A Monster Martyr

(This was another writing prompt for Writing for Publication.)

I have a hard time being mean. Even in video games when you’re given the choice to be good or evil, I always inevitably opt for the “good” path. I’m not sure why, exactly, but I just don’t possess the necessary traits (or whatever) that would require me to be evil. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that I really want to be liked by everyone I meet, and if you’re evil, the people who like you are few and far between (not to mention probably not the kind of crowd you’d want to be seen with!).

With that in mind, I think that it’d be impossible for me to be an “evil” monster. This prompt is (inevitably so) making me think of Monsters, Inc. and thinking about how monsters have a bad rep in today’s society. Too often they are characterized as a child’s worst enemy, when in fact there is a very distinct possibility that not all monsters are mean or, more likely, there is a spectrum / cross-sampling within the monster community that we find in the human race as well.

If I was going to design myself as a monster, then, I’d have to have a pleasant demeanor and appearance. I think that based on the bad rep I mentioned, if you’re a scary-looking monster, regardless of how kind or sweet you may be, you’re never going to get the light of day to show your softer side. I don’t think I’d want to be overly adorable because I feel that it would be hard to be taken seriously if you’re an adorable monster. I’d like to think that I could be a monster ambassador and help convince the world that not all monsters should be feared. It wouldn’t be easy to do that if the first reaction you get is “Awww…”

I think the first trait associated with being too cute is size. If you’re a tiny monster, you won’t appear to have any credibility or strength. Conversely, if you’re gigantic, you’re not going to be able to win over those intimidated by your overpowering appearance. There’s a “sweet spot” common ground, I feel, which would be somewhere in the three to five foot range. I think that’s big enough to show that you mean business yet small enough to remain likeable and not be instantly intimidating.

The ability to speak English is essential. I think it’s kind of assumed that if I’m going to be a monster ambassador, I’ll need to be able to communicate sophistically and not have to resort to drawing or miming.

I guess the bottom line is that while I’m a monster, I’m going to be as close to human as I can be. I think the big difference would be that my exterior would be vastly different – I’m assuming that I’d have bold-colored fur (right now, I’m thinking a red and orange mix) and other various monster-like attributes (claws, fangs, perhaps horns, who knows?). The only thing that I’d need to look out for is that I don’t want to be caught in a middle ground where I’m ostracized from both the monster and human communities. I can see that being a problem; regardless of how hard I try to improve monster-human relations, I’m not enough monster nor human to really be accepted by either.

I’d be willing to be a monster martyr, though, and be ostracized from both if I guaranteed future generations of monster children would play alongside human children. That would be nice.