The Humanity of Aliens: Performances of Self and Existential Authenticity in Megamind
Megamind, a 2010 film produced by DreamWorks Animation and starring Will Ferrell as the voice of the titular character, follows the story of two extraterrestrial beings, the blue, large-headed Megamind and the humanoid Metro Man. The two aliens are sent to Earth moments before their respective planets were absorbed by a black hole. Metro Man’s pod lands in a lavish mansion in Metro City, while Megamind’s winds up in a prison nearby. Their paths greatly diverge from there. Megamind places emphasis on his troubling childhood to explain his current villainy and rivalry with Metro Man. While Megamind grows up seemingly morally compromised amidst criminals, Metro Man is raised with a silver spoon, and according to Megamind, becomes a morally upright individual because of that. Throughout school and later on adulthood, Metro Man is revered and favoured for his feats of strength and supernatural abilities, whereas Megamind, despite showing ingenuity in his inventions, is shunned. Naturally, the two beings become life-long enemies in a battle of power over Metro City, with Metro Man prevailing every time they match up. In their latest battle, Megamind’s disastrous plan to lure Metro Man into a death trap by holding Roxanne, Metro Man’s alleged love interest, hostage (see fig. 1) unexpectedly works. Megamind, while initially overjoyed with his victory, soon enters an existential crisis as he finds that life has become too easy. This triggers a series of events where he falls in love with Roxanne, rebuilds the devastated city for her, and creates another superhero for himself to fight. The new superhero, however, exploits his newfound powers and quickly turns to evil. Megamind, then, has to become the hero that saves the city from the new villain.
On the surface, Megamind is a movie that provides an inspirational yet cliché message, narrated in Megamind’s voice himself, “Destiny is not the path given to us, but the path we choose for ourselves.” Many critics at the time had therefore written it and its overdone message off as mediocre and forgettable. Yet, Megamind has proved to be an enduring hit that has seen newfound acclaim on social media almost a decade after its release, with many new viewers describing it as “underrated,” “feminist,” “subversive,” and even “genius.” Scholars have also considered Megamind to be a revisionist film with a subversive take on ideal masculinity (Brown 136; Waling 7). However, no attempt has been made to recognise Megamind as a movie that presents a realistic means towards attaining individual existential authenticity. In the film, Megamind and Metro Man’s superhero and supervillain personas can be thought of as facades, or what sociologist Erving Goffman would term as “performances” of themselves. Goffman defines a “performance” to everything a person does on a given occasion that serves to influence anyone who is watching him (15). His idea is echoed in Robin S. Rosenberg’s interpretation on the film and its core message, where she offers a psychological perspective:
To me, the take home message from this early part of the film boils down to: how other people treat you affects your self-concept and behavior — in essence, who you become. If you’re repeatedly treated as if you’ve done something wrong, pretty soon you might well start acting the part that people have cast you in, and come to believe it to boot…. [I]f you treat people as villains without cause (as happened to the Megamind child), they’ll come to act that way. Treat them with respect and dignity, and there’s a better chance that they’ll act that way than if you treat them as villains. (“On Being Blue”)
In this short review of Megamind, Rosenberg posits that the film can serve as a reflection of real-life phenomena where socially constructed beliefs of who we should be end up shaping how we present ourselves, and eventually who we become. Her findings parallel Goffman’s theory that one’s performance of self “is ‘socialized,’ molded, and modified to fit into the understanding and expectations of the society in which it is presented” (35), but neglects to consider how Megamind eventually does break free of the socially constructed ideas of him as a supervillain, and becomes the unexpected hero of Metro City. I contend that her and Goffman’s ideas could be better understood in tandem with Ning Wang’s interpretation of what it means to be existentially authentic, where existential authenticity refers to “a special state of Being in which one is true to oneself, and acts as a counterdose to the loss of ‘true self’ in public roles and public spheres in modern Western society” (358). In other words, one attains existential authenticity when his outward performance of himself is an accurate reflection of his true inner self. As it turns out, socially constructed beliefs about how bad Megamind was did not, as Rosenberg suggested, shape him into a morally bad person at his core, but only constructed his performance as a villain. The film goes on to imply that he lacks existential authenticity and even provides hints towards how one is able to eventually achieve an authentic existence. I therefore argue that Megamind uses the superhero and supervillain trope to show how the performance of one’s self in society, if misaligned with one’s true self, leads to an inauthentic existence. I further posit that Megamind shows that the fulfilment of certain psychological needs is what is ultimately necessary for one to live an authentic existence. To demonstrate this, I first use Goffman’s theory to examine the film’s portrayal of Megamind and Metro Man’s performances of themselves. Then, I focus on how the film narrative implies both characters lack existential authenticity. Finally, I show how the film provides an alternate perspective to Wang’s suggestions on how existential authenticity is activated. From here on, the terms hero/villain and superhero/supervillain are also used interchangeably, and simultaneously refer to superpowered beings such as those found in popular comics and films.
