Why is Speed Racer a demon?

Here he comes, here comes Speed Racer
He’s a demon on wheels
He’s a demon and he’s gonna be chasing after someone

Aren’t demons bad? I thought he was a good guy.

He’s a speed demon. They’re virtue-neutral.

So who’d win in a fight: Speed Racer or a Balrog?

(and the first person to say “Batman, if he’s prepared” gets a magic missle up the wazoo)

Does Speed racer have a 1920s style death ray?

I burn your Balrog.

Says Gandalf.

I’ll take a stab at the question.

Demons’ jobs are to torment people, which tends to disrupt people’s lives. So when there’s a demon around, things can be chaotic. Also, demons can be tenacious at their jobs. So the image is an entity that is performing a task in a frenzied and tenacious manner. Thus, a “speed demon” or a “demon on wheels” is a person who is tenaciousl, skillful, and devoted to speed; specifically, winning races.

Oh, and Speed Racer was actually an evil spirit; but that part was edited out of the show.

If Speed sent the remote control bird to fly around the Balrog’s face to distract him, he could use the extra seconds gained to build up alot of velocity and then using his hydralic jump-lifting thingees and his buzzsaw blades cut the Balrog’s head clean off!

Falling off the bridge of Khazad-Dum is not a problem because the Mach-5 has the submarine capabilty too. I just hope Spritle and Chim-Chim don’t open the trunk at the wrong moment!

Most Speed Racer episodes seem to involve the deaths of most of the racers, so maybe he really is a demon.

Or just a heartless asshole who enjoys high-velocity bloodsports :stuck_out_tongue:

I’d like a cite for this, please. :slight_smile:

(Seems like this thread could thrive in Cafe Society)

I thought the OP was asking a serious question: “Why do we call non-demonic people “demons” (e.g., “speed demons”)?”

Well, while I cannot actively cite Speed’s diabolism, there is the matter of the fact that *Speed Racer * remains the only cartoon of which I am aware which features people getting killed in the opening credits. *Jonny Quest * came close, in that it featured gunfire and armed maniacs flinging spears and suchlike, but no actual onscreen fatalities, or even injuries.

Speed Racer, on the other hand, every episode, you get that guy spinning out of control, plowing through the guardrails, and blowing up, kaboomski. Spurious evidence of demoniac nature, true, but far more spurious statements have been made – and taken seriously – about kids’ cartoons.

And what was the deal with Spriedel and Chim-Chim? Man, if I had a child and an ape, I sure wouldn’t dress them alike. Or were they related in some way? Again, hardly evidence of diabolism, although having a Beast in the family could give some credence to those little old ladies in the Bible Belt…

And while I’m thinkin’ about it, the fact that Speed is “gonna be chasing after someone” implies that he would be BEHIND someone, and therefore wouldn’t be first in the race, and therefore won’t win. How’s this? Did Speed EVER lose a race?

Oh the analytical brainpower you are all exerting for this little ditty!

Go, Speed Racer!
Go, Speed Racer!
The power of Christ compels you!

That would make a great sig line. May I?

Kewl, my first sig request! :slight_smile: Be my guest

Actually, I was. The “demon” part in the lyrics always struck me as odd. My best guess is that the lyrics were originally written by a Japanese songwriter, and there was a problem in the translation.

How can Speed even concentrate considering the frequent blowjobs Trixie is giving him from the passenger seat?

The way I remember that era (60’s-early 70’s), people didn’t weren’t as likely to be put off by that kind of thing as they are now. If they were writing that song now, they probably would think of a different thing to call him, but back then nobody would have had a problem with it.

Speed lost to Racer X many times. I think also Speed lost a few here and there when the bad guys would drug him, or sabotage the Mach 5.

In cases of foul play, though, Speed always got his revenge later on – usually on the track.