Literally Reruns – Do the Right Thing by Hugh Cron

You never know what you might find in the sub-basement in Archives. But usually when you find something has the Strong Adult Content warning label fixed to it, odds are it was created by our own Hugh Cron.

If juvenile delinquents ever got into the sub-basement, I guarantee they’d steal the labeled stories. But I think the little thugs would soon run screaming home to Mommy upon meeting any one of Hugh’s hardcase protagonists. It’s hard to be tough when you find yourself on the business end of a psychotic, “chicken loving” Jehovah’s Witness with an STD.

As with Hugh’s Do the Right Thing, the malevolent being he summons is unapologetic and not at all repulsed by his activities. Yet as this short piece progresses the depth of the evil in this person slowly reveals itself and increases all the way through the end.

Q: Although this is extremely dark, there’s an undeniable sense of humor to it. I believe that this stems from the MC knowing he is expected to be apologetic yet gets a charge out of saying “Fuck you” instead. He pranks expected social expectations, which I think causes the humor. Your thoughts?

Q: There’s a parallel between psychotic behavior and religious faith. Jehovah’s Witnesses are ridiculed by others who have beliefs that are just as absurd in the eyes of others still. Do you believe that the MC takes comfort in the fact that the Witnesses do not believe in the Trinity or hell–and that those might actually help fuel his actions?

Leila

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Do the Right Thing

Hi Leila, thanks as always. I never stop getting a kick out of these!!

Q1. That is an interesting point and if I’m honest it wasn’t something I considered. What I was toying with was our black as pitch sense of humour, sarcasm and re-directing blame. I know that many of us do this in our day to day lives and I was wondering if the sicker members of society would still have those traits.

We listen to all the PC shite from our leaders so it was a bit of an opposite idea in thinking that if you had no limits, how would your humour express itself.

Q2. I don’t think that was the case. In my mind he had some sort of a tryst with a Jehova’s Witness and that was why he identified as that. I don’t think he studied or took any instruction, I think he just glanced at the leaflet!

If I ever write a prequel, I might explore that. But probably not, as a prequel would be a lot more graphic. And let’s be honest, I haven’t the skill or imagination to write so much detailed description!!!

Thanks once again Leila, I enjoyed re-visiting this rather colourful character!!!

Hugh