Megamind explores the issue of both Megamind and Metro Man “performing” as supervillain or superhero due to societal expectations of them to behave as such. In a specific scene where they are students at school, Megamind accidentally sets fire to the corn he was supposed to turn into popcorn, which scares his peers and teacher. Metro Man swoops in in that instant to put out the fire and sends Megamind to the corner, to the delight and cheers of everyone (see fig. 2). Megamind then proclaims that if he was going to be the bad boy, he was going to be “the baddest boy of them all,” and he starts his villainous career from there. In a scene that follows, the warden guarding Megamind in prison tells him that he’ll always be a villain, which Megamind later during his prison break parrots back, “You were right. I’ll always be a villain.” In these scenes, Megamind is portrayed to be what Goffman refers to as a performer that is “fully taken in by his own act” and is convinced that the impression of reality which he stages (of his own villainy) is the real reality (17) — that he is truly, as people see him to be, bad. Even when he is eventually put in a situation where only he can be the hero the city needs, he rejects the idea of being a hero by saying, “I’m the bad guy. I don’t save the day. I don’t fly off into the sunset, and I don’t get the girl.” Megamind has internalised the idea that he is bad because society believes he is, and has told him — in their fear of him and desire to keep him locked up — that he is. This then reinforces his presentation of himself as a supervillain, an identity he holds on to for a large portion of the movie.
Using Goffman’s theory, we can consider Megamind to be at one extreme for fully taking in his villainous persona, while Metro Man lies on the other extreme for not taking in his superhero persona at all. Like Megamind, Metro Man grew up thinking he had to become a superhero because his good looks, natural charisma, and supernatural abilities led society — including his peers and teacher at school, and presumably his adoptive parents — to impose such an expectation on him. He is never revealed to have a name other than Metro Man, perhaps another testament to how society views him singularly as a superhero, and not someone with a life beyond his duties to the city. Metro Man is aware of this as well, and states that he has “always had to be what the city wanted [him] to be.” Unlike Megamind, Metro Man was not “be[ing] taken in at all by his own routine” and cynical (Goffman 17) in his role as the hero of Metro City. While Megamind believes his destiny is to be a supervillain, Metro Man recognised that his destiny was not to be a superhero. He is cognizant that he is putting up a front for the city that reveres him for his superheroism, and this self-awareness leads him to call his tussle with Megamind for Metro City the “same silly charade” they had performed their entire lives. Another way the movie presents Metro Man’s self-awareness is in how overpowered he actually is. Metro Man’s superspeed allows him to read a book, contemplate his existential dread, and formulate a plan to fake his death all within the span of a split second. This superspeed alone, out of his entire repertoire of supernatural abilities, would have allowed him to put Megamind in his place before their battles even started, but that was never the case. Through his overpowered nature, the film implies that Metro Man’s superhero persona has really just been a performance for him, where he acts like the stakes are high in each battle he has with Megamind. This is reinforced in the scene where Megamind interrupts Metro Man’s speech at the unveiling of the Metro Man Museum; Metro Man’s superspeed would have essentially teleported him to where Roxanne was being kidnapped, but he flies over instead to make for a dramatic sequence (see fig. 3), in front of a crowd that is cheering him on.
