Becoming the Antagonist: How to Be Loved Now and Hated Later

Although we all want to be the protagonist, antagonists are extraordinarily important to the narrative. What is Batman without the Joker, Sherlock without Moriarty,or the Doctor without the Daleks? Protagonists are only valuable when there’s a rival. Thus, I must teach those of you less inclined to be the protagonist how to be the villain, which in this case is popular.

1)  Up your Instagram game. To be popular IRL, you have to be available online -- pay special attention to Instagram. To gain and maintain a following, you need to be posting a picture at least once a week and a story once a day. You must be dedicated to your social media accounts. On Union’s campus, posting regularly on uGroups will also improve your popularity.

2)  Get involved. Social media is important, but you have to exist in the real world. Get involved in extracurriculars and SA events. Build a presence on campus. This will build your social media platform, which in turn will build your IRL platform. Show up to events, make your presence known and have fun! You can again boost your results at Union by getting involved upfront. Join the praise team for Family Worship or V2. This is where the popular people go to mingle. Go make your presence known.

3)  Have a “thing” that’s distinctly yours. Every popular person has a “thing.” Find something you enjoy (LEGO, Jeeps, Sephora, etc.) and learn everything about it. Become the authority on that topic. This will be the identifying factor of who you are, so choose wisely. Once you become an expert, advertise it. Make it a big deal wherever you go, but don’t drown people in information. Find the balance between annoyingly passionate and mysterious intelligence.

4)  Find a protagonist and make them miserable. Listen, this doesn’t mean you need to be a jerk. You just need to give them substantial reason to dislike you. Say hi to them, but get their name wrong every time. Give them funny looks once in a while. Give them stories they can dramatize to make you look the villain, and them the hero.

I know we all want to be the protagonist, but we aren’t all built to be that person. Antagonists are just as important to the narrative. Don’t ignore it. Besides, being the villain isn’t all bad. The bad guys have much more fun.

Lacey Stecker is a Sophomore

Communications Major from

Noblesville, Indiana