Michael Charles "Goob" Yagoobian (Also Known As Bowler Hat Guy) is the main antagonist of Disney•Pixar's 2007 animated feature film Meet the Robinsons.
Background[]
Personality[]
As a 12-year-old boy, Michael is more interested in baseball than his roommate's inventing hobby. He is mature for his age as he is willing to let go of his problem, albeit rather absent-minded as he can talk even without anyone else paying attention and not noticing this. He can also be immature sometimes since he often snarkily remarks on Lewis’ hobbies being stupid.
However, in one of Lewis' timelines, after he missed the winning catch, his fury became uncontrollable as he was constantly in a bad mood. He was unwilling to do anything else with his life or move forward from his mistakes, and became an aimless, overweight adult unwilling to take care of himself. Once the orphanage shut down, as time progressed (and as he grew up), his resentment of Lewis grew, especially when, after years of hearing Lewis’ accomplishments in the future, he finally realized why he fell asleep during the last inning and pinned this on Lewis.
As a result of shutting himself from the world for three decades, Goob never properly matured as an adult as his anger caused a stunted mental development. His childlike attitude suggests that he dropped education after finishing middle school, given that he lacked the knowledge and common sense for many things in life as a side-effect of his self-destructive obsession of destroying Lewis and was shown to be both a bad speller and rather illiterate. He has displayed extremely childish mannerisms, such as running on the table in the meeting room of Inventco. during his failed presentation of Lewis' Memory Scanner. He also has a habit of committing childish mischief as evil deeds in his terms which greatly crippled his attempts for revenge before meeting DOR-15 and even during his partnership with her. It took many of his misdeeds to fully wake him back to his senses when Doris takes over the future and betrayed him to his death (which was erased by Lewis later).
He's also very short-sighted and barely thinks things through. As when he's given a Mini-Doris to control, his course of action doesn't seem to go further than taking control of someone and making them charge at the humans while rushing capture against Lewis. This was commented on by the minions he controlled, as they voiced how they didn’t think his plans were thought through very well. He also fails to realize how his life would continue if he would succeed in his revenge.
Ultimately, Goob represents a side of Lewis that refuses to let go of past failures in life, as evident in his behavior and outdated outfit. He serves as a parallel to Lewis, as the genius boy would not have given up his intention to find his biological mother had Wilbur Robinson not intervened.
In the end, the original Future Goob finally realized Doris’ deception when Lewis showed him the future that would’ve happened had he and Doris succeeded, much to his sadness due to genuinely considering Doris his friend. He could only walk off in shame and disappointment while Lewis attempted to have him adopted by the Robinsons, accepting that his revenge was ill-conceived and feeling ashamed that he let his negative emotions stop him from moving forward with his life. However, when Lewis changed the past by waking Goob up before his final inning and Goob succeeded in catching the ball, this prevented his original future from happening and resulted in Goob being a happier person, no longer an angered little boy, and is eventually adopted, which procures him a better life than the one he originally grew up with. He is now on amicable terms with Lewis, whom he now has no reason to resent.
Physical appearance[]
Goob is a pale child with black hair, although he has black eyes due to sleep deprivation. He wore a green baseball uniform with white pants, a jacket, and a cap. As an adult, he is a tall, skinny man often seen wearing a bowler hat and suit. He is commonly dressed in black as an adult, but underneath the suit, he still wears the same baseball uniform from when he was a child. Michael is said to be the resemblance of the farmer's son, "Jesse Lopez Aunario".
