I was recently in Detroit and during my visit I got a chance to see Tiger stadium. While we were there I had the pleasure of meeting a local who was janitor there by the name Jacky. Now Jacky was a retired GM employee and picked up this job because he’s a true diehard Tigers fan. So of course our conversation began to center around one of the greatest baseball moments. It was 1984, and as he tells it, he was 10 rows back from the dugout watching Kurt Gibson walk up to home plate. It was game 5 of the World Series and the Tigers were playing the padres. So they are up by 1 and 2 men on. Jacky says that everyone knew that he should not be pitched to but be walked and put on base and the pitcher should pitch to the next guy. So the legendary Sparky …show more content…
So he researches why people do what they do and he as done some work on what I would call the psychology of a rioter. In his work he ultimately found what motivates a rioter to riot. Which is essentially the feeling that you’re not in control of your own life. That rioters band together around feelings of powerlessness that primarily is what drives people to riot. It’s this sense that my life is out of control. I cannot control my life and that makes me feel powerless. And so when you band together with a bunch of people it regains this sense of power. So there is this reality that this seems to be the root of the riot. This sense of powerlessness that our life is out of control. …show more content…
In a secular, scientific rational culture lacking in any convincing spiritual leadership, superhero stories speak loudly and boldly to our greatest fears, deepest longings, and highest aspirations. They’re not afraid to be hopeful, not embarrassed to be optimistic, and utterly fearless in the dark. They’re about as far from social realism as you can get, but the best superhero stories deal directly with mythic elements of human experience that we can all relate to, in ways that are imaginative, profound, funny, and provocative. They exist to solve problems of all kinds and can always be counted on to find a way to save the day. At their best, they help us to confront and resolve even the deepest existential crises. “
p.s. he called the book SuperGods.
These are the primary stories of our moment. We are throwing our cash at these movies at a blinding speed. We love these stories. Morrision is saying that this is happening because currently humanity is finding itself in a story where we are afraid.
We want to be protected.
We want to be told that it will be ok.
We want to be told that everything will turn out all right.
In an increasingly cynical world we are desperate for optimism we are desperate for help.
We want a savior.
We want a king.
And Super hero stories are providing them for us and we are eating them up.
There is an interesting little side note, almost but I think it is a center point in Morrision’s
Although not every hero shouts “Avengers Assemble” before a worthy deed, heroism is shown in all aspects of the everyday world. Webster Dictionary has exactly 5 definitions under the word hero and still no two people explain heroism the same. Superman and Captain America are a glimpse of the fictional characters society titles a hero. Firefighters and Military portray heroism each day in the lives of every civilian. As Sullivan and Venter stated “individuals are referred to as ‘heroes’ for seemingly different reasons” and even through endless studies the adjectives referring heroes is ever changing. Among the various ideas of what it means to be a hero, boldness and valiance capture the essence of heroism.
To your average white American kid, a comic book is cheap entertainment— a leisure, a novelty. Your run of the mill issue of "Superman," perhaps the most generic superhero of all, is something to be read once, maybe even merely skimmed, while in the bathroom or the doctors' office. When finished with it gets thrown away mindlessly or tossed aside to join a mounting stack of similarly abandoned stories of fantastical heroism. However in the eyes of the young Indian boy, Sherman Alexie, as depicted in his essay, "Superman and Me," a tattered comic found in a donation bin was much more than that— it was a life line.
The difference between a superhero, as we know from movies and comics, and a traditional hero is rather unclear for many people.. In modern times, a superhero is often a being with supernatural abilities. For example, the movies depict them as individuals with super strength, night vision, the ability to climb walls, and so on. The majority of audiences have been spoiled with these unrealistic depictions and are unable to recall the real or “traditional” hero. In the texts, The Epic of Gilgamesh, The Book of Job, and Bhagavad Gita, heroes are not “as seen on television”, but something more. The heroes in these stories carry great strengths such as wisdom, patience, and pride. To illustrate these characteristics, the protagonists themselves
Hughes, Jamie A. "Who Watches the Watchmen?: Ideology and 'Real World' Superheroes." Journal of Popular Culture39.4 (2006): 546-557. SPORTDiscus with Full Text. EBSCO. Web. 25 Feb. 2010
The superhero genre is so popular and influential that many studies have been done on its depictions of the groups and the impact it has on a large part of society how it has “become a staple on film, television, and in video games” (http://salempress.com/pdf/cigraphicnovel_samplepgs.pdf). The genre is so influential in fact, that it dates back all the way to the Ancient Greeks, and possibly even further (http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20150819-before-marvel-and-dc-superheroes-of-the-ancient-world). Every group in history has had their mythologies and epic tales of crime fighters, they just did not call them superheroes. For example, Achilles only had one weakness (his heel) and was
Comic books have been used as a source of entertainment for years. Comics create an opportunity for its readers to witness the storylines of fictional characters and to experience these characters through their hardships and triumphs. Relating to the story is a big part of a comic book’s success. Whether the main character is an alien or a superhero that can fly, the reader must feel connected and understand the protagonist’s personal struggles. Writers of these comic books usually use real world issues as inspiration to create these relatable story lines.
