Is Napoleon Dynamite a "mook?"

January 20, 2005 6:03 PM

Do you think Napoleon Dynamite is a mook? (Per the PBS Front Line "Merchants of Cool" definition of a mook).
posted by punkfloyd to Grab Bag (26 answers total)

You know, a link to the definition of "mook" might help those of us who missed that particular PBS show.

(At the risk of being rude, but in light of recent MeTa threads, I'm interested in why you asked this question.)
posted by aberrant at 6:13 PM on January 20, 2005

In role-playing game terms, a "mook" is a minor character whose primary purpose is to be smacked down by the good guys (ie, the players). Orcs, goblins and cultists are common mooks.
posted by SPrintF at 6:26 PM on January 20, 2005

punkfloyd, according to this article, and my experience of real-life mooks from Brooklyn and SI, a mook is:

The mook is a walking case of arrested development --"crude, loud, obnoxious"--like the comic Tom Green, the guys of "The Man Show," or Howard Stern, all of whom labor merrily in the fertile fields of Viacom. "There is no mook in nature," Mr. Rushkoff says, perhaps too hopefully. "He is a creation designed to capitalize on the testosterone-driven madness of adolescence" ...

Napoleon Dynamite is a fun and charming character and he is the complete opposite of a mook.
posted by nixerman at 6:36 PM on January 20, 2005

A mook? Are you serious? No.

Those guys on "Jackass" are mooks. Napoleon Dynamite is just a dork. The embodiment of the kind of dork that many of us were, to a certain extent, in middle school and high school.
posted by cmonkey at 6:47 PM on January 20, 2005

Response by poster: I ask because I was just wondering if Hollywood was moving past the point where young American males are always portrayed as just stupid sex crazed morons ala American Pie, Porky's, etc (and yes you would have had to see Merchants of Cool) to understand the mook reference. Sheez!
posted by punkfloyd at 6:57 PM on January 20, 2005

So, maybe Napoleon's brother Kip is a mook, then?
posted by obloquy at 7:06 PM on January 20, 2005

I ask because I was just wondering if Hollywood was moving past the point where young American males are always portrayed as just stupid sex crazed morons

I'm pretty sure that Hollywood didn't have a whole lot to do with Napoleon Dynamite, aside from distributing it.
posted by cmonkey at 7:15 PM on January 20, 2005

Napoleon is not a mook. Neither is Kip. The closest thing to a mook in the movie is Don, the guy who asks Napoleon about hunting wolverines. And he's really more jock than mook, though the types are closely aligned. A mook is a jock who can't be bothered to play sports because he'd rather drink beer. Fred Durst (remember him?) is a mook.
posted by jjg at 7:36 PM on January 20, 2005

So, is a mook the guy in the sports bar wearing the authentic jersey of his favorite team as he watches three ESPNs simultaneously and drinks beer depending on how hot the twins in the commercial are?
posted by Arch Stanton at 7:43 PM on January 20, 2005

According to this page on the Frontline site, I would think of the mook would be more along the lines of a stereotypical frat boy. Napoleon Dynamite doesn't come close to approaching that image.
posted by Arch Stanton at 7:51 PM on January 20, 2005

When I saw the reference to Merchants of Cool in the question, I thought for a moment you were asking about the created "coolness" of Napoleon Dynamite (the film, not necessarily the person). To me that's a more interesting angle then any apparent mookness.

Before the film opened they had free preview showings (which of course is pretty standard for movies nowadays). However, in the case of ND, people were encouraged to see it again and again via the free previews. Free t-shirts were given out (and there wasn't just one standard movie shirt, there were several cool-looking shirts) and if you got your special ND card stamped three times, then you could mail it in for a "sweet prize package." (The package was kinda sweet, it's a framed photo of ND and Kip, I think the boxes are going for $50+ on ebay now). I only saw it three times via the previews, but I knew of people who went to a seemingly infinite number of preview showings. Being a loser dork was suddenly the cool thing.

