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Minions · 2015 — Chapter 6 of 14 · 6'35" · B1

Scarlet's Henchmen Tryout, Explained: let's not kid ourselves

Scarlet Overkill's keynote is a recruitment pitch dressed as a rally. "Doesn't it feel so good to be bad?" she asks, then sets a simple test: steal the ruby from her hand and the job is yours. The Minions fumble their way to exactly that.

What happens

At Villain-Con, Professor Flux shows off a time machine but refuses to hire more servants. Then Scarlet Overkill takes the stage to recruit new henchmen. Her tryout: snatch a ruby from her hand. After several failed attempts, the Minions get it, and Scarlet introduces them as her new henchmen before they all head to England.

SpeechesJob interviewPersuadingInvitingBoss & employeeB1slowamericanClean
IMDb ↗

Listen for

way to golet's not kid ourselveswin the dayknights in shining denim

00:00 / 06:35
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  47. ❝ MonologueScarlet's hiring speech7 linesPractice page ↗
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Phrase of the scene

let's not kid ourselves

let us be honest about an uncomfortable fact

斯嘉丽在台上先说人人都有梦想，话锋一转，用这句把场面拉回自己真正想要的人。

Let's not kid ourselves: nobody is buying that price.

Also in this scene

  • way to go

    good job, or the opposite when said dryly

  • win the day

    to come out on top in the end

  • knights in shining denim

    （戏称）穿牛仔布的骑士、救星

Everything marked in this scene

22 notes across 111 lines

Phrase · B1not looking for any more somethingI'm sorry! But I'm not looking for any more servants, for I, Professor Flux, have invented
Phrase · B1bring something backEvery time I visit the future, I bring my future self back to help me.
Phrase · B2way to go

good job, or the opposite when said dryly

Oh, way to go, guys. We killed the original!
Soundway to go

flap

Oh, way to go, guys. We killed the original!
Phrase · B2it feels so good to be ...Doesn't it feel so good to be bad?
Phrase · B1as well as someoneWhen I started out, people said a woman could never rob a bank as well as a man!
Grammar · B2a woman could never rob a bank as well as a man

comparison with as well as

When I started out, people said a woman could never rob a bank as well as a man!
Soundrob a bank

liaison

When I started out, people said a woman could never rob a bank as well as a man!
Phrase · B2have something in commonBut we have one thing in common.
Soundthing in common

liaison

But we have one thing in common.
Phrase · B2make something come trueAnd we will do anything to make them come true!
Phrase · B2dream of doing somethingHave any of you ever dreamt of working for the greatest super-villain of all time?
Phrase · C1what if someone were to do somethingWell, what if I were to tell you that I am looking for new henchmen?
Grammar · C1what if I were to tell you

hypothetical were to

Well, what if I were to tell you that I am looking for new henchmen?
Phrase · B2the potential to do somethingI truly believe somewhere out there is a villain with the potential to serve greatness!
Phrase · C1let's not kid ourselves

let us be honest about an uncomfortable fact

Although, let's not kid ourselves.
Phrase · B2the only person for a jobTruly, the only men for this job are Kevin and his Minions!
Phrase · B2no big dealNo big deal, it's almost too simple.
Phrase · B2go easy on someoneNow go easy on me.
Phrase · C1prove oneself worthyDidn't my speech inspire anyone to rise up and prove themselves worthy?
Phrase · C1win the day

to come out on top in the end

Behold! The last creatures you'd expect to win the day have emerged victorious! (MINIONS CHUCKLING)
Phrase · B2buckle upBuckle up, boys! Next stop, England.

Scarlet's Henchmen Tryout, explained

What's really going on

Scarlet talks about dreams and possibility, but her act is pure audition. "Truly, the only men for this job are Kevin and his Minions!" she announces, then immediately turns the praise into a contest where everyone has to prove it. The point isn't the speech; it's the test. And when the Minions succeed — not through skill but through chaos — she sells the result as destiny: "Behold! The last creatures you'd expect to win the day have emerged victorious!" Villain-Con runs on performance, and Scarlet plays both judge and star. The Minions don't understand any of the politics; they just want a boss, and she gives them one. The scene ends on a promise of more: "Next stop, England."

Theme

AmbitionScarlet stages a tryout to recruit the best henchmen, turning her own fame into an open contest.
PowerVillain-Con is a stage where villains compete for status; whoever holds the ruby earns a place at her side.

What you'll learn

  • Use feel so good to be bad in a comparable exchange.
  • Listen for the attitude around feel so good to be bad.
  • Notice how the reply changes the scene.

Listen for

  • way to go — flap
  • rob a bank — liaison
  • thing in common — liaison
Doesn't it feel so good to be bad?

Scarlet opens with a rhetorical question that flatters the crowd. It reframes villainy as a pleasure the audience already shares, so they cheer for her.

When I started out, people said a woman could never rob a bank as well as a man!

She frames her career as a fight against sexist expectations, then flips it with "times change." It's a self-serving but effective bit of stage rhetoric.

I truly believe somewhere out there is a villain with the potential to serve greatness!

She pretends to be humble about her search, calling it a hunt for hidden talent. It's really a setup for the contest that follows.

All these villains and yet I still have the bear.

A deadpan punchline: after all the grand talk, nobody has actually taken the ruby, and she's still holding a stuffed toy. The bathos deflates the speech.

Questions about this scene

What is Scarlet Overkill's tryout at Villain-Con?

She holds out a ruby and tells the crowd that whoever can take it from her hand gets the job. Several villains fail before the Minions manage it.

Why do the Minions get the job over the other villains?

They don't outfight anyone; they succeed through sheer chaos and luck. Scarlet spins their accident into a story about underdogs winning the day.

What does "let's not kid ourselves" mean?

It means "let's be honest about the situation." Scarlet uses it to drop the flattery and name her real pick, Kevin, before the contest even begins.

What happens to the Minions after they win?

Scarlet introduces them to the crowd as her new henchmen. Then they leave with her — the scene ends with her saying the next stop is England.

Why does Professor Flux refuse to hire the Minions?

He has just built a time machine and can bring future versions of himself back to help, so he says he doesn't need any more servants.

Minions · 14 chapters

All chapters →
Up next · Chapter 7get down to businessScarlet Assigns the Crown Heist
Chapter 1therein lies the rubMinions Can't Keep a BossChapter 2Truth be toldKevin Volunteers to Find a New MasterChapter 3marked downMinions Wreck a Department StoreChapter 4a new bad man in townScarlet Overkill's Villain-Con AdChapter 5stretch one's legsThe Nelsons Give the Minions a RideWatching · Chapter 6let's not kid ourselvesScarlet's Henchmen TryoutChapter 7get down to businessScarlet Assigns the Crown HeistChapter 8Bob's your uncleBob Pulls the Sword from the StoneChapter 9above and beyond the call of dutyScarlet Confronts the MinionsChapter 10take this the wrong wayScarlet Breaks Up with the MinionsChapter 11I proclaim theeScarlet's Coronation Turns into a ChaseChapter 12how's that working out for youScarlet Gives Kevin Until DawnChapter 13so help meScarlet Taunts Kevin, Then FleesChapter 14from here on outThe Queen Knights Kevin
Chapter 6 of 14 · about 42 min to go