Talk:Goon

Wheel of fourgoon not 'goon of fortune'

Word origin
Since the word "goon" originally referred to someone who was employed as someone's muscle I don't like the use of the word "thug" as clarification. The Western use of the word "thug" is supposed to be based on the only contact Western traders had with the Thugee cults (to Europeans a thug was specifically someone who robbed travelers or attacked trade caravans). In the Eastern sense a "thug" was a Thugee (they were a specific religious cult that engaged in murder & violence). While the terms are used interchangeably in much of the U.S., the word "thug" has a very specific meaning that "goon" does not match. If anyone has a problem with this edit let's discuss the matter. 24.145.157.81 (talk) 00:34, 4 November 2011 (UTC)

Should this be a disambig?
Should this be a proper disambig page? &mdash; P Ingerson (talk)  11:48, 19 Jun 2005 (UTC)


 * Yes, yes it should. I'll take care of it soon. Commander Keane 03:40, 23 July 2005 (UTC)

Popeye / Segar origins?
As far as I'm aware, the usage originated in the West with the "Goon" tribe of savages from the Popeye comics, notably Alice the Goon ... If nobody has any objections I'll edit the page ? &mdash; Hobart 07:42, 28 September 2005 (UTC)

Who's josh?
It was vandalism, now removed.--Commander Keane 21:27, 3 January 2006 (UTC)

aliens?
I usually hear aliens (as in some games) be refered as "goons", any comment? → A z a  Toth 21:10, 11 May 2006 (UTC)

Bouncers

 * Hired thugs employed by bosses or other authorities to break up strikes and protests, or to guard places. See bouncer.

Isn't this a bit offensive to those of us employed in the door supervision industry? Pienamo 09:59, 5 September 2006 (UTC)


 * In Scandinavia thugs hired for pay to carry out threats, extortion, violence, sabotage or murder are commonly called torpedos. In Oslo during the 1980’s and 1990’s the most feared torpedos were ranked at the top of the food chain in the criminal underworld. These torpedos were largely recruited from their legal profession as bouncers. Many bouncers’ use of excessive force and close ties to organized crime gave their profession a very bad reputation, until the police succeeded in their quest to have laws implemented regulating the business with doormen having to fulfill certain requirements in order to obtain licenses to work at bars and clubs. Until quite recently it was common in Norway to regard bouncers as goons. In my opinion a doorman with a habit of using excessive force deserves being labelled as a goon. I’m not sure if the English language has a better word than goon as an equivalent to the Scandinavian use of the word torpedo for hired muscle. Possibly enforcer. Busynissen (talk) 18:07, 26 December 2015 (UTC)

heyy —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.118.40.243 (talk) 22:41, 13 April 2009 (UTC)

Goon Squad
Goon Squad as explained to me by my grandfather Charles Teodor Hansson (also spelled Hansen) who was the press foreman and union organizer at the San Francisco Examiner goes back to the days when William Randolf Hearst had thugs to discourage the union movement at his printing plant on 3rd & Stevenson, San Francisco. The Examiner at the time carried Popeye comics and Alice the Goon was a new character. My grandfather organized his own squad of locals to retaliate. This lead Hearst, who always referred to my grandfather as 'The Swede,' to 'inform' the public about the union's use of 'Goon Squads' to terrorize workers. So my understanding is that 'goon' term originally was to demonize union 'protection' squads (who were most likely doing the same things as management hired thugs). FAHansson (talk) 22:18, 1 February 2010 (UTC) Frederick Arn Hansson