The film’s depiction of Megamind presents the troubling consequences of a misalignment in the “true self” and the “performance of self.” Throughout the film, Megamind is implied to be good at his core, which leads to a misalignment with his villainous outer persona. Despite all the weapons he threatens to use, he has never once physically hurt his frequent kidnapping victim, Roxanne, which is uncharacteristic of any morally bad supervillain. When Megamind is wooing Roxanne as Bernard, he cleans up the streets and reinstates stolen paintings for her, quipping in a self-aware moment that “Megamind isn’t so bad after all.” Again, this idea that Megamind is not morally compromised is emphasised when Megamind refuses to help the new villain, Titan, destroy the city. In fact, he works to save the city from Titan. It is further implied that Megamind’s villainy does not actually stem from evil intentions, but just a desire for an arbitrary purpose in life. When he enters a bout of existential dread and depression after Metro Man is dead, he muses if there’s a point in “being bad when there’s no good to try and stop [him],” again uncharacteristic of a morally compromised supervillain (see fig. 4). All of these scenes point to how Megamind is not actually morally bad like he presents himself to be. Perhaps, the deeper implication here is that Megamind was a good person that was driven by society to become bad. Since one attains existential authenticity when his outward performance of himself is an accurate reflection of his true inner self, the film’s portrayal of the misalignment of Megamind’s true (good) self and performance of his (bad) self thus implies that he is not true to himself, and lives an inauthentic existence.
Meanwhile, Metro Man’s misalignment of his “true self” and his “performance of self” also leads to his inauthentic existence. Metro Man’s true self is, in direct opposition to Megamind, portrayed not to be as morally upright as his outward performance would indicate. While using his superspeed to clear his head, he actually steals food from the citizens frozen in time (see fig. 5), behaviour that would be unbecoming of any superhero. Furthermore, it is implied that he is not heroic out of the goodness of his own heart, but rather out of sympathy for the people of Metro City. In a speech he gives to the city, he even calls the citizens of Metro City “helpless.” When he runs out of sympathy, he stops coming to the city’s aid, such as during Titan’s reign of terror. He rejects pleas from both Megamind and Roxanne, simply stating that he is “done” saving the city. Any morally upright superhero would have tried his best to help, but Metro Man is not that at his core. Having to masquerade as the city’s golden superhero led to Metro Man’s existential dread (in no longer wanting to be a superhero) and unhappiness (due to the monotony of constantly defeating Megamind). In another instance, Metro Man outrightly articulates his desire to stop being Metro Man, the superhero, and instead become Music Man, the musician, implying that the latter is his true self. The film, in presenting the misalignment of the “true self” and the “performance of self,” thus implies that Metro Man also lived an inauthentic existence during his stint as the “Defender of Metro City.”
The film then presents two different approaches for how one can achieve existential authenticity — one for a performer that is not taken in by his own act and one for a performer that is fully taken in by his own act. I will first elaborate on the former. For Metro Man who is a performer aware of his inauthentic existence, the solution is straightforward. The performer needs to pursue the self he truly wants to become, and assert his will when presented with the opportunity to do so. Metro Man, in seizing the window of opportunity to fake his death and become his true self — that is, Music Man — pursues his true self. In rejecting Megamind’s plea to save the city, he puts his foot down and tells Megamind that he is “done” defending the city, thereby asserting his will. It is then, where he truly retires the superhero mantle for good that the gap between “true self” and “performance of self” is closed, and Metro Man presumably finds his true, authentic self.
For the performer that is “fully taken in by his own act,” however, existential authenticity has to be activated by other experiences — specifically, the fulfillment of one’s psychological needs. In this case, Megamind is the performer who is unaware that his “performance of self” is not his “true self.” In “Rethinking Authenticity in Tourism Experience,” Ning Wang explores two dimensions of authenticity, intra- and inter-personal, that can be activated by means of tourism (361). I contend that Megamind provides alternatives to Wang’s suggestions beyond the realm of tourism, by portraying that intra- and inter-personal authenticity can also be activated through the fulfillment of psychological needs. These psychological needs are in reference to Saul McLeod’s interpretation of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (see fig. 6), where after physiological needs have been met, psychological needs like love and belonging needs and esteem needs precede self-actualisation needs (4).