Comprehensive Psychological Report of Goob[]
Presenting Symptoms and Problems:
Worrying: Goob’s daily routine is characterised by repetitive and obsessive thinking about his problems and dwelling on past events. He reports that his tendency to worry has lessened with the passing of time, a change he ascribes to the emotional separation he has established from his childhood. However, Goob continues to fixate heavily on his troubled childhood and spends most of his day distressed by memories. Goob acknowledged that this frequent worrying has yet to lead to a resolution to his current problems. However, Goob finds it difficult to disengage from these repetitive thoughts. As such, he reports difficulties falling asleep because his thoughts “run in loops”. Consequently, he often lacks energy during the daytime and is unmotivated. Goob stated that he dedicates several hours daily “just thinking.” When asked what he typically thinks about, he said he is often preoccupied with his own loneliness, shortcomings, and anger towards others. Anger: Goob feels deep-seated resentment towards his old roommate, as he blames him for a sporting incident that occurred in his youth. He blames others for not having met his full potential, both in sport and in a broader sense. Furthermore, Goob believes that others have conspired against his long-term goals. As such, Goob engages in callous actions to obtain satisfaction over those he believes have wronged him. Goob spends several hours a day actively planning and strategising against his ex-roommate, whom he believes is at fault for Goob’s present problems. This involves collecting personal information on the ex-roommate, tracking his movements, and evaluating his weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Goob does not demonstrate remorse for his actions, nor does he fear potential legal ramifications. Low Self-esteem: He mentioned feeling like he doesn’t deserve opportunities or success and is generally overwhelmed by negative emotions related to his perceived shortcomings. Goob went as far as calling himself a failure. He cited his unemployment, lack of friends, and poor academic performance as evidence of this belief. He reports markedly diminished interest and pleasure in most aspects of his life, having abandoned his previous hobbies and skills. He states that he can no longer play sports because he lacks the necessary skills. Goob reflects on his tumultuous childhood in foster care as evidence that he was unwanted, a belief that has persisted into his adult life. Additionally, he lacks confidence in his ability to pursue a fulfilling career. Goob believes that, due to his subpar academic performance and perceived incompetence, he is likely to withdraw from university in the near future. Lack of Social Support: Goob harbours a fear of social rejection, which he links to his feelings of embarrassment regarding his current situation, notably his unemployment. As a result, he worries that others might perceive him negatively in social situations. Goob chooses to spend a significant amount of time in isolation because he values the freedom of not needing to conform to others' expectations or judgments (“I can just be Goob.”). Nonetheless, he recognises the potential benefits of having someone who genuinely cares about him. Additionally, he expressed interest in participating in group therapy to establish social connections with others. Goob reflects on his childhood as a period of intense loneliness. He recounts being ostracised by his peers and was physically assaulted by his baseball teammates on one occasion. Nevertheless, he acknowledges that he sometimes closed himself off to the possibility of forming friendships. Goob believes that his loneliness is a lingering consequence of his challenges in forming friendships during his childhood, and he would benefit from some social support. Psychosocial Background: Personal/Social/Relational History: Goob grew up in the foster care system and spent the majority of his life in a children’s home. The specific circumstances for his being placed up for adoption were not discussed. He reported that potential adoptive families did not express much interest in adopting him because he was “an angry child”, which he believes has led to a deep-seated sense of insecurity in adulthood. Although he spoke agreeably of the caretakers at the children’s home, Goob felt that he was “left behind” as no one wanted him and that he was a “burden.” He did find fulfilment in playing baseball and spoke of his childhood aspiration to eventually begin a professional sporting career. Goob eventually outgrew the foster care system, remains in the same institutional housing and lives alone. Goob described himself as a social recluse and not having any friends. When questioned about available support persons, he denies having any. His typical day is spent in isolation and at home. Education and Employment History: After a history of truancy, Goob dropped out of school at the age of sixteen and is currently unemployed. Goob did not receive much academic or emotional support throughout his education. Medical History: Given his status as a ward of the state, his family's medical and psychiatric history is unavailable. Goob did report that he sustained a significant injury during an instance of childhood bullying. As such, the possibility of Goob having experienced a traumatic brain injury or concussion should be assessed further. Goob expressed dissatisfaction with his current physical fitness. Mental Health Treatment History: It is unknown if Goob has received a formal diagnosis of depression. Substance Use History: Goob reports that he drinks on occasion, but not in excess. Legal History: Despite being in the foster care system, Goob did not receive any welfare service provisions throughout his childhood or during his