Name: Farah Mbahwe
No one at all will be unblemished... by the disasters that this country held in the past. As more and more devastations like these start to happen, more and more we start to idolize figures,even if it wasn’t tangible the community still needed so to hold onto. Superheroes capitalized a symbol of everyday problems as well as solutions to these problems, as they fill everyday people with these assets. But not only do superheroes affect people at a deeper part, they also entertain fans with impressive and creative skills used to tell a story, that also sets a distraction from all of the detestable parts of modern day American society. All of these attributes are the reason why superheroes are so upheld in American culture.
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In the article Post-9/11 world: What caused the rise of superhero movies, the article emphasizes how much growth superheroes have gained after American tragedies. “The nation, still reeling from the horrors of 9/11, flooded the theaters the following year, hitting a record high for U.S. admissions—1.64 billion moviegoers—in 2002, according to the 2006 U.S. Theatrical Market Statistics. Spider-Man raked in the highest domestic growth of 2002, beating well-established franchises “Lord of the Rings” and “Star Wars…” The article mentions how after the “reeling horrors of 9/11” the movie “ranked the highest domestic growth of 2002” This article shows the impact of 9/11 and how it was connected to the rise of superhero movies such as Spider-Man. This implies that the tragedies of 9/11 influenced the enormous amount of viewership since it was seen as a form of “hopefulness” and how it was upheld in no time, this also means that this transformed the amount of audiences tuning into superhero
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.
... fall by the wayside, only to be mourned by those who knew them personally. This is not the way of the superhero, no, this is a selfish, monetarily-based endeavor to keep peace with those who are bringing the most "to the table". I agree with Alsford, the power of power can only be measured through its application, and if the hero's power is misused, it is futile and worthless. In summary, I think global efforts should be made to not only maintain balance as a whole, but also to begin viewing all humanity as one, and all of humanity worth saving. By changing our view on reality, we can change the world; violence and human monitoring are not the only ways to keep the peace, we can also start employing our wits and really start talking out our problems. The issue is not whether or not the enemy is defeated, but rather whether or not our species has learned to listen.
We are currently living in the Golden Age of Superheroes. They dominate our cultural life, and have become seemingly permanent fixtures in modern media. Since X-Men burst onto the screen fifteen years ago, we have witnessed the release of over forty superhero movies. By 2020 we will have seen the release of more than twenty-five more. Today, the much anticipated film Superman vs. Batman has come to theaters. Though a plethora of superhero movies have been released, it is to the dissatisfaction of many, having long been exhausted by the stories of the Hulk, Batman, and Spider-man. Although I must agree that it is quite easy to get bored with the constant action, and flashing colors of these films, if one looks deep enough into the story they will discover universal themes and metaphors. Though they may be fighting off alien invasions, these heroes are also battling with their personal challenges, challenges which we can
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
The portrayal of the feelings of the general public is constantly used in film to stir the audience. If the filmmaker can rouse their feelings, people will be more engrossed in the movie than they would be otherwise. What is arguably the strongest emotion in many people is the feeling of patriotism. As George Bernard Shaw said, “Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries because you were born in it.” Though this feeling is not necessarily based on logic, it is none-the-less one of the most powerful feelings along with hatred and love. Depending on when a movie is made, the amount of patriotism portrayed is directly related to the political and social climate on the time. Specifically, the recent movies Spider-Man (2002) and Spider-Man 2 (2004) both show the differing amounts of patriotism that were in the American psyche at those two close but far different times in history. Additionally, it can be shown that the movies can even have their own effect on the patriotic feelings of the time. Comparing and contrasting the two movies reveals how the differing times affected the final product of both movies.
Mohaiminul Islam Professor Stephen Calebotta English 475 24 January 2017 Essay 1, Prompt 1 What do we know about superheroes? Well, by watching television, movies, or reading comics books, we know that a superhero is the main character of the story with the costumed heroic look who possesses supernatural or superhuman powers, and someone who devotes their lives to fighting crime and keeping the streets safe. When we think of a superhero, we have an image of them being a strong male character such as Batman, Spiderman, Superman, Iron Man, or Thor. After all, people do not take into consideration that females can also be superheroes because unfortunately, the media industry seldom portrays females as superheroes.
Unlike the epic heroes of Ancient Greece and the tragic heroes of Shakespeare, the anti-hero has only recently gained popularity in film and literature. Traditionally, stories have had two moral extremes expressed by a hero and an evil villain, but in the last century, a new archetype has emerged. The anti-hero falls into a grey area of morality taking characteristics from both heroes and villains. Anti-heroes draw many people because they are realistic, accepting that it’s not likely the average Joe could ever achieve the intelligence of Tony Stark, strength of Captain America, or discipline of Daredevil. Anti-heroes are more relatable than other archetypes because anti-heroes are often riddled with imperfections both physically and psychologically. Other people look up to anti-heroes because of their rebellious nature, and ability to break the rules when needed.
