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"Mature Content Warning!" |
| “ | Promise her a piece of Heaven, and she'll follow you to Hell. | „ |
| ~ Memphis on pimping. |
| “ | Cross me, Queen, and you'll live to regret it. You won't live long, but before you die, you're sure gonna regret it. | „ |
| ~ Memphis threatening Queen. |
Memphis is the main antagonist of the 1997 musical The Life. Described as "the biggest businessman on the block", Memphis is a ruthless pimp who rules the Times Square prostitution scene and plans to force the protagonist Queen under his thumb.
He was played by Chuck Cooper.
What Makes Him Pure Evil?[]
- He was a vicious pimp with a dozen women working under him; all of whom Memphis had proudly groomed and manipulated into hopeless lives of strenuous sex work. These were all afraid to disobey him, as he had a reputation for beating his prostitutes as punishment.
- His oldest girl at 26 years old, Sonja, had started working when she was only 16, and was now considered a "veteran" so worn out by her life that she would self-admittedly be unable to function in the real world and would prefer going to prison rather than continuing to ply her trade.
- As revealed by Sonja, "The Life" was one where they constantly felt like their backs were breaking, had to worry about catching beatings or diseases, and even fearing the possibility of dying as a result of some violent crime. Younger prostitutes held out hopes that they would one day get out of this life, to which Sonja bitterly responded that that day would never come. The prostitutes kept dreaming, however, as the dream of a better life was the only thing keeping them going.
- He did not even allow his girls any breaks, and when he walked into Lacy's Bar, catching some of his women taking a time out, all of them immediately scattered back out onto the streets to avoid his wrath.
- When Sonja asked if she could at least finish her beer, Memphis humiliated her by pouring her beer into her purse and ordering her to "finish it outside."
- He sought to obtain the Vietnam vet Fleetwood's girlfriend Queen, despite the fact that both Fleetwood and Queen desperately wanted to move out of this cesspool and build a decent life for themselves.
- To this end, he had his accomplice Jojo continuously fuel Fleetwood's drug addiction, ruining him both mentally and financially. Memphis instructed Jojo to keep bumping up the intensity of the drugs, giving Fleetwood no chance of kicking the habit.
- When Queen, having left Fleetwood, had no place to go, Memphis promised to protect her and bought her an expensive dress, only to reveal he expected her to pay him back for it by letting him pimp her for a year. In response to Queen's horrified refusal, Memphis sadistically tore the dress, saying she would have to work even longer to pay for the repair.
- Whilst physically abusing and groping her, Memphis stressed to Queen that he owned her completely, and that if she defied him, he would kill her slowly, making her wish for death before she got it.
- He attempted to sexually assault her before being interrupted by Sonja.
- Though he allowed Queen to leave so as to not damage his "merchandise", he promised that he would first kill Fleetwood and then her if she got any ideas about escaping.
- Learning from Jojo that Queen had gone to Lacy's to warn Fleetwood, Memphis furiously marched into the bar, punching Lacy with enough strength to knock him out before flogging Queen so brutally that Memphis believed he could only sell her battered body to the "tunnel bums" who would "screw anything".
- That night, Memphis sent Snickers to pimp the terrified Queen out at knifepoint near the Lincoln Tunnel. Despite Queen's repeated pleas for mercy, Snickers forced her to have sex with a man who had parked his car nearby, saying that he was to make sure she slept with as many men as possible, as Memphis had decreed she would work so hard she would have "no ass left by tomorrow morning".
- Ultimately, intercepting Sonja's attempt to help Queen escape, Memphis reiterated that they, being his property, could never leave. While he backed off momentarily as Fleetwood pulled a gun on him, he pulled out a switchblade after Jojo had disarmed Fleetwood and stabbed Fleetwood to death before being shot by Queen.
External Links[]
- Memphis on the Villains Wiki