Blue Meanies (Yellow Submarine)
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The Blue Meanies are a fictional army of fierce, if buffoonish, music-hating creatures in the surreal 1968 Beatle's film Yellow Submarine. They are set on the occupation (and silence) of the colourful, musical world of Pepperland. The majority are furry, clawed creatures, but some are humanoid- albeit with blue faces, and a taller stature.
The Blue Meanies arrive in Pepperland and do everything they can to oppress the place. This prompts one of Pepperland's sailors, the newly-appointed Lord Admiral "Old Fred" (or "Young Fred" according to the even older Lord Mayor) to fly out in the Yellow Submarine of the title to find the Beatles, who, as musicians, would be able to restore harmony (and indeed melody) to Pepperland. The Meanies, in his absence, cause Pepperland to turn into a very dull and oppressive place, wrought with thorns and thistles.
Later in the story, a Meanie abducts the Beatles' companion, Jeremy Hilary Boob, the Nowhere Man, and we see, when the Beatles arrive in Pepperland, how they have lain the land to waste and petrified the natives. The Beatles find the stored-away instruments and their doubles, the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and bring music back to Pepperland. This restores colour to the hills and plants and life into the natives (who had been petrified by various weapons in the Meanies' possession). With their spell thus broken, the Meanies cease to have a hold on Pepperland: even their guns start shooting flowers instead of missiles. Those that do not flee are invited by the Beatles to stay and "mingle" and they join forces.
[edit] Weapons and species of Meanie
- The Common Meanie: This, it seems, is a sub-species of their Chief's origin. They have navy blue woolly bodies and Mickey Mouse-ear-like hats (with the exception of the Blue Meanies Chief himself and his sidekick "Max", whose hats look more like Goofy's ears.) They have six claws on each hand, and wear yellow-and-orange striped tights. They are also able to make their eyes glow so that they can see in the dark, which makes their whole head switch from looking like Mickey Mouse to a video projector. These particular Meanies carry guns that fire pale-blue jagged arrows, which, on contact, drain the victim's colour and petrifies him or her- although it seems to varying degrees or only temporarily, because a young girl-victim is seen to cry later in the film, and several natives of Pepperland are seen to back off at the sight of The Glove (see below).
- "The Bonkers": These are tall, thin, Meanies who can walk from hill to hill at a stride. Their weapons of choice are giant apples, which they drop on people's heads, but, if one can reach high enough, they too can be knocked out by such weapons as the Beatles later discover.
- The Cats: These are wide, bullying Meanies with cat-like faces, who are boxers and possibly sumo wrestlers. There are nine of them (presumably one for each of their lives), and for whatever reason they find it impossible to destroy butterflies.
- The Clowns: These are tall, fat Meanies whose heads can spin round and round, and who shriek very loudly when ready to attack, or when they feel the need to awaken sleeping Meanies as the Beatles soon discover. If their noses are pressed, wherever they look there will appear an explosion. They have no hands or arms themselevs, however, and so another Meanie has to press their noses for them- often needing to prop a ladder up against them, or sit up on their shoulders when doing so, because they are so tall. When the Meanies' spell is broken, they end up simply producing the words "Yes" and "OK" in block capitals.
- The Smokers: These are are large fat Meanies who are constantly smoking cigars and toying with brandy. They have an extra hand inside their shoes, which typically wields a pistol and shoots whenever the toe of the shoe is raised. If the shoe is closed at the right time, however, they can be made, quite literally, to shoot themselves in the foot.
- The Snapping Turks: Possibly the most pettily cruel of the Meanies, and dressed like stereotypical Turkish men (though otherwise incomparable) these are comparatively short Meanies, but are fat, with stomachs that can open up with loads of sharp teeth and eat whatever they like. We see one of these eating the paper windmill of a little girl's, just to make her cry.
- The guard dog: There is possibly just one of these, but that hardly matters, as it has four heads, each with very sharp teeth, and sixteen long-clawed legs. It is extremely strong, and its owner is no match for it if it doesn't want to travel in the same direction as him. It is ultimately defeated when the Beatles and their doubles, the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, sing "Hey Bulldog" and run in opposite directions to disorientate it.
- "The Dreadful Flying Glove": The Chief's fiercest and loyalest fighter, though of only one species, is a force to be reckoned with, crushing, squashing or "o-blue-terating" whoever or whatever his master directs him to. He is ultimately defeated when John sings "All You Need is Love" and covers him with all the words that spring from his mouth as he sings.
