Apparently, we've all watching The Karate Kid all wrong. Well, if you're a believer in Patton Oswalt's telling of "The Johnny Lawrence Story," you already knew that, but a new video is making the rounds, and this one makes a case for the argument that The Karate Kid's supposed underdog hero Daniel LaRusso is actually the real bully of the story...
Using clips from the beloved 80's film, Youtube User J. Matthew Turner cleverly explains the plot of The Karate Kid with an eye for painting new kid Daniel LaRusso as the actual antagonist of the story, showing up in California and wrecking Johnny Lawrence's efforts to be less of a degenerate and make his senior year work. Between the editing and narration, Turner makes an amusing case for why Daniel's really the instigator and cause of everything. He even manages to paint Mr. Miyagi as a demon sorcerer who grants Daniel unnatural strength so that he can go on to win the All Valley tournament.
Never mind the lesson about an underdog rising up to defend himself against a pack of bullies, I guess?
Of course, this isn't the first time The Karate Kid has been flipped around. Comedian and actor Patton Oswalt's essay "Sweep the Leg and Wake the Gimp" has been circulating for years. However, Oswalt's version of the story is less focused on Daniel as it is on Johnny Lawrence.
Oswalt's theory actually takes Johnny Lawrence's story two steps further, tying Back to School and Just One of the Guys into it. He even manages to squeeze National Lampoon's European Vacation into Johnny's run of misfortune.
And Oswalt hasn't been alone in his theory. How I Met Your Mother fans likely know that Neil Patrick Harris' character Barney Stinson remains a firm believer that Johnny Lawrence was the real Karate Kid, and that he hates Ralph Macchio. In fact, both Macchio and William Zabka appeared in the Barney-centric "Bro Mitzvah" episode...
Turner's "Daniel is the REAL Bully" video supports Barney and Oswalt's view of the subject nicely, while also bringing something new to this hilarious Karate Kid discussion, with efforts to illustrate a darker version of Daniel's side of the story, which we've clearly been watching all wrong.
No mercy.