transition out of the care system. Goob reported that he recently vandalised a building to get back at his old roommate over their past grievance but has managed to avoid legal consequences. Clinical Interview/ Mental Status Exam: Behavioural Observations: Goob arrived unaccompanied and on time for his interview. He was casually dressed and ready to engage with the assessment process. He readily consented to being interviewed and recorded. He was able to recall recent events and childhood memories with relative ease. Whilst being questioned, he maintained eye contact and spoke clearly. Although he responded to a handful of prompts by shrugging, he was largely cooperative with the line of questioning and gave thoughtful answers. His thought content appeared generally lucid, however, he occasionally contradicted himself. Mood: Goob presented with a notably subdued mood interrupted by bouts of anger. In general, Goob is discontent with his current circumstances and wants his mood to improve. However, given that he has experienced a state of persistent unhappiness since his youth, he anticipates that achieving this change will be challenging. Goob spoke poorly of himself, lacked faith in his abilities, and believed that no one cared about his well-being. His anger became apparent when asked about his interpersonal struggles. For example, he scowled, adopted a dismissive tone, and crossed his arms when discussing his ex-roommate. Risk: Goob denies risk to self and from others. Goob did express an interest in vengeful and callous behaviour, such as humiliating those who have wronged him. He has yet to come up with a concrete way of achieving this goal. Indeed, Goob’s reported antisocial behaviour was petty in nature, such as small acts of vandalism and theft. Diagnostic Impression: As Goob’s issues demonstrate difficulties with both internalising and externalising, a wide variety of mood disorders can be considered. Goob’s enduring low affect, evident in his interview and referral information, aligns with the key diagnostic criterion for Persistent Depressive Disorder. According to Goob’s subjective reports, his unhappiness began in childhood and has persisted into his mid-twenties. This surpasses the minimum duration of two years necessary for diagnosing longstanding depression. While it's possible that Goob's depressive mood is a natural response to his difficult childhood, the severity, frequency, and enduring nature of his unhappiness suggests a pathological condition. Indeed, several of Goob's problems align with depressive symptoms, including his insomnia, low energy levels, sense of hopelessness, and diminished self-esteem. Goob’s relatively inactive daily routine may reflect a loss of interest in activities, which is also characteristic of depression. Given Goob’s high levels of anxiety, he may be experiencing a depression-type accompanied by anxious distress. Alternatively, Goob’s constant worrying could substantiate an anxiety disorder, such as Generalised Anxiety. The broad content of his worries, spanning his unemployment, loneliness, and previous personal failures, are all common under GAD. Similarly, Goob experiences difficulties breaking the cycle of worry and struggles to gain control over his worries. Indeed, Goob’s anxiety interferes greatly with his daily functioning, such that he socially isolates himself and rarely leaves the house. However, worries experienced by those with GAD are typically future-orientated, and Goob seems predominately concerned with his past. Given Goob’s anxiety around social rejection, withdrawal from social situations, and preference for isolation, a more specific diagnosis of Social Anxiety may also hold relevance. Finally, Goob’s antisocial behaviour may align with Avoidant Personality Disorder (AVPD), as Goob’s social isolation is indicative of the pattern of social inhibition ascribed to AVPD. Additionally, his low self-esteem aligns with the feelings of inadequacy inherent to this diagnosis. Goob actively avoids social interactions due to concerns about criticism, disapproval, or rejection. He is preoccupied with the fear of being criticised or rejected in social situations. However, as AVPD is a serious condition with substantial societal stigma and given uncertainty about Goob's social inhibition across various contexts (an essential criterion), caution should be exercised. Summary and Conceptual Formulation: Goob is a 25-year-old man experiencing significant emotional distress and general life dissatisfaction following a difficult childhood. During his youth, Goob keenly felt the absence of a primary caregiver in his life. This resulted in a feeling of inadequacy that was exacerbated by childhood bullying, and this deep insecurity continues into adulthood. Goob dedicates an excessive amount of time to worrying about his own imperfections and how he is perceived by others. This is often to the detriment of his sleep. Goob reports that he is haunted by his previous shortcomings but also deflects blame on other individuals present during his childhood. What he perceives as interpersonal slights have sustained long-held grudges against others, actioned through his obsessive planning of revenge-type tactics. Simultaneously, Goob struggles with notably low self-esteem and believes that he lacks the skills to achieve his career and educational goals. This sense of hopelessness is reflected in his self-critical thoughts, including labelling himself as a failure. Goob currently lacks a support system and has found himself in a state of loneliness reminiscent of his childhood. Goob's formative years in foster care have likely contributed to his current challenges. More specifically, his presenting problems are possibly a manifestation of an insecure attachment style stemming from the absence of a primary caregiver. For example, his lack of close