hi, i wanna postal rant. thanks.
I’m sick to death of this cringey, desperate rebranding campaign for the Dude from Postal '97. Everywhere I look it’s people trying to sanitize him, make him out to be some poor misunderstood victim who “didn’t actually do anything wrong.” Like he’s just some edgy boy who got a bad rep. Yeah. Sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night.
Here’s the reality check: he’s a paranoid schizophrenic with a God complex. He thinks his town is crawling with plague or demons or whatever, and he’s the lone righteous soul left standing. So naturally, the only “logical” thing to do is start executing random civilians in the street. You know — the usual holy crusade stuff. That’s why he goes off calling himself the son of God. That’s why there’s blood everywhere. And no, at *no* point is he ever painted as a hero. He’s not deep. He’s not secretly good. He’s not the Joker. He’s just a lunatic with guns.
Yes, mental illness explains the why. But it doesn’t make the what any less horrific. And especially not when all his delusions magically align with doing exactly what he already wants to do: kill people, feel righteous, and act like he’s the last moral man on Earth. What a coincidence, huh? His entire worldview is a self-serving loop. There’s nothing noble in it — it’s ego in camouflage.
Still, there’s always some fan girl out there foaming at the mouth trying to dig up “redeeming traits.” Like, oh, he hates Nazis! Wow, gold star. He’s against rape — yeah, congrats on basic humanity. He supports trans people — yes, that is canon. And I’m not saying that’s meaningless, but let’s not act like it cancels out the part where he’s butchering innocent people in cold blood. Even in Postal Redux, when he freezes outside the school and can’t go through with it — that’s not some act of moral triumph. That’s a breakdown. That’s the final crack. That’s the moment he stops functioning and they haul him off to the loony bin. He doesn’t rise above. He collapses
And maybe you think I’m being too intense about this. Maybe I am. But I’ve been hyperfixated on this cversion of the Dude for years. I know him inside out. I’ve read every scrap of dialogue, every dev note, every weird old interview. So yeah, I’m gonna be annoyed when people shove his character into some feel-good redemption box just because they’re allergic to moral ambiguity. He’s not your poor baby. He’s not your misunderstood sad boy. He’s not even a villain with a heart of gold. He’s a delusional mass murderer with a God complex and a semi-auto.
Grow up and stop rewriting characters just because reality makes you uncomfortable.
today's rant is over, thank you. (the banner top is selfmade btw)