Something Awful Forums
Anonymous users have added and removed this more than once: Does anyone know why? Man with two legs 12:09, 24 May 2007 (UTC)
 * A member of the Something Awful Forums
 * Why what? added or removed? I don't know why added but it is removed because wikipedia is not dictionary. See also what disambiguation pages are. `'mikka 00:29, 25 May 2007 (UTC)
 * That does not actually answer my question. What separates this item from the others that remain on the list? Man with two legs 06:17, 25 May 2007 (UTC)
 * {It does answer your question. You probably wanted to say "It is not what I wanted to know".) There is no wikipedia article about "a member of the Something Awful Forums" or its synonym. There is no evidence presented anywhere in wikipedia that goon is a SAF member. Finally, it is unclear whether "goon" is some notable person's SAF nick or it is a general term for all SAF members. I may understand that some other entries may look weak as well, and I agree. But the discussed one was way below the threshold. `'mikka 17:52, 25 May 2007 (UTC)
 * THAT answers my question! Man with two legs 21:47, 25 May 2007 (UTC)
 * Oddly enough I was going to say that the entry for the Something Awful Forums should actually explain that "goon" is a term to describe all members of the forums (all 98,000+ of them) but apparently that information is not in the article. So I guess that's a problem! One of Wikipedia's greatest problems is when it lacks little-yet-sometimes-important information like this. I believe that the particular definition of "goon" should remain there, because hey it's not like it's vital it's not included, and I should probably add in a line on the main article just in case. --FuegoFish 14:30, 26 May 2007 (UTC)
 * Thanks for ading an expmanation to the SAF article. At the same time, for such, as you say little-yet-sometimes-important information, it is obligatory to provide a reliable source of the info. Otherwise how we be sure that this is a standard usage, rather than yours and a couple of your buddies, or it was a short fad, for laughs, for a couple of weeks after the mentioned letter. Please add a ref. `'mikka 16:47, 26 May 2007 (UTC)
 * Also funny that you put it as "greatest problems" of wikipedia. Did you try to find this info in Encyclopedia Britannica? :-) Also, there are other resources for various word-of-the mouth things, such as Urban Dictionary. Wikipedia has two conflicting rules: "anyone can edit" and "corectness of information". If you have in mind another idea to keep vandals, jokers and hoaxers off wikipedia other than requiring citing reliable sources, you are very welcome to suggest it. I will be the first to support you. I am reverting several dozens of "informations" daily, and I will be only happy to make my life easier. `'mikka 16:53, 26 May 2007 (UTC)
 * It is one of Wikipedia's greatest problems. A lack of information not easily available elsewhere is what makes me, and other people, have to use other sources. Another one of Wikipedia's greatest problems is control freaks with self-diagnosed Asperger's who seem to think that because they've made hundreds of edits, they have "authority" over other people's edits. My word, they think, is this plebian editing my page? Ha ha, reverted! They'll think twice before infringing on my territory, they laugh! Not that I'm pointing any fingers here or anything, perish the thought, but there's a reason I treat Wikipedia half as a repository for nerdy information like eighteen-thousand-word articles on Pokemon or Klingons, and half as a completely laughable joke of a site. That's because nerdy subjects are the only things which have hundreds of people obsessing over them. So I guess I'll do my duty as an honest-to-God Wikipedian and spend a few minutes trying to find a reference that you'll accept. Except, wait, no I won't because I have better things to do with my time than jump through hoops for some guy who think he's being constructive by viciously deleting information he could easily verify himself via Google. I mean, perish the thought that it's you who actually does this. No, not when you can be making big, self-important, badly-worded messages that highlight what a wonderful addition to the community you are! KEEP REACHING FOR THAT RAINBOW --FuegoFish 01:57, 27 May 2007 (UTC)
 * You are not jumping thru the hoop for me. You are disregarding wikipedia community. If you don't like its rules, hwy don't you join other 'goons' and create your own one? `'mikka 22:43, 27 May 2007 (UTC)
 * This isn't that hard to source. In addition to this video, numerous online media sources refer to members of the forums as "goons". Now enough with the internet rage. --Wafulz 02:58, 28 May 2007 (UTC)
 * How about simply providing a valid reference into the corresponding article without hysteric and wkilawyering? `'mikka 05:41, 28 May 2007 (UTC)
 * Well I figured I would show you the reference directly on the talk page- for copyright reasons, I can't just link the YouTube video on the article, and I wasn't sure if you accept formatted citation that you couldn't verify yourself. --Wafulz 12:52, 28 May 2007 (UTC)

BTW, an unrelated question (seemingly; but in fact a quirk of my train of thought), in The_Goon_Show_cast_members_and_characters you added getting "one over" on the BBC censors. I am afraid that "one over" may be unclear to the broader readership, even among native English speakers. Slang should be avoided or explained in encyclopedia. Please do. `'mikka 18:25, 25 May 2007 (UTC)
 * Actually, that bit was not added by me; I just added the explanation of the rhyming slang. But you are correct that that phrase is not clear. Man with two legs 21:47, 25 May 2007 (UTC)
 * ...so I have now changed it anyway! Man with two legs 21:51, 25 May 2007 (UTC)

Something Awful "Goons" and other colloquial terms for Internet users

 * Added it again. While I understand that Wikipedia is not a dictionary, the term "goon/goons" when referring to Something Awful members is used in various online media. Having a redirect for users who may be searching for those specific "goons" can only make Wikipedia more useful. 203.26.122.12 (talk) 06:44, 29 July 2008 (UTC)
 * It should be noted that Wikipedia accepts other colloquial terms for Internet forum members. The most notable example is that a search for /b/tard will return a search result for 4chan.

Goon Show
I think the Goon Show (BBC Radio) c. 1951-58, should feature on the list. Valetude (talk) 11:16, 29 September 2014 (UTC)

Rangiora
Rangiora in Canterbury, New Zealand is referred to by locals as “Goon” it should be added here 118.149.84.193 (talk) 13:07, 19 January 2022 (UTC)