"YOU’RE BAD PRODUCT": THE BOYS' HOMELANDER INSULT ORIGINALLY HAD THE OPPOSITE MEANING

One of the most devastating insults ever levied at The Boys' Homelander had a much different meaning in the source material. What was a powerful putdown in the television show was actually one of the comic's most pitiable moments.

The Boys is a satirical superhero series where 'Supes' are the result of genetic experimentation masterminded by a corporate conglomerate known as Vought-American, or simply, Vought. The comic was adapted into a television series for Amazon Prime, which became a critical hit and a fan favorite for its unique take on the superhero genre. In the fourth episode of Season 3, Vought CEO Stan Edgar attempts to make a move against Homelander, only to find himself outmaneuvered and ousted from his job. Homelander and Edgar have a tense conversation that ends with the latter saying that without him, the world will finally see Homelander for what he is: "a bad product".

The Boys' Infamous Insult Wasn't Directed at Homelander Originally

In The Boys: Dear Becky #8 by Garth Ennis and Russell Braun, Hughie Campbell runs into James Stillwell, formerly one of Vought-American's high-ranking executives. Stillwell is no longer working for Vought-American and spends his days on a pineapple plantation, tending to the fruits and endlessly quoting economist Milton Friedman. Stillwell tries to give Hughie a business lesson on pineapples, calling them a "basic economic unit" and that their true value is intrinsic. Despite his endless puttering, bits of the old Stillwell shine through. He claims that good products are necessary to corner the market and that his previous products were "very bad". Hughie leaves the fallen CEO, who continues admiring his pineapples, remarking how good a product they are.

James Stillwell was adapted into the television show as Madelyn Stillwell. But for all intents and purposes, his role in the show is essentially filled by Stan Edgar. They both are primarily focused on the business ends of Vought, even willing to speak out against the Seven if their actions begin hurting the company's bottom line. And while both use the phrase "bad product" to put their true feelings about Supes into words, the tone is far darker in the comics due to it signifying the end of Stillwell's life.

What "Bad Product" Really Means for The Boys

In the television show, Stan Edgar calling Homelander "bad product" to his face is such an effective insult because Edgar is calling out Homelander's growing instability. But in the comics, Stillwell brings up the phrase in moments of self-reflection. Throughout the comic series, Stillwell is highly aware that Vought-American's efforts to rein in the Supes is futile, but he continues to do his job in spite of its many pitfalls. By the time the era of Supes is over, Stillwell is forced to reconcile with the fact that he devoted his life to something that was ultimately pointless. Rather than a barb thrown at Homelander, the "bad product" line in the comics is the exact moment one of The Boys' biggest antagonists realizes he lost.

2023-06-01T16:10:36Z dg43tfdfdgfd