Comic books may not be considered in the same realm as the great novels of F.Scott Fitzgerald and George Orwell; some don’t even consider comics literary works but there is a viable argument to justify their presence as culturally important pieces of literature. Similar to the great novels of our time, comics express the difficulties of human nature and are timeless works (Kalstein Web). The content of these short stories can be used as primary sources of popular culture as they are filled with historical references and have been influential in guiding the thoughts of the nation through their patriotic content over time, leaving an impactful mark in history.
Captain America. Wonder woman. Superman. Nightshade. All superheroes immortalized in graphic novels. All masked vigilantes charged with saving humankind from danger and from themselves. We perceive them as god-like creatures, ethereal beings who literally hold the power of life and death in their hands. It is what draws us to them, the idea that there is something larger than us…someone tangible and of pure intention and heart to constantly defend the rights of the persecuted and forgotten. One who would gladly give up their own lives to save ours.
Now in these days everyone one likes to read comic books since they became part of our society. What makes them interesting is how entertaining they could get giving us different points of views on different stories of superheroes. Many of us believe that “Classic superheroes stories are wildly fun, suspenseful and exciting” (Tom and Matt Morris) forgetting the idea of what really makes a hero. Different perceptions of superheroes are considered based on their wrong actions and way of thinking. Frank’s Miller Batman: The Dark Knight Returns is one of the comic books that make us “rethink the conception of the superhero and press each of us to reconsider some of the fundamental moral principles that have traditionally underwritten our appreciation for superheroes” (Morris 29). According to our English class definition a hero is someone who performs good and noble deeds. After reading Frank Miller’s comic book the meaning of a hero is not reflected on Batman and changes our perceptions as readers. However, after reading Frank’s Miller book I made the conclusion that Batman acted evil forgetting his heroic personality becoming a non hero and Superman as a hero from their morals and ethical actions.
To conclude, the graphic novel Watchmen presents the non-fantastic representation of a superhero, implying that not all heroes are like Superman. This notion is explored within the novel by mentioning the realistic motives of the characters choosing to become superheroes, by Rorschach’s representation and through the heroic reactions of the New Yorkers to a street crime. These elements all contribute to Watchmen’s uniqueness and complexity as a superhero comic.
In the last 70 years, many things about America have changed. Yet every week since the 1940s, Americans still run to their nearest comic book shop to buy stories about the characters that they love and look up to. Many superheroes have barely changed since mid-19th century, but the industry as a whole has changed us as Americans and as citizens across the globe. Comic book characters have provided a sense of comfort to us, giving us someone to root for and as an escape into a fantasyland of powers and abilities. They have been used as propaganda and also to advance movements amongst the people such as the Civil Rights and Feminist movements. Also, the shift in our real world has changed the tone of comics, such as terrorism becoming a main idea of many comics following 9/11. Now, the movie industry has brought comics to life and has made some of the highest grossing film franchises which pull in billions upon billions of dollars. But this industry has had its ups and downs. Many have subjected it to harsh criticisms about the unrealism they show and the way they depict certain groups. Regardless, comics have changed the course of American history and shaped our culture.
To the vast majority of society, the traits of a hero parallel the modern day superhero: flying men clothed in spandex suits and caps, rescuing the girl, and high-fiving his sidekick. Heroes must be tall, handsome, mysterious, humble, and, generally, rise above a very unstable childhood. Sensationalized on every product imaginable, today’s heroes appear in movies, in cartoons, on t-shirts, on lunch boxes, on backpacks, and every other merchandising opportunity. The legends of heroes have been present in human society since the beginning of time; however, the past’s tales of brave men did not contain characters with the same traits of today’s heroes. The protagonists of classic heroic tales, stories created long before our modern conceptions,
Everyone has a favorite superhero they want be like and have their special abilities. Superheroes save innocent lives and influenced many people to do good by displaying courage, morality, and resilience. Their Superhero qualities help them gain confidence to remain as Superheroes. Also, they utilize their super abilities or super-gadgets with relish.
It’s important to recognize the cultural significance of certain superheroes due to the reactionary nature of comics. [PERIODICAL STYLE OF PUBLICATION] Heroes like Superman and Captain American are largely based on the Jewish folklore clay-beings, Golems. Following the mythology of the “Golem of Prague,” these creatures were mindless, anthromorphic matter formed through magic to protect and defend the people of Jewish fate suffering from the injustices of anti-Semitism that permeated global society (Bilefsky). The connection becomes more apparent when it’s recognized that “superheroes” function in generally the same way as a Golem; unquestioning in protecting those who cannot protect themselves. Characters like Superman and Captain America are the comic equivalent of those saviors created from the manifestation of the rise of the Third Reich.
Rosenberg, R. S. (2010, March 11). The Superheroes. Retrieved January 01, 2014, from Sussex Directories, Inc.: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-superheroes/201003/what-is-superhero