Some Kind of Journal I Guess

Homestar Runner Theory: Strong Bad Has NPD

(Paint 3D isn't working so I had to make the picture in Paint oof)

I have no idea if this fits with the rest of the book, but it technically counts as a random thought and I didn't have anywhere else to post this soooooooo

Basically, throughout the entire series of Homestar Runner, Strong Bad is pretty much just portrayed as being egotistical, and it's usually played for laughs. However, I ended up realizing something today:

It's entirely possible that Strong Bad actually has narcissistic personality disorder.

My main reasoning for this is obviously that he displays a lot of traits of the disorder, which I'll go into right now.

(I want to clarify really fast that having narcissistic personality disorder does not automatically make you a bad person. While the traits discussed here are mostly negative, and people who display these traits should be held accountable, NPD is still a disorder, and should be treated as such. Narcissists, despite always being portrayed as manipulators and toxic people, can be good people, and narcissists deserve treatment for their disorder. Being a narcissist is NOT the same as just having a big ego. As someone who is likely neurodivergent, I take the stigmatization and demonization of neurodivergency very seriously. I should also clarify that I do not have NPD, and this is solely based on my knowledge of the disorder.)

Symptoms of NPD according to Mayo Clinic:

Have an exaggerated sense of self-importance

This one is the most apparent and self-explanatory. It's no secret that Strong Bad is arrogant and thinks very highly of himself, since he blatantly verbally expresses it.

Have a sense of entitlement and require constant, excessive admiration

Expect to be recognized as superior even without achievements that warrant it

Exaggerate achievements and talents

I grouped these ones together since they can pretty much be explained in one fell swoop. Strong Bad definitely strives for admiration, and is even delusional about his amount of fans at times. He also exaggerates the things he can do, which usually results in things blowing up in his face.

Be preoccupied with fantasies about success, power, brilliance, beauty or the perfect mate

There are a few times where he seemingly gets lost in thought with fantasies of grandiose positions of success. The last one is especially relevant, since he's constantly trying to get with pretty much any girl he meets. (To be fair, some fans may tell you that it leaks into an entirely different theory and is more just him trying to be seen as heterosexual, but that's something for a different day with backing to it that isn't related to this theory.)

Monopolize conversations and belittle or look down on people they perceive as inferior

This is seen through how he treats Homestar, who he mocks for his lack of intelligence and general annoying nature, and his younger brother Strong Sad, whom he belittles, harasses, bullies, and even sometimes physically abuses. It's pretty safe to say that he views both of these people as inferior.

Take advantage of others to get what they want

He has no problem with cheating in order to win competitions, and has occasionally been shown to lie and manipulate others to get his way, mostly in SBCG4AP. He's even purposefully made people cry in turmoil, purely for his own entertainment.

Behave in an arrogant or haughty manner, coming across as conceited, boastful and pretentious

Like I said earlier, he often boasts about himself and how amazing he is. He very much acts in a way that is arrogant, haughty, conceited, boastful, and pretentious.

Have secret feelings of insecurity, shame, vulnerability and humiliation

This is a very important one. Despite Strong Bad's egotistical nature, if you watch carefully for it, it becomes very apparent that he's actually burying a lot of deep-rooted insecurity underneath all that ego. He is desperate to be seen as "cool" and "superior", most likely because he needs to convince himself that he is in order to compensate for something.

Of course, it's very unlikely that The Brothers Chaps actually would write a character with a serious psychological disorder into their silly cartoon show that is fully intended to be comedic (having only one truly serious, melancholy bit that I can think of, being Secrets That I Keep), but that's not gonna stop me from imagining a world where it goes a bit deeper.

But hey, that's just a theory.

A GAY THEORY

Thanks for reading.

(Please tell me if any information portrayed in this chapter is inaccurate, since the last thing I want is to spread false information about a disorder!)