i've had a superhero fetish since i was a little kid, and i still adore them. and while the occasional antihero and/or Morally Ambiguous Lad spices things up a bit, what i really love is the idea of the hero who Uses His Powers Only For Good. Superman and his ilk are certainly better role models than, say, the cast of Dawson's Creek. no, they don't act like real people. they're an ideal. they're not supposed to be realistic. but there's something inspiring about a character who sacrifices everything to do what they feel is right; i think Kurt Busiek's Astro City does an excellent job of portraying some of the problems inherent in being a character like that, while staying squarely within the realm of the four-color hero.
the entertainment industry has become so very cynical as i've gotten older. i grew up on shows that were goofy, sure -- the Dukes of Hazzard, Star Trek, Starsky and Hutch -- but that's where i got my moral compass. i learned from watching those shows that you should stand up for your friends and do what you think is right. i wonder what kids are learning now -- that it's ok to sleep with your best friend's boyfriend if you really, really, really love him?
i'm not saying it's bad or wrong for the entertainment industry to throw things like that at us. i just think there needs to be a range. kids need fantasy. they need unrealistic heroes. they need to be able to believe, at least for a while, that the good guys will win out in the end. i think the reason superhero movies have become popular again recently is partly because post 9/11, people are remembering how good it felt to stop worrying about things for a while and put yourself into a world where someone always saves the day.
ok, i'm done blathering now. but i must say, i wish i was a member of the Chua family. you're all so damned articulate!
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i've had a superhero fetish since i was a little kid, and i still adore them. and while the occasional antihero and/or Morally Ambiguous Lad spices things up a bit, what i really love is the idea of the hero who Uses His Powers Only For Good. Superman and his ilk are certainly better role models than, say, the cast of Dawson's Creek. no, they don't act like real people. they're an ideal. they're not supposed to be realistic. but there's something inspiring about a character who sacrifices everything to do what they feel is right; i think Kurt Busiek's Astro City does an excellent job of portraying some of the problems inherent in being a character like that, while staying squarely within the realm of the four-color hero.
the entertainment industry has become so very cynical as i've gotten older. i grew up on shows that were goofy, sure -- the Dukes of Hazzard, Star Trek, Starsky and Hutch -- but that's where i got my moral compass. i learned from watching those shows that you should stand up for your friends and do what you think is right. i wonder what kids are learning now -- that it's ok to sleep with your best friend's boyfriend if you really, really, really love him?
i'm not saying it's bad or wrong for the entertainment industry to throw things like that at us. i just think there needs to be a range. kids need fantasy. they need unrealistic heroes. they need to be able to believe, at least for a while, that the good guys will win out in the end. i think the reason superhero movies have become popular again recently is partly because post 9/11, people are remembering how good it felt to stop worrying about things for a while and put yourself into a world where someone always saves the day.
ok, i'm done blathering now. but i must say, i wish i was a member of the Chua family. you're all so damned articulate!