social connections could reflect difficulty in forming trusting relationships. His antisocial behaviour may be due to a lack of exposure to positive models of emotional regulation and conflict resolution. While insecure attachment provides a developmental context for Goob’s psychological difficulties, it's also possible that his symptoms align closely with a clinical disorder such as GAD, which offers more concrete treatment options. In general, Goob demonstrates a lack of confidence in himself and his abilities. His negative evaluation of himself is heavily tied to feelings of abandonment. His poor self-evaluation may have been reinforced by negative attitudes in Goob’s social environment during childhood (e.g bullying). Further, Goob’s negative self-beliefs may represent an underlying ‘failure’ schema, in which he overmagnifies mistakes and views them as evidence of his inherent inadequacy. This is reinforced by harsh self-criticism and negative self-talk. Goob’s low mood appears to be driven by his persistent worrying. When Goob ruminates on traumatic past events, this encourages a repetitive focus on negative thoughts and feelings, without finding solutions or closure. This constant rumination contributes to his feelings of hopelessness, a common feature of depression. It could also be argued that the activities Goob engages in daily, such as going for long walks and staying in bed throughout the day, further encourage maladaptive thought rumination. Additionally, Goob’s persistent worrying about past events has likely damaged his sense of self-efficacy, which is the belief in one's ability to control and influence outcomes. If he believes his adverse past has weakened his ability to succeed or make positive changes, he may be less motivated to take adaptive action. This is evidenced in the relatively passive way in which he lives his life (e.g staying home all day). Goob's current emotional state is also marked by intermittent episodes of anger as he shifts blame for his own shortcomings onto others. This enduring anger is likely contributing to his persistent low mood. It's possible that Goob lacks the necessary skills to effectively manage and resolve his anger, resulting in retaliatory behaviour. This emotional distress is negatively affecting the quality of his sleep and may, over time, increase the risk of developing a clinical condition like depression. His inclination to externalise his anger may reflect an underlying self-directed anger that is not being effectively handled or redirected. Furthermore, Goob's inability to respond adaptively to interpersonal conflicts has likely hindered his ability to connect with others socially. In turn, his absence of a support network may have prevented him from receiving feedback on the value of practising prosocial behaviours (e.g forgiveness). Fortunately, Goob's resilience in overcoming early adversity can be utilised as a protective factor against the associated costs of his poor mental health. For example, Goob still exhibits a passion for baseball even after leaving the sport. Therefore, he can benefit from the greater sense of self an individual gains from the perceived awareness and value of belonging to a sports team or community. Treatment Implications and Recommendations: Most importantly, the possibility of Goob engaging in violent or criminal behaviour in the future should be examined further. Although he stated that he had no concrete plans to harm his ex-roommate, he may pose an immediate risk to this individual and the wider public should these plans escalate. Future clinicians should assess the sincerity of his intent and his accessibility to means by which he can carry out harm (e.g access to weapons). Should a significant risk be identified, the clinician should implement preventative measures such as notifying local police services. Elevated levels of anxiety like those seen in Goob, have been linked to an increased risk of suicide, and a greater likelihood of not responding to treatment. As a result, it is clinically useful to specify the exact duration, frequency and severity levels of Goob’s anxious distress when treatment planning. This would also help differentiate whether the content of Goob’s worries are related to social settings or are more generalised in nature. Individual psychotherapy, such as cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), may prove beneficial in addressing Goob’s excessive worrying and low mood. Psychoeducation under CBT can help Goob identify and challenge his negative thought patterns, including rumination and self-criticism. It can also give him practical strategies for managing his worries and emotions, such as a thought record or mindfulness. Anger management training could also assist Goob in understanding his triggers to manage his anger through relaxation techniques and problem-solving. Given Goob's history of social isolation and fear of rejection, social skills training may help him improve his ability to interact with others, build relationships, and reduce his anxiety in social situations. This is important because his lack of social awareness and blaming of others is a potential barrier to treatment engagement and hinders social support-related protective factors. Certainly, Goob would benefit from increased social support, connecting with individuals who share his interests, and gradually building trust with others. Informal interventions, such as re-joining a social sports team, might reignite his sporting passion, foster social connections, and offer the added benefit of improving his physical health. The proposed treatments will necessitate a substantial shift in Goob's thought patterns, given the enduring nature of his unhappiness. Achieving adaptive change will be a gradual process that demands strong therapeutic rapport between Goob and the clinician.