Megamind attributes Megamind’s attainment of intra-personal authenticity to his becoming the unexpected hero of Metro City. According to Wang, intra-personal authenticity can be attained through “self-making,” which is the touristic desire to break out of “constraining and monotonous routines” and travel off the beaten track to “pursue their self-realization” (363). Wang also exemplifies “self-making” with tourists who go mountaineering and, through the challenge of mountain-climbing, find their alternate selves (363). In Megamind, “self-making” is displayed through Megamind fulfilling his esteem needs i.e. his desire for reputation or respect from others (McLeod 4). Throughout the movie, Megamind is shunned, criticised, and feared by citizens of Metro City. An interesting detail the movie includes is how any baby that is in the same scene as him will appear to be crying at the sight of him, while the beloved Metro Man is seen juggling three giggling, completely-at-ease babies at the start of the movie. After the Metro Man impostor who drives Titan out of the city is revealed to be Megamind, a shot reveals a baby that stops crying at the sight of him (see fig. 7), a representation of the respect he has earned from the citizens of Metro City. When the mayor bestows Megamind with the title of “Defender of Metro City,” Megamind says that he likes “the sound of that,” perhaps referring to both the title and the cheers and adulation he receives with it. Through his newfound heroism, Megamind fulfills his esteem needs, and therefore finds part of his true, authentic self.
The film also displays Megamind’s attainment of inter-personal authenticity through his relationships with love interest, Roxanne. Wang posits that attempts at “intimacy, friendship, or sociality” can be regarded as actions against the inauthenticity of institutional modernity and as a quest for inter-personal authenticity” (364). Specifically, he suggests that tourism helps to “reinforce a sense of authentic togetherness and an authentic ‘we-relationship’” within the tourist group, oftentimes a family (364). In the film, however, Megamind has no biological family with whom he can bond and seek inter-personal authenticity. Hence, I contend that he attains such inter-personal authenticity through fulfilling his love and belonging needs, but not necessarily with family members. Love and belonging needs refer to “the need for interpersonal relationships” through building friendships and fostering healthy romantic relationships (McLeod 4). Megamind reaches the lowest point in his life when he resigns himself to the fact that he is not the one to defeat Titan, and turns himself into prison. There, it is Roxanne pleading with Megamind through the television that changes his mind and inspires him to stand up to Titan. After his victory, Megamind articulates that Roxanne is ultimately the one thing that gave him “a reason to win,” to defeat Titan, and to save the city (see fig. 8). In Wang’s words, Megamind finds a sense of authentic togetherness with Roxanne that inspires him to fiercely protect her, and the city she so loves. Because of their relationship, he finds his true self and becomes the “good guy” he always was on the inside. Again, as Megamind is shown to become the superhero who fights for what is morally right, his “performance of self” and “true self” align, and he begins living an existentially authentic existence.
In this essay, I presented Megamind as a critique for societal expectations causing troubling performances of self. In Megamind, these performances of self, when misaligned with one’s true self, end up limiting existential authenticity in the two main characters, Megamind and Metro Man. The film finally resolves this conflict between “true self” and “performance of self” for Megamind by prescribing that intra- and inter-personal authenticity be sought, through the pursuit of psychological needs. Ultimately, what this essay has shown is that there is value in studying films like Megamind and what they can tell us about the human condition. Existential authenticity is a concept that concerns much of the modern world as it helps rationalise how we can attribute meaning to our lives after physiological needs and psychological needs have been satisfied. Still, the conversation surrounding existential authenticity largely lies within tourism literature. While it is important that we consider tourism to be an activator for existential authenticity, further research can be done to explore existential authenticity — and by extension, what it means to be human — in film and media, even the ones that have been written off by critics.
Works Cited:
Brown, Jeffrey A.. “The Superhero Film Parody and Hegemonic Masculinity.” Quarterly Review of Film and Video, Vol. 33, №2, pp. 131–150.
Goffman, Erving. The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. Doubleday & Company, 1959.
McGrath, Tom, director. Megamind. Performances by Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Jonah Hill, and Brad Pitt, DreamWorks Animation, 2010. Netflix, www.netflix.com/watch/70120612.
McLeod, Saul A.. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Simply Psychology, 2020, www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.
Rosenberg, Robin S.. “Megamind: On Being Blue.” Psychology Today, 2010, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-superheroes/201012/megamind-being-blue.
Waling, Andrea. “Deconstructing the Super(hero)villain: Megamind and Cinematic
Representations of Masculinity.” The Human Journal of Literature and Culture, edited by Robert J. Mundy and Jane M. Collins, Issue 6, 2016, pp. 5–21.
Wang, Ning. “Rethinking Authenticity in Tourism Experience.” Annals of Tourism Research, 1999, Vol. 26, №2, pp. 349–370.
