Pradhi, Week 12 - [Super]power
I'm sure you've seen it on TV - the Flash running around with his super speed, or Spider-Man, with his arachnid abilities, swinging from building to building on a cobweb. The lasting interest in superpower-related stories has only increased throughout the past few decades. Whether it be DC or Marvel, most of the time you will find the common teenager repeatedly fascinated by the heroic abilities of the supernatural forces on screen.
Why are we so intrigued by this?
A blog on "The Purpose and Significance of Superheroes in American Culture" details this exact fascination, including the fact that "no film genre takes our generation by storm like superheroes."
Dan Waibel, the writer marvels at this new "generation" of superheroes, the ones that "nearly go against every physical aspect of what makes a hero". He uses the example of the Guardians of the Galaxy, and how "none of them wear capes, or have the typical superhero monologue about why they are fueled by justice". Waibel describes this nature as helping audiences see "a portion of [them]selves in the vulnerability and humility of these characters."
Additionally, another instance brought up by Waibel includes the movie Black Panther. He addresses the effect this