History Main / SlaveToPR

** [[spoiler:In more than one way, as it turns out: Glenn has HiddenDepths, knowing just how insane Tagg, the GeneralRipper Director of the PRT is, and he really wants to help Taylor get rid of him and finally clean the PRT's corrupt command structure...and to do that, she needs the PR behind her, something [[HorrifyingHero she]] [[AntiHero has]] [[VillainProtagonist trouble]] [[NightmareFuelStationAttendant with]].]][[/folder]]

* The ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' and ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' clash over this issue in the episode when the American government won't believe someone hijacked their KillSat. Green Lantern at first suggests they let them think what they want to think and continue doing their job ("We're not here to be liked."), but Wonder Woman convinces them they need the people to have faith in them and turn themselves in until their [[ClearMyname names have been legally cleared]]. They ask Batman, the original AntiHero, to join them, but he unhesitatingly rejects such a plan and instead works to find the real culprit. As it turns out, it appears that having both options working in tandem was the best thing to do; the League gained credibility that they were being responsible, while Batman, who had a reputation as a loose-cannon anyway, was able to convince Amanda Waller of the truth.

* Commissar CiaphasCain quite literally [[AccidentalHero blundered]] his way into becoming a [[FakeUltimateHero Hero of the Imperium]], a reputation that [[DirtyCoward he could do well enough without]] when it ends up [[ReassignmentBackfire getting him into trouble]] (as it almost inevitably always does). However, as running away at the first opportunity would disgrace him in the eyes of his followers and cost him the benefits of said reputation (as well as possibly his life), he is often forced to act against his own self-preservation instincts in order to keep up appearances.

* This ends up kick-starting the plot of ''Film/MysteryMen''. With his world lacking a CardboardPrison and all his villains either locked-up or executed, Captain Amazing has fallen out of favor with the public and his sponsors, driving him to release his arch-enemy from prison to have a supervillain fight for the publicity.

** A lot of the Cadmus arc was about this. To begin with, one of the reasons Cadmus exsists in the first place is because of the negative PR superheroes gained when, firstly, ''Comicbook/{{Superman}}'' was [[BrainwashedAndCrazy brainwashed]] by [[BigBad Darkseid]], and secondly when [[spoiler: Justice Leaguer Hawkgirl was revealed to be TheMole for an alien invasion]]. Later on, after discovering Lex Luthor is behind the GovernmentConspiracy, the Question attempts to kill Luthor, knowing his public image as a "crackpot" will keep the League from being seen as part of the murder.

* In ''Mercenary Fighters'', an African nation wants to modernize by building a dam, but numerous local villages would be flooded out as a result. When the protagonist questions why they don't simply go ahead with their plan, the answer is "We can't! The press!" Instead, the government goes with the [[BlatantLies much more PR friendly route]] of ''[[WhatAnIdiot having hired guns massacre said villages]]''.

[[caption-width-right:250:Nothing gets in the way of a politician's smile before a camera.]]

Nothing solidifies the Hero/ AntiHero line better than this trope. Anti Heroes [[IDidWhatIHadToDo do what they have to do]], not what looks right. They do their own thing, whatever serves their purpose, and couldn't care less about what their reputation is. The town hails them as a hero for killing that drug dealer? They don't care. The cops are crying for their head on a pole for starting that street rumble? They don't care. They've been locked in jail while there are serious criminals out there waiting to be taken down? They'll break out. In fact, they'll often clash with the DesignatedHero over this difference.

* [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] late in the second season of ''Anime/CodeGeass'', [[spoiler:Lelouch is actively trying to make his publicity worse, not because he wants to be bad, [[ZeroApprovalGambit but because he needs to look bad]] [[GenghisGambit for his plan]]]].

* Being about a group of people in a city of corporate superheroism, none of the heroes in ''Anime/TigerAndBunny'' can escape the insistence of their sponsors and director on the importance of creating a spectacle and raising ratings. Karina is expected to be the 'sexy' MsFanservice to the detriment of her esteem and crime-fighting ability, Kotetsu is openly mocked for being an idealistic DestructiveSaviour, and Ivan's ShrinkingViolet personality doesn't go well with the theatrics of HeroTV. Barnaby comes across as very media-friendly, although the reasons why turn out to be suspect.

* In ''SchindlersList'', there's a scene where in order to tone down his sadistic cruelty, Schindler tries to sell Goeth on an {{ubermensch}} kind of idea that showing mercy is something the strong can do. As a result, Goeth spares a slave who had made a mistake. Then, he looks in the mirror and realizes he can't live with himself if he's not a murderous psychopath, and he goes back and kills the slave.
* In ''ThePrincessBride'', the Dread Pirate Roberts is a carefully-maintained persona of wealth and cruelty, secretly played by a succession of men.
* PlayedWith in ''{{Hancock}}''. The eponymous superhero has a "devil-may-care" attitude when it comes to being a superhero, and often causes as much (if not more) damage than what he fixes while trying to help the citizens of Los Angeles, which has led to his terrible reputation. It takes an ordinary citizen (a PR executive who wants to help after Hancock saved his life) and an intensive "12-step program" (which includes admitting his past mistakes, voluntarily going to jail and adopting a new catchphrase) for Hancock to realize he can keep his good reputation if he plays by the rules and remains mindful of the environment he lives in.

* Played for several laughs in ''MarriedWithChildren'', most obvious in the "Reverend Al" episode, where Marcy single handedly crushes Al's "Church of NO MA'AM" by showing the congregation pictures of Al and Peggy at her birthday, eating in a restaurant, watching a performance of ''Cats'' (with all the proceeds going to the Chicago ballet) and disappearing into a motel, all the while being [[AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther lovey-dovey]] with each other.

* In an episode of ''HannahMontana'', Hannah appears multiple times on a morning TalkShow (a paper-thin parody of LiveWithRegisAndKathieLee) to be interviewed, and her every answer to a question leads to her fanbase slavishly imitating her, much to her embarrassment and annoyance. This leads Hannah to finally explain to the kids on the talk show that they [[BeYourself don't have to do anything or not do anything Hannah does just because she does or doesn't do it]].

* In TheWire (as, arguably, in RealLife) the Baltimore Police Department are slaves to crime statistics, arrest rates and public opinion of their efficiency and the political power games involved in maintaining their image makes it near-impossible to do any meaningful investigation. Ineffectual investigation methods, charging major criminals with minor crimes, relegating prodigious detectives to meaningless posts, ignoring connections between drug dealers and politicians are all used to maintain the illusion of effectiveness. Similarly, the Drug Kingpins themselves are shown to be equally hamstrung by their need to be feared by competitors.

* In ''FriendlyHostility'', Colin's job as a model is going to cause trouble for him when he becomes a dictator. Apparently, it's hard to consider someone a fearsome tyrant when there are photos of them smiling and playing volleyball being distributed by the resistance.

* ''ThePowerpuffGirls'': Mojo Jojo threatens to drop TheProfessor into a LavaPit unless Blossom vows to serve him (and KneelBeforeZod).

* ''TheSpectacularSpiderMan'''s L. Thompson Lincoln, aka [[EvilAlbino Tombstone]], aka The Big Man (maybe), is the crime lord of New York, but had a charitable public image to maintain. To the point where when he and the other two potential criminal rulers of the city had a meeting and a quick agreement to stop fighting just long enough to kill Spidey, [[spoiler: he turned against them and saved the wall-crawler]] because he couldn't be seen consorting with those two. [[spoiler:Of course, the moment they were out of sight...]]

[[/folder]]

* [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] late in the second season of ''Anime/CodeGeass'', [[spoiler:Lelouch is actively trying to make his publicity worse, not because he wants to be bad, but because he needs to look bad for his plan]].

** A lot of the Cadmus arc was about this. To begin with, one of the reasons Cadmus exsists in the first place is because of the negative PR superheroes gained when, firstly, ''Comicbook/{{Superman}}'' was [[BrainwashedAndCrazy brainwashed]] by [[BigBad Darkseid]], and secondly when [[spoiler: Justice Leaguer Hawkgirl was revealed to be TheMole for an alien invasion]]. Later on, after discovering Lex Luthor is behind the GovernmentConspiracy, the Question attempts to kill Luther, knowing his public image as a "crackpot" will keep the League from being seen as part of the murder.

** 4th Edition changed this, so now there is a single Paladin class who can be any alignment, but the alignment must be the same as the god the Paladin dedicates himself to. They retain their powers no matter what[[hottip:*:How long it'll be before that get changed is anyone's guess, given that the idea of a fallen paladin was in the past central to the class.]], but if a Paladin strays too far from his god's tenets, his compatriots will hunt him down and drag him back to be judged by that god's followers.

* ''Series/{{Scandal}}'': President Fitzgerald Grant.

* Another comic book example: In ''Comicbook/{{Miracleman}}'' #14, innocent young Johnny Bates, in order to stop the other boys at his group home from raping him, reluctantly says the word that transforms him into the mad Kid Miracleman. Having dispatched of his assailants, Kid Miracleman is about to spare the life of the one nurse who had been kind to him. He then says, "I'm sorry. They'd say I was going soft, wouldn't they?", and [[{{Squick}} punches off the top half of her head]].

Mind you, Anti Heroes ''do'' prefer a fearsome, rebellious reputation, but that has more to with appearing brave and tough than good/evil.

* Gilderoy Lockhart of {{Harry Potter}}

* [[Theatre/{{Othello}}]] Good name in man and woman is the immediate jewel of their souls. Who steals my purse steals trash. 'Tis something, nothing, 'twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands. But he who filches from me my good name steals that which not enriches him, and makes me poor indeed.
* Gilderoy Lockhart of [[Harry Potter]]

* [[Theatre/{{Othello}} Good name in man and woman is the immediate jewel of their souls. Who steals my purse steals trash. 'Tis something, nothing, 'twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands. But he who filches from me my good name steals that which not enriches him, and makes me poor indeed.]]

* ''{{Iji}}'' has a unique take on this with the Komato: the council does what the general population wants, and the general population wants genocide. However, much of the council members are [[PunchClockVillain Punch Clock Villains]], including [[spoiler: the leader of the fleet in charge of finishing the job]], and ''really'' don't want to do it. In other words, the leaders want to be good, but they also need to maintain an arguably evil reputation.

* The ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' and ''Comicbook/{{Batman}}'' clash over this issue in the episode when the American government won't believe someone hijacked their KillSat. Green Lantern at first suggests they let them think what they want to think and continue doing their job ("We're not here to be liked."), but Wonder Woman convinces them they need the people to have faith in them and turn themselves in until their [[ClearMyname names have been legally cleared]]. They ask Batman, the original AntiHero, to join them, but he unhesitatingly rejects such a plan and instead works to find the real culprit. As it turns out, it appears that having both options working in tandem was the best thing to do; the League gained credibility that they were being responsible, while Batman, who had a reputation as a loose-cannon anyway, was able to convince Amanda Waller of the truth.

* Explored by Samaritan in ''AstroCity'', where he ''forces'' himself to make public appearances and accept awards so that the public, and possibly himself, do not think he's aloof and uncaring, thus complicating his efforts. He's also painfully aware that he could very well use the time and his SuperSpeed to save lives.