Comics and comic book films have been an immense cultural force for decades, in both niche comic book culture and the wider public. Comic book heroes, and especially superheros have become ubiquitous in American entertainment and consumerism. No work, however, did more to subvert comic book conventions then Allen Moore's and Dave Gibbon's Watchmen. An epic of the genre, it challenged both the constructs and assumptions of the genre, and critiqued American culture and politics. The novel takes place during the Cold War, at a time when nuclear disaster is inevitable. Because of this the themes of the book resonated with the culture in 1987, however, when the film adaptation was released in 2009, the Cold War was long over, and nuclear war was no longer a significant fear in America. Instead, terrorism had become the biggest threat to natural security. With 9/11 just eight years past, and in the midst of the War on Terror, America's fears had shifted from international total destruction to covert acts of terrorism on American soil. This shift effected both how the culture viewed tragedy and villians. In the film adaption of Watchmen, the changes made
Throughout our lifetimes, we have most likely seen a superhero in some way, shape, or form. Whether it be through comics, movies, articles, or passed on through friends, they have encaptured the spirit of the citizens of America. Many people in the country do many things to support them such as buying merchandise of them, talking about them, or arguing why their favorite is greater than another. The articles “The Rise of Superhero Films” by the New York Film Academy, “Post-9/11 world: What caused the rise of superhero movies” written by Cassandra Hsiao, “On the Importance of Having Superheroes” authored by Jen Doll, “Opinion: ‘Black Panther’ gives me a personal reason to cheer for a new superhero.” by Brandon T. Harden, and “Lessons Learned
Being a hero means that one can show courage when it comes to facing a problem. It is a person who helps others in many ways, such as a person in danger. In the modern era, the creation of superheroes have become popular when it comes to producing films. Viewers can choose their favorite heroes due to the idea that there a many of them. However, most fans argue which superheroes are better. Two of the most popular superheroes are DC’s Batman and Marvel’s Iron Man. Although Batman and Iron Man are loved by many viewers because of how they help people in danger, they still demonstrate imperfections which can cause viewers to dislike them. However, both superheroes share similarities and differences between themselves. Batman and Iron Man have
When you think of a superhero one normally thinks of Spiderman, Batman, or Superman, but there were superheroes long before these characters were created. First one must understand that the basis of this name is hero. What is a hero? A hero is a person who does something special or out of the ordinary in order to help others. It could also be someone who is admired for a characteristic about them, be it physical or mental. They are individuals that normal everyday people can look up to. This being the case, a superhero is nothing more then someone who is a hero, but not just that once and for that one person, but someone who helps many people, or leads them. As time went by the number of people who were true heroes diminished and just doing something for someone was no longer big news. There had to be something more to make them stand out. The American culture needed someone or something to admire and that is where our common day superheroes come into play. It gave them a goal which could never be reached in hopes that people would never stop trying.
Among the highest-grossing movies of all time are numerous landmark films, such as Titanic, Avatar, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Taking their place alongside these cultural touchstones are mammoth blockbusters of a new breed: action-packed superhero epics. Each year, the number of superhero movies due for release seems to grow exponentially. One glance at a list of upcoming movies for this year reveals that the box office is absolutely saturated with superhero films. Some highly-anticipated installments feature heroes already well-acquainted with the big screen, such as Captain America and the X-Men, while others are introducing relatively unfamiliar characters to contemporary movie-going audiences, as in the cases of Doctor Strange and
I can remember when I was the ring bearer at my aunt’s wedding, no more than five or six years old, and being caught on camera talking to my watch in the back of the church. “Everything’s ok here KIT, it’s all-clear”, is what I was saying. No, I wasn’t a disturbed child. I was imitating Michael Night, the normal guy with the not so normal talking car, who always saved the day on the show NightRider. GI Joe, He-Man, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles......I’ve been all of them (Or in my mind anyway). Also, like most kids, I probably could of single handedly kept up one of those toy makers with all of my purchases. I have to wonder though, if I hadn’t watched these shows and played these games, if I would be the same person I am today. Even today, maybe if people didn’t grow up watching Superman, Batman, the Hulk.......we wouldn’t have people who are as courageous as the firefighters and police we have at the World Trade Center right now.
Real life superheroes have been around from the beginning of time from stopping crooks from taking a special rock to stopping a robbery at a bank they all are superheroes. Right now in America, there is a big deal with police people claiming that they are all bad cops for picking on them of their color of their skin. Bad cops are pretty rare to find, but for every bad cop, there are thousands of good cops doing their job properly helping other people. The most thought about real life superheroes are the people that we send off to war to fight for our rights of all Americans by putting their life on the line. Most of the time with any position in putting their life on the line to protect people from evils of the world there is that chance that they will pay the ultimate sacrifice of dying in the line of duty. Unfortunately, in the history of America, the people don’t respect the superheroes in our would. For example during the Vietnam War when people protested the war the citizens that didn’t have the guts to go overseas to fight because their country needed some more soldiers got back home some the people got disrespected by the hippies. Another type of hero is firefighters who go into burning building or take people of out cars after having an accident. These people can an event be people in the medical field too like
The Lone Ranger, Zorro, Batman, Superman are some of the characters that we stereotypically constitute as heroes. They are known to fight with courage without fear of death. They destroy the enemy within a blink of an eye. They fight using their own body strength, superpower, or some kind of weapon. They come to the rescue miraculously and leave without a trace. They are mysterious. We are unable to identify who they are underneath the masks and disguises. Yet, we praise them and ignore the real heroes that surround us regularly, ordinarily. “All of us …like to believe that in a moral emergency we will behave like the heroes of our youth, bravely and forthrightly, without thought of personal loss or discredit” (O’Brien 39). In other words, we are quite oblivious to the ordinary people of the world that are, in fact, the true heroes.