Role in the film[]
Goob as a young boy.
Michael Yagoobian is Lewis's roommate and is kept up all night by Lewis working on his memory scanner. As a member of the local Little League team, the Dinos, Goob never really takes an interest in his roommate's inventing.
The last game of the season occurs on the same day as the Science Fair. During the 9th inning, he falls asleep and misses the winning catch. The players beat him up and (after taking advice from a man who was later revealed to be his future self) he never lets it go. No one wants to adopt him since he is so angry. He also believes that everyone hates him, despite a few that are willing to become a friend, he is too angry to notice. Eventually, the orphanage is closed down and he is left behind.
He spends the next 30 years in the orphanage, never changing out of his baseball uniform and listening over the radio tormenting himself listening to Lewis's successes. He finally decides that his current situation is Lewis' fault, reasoning that if Lewis did not work on his project keeping him up all night, he would've caught the ball and could've been adopted. He threw eggs and toilet-papers Robinson Industries as a pathetic attempt at revenge. Then, he meets Doris, who tells her story about being a helping hat, a slave to humans. She says that she is capable of more things, but Cornelius did not see her as anything else she was capable of doing. Cornelius thought she was shut down, but she escaped the lab and swore revenge, plotting to steal the Robinsons' time machine. Realizing his simple plan was inferior to what Doris had in mind, Goob added in the sabotage of the Science Fair to the hat's scheme. The two joined forces, and Goob took on the identity of Bowler Hat Guy.
He steals the time machine from the Robinsons rather easily when Wilbur fails to listen to his mother and forgets to lock the garage door. He ruins the science fair where Lewis is presenting his memory scanner, then steals the device and takes it to Inventco. Since he doesn't know anything about the scanner, he is thrown out, and at Doris' suggestion, they start to track Lewis for help. Checking at the orphanage, Goob runs into his past self, who had just returned after being beaten up by his baseball team. After being reminded that Lewis likes to hang out on the roof, future Goob decides to go up there, but not before telling his past self to nurture his hatred and resentment for Lewis. Upon discovering that Wilbur had followed them to the past, and was now gone, they return to the future and land invisible in the Robinsons' lawn. When Doris leaves to get Lewis out of the Robinson house, she gives him control of a mini-Doris so that he can accompany her without leaving the time machine. After spying Lewis, Doris flies off on her own, while Goob ponders how to get him out of the house. After finding a bar of frogs, he has an idea of taking control of Frankie and using him to intercept Lewis and bring him to Goob. This fails as Frankie is too small to grab Lewis. After dismissing Frankie, a garden structure gives him the idea to go back in time and steal a T-Rex named "Tiny". He then sends him controlled by Mini-Doris after Lewis. With the help of the Robinsons, Lewis, and Wilbur defeat Tiny and Mini-Doris is taken away by the frogs to her presumed destruction, while Doris chastises Goob for his plan. However, they seize their chance when Lewis is walking away from the Robinson family after being seemingly betrayed, Goob promising to use the time machine to take him back to see his mother if he will repair the memory scanner. Wilbur's arrival makes Lewis angry enough to agree, and Goob flies them in the time machine to his old orphanage home. After Lewis fixes the memory scanner, Doris ties him up and takes him prisoner, and then Goob tells his story. Carl and Wilbur save Lewis, but before they can reach the house, Doris impales Carl and steals back the memory scanner, and Goob pauses just long enough to taunt them before going back to the past.
Goob successfully passes off the memory scanner as his own and then presents the idea of helping hats to Inventco. Sometime shortly afterward, the helping hats begin terrorizing the people, and a horrified Goob asks Doris about it and that he only wanted to ruin Lewis' future instead of this. But Doris, having no more use for Goob, sics several hats on him and presumably kills him. This future is edited, however, after Lewis uses the time machine to go back to before it was set in motion.
At the point in time immediately after Goob signs the contract and makes the invention his own, Lewis appears and tells him that Doris is using him and will kill him after getting what she wants. Goob sees Doris being destroyed after Lewis promises he will never invent her. Lewis then shows Goob the industrial, smog-filled future that Doris would have created, which fades after a few seconds thanks to Lewis's intervention in the past, restoring the original, peaceful future. As Wilbur is restored into existence, he attacks Goob on sight, until Lewis pulls him and tells his future son of his association with Goob. Then Goob leaves, wondering what to do next despite Lewis getting Wilbur to offer to have the Robinsons adopt him. He leaves his binder behind with his checklist and one unchecked box that has a question mark next to it.
Upon returning to the past, Lewis, instead of going straight to the Science Fair, heads to the ball field where young Goob is sleeping. Lewis yells at him, waking him up and Goob catches the ball he missed before, winning the game and negating the events that led to his transformation into the Bowler Hat Guy. Goob is shown as a much happier person afterward, no longer having a reason to be so furious. He is seen carrying around his trophy and getting adopted by the Hendersons, a couple that had previously interviewed Lewis and having an amicable goodbye with Lewis when he leaves the orphanage.
Disney Parks[]
Upon the release of the film, the Bowler Hat Guy made meet-and-greet appearances throughout some of the Disney theme parks. He usually appeared alongside Lewis and Wilbur.
Despite his reformation at the end of Meet the Robinsons, Bowler Hat Guy also made an appearance with classic Disney Villains for the "Unleash the Villains" stage event at Disney's Hollywood Studios in 2013 and has appeared at various Halloween and Villain themed events ever since.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Stephen J. Anderson, director of the film as well as providing the voice of Bowler Hat Guy, also did the voices of Bud and Tallulah Robinson. As a result, Bowler Hat Guy interrupts the commentary for the Meet the Robinsons DVD three times trying to explain how he got in on the project.
- His facial structure resembles that of Heinz Doofenshmirtz from Phineas and Ferb and Milo Murphy's Law.
- Earlier in the film, Mildred tells Lewis that he "owes Goob big time". This foreshadows that Goob became the Bowler Hat Guy.
- Jim Carrey was originally offered the role, but he turned it down to star in the film The Number 23.
- Having had possession of one of the 2 time machines, Goob could have went back in time and prevent his younger self from falling asleep during the baseball game as long as Doris was not watching him (since this would cause Goob and Doris' alliance to lose purpose and Doris needed Goob to accomplish her plans). And it should be noted that Goob had the opportunity to make his life better when his younger-self seemed to be on the verge of not developing his future hatred of Lewis only for Goob to cement it. It could be that Goob didn't have enough common sense or he found more satisfaction in following Doris.
- This was explored in an alternate ending of the film when after Lewis emerged into the meeting room with the time machine, he brought the Bowler Hat Guy back in time to the day of the game. As the winning catch was thrown, Bowler Hat Guy yelled to his younger self to awaken, resulting in him making the winning catch. Bowler Hat Guy celebrates this and realizes that all along, he did not have to destroy Lewis' future, but only had to wake himself up. He shudders as he realizes how very little he thought everything through, but then sincerely thanks Lewis, who replies that it was his pleasure. Bowler Hat Guy then fades from existence, and Doris follows a moment later as Lewis says that he's never going to invent her. Why this alternate ending was deleted and replaced remains unknown.
- Jim Carrey will finally play the role as the Bowler Hat Guy in the Disney World series.
v - e - d  | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
fr:Michael "Goob" Yagoobian
ja:山高帽の男