In any case, it seemed that foxsearchlight (and then later MTV when they joined in) made every effort to make it into a cult film before the movie was even officially released. I liked the movie, but I don't know if I like that technique.
posted by gluechunk at 8:28 PM on January 20, 2005

I just know the term from a highschool friend who's nick name was Mook.

I believe he coined the phrase "Mooker's Alcoholic Breakfast Cereal (For Sports Fans)" after a three beer breakfast.
posted by jeribus at 8:32 PM on January 20, 2005

Not to threadjack, but is anybody besides me hoping for some sort of nod from the Academy for this $300,000 picture? Original Screenplay nomination or sumpin'? Frankly, I think he should get a best actor nod but that will never happen. Friggin' IDIOTS.

My lips hurt REAL BAD
posted by spock at 9:23 PM on January 20, 2005

I'm not sure, but I just want to say that I hate people who incessantly quote Napoleon Dynamite. I wish they would go eat a decroded piece of crap!!!
posted by mcsweetie at 10:11 PM on January 20, 2005

Napoleon Dynamite is a hero for his time and place, like The Dude (aka El Dudarino).
posted by Hildago at 10:17 PM on January 20, 2005

I will forever love that movie for three scenes:

1) ND talking about how there are a lot of gangs, and one of the gangs wanted to recruit him because he was pretty good with a bo stick

2) Napoleon and Kip engaging in a contest of reflexes. Napoleon slaps Kip when Kip's guard is down and then goes to answer the door. The girl at the door selling tchotchkes says that she's trying to raise money to go to college, and from inside the house Kip says "Your mom goes to college!" Napoleon looks appalled, as if the girl might have thought he said it.

3) Their uncle hitting Napoleon in the face with a steak.
posted by GriffX at 10:18 PM on January 20, 2005

It doesn't matter! It's the Moors! There's no Mooks!
posted by sellout at 10:26 PM on January 20, 2005

1) Dumbest. Movie. Ever.
2) See 1.
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 1:48 AM on January 21, 2005

JOEY - What's the matter with this kid?
JOHNNY BOY - I feel fine. Nothing wrong with me.
CHARLIE - Keep your mouth shut.
JOHNNY BOY - You tell me that in front of these creeps?
JOEY - We won't pay.
JIMMY - Why? We just said...
JOHNNY BOY - (interrupting) We won't pay...because this guy (pointing to JIMMY) is a mook.
JIMMY - But I didn't say nothin.
(they look at each other bewildered)
JOEY - We don't pay mooks!
Nobody knows what a mook is. JIMMY'S attitude now changes.
JIMMY - (angrily) A mook...I'm a mook...(pauses) What's a mook? You can't call me a mook!
(FIGHT!)
posted by roboto at 4:13 AM on January 21, 2005

sellout:

It was the "moops" in that seinfield episode.
posted by splatta at 7:38 AM on January 21, 2005

1) Dumbest. Movie. Ever.
2) See 1.
posted by BuddhaInABucket

1) Most pointless comment ever.
2) See rules of AskMe.
posted by agregoli at 8:36 AM on January 21, 2005

staff griffx. it's a bo-staff

best movie of the year.
posted by chrisroberts at 8:40 AM on January 21, 2005

When I first posted to this thread, there were 19 comments, then it got whittled down to 10 useful comments after half of them were deleted because they were useless. It's now gotten threadjacked with useless comments again. Just so you know.
posted by Arch Stanton at 10:14 AM on January 21, 2005

splatta: No, I'm sorry, it says Mooks. The answer is Mooks.
posted by sellout at 2:56 PM on January 21, 2005

Behold, mooks
posted by MiltonRandKalman at 4:17 PM on January 21, 2005

I saw Dennis Quaid on The Daily Show last week and he was wearing a "Vote for Pedro" t-shirt. Also, during a timeout at an Orlando Magic game I was at in December, the jumbotron played a clip from the Napoleon Dynamite talent show scene.

So, in that way he is a merchant of cool.
posted by stevis at 4:42 PM on January 21, 2005