With GODZILLA VS. KONG arriving this week, we thought it was important to finally answer a question that maybe nobody has been asking.
What makes an individual a “kaiju?”
First: What is a kaiju?
So… again: What makes an individual a “kaiju?” Is it just their height?
Here are a few examples of famous kaiju.
Godzilla.
Rodan.
Mothra.
King Ghidorah.
King Caesar.
King Kong.
Frankenstein.
Yes, Frankenstein.
So now, with that established, here’s a question for you…
Does Mister Stay-Puft count as a kaiju?
He’s definitely a giant monster and a strange beast. A few more qualifications… Is he a metaphor? Godzilla is a metaphor for Japanese national anxiety in the post-atomic era, for example.
So likewise, Mister Stay-Puft is a metaphor for the excesses of the 1980s and the pitfalls of capitalism. See? Let’s keep checking the boxes.
Is he quick to anger, like Godzilla is and like so many other kaiju are?
Yes indeed.
Does he stomp on a major city?
Even if it isn’t his hometown?
Yes he does.
He’s real vindictive about it too.
Is there a special weapon that can bring him down?
This is the Oxygen Destroyer, Godzilla’s kryptonite.
Does Stay-Puft have a similar weakness?
Yes. Proton packs.
They make him cranky.
Sometimes kaiju are summoned up by uniquely talented, loving, and pure souls.
These are the Fairies who summon Mothra.
This is Dan Aykroyd, who conjures up Mister Stay-Puft.
A kaiju is often portrayed by a person wearing a puffy costume.
And he may be fearsome onscreen, but he should be a gentleman when he isn’t working.
Stay-Puft is most definitely a person in a puffy costume.
Now… Does this kaiju battle other kaiju?
In the case of Stay-Puft, we do not yet know. He could befriend them for all we know.
But we’ll go with Stay-Puft counting as a kaiju. It even says so on Wikipedia.
But…
Here’s the real question, though. Know what a “mecha” is?
Some examples of famous mecha:
Mecha-Godzilla.
Mechani-Kong.
Jet Jaguar.
Voltron.
Mecha-Belial.
Mecha-Jeff Bridges.
A mecha can fight a kaiju, or else it can be a symbol of friendship and joy.
So knowing what we know about the Statue Of Liberty from GHOSTBUSTERS 2…
… The question isn’t “Is Mister Stay-Puft a kaiju?”
The real question is… “Is the Statue of Liberty a mecha?”
Place your votes in the space below!
This investigation began life as a presentation for Kevin Geeks Out! Give them a follow!
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Tags: 31 flavors of horror, Action Film, Adam Wingard, Adventure, Aisha Hinds, Alexander Skarsgård, Ben Seresin, Bradley Whitford, Brian Tyree Henry, Charles Dance, Dan Aykroyd, Demián Bichir, Edgar Wallace, Eiza Gonzalez, Fantasy, frankenstein, GODZILLA, Ishir? Honda, James Creelman, Jet Jaguar, Julian Dennison, kaiju, Kaylee Hottle, King Caesar, King Ghidorah, king kong, Kyle Chandler, Lance Reddick, Legendary Pictures, Madness, Mecha, Mecha-Godzilla, Mechani-Kong, Merian C. Cooper, Michael Dougherty, Millie Bobby Brown, Mister Stay-Puft, mothra, Raymond Burr, Rebecca Hall, rodan, Ruth Rose, Sally Hawkins, science fiction, Shigeru Kayama, Shun Oguri, Takeo Murata, Thomas Middleditch, Toho Co., Tom Holkenborg, Vera Farmiga, Yukiko Kobayashi
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