Minions Need To Take Their Exit

If I ever have to see another Minion when I walk through a mall or even on the boardwalk down the shore, it will be too soon. I remember the days when My Little Pony and Bratz dolls were the constantly sought after “must-have toys,” but neither toy rubbed me the wrong way as much as the Minions do. A great deal of my aggravation toward the Minions comes from their annoying qualities, but I also do not like how they are marketed to a young demographic that is easily pleased by the Minions’ simplicity.

When “Despicable Me” was originally released in 2010, the Minions were fairly popular, but nowhere close to the level of fame that they have reached now five years later. I am certain that a great deal of their popularity had to do with branding because whenever there is an inkling that a minor character will take off with young children, they get their own spinoff. A similar situation was the craze that once surrounded the penguins from “Madagascar” that would later result in the separate franchise, “Penguins of Madagascar.” There is something to be said for the brilliant marketing schemes behind these spin-offs, but they are no more entertaining than the original films.

Nonetheless, the Minions have even managed to surpass that level of obsession. I have not been able to go anywhere without hearing about them and without having to listen to people tell me how adorable they are and how cute they find their voices. I went to a Japanese marketplace in New Jersey this summer and I even managed to see a photo of Minions there.

I have listened to the Minions before and personally, I cannot see the appeal in spending two hours watching a film where these strange yellow characters continually speak nonsense. Their simplicity will continue to lower the standards of entertainment until children reach the point that they are pleased by absolutely anything. My age and the generic nature of the Minions also detracts from any interest that I may have had in them if I was younger. Many of them look alike, which completely erases any sense of originality, despite marketers trying to sell the idea that they are all unique. For the next year, I am certain that we will see college-aged girls dressed for Halloween in a yellow crop top with overalls and a pair of goggles, proclaiming that they are dressed as a Minion. Although this has the potential to be extremely cute for a five-year-old, there is always a point of excess and that point is met far before someone reaches college age.

I may appear to be extremely cynical about the Minions, but the older that I get, the less interested I am in seeing the same concept re-done for the sake of a sale. The Minions may have started off as harmless, lovable creatures, but they have sold out by becoming over-marketed and overrated. I could, with no doubt in my mind, say that I will not be sad when the Minions phase is long gone. However, I know that the next big thing that will arrive will hardly be any different.