# Cheering for the bad guy **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 28, 2004, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheering-for-the-bad-guy/242448 "2004-04-28T06:40:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![START](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@START](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/START)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2004, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheering-for-the-bad-guy/242448/1 "2004-04-28T06:40:37Z")
Once I was in a Pizza place after school and there was a police chase on TV and near the end of it I was all like “Go, Go, Go” in other words I was cheering for the suspect to get away. I don’t support bad guys but that cheering came out naturally I did not even need to think about it. Anyway people in the pizza place are looking over at my table shaking their heads and my friend and I just laughed it off. Honestly how many "Dopers cheer for the suspect in a police chase on TV. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2004, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheering-for-the-bad-guy/242448/2 "2004-04-28T06:49:31Z")
I don’t watch those shows very often, but I think it was Hitchcock who said that if the audience is watching someone trying to do something, even if that something is evil, the audience will instinctively root for the person to succeed. Sounds like something Hitchcock would exploit, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Beauty\_Personified](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e480ec/32.png) [@Beauty\_Personified](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beauty_Personified)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2004, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheering-for-the-bad-guy/242448/3 "2004-04-28T07:28:57Z")
This reminds of the recent science [news](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=585&e=5&u=/nm/20040426/sc_nm/science_mistakes_dc) about why, when someone makes a mistake, it often affects someone watching in a similar way. It sounds like this could be what’s in play in the _COPS_ situation. A lot of people cheer on the cops in chases as well, but seeing how the perps shown on TV never get away, I can easily see people cheering for the underdog. And, even when cheering the cop on, if the perp happens to turn down a dead-end street, I’m sure many people with react in a somewhat disappointed manner. The same thing might apply to why I find it extremely uncomfortable watching talent shows. If a contestant doesn’t do very well, even just in comparison to their fellow competitors, I actually feel embarrassed. And, although I tell myself I’m just embarrassed _for them_, the feeling is still too uncomfortable for me to enjoy watching those types of shows. Anyhoo… ---
**Author:** ![Gamaliel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b487fb/32.png) [@Gamaliel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gamaliel)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2004, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheering-for-the-bad-guy/242448/4 "2004-04-28T07:32:40Z")
People root for the underdog. It’s natural. There’s virtually no chance of these people getting away so no harm done rooting for the bad guy. The ponderous and self-righteous narration on police chase shows (“and he learns the lesson of defying the law of the land…”) insures that I’ll root for the criminal anyway. ---
**Author:** ![cabdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@cabdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cabdude)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2004, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheering-for-the-bad-guy/242448/5 "2004-04-28T11:29:36Z")
> [@Gamaliel](#): > > The ponderous and self-righteous narration on police chase shows (“and he learns the lesson of defying the law of the land…”) insures that I’ll root for the criminal anyway. Yeah - that makes me cheer for the guy trying to get away everytime. Especially that show with the smug, grey haired Texan fella. The chase always seems to have about fifty cop cars and two or three helicopters for good measure - like the end result isn’t a foregone conclusion. Oh, gee, he couldn’t outrun a helicopter equipped with night-vision devices, who didn’t see that coming? ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2004, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheering-for-the-bad-guy/242448/6 "2004-04-28T11:43:25Z")
Eh, if it’s fictional like in a movie I’ll root for the bad guy. Like in the movie “Scar Face” I didn’t want to see old Tony get shot up like that. But as per the situation in the OP? Nah, get that scum off the street. I may be biased though, I have family members that are cops. ---
**Author:** ![Ross](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@Ross](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ross)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2004, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheering-for-the-bad-guy/242448/7 "2004-04-28T11:59:04Z")
Jerry Seinfeld pointed out that we root for whichever animal the nature program is about that week. One week we’re on the lion’s side - “catch that antelope!” - then we’re on the antelope’s - “run! run away!” ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2004, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheering-for-the-bad-guy/242448/8 "2004-04-28T13:15:52Z")
It’s harmless when watching _Cops_ – you _know_ they’re gonna be busted, or they wouldn’t have used the footage for the show. What’re they gonna do, make these officers look like fools on national TV? In real life, criminals _do_ get away a fair percentage of the time, unfortunately. But on TV? Hell yeah, I root for them sometimes. 'Course, I always wanted to see Vader finish off Luke too. 🙂