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random-filipino-lurker · 2 years

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The role of Imps from Helluva Boss in Hell

Just sharing some random thoughts on this particular topic. Basically, what I know and understand of some things related to the topic at hand. I’m pretty sure there are many who are familiar with much of what is discussed here and it needs not being said. However, I’ll just share my thoughts nonetheless at the very least to make more aware what I believe are very obvious concepts.

In the Hell of Helluva Boss and Hazbin Hotel, Imps are one of the lowest classes of Hell alongside Hellhounds. In a number of livestreams and such, they are said to be specifically the “blue collar workers” of Hell’s society. Although this isn’t directly spoken to the audience, this is very much shown in a number of episodes to being the case for them and it’s pretty much guaranteed that those familiar with the concept on some level would instantly recognize what’s going on.

For those who may not be familiar with the concept, blue collar workers are basically those who work the tedious, mundane, manual, and in many cases dirty jobs. They are the baristas, the sewer workers, the fire fighters, the farmers, the fast food restaurant workers, the butlers, and other such personnel that most people usually don’t think too much about, especially those who are young kids with big dreams of growing up to being somebody important who changes the world.

When it comes to blue collar workers, what they do often goes unnoticed despite being essentially the unsung heroes of their communities since they do the essential ground work from the bottom that supports the rest of society that most other people don’t want to do. They are basically worker ants and in a much more darker view, the modern day equivalent of slaves without being slaves on a technicality.

That being said, blue collar workers are not universally the poorest of the poor in any given society. Some are more richer than others but not rich enough to be considered super rich. Likewise, some are more poorer than others but not poor enough to be super poor. There are also some who are much more nearer the middle. Then there are some who are really extremely rich and some who are really extremely poor however those are the outliers and not the norm.

In essence, blue collar workers are understood to be in general average joes and belonging in general to the middle class.

Thus is this is what the Imps in Helluva Boss are albeit with a more Hellish twist. What this ultimately means is that Imps in general don’t live really exotic lives nor have absolutely shitty existences like some other works of fantasy take it to the extreme and that may not be everyone’s cup of tea but it fits in the type of fantasy the world of Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss is clearly going for which was established from the very start.

With that said, here is a list of instances that convey the idea that Imps are meant to be blue collar workers besides I.M.P:

The Imp fire fighters shown in the episode Murder Family

That one recurring Imp butler whose job seems to be to hold the old timey rotary phones that Stolas and Stella use

The carnies who work in Loo Loo Land

The more mundane jobs taken by Wally Wackford the recurring obvious joke character who has a different job in practically every appearance who can be compared to other similar characters like the cameo characters modeled after Matt Mercer in The Legend of Vox Machina

The multiple Imp farmer characters introduced in The Harvest Moon Festival. Special mention to that one scene where Millie’s brothers load up jack o'lanterns unto their Pa’s truck.

The various Imps who work at Ozzie’s such as Lithe the stagehand

The multiple Imp servants of Stolas first seen in the episode The Circus

The Imp movers seen in the episode Seeing Stars

Now as a closer, I guess I should say did any of what I shared points to conveying what the apparent role of Imps within Hell as seemingly intended by Viv is supposed to be? Or to be more specific, does this convey what job in general are the Imps supposed to serve in Hell’s society? Then the answer I would say is yes. They are ultimately doing the core idea of what a blue collar worker is supposed to do, menial manual labor.

Does this show them as a lower class that’s supposed to be oppressed? To that I would answer “Umm, that’s not the question being asked”. The question was what do the Imps do, not whether or not they are being properly portrayed as being as oppressed. Or in other words, what's the Imps' job in general in Hell, not are the Imps being depicted as an oppressed slave race.

Granted, they are some instances in some of the examples I cited and elsewhere however from what I guess I can see is that while those two may be linked in some capacity especially given the type of story, that might be over-complicating a question and not focusing directly on what is exactly being asked.

I get that some don’t really want/like the Imps to be just be mundane blue collar workers as they much prefer something more fantastical and etc. but that’s more of a subjective preference rather than an objective criticism. Plus in real life, there’s more than one way for one to be considered lower class via me explaining the concept of blue collar workers, and there’s definitely more than one culture’s concept of a lower class. This as well extends into other works of fiction.

What’s more, I feel like demanding nonstop for a certain fictional race of characters to be depicted as a slave race in a certain way one believes they should be than what they are originally depicted as by the original creator might make things accidentally really uncomfortable if not handled properly regardless of whatever supposed good intentions.

#Helluva Boss #hazbin hotel #random thoughts #random musing #Imps #Helluva Boss Imps

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random-filipino-lurker · 2 years

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Some facts and concepts on the type of Hell presented in Hazbin/Helluva

Just sharing some facts and concepts on the type of Hell presented that’s in Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss that I have observed and etc.

First off, sorry ahead if parts of this might sound ranty, mean, and/or disorganized as what prompted me to write this essay were certain particular posts that lets just say invoked certain strong feelings within me.

The type of Hell presented in Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss uses several concepts that are very obviously clear for those who have consumed other works that feature Hell and the afterlife in general as well as other works that aren’t necessarily Hell related but contain certain story elements and such that one could see being presented in this Hellaverse.

These are very immediately clear for most and thus don’t need any explanation.

That being said, not everyone who watches Hazbin and Helluva immediately gets these concepts right away. As such, some of them I have seen expressed their justified confusion on not understanding the type of Hell being presented. Some of the more particularly vocal of these individuals I have also observed however have expressed their concerns in ways that could be at best, facepalming and at worst, unintentionally antagonistic. The best I guess I could say about the later is that I’m guessing that they’re not very familiar with certain ideas and thus to put it nicely, mistakes were said.

So as partly as a sort of an informal guide, partly as a defense, and partly to blow off some steam, I present some facts and concepts about the type of Hell that’s being presented that’s in Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss that I have observed and etc.

To reiterate, these are very obvious per what I’ve said above however the fact that certain particular statements apparently from what I’ve seen keep popping up means these need to be stated aloud.

The Hazbin Hell is a new take that isn’t meant to be Biblical accurate

This is something from what I’ve observed keeps being repeatedly not understood again and again. As such, it feel like needs to be repeated first and foremost.

From what has been shown from the very start of the Hazbin Hotel pilot, it is extremely clearly established that this is meant to be a new take and it’s own interpretation of Hell and not meant to be 100% accurate to what has been described in Christian scripture nor is the show advertising this to be what Hell actually is. It definitely uses elements found in Christian lore and such as springboards for certain ideas but they clearly are meant to be just that and nothing more thus the amount of artistic liberties is obviously gonna be extremely high.

In essence, it is very similar to other depictions of Hell found in other works of fiction such as The Bad Place from the show The Good Place and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. That’s very much the fantasy being presented here.

Demanding and/or criticizing that the Hazbin Hell and certain other elements in it should be more Biblical accurate however, especially constantly and in a way that might be interpreted as needlessly aggressive, is very much guaranteed to be going to end up being a meaningless act of futility. I guess it would be akin to not recognizing Rick and Morty isn’t supposed to be hard science from the very start, complaining nonstop why the Doc Brown expy doesn’t use more realistic science, and then getting the appropriate responses from people who can’t believe that such a complaint was made.

That being said, if anyone wants to experience/learn about a more Biblical accurate version of Hell and stuff then nothing is stopping them from simply seeking them out elsewhere like watching the various Youtube videos which discuss such topics like those by Overly Sarcastic Productions for example.

Other than that, it’s really best to not to make it a big deal why the Hazbin Hell and certain other stuff aren’t Biblical accurate, accepting it for what it is, especially when it comes to this particular issue, rather than constantly complaining for what it isn’t.

The Hazbin Hell is one of those interpretations of an afterlife that use a more mundane aesthetic

When it comes to certain afterlife settings, they are commonly portrayed in a way that’s really fantastical. With Hell settings in particular especially those that are based on Christianity, they are typically depicted as an underground fiery cavern of sorts with varying degrees of medieval aesthetics and other fantasy elements. A good example of this would be the Hell depicted in Disenchantment which is more than appropriate given that the series is medieval fantasy one.

That being said there do exist afterlife settings that are more mundane in aesthetic. There are many religions and mythologies that simply depict an afterlife as being simply mundane. One of the best example to cite would the heavily bureaucratic depiction found in Chinese mythology which is just a court of judges, clerks, and prosecutors that tediously judge the souls of the dead one after the other in a way that could be considered boring. This type of afterlife setting also has some more modern examples. There’s the various locations in the Good Place which include the neighborhood of the titular setting and the office building that serves as the Bad Place HQ. Probably the best example to cite though since it clearly most likely can’t be a coincidence would be the Hell as depicted in Jean-Paul Sartre‘s play No Exit which is simply a single mundane hotel room wherein its three main characters are shoved in.

Now obviously, afterlife settings such as the latter would be considered really boring and not at all interesting places to visit however it’s best to consider what is actually going on with such settings especially in relation to the rest of the story being actually told. For example, the Bad Place HQ in the Good Place pretty much highlights how cold and corporate focused the demons who work there are especially when they devise projects to torture certain damned individuals.

Now with the Hazbin Hell, it pretty much follows in the vein of more mundane depictions of Hell and afterlife settings though with a more modern flair with the presence of cellphones and such. While some might argue the Hazbin Hell with its look is not at all fantastical, I would argue that it serves a purpose of tying with the central focus of show, that being humanizing its sinner and demonic characters via placing them in familiar surroundings so that the show’s audience can relate to them more easily. I would also argue that the Hazbin Hell’s aesthetic isn’t that too mundane and still fantastical since elements like demonic magic are still very much present. They’re just not the primary focus of the show but rather support what actually is.

This ultimately ties in with certain things that I say in the section directly below so I guess it’s best to continue there. However just to add something as a bit of a closer for this section, I will say this. Shows like American Dragon: Jake Long, Gargoyles, and Batman (R.I.P.) the Animated Series may have fantastical elements and the characters do visit more fantastical places however for the most part, they take place in relatively mundane settings and yet that didn’t stop them from being fantastical.

The Hazbin Hell uses the afterlife city concept which it seemingly employs in an apparent number of ways

One of the most prominent concepts the Hazbin Hell has going for it is that it’s presented as a sprawling city landscape.

Hell depicted as a city one way or another isn’t really a new concept with one of the most famous being the city of Dis as mentioned in the Inferno part of the Divine Comedy. Going further, a general afterlife setting being depicted as a city isn’t that new either. Examples include the Land of the Dead as depicted in The Corpse Bride, Coco, and The Book of Life.

What sets the Hazbin Hell apart though is that it takes another city concept and really ramps it to eleven. This being the concept of a sin city which is the idea of a city that’s rampant with lots of crime, sex, the occasional over capitalist undertone and etc. The Hazbin Hell takes this very literal and from what could be assumed, pretty much producing one of those thriving dystopias found in other works of fiction. Granted it’s not exactly extreme like say Mega-City One from Judge Dredd or Night City from Cyber Punk as it’s probably more closer to Frank Miller’s Sin City or just L.A., however that doesn’t stop it from being it’s own form of extreme since it doesn’t make it a secret that it is a literal “sin city”.

Now from what has been seen so far, there hasn’t been anything beyond mainly regular urban environments with just Hell themed decor however I would make the defense that this being so has it’s own charm since it both not only puts the life in the afterlife but also provides a certain level form of discomfort which I sort of described above.

If anything else, this is a logical utilitarian consequence of what would happen to a place that is beset by an overpopulation issue. That being multiple buildings having been made to accommodate a huge ever-growing population to the point what natural environment there was originally is completely covered up and suffocated by all the concrete. It is also a quick easy way to visually illustrate the issue without drawing several million characters that could overcrowd the screen.

From what I’ve observed, clearly not everyone wants an urban setting for Hell, sometimes almost insinuating they would rather have a more generic fantasy version of Hell like those found in DnD and such than what’s been presented. To each their own, I guess. However, I would argue that any setting can be an adventure regardless whether the background is to one’s taste or not provided the characters in the foreground actually captivates the audience. Considering that there’s lots of character fanart, discussion, cosplay, and etc. involving Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss, I’m gonna take a wild guess that a good chunk of the audience is attracted more to the people who inhabit and make this city rather than the background that some would consider lazy.

The Hazbin Hell is other people

The other prominent concept the Hazbin Hell is going for and, one that some people also repeatedly seemingly not get as far as I can tell, is the whole “Hell is other people” idea.

On first glance, it seems like this Hell has no torturers and everyone is free to do what they want. Considering one of the interpretations of Lucifer is him being all about absolute freedom actually ties well with the Pride Ring ruler.

However upon closer inspection, everyone being free to do what they want means that everyone is free to hurt each other in one way or another and effectively be each others’ torturers.

To use a list of some examples to illustrate this point:

Valentino is Angel Dust and Vox’s torturer due to all the abuse he inflicts on them.

Angel Dust is Vaggie’s torturer due to constantly annoying her by being a smart ass. Conversely, Vaggie is Angel Dust’s torturer in a way as she won’t stop nagging.

Katie Killjoy is Tom Trench’s torturer due to constantly physically abusing and etc. Tom at work.

Alastor is also Vaggie’s torturer due to also annoying her.

That one guy who stole Angel’s drugs is the latter’s torturer due to stealing Angel’s drugs.

Sir Pentious is the torturer to that one guy who stole Angel’s drugs due to causing an explosion which created rubble that crushed him.

Vox is apparently Alastor’s torturer as he seemingly irritates Al.

Sir Pentious according to the Instagram posts prior to being taken down is the torturer of the Vee’s as he won’t stop annoying them in his attempts to be cool.

Essentially, every one is effectively someone’s else torturer depending on how one looks at it. This is the very basic idea behind “Hell is other people” which comes from Jean-Paul Sartre‘s play No Exit and is also the main primary idea that’s used in The Good Place.

Simply put, if you dump certain difficult individuals with certain particular personalities together, then eventually they would torture each other either psychologically or more directly with their mere interactions with one another to the point that them simply co-existing with each other becomes completely unbearable in of itself. It’s what makes this Hell, Hell.

Incidentally, the other part of the “Hell is other people” idea is also seemingly being used in this particular interpretation of Hell. The other part being that despite having the seeming freedom to leave a intolerable difficult situation, certain people just won’t leave due to being prideful and such.

To use another list of some examples to illustrate this other point:

Angel Dust is exploited by Valentino however he refuses to leave Valentino because he’s addicted to the fame from being a celebrity despite all the pain and no other rewards.

Vox and Valentino according to the Instagram posts prior to being taken down are in a toxic relationship wherein they keep breaking up and getting back together no matter how much of vicious cycle this is. Both just simply refuse to leave each other.

A case also could be made for the much controversial Stella in this regards and in fact, she could be seen as the embodiment of this idea based on what little we know of her as of this writing. Stella hates Stolas however despite having the apparent freedom to agree to the divorce between them, she refuses to just do so in a way that isn’t difficult. Her full reasons aren’t known yet other than apparently staying because she likes torturing Stolas by reminding him that he cheated on her a.k.a. playing the victim though it could be theorized that it might involve pride to some degree. Thus rather just simply leaving for her own good benefit, she apparently just makes the whole issue as extremely difficult for everyone.

Overall, this is the type of torture the Hazbin Hell is clearly going for based on what has been shown and what is also known about Satre’s play which Hazbin Hotel most definitely must have taken some inspiration from given the play’s setting.

While this may confuse those who are only familiar with the whole direct physical torture found in most common interpretations of Hell such as the Hell in general from the Divine Comedy or certain regions in the Greek underworld reserved to punish the damned, in all honesty, there’s really more than one way a person could be interpreted as being tortured in Hell. To briefly cite the Twilight Zone episode “A Nice Place To Visit” to use as an example, the torture there is giving a thief everything he wants to the point he no longer feels any satisfaction at winning.

Really, there’s more than one method of how torture dispensed by Hell can be depicted especially when it depicted affecting those being tortured in a far more personal way.

With all that being said, considering the whole “Hell is other people” idea is something of a high philosophical concept in a way, I guess I can understand why not everyone would get it right away. However, it can get annoying whenever someone immediately complains without any apparent second thought how the Hazbin Hell could be considered as Hell, especially in a way that feels unnecessarily confrontational or at least too passive aggressive, rather than simply discuss it calmly with others like an adult.

It’s not a requirement for a person to be super well versed in Hell, demonology, Christianity, and other things to watch Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss or any other series for that matter, that’s a bonus. But calmly approaching questions one has on anything is always a better option than screaming out loud that you don’t understand things on a particular show and since you don’t understand, the writing is therefore crap. I mean more people in general will be more willing to answer one’s questions if you don’t insult them and/or what they enjoy.

#long post #hazbin hotel #Helluva Boss #random thoughts #random musing #The Divine Comedy #Dante's Inferno #dante's divine comedy #Hell

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