because imagining the scope of ourselves in the universe is difficult to do in general. So, the movies end with scenes like the marbles games, or the lockers where some of the characters in the movies are very much aware of a larger overall scale of the universe which becomes revealed.
I think you could continue this parallel to a character like Edgar. He was much more aware of the size/scale of the universe than Jay. So it’s possible in Edgar's species' evolution they were the "cockroaches" to another larger species, like a significantly scaled up humanoid.
I don't think this would be exclusively a "kinship" to bugs, though that would definitely be a part of it -- he did look a lot like a cockroach. I think the rest of it is tied into this repeated notion of the scale between things in the universe.
edited Feb 26 at 21:02
TheLethalCarrot
45k16237288
answered Feb 26 at 20:58
user112259user112259
911
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Men in Black had a running theme where Jay, in the first movie, and the viewer are very unaware of the scope of the universe. Probably because imagining the scope of ourselves in the universe is difficult to do in general. So, the movies end with scenes like the marbles games, or the lockers where some of the characters in the movies are very much aware of a larger overall scale of the universe which becomes revealed.
I think you could continue this parallel to a character like Edgar. He was much more aware of the size/scale of the universe than Jay. So it’s possible in Edgar's species' evolution they were the "cockroaches" to another larger species, like a significantly scaled up humanoid.
I don't think this would be exclusively a "kinship" to bugs, though that would definitely be a part of it -- he did look a lot like a cockroach. I think the rest of it is tied into this repeated notion of the scale between things in the universe.
edited Feb 26 at 21:02
TheLethalCarrot
45k16237288
answered Feb 26 at 20:58
user112259user112259
911
New contributor
user112259 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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Men in Black had a running theme where Jay, in the first movie, and the viewer are very unaware of the scope of the universe. Probably because imagining the scope of ourselves in the universe is difficult to do in general. So, the movies end with scenes like the marbles games, or the lockers where some of the characters in the movies are very much aware of a larger overall scale of the universe which becomes revealed.
I think you could continue this parallel to a character like Edgar. He was much more aware of the size/scale of the universe than Jay. So it’s possible in Edgar's species' evolution they were the "cockroaches" to another larger species, like a significantly scaled up humanoid.
I don't think this would be exclusively a "kinship" to bugs, though that would definitely be a part of it -- he did look a lot like a cockroach. I think the rest of it is tied into this repeated notion of the scale between things in the universe.
edited Feb 26 at 21:02
TheLethalCarrot
45k16237288
answered Feb 26 at 20:58
user112259user112259
911
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edited Feb 26 at 21:02
TheLethalCarrot
45k16237288
edited Feb 26 at 21:02
TheLethalCarrot
45k16237288
edited Feb 26 at 21:02
TheLethalCarrot
45k16237288
45k16237288
answered Feb 26 at 20:58
user112259user112259
911
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answered Feb 26 at 20:58
user112259user112259
911
answered Feb 26 at 20:58
user112259user112259
911
911
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It's essentially the same if you landed on a foreign planet, and some alien just picked up a puppy and snapped its neck and threw it in the trash because it was being annoying.
Or, for a more direct comparison, a little tiny humanoid with pale-grey skin, and blue or grey eyes.
answered Feb 26 at 22:07
Ryan HofmannRyan Hofmann
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It's essentially the same if you landed on a foreign planet, and some alien just picked up a puppy and snapped its neck and threw it in the trash because it was being annoying.
Or, for a more direct comparison, a little tiny humanoid with pale-grey skin, and blue or grey eyes.
answered Feb 26 at 22:07
Ryan HofmannRyan Hofmann
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It's essentially the same if you landed on a foreign planet, and some alien just picked up a puppy and snapped its neck and threw it in the trash because it was being annoying.
Or, for a more direct comparison, a little tiny humanoid with pale-grey skin, and blue or grey eyes.
answered Feb 26 at 22:07
Ryan HofmannRyan Hofmann
811
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It's essentially the same if you landed on a foreign planet, and some alien just picked up a puppy and snapped its neck and threw it in the trash because it was being annoying.
Or, for a more direct comparison, a little tiny humanoid with pale-grey skin, and blue or grey eyes.
answered Feb 26 at 22:07
Ryan HofmannRyan Hofmann
811
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answered Feb 26 at 22:07
Ryan HofmannRyan Hofmann
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answered Feb 26 at 22:07
Ryan HofmannRyan Hofmann
811
answered Feb 26 at 22:07
Ryan HofmannRyan Hofmann
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811
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Isn't there a line where he calls them "my baby"? It may be something added in the french traduction.. Will investigate it at my lunch break.
– Drag and Drop
Feb 27 at 9:32
If you went to another planet and saw a giant mosquito about to eat a Vulcan, how would you react? You're not the same species, or from the same planet.
– Arcanist Lupus
2 days ago
2
Kai's comment below gave a good point about this. It could be totally subjective. We cherish certain animals while kill others out of necessity. Like Jay said "Big bad bug got a bit of a soft spot", it could be a personal thing for edgar or it maybe it's part of his culture to care about creatures that look like themselves. Though I think it's a fair point to make that we can't really project human emotions on an alien.
– mr.eaver
2 days ago
Maybe he was the antagonist and not the villain?
– jmoreno
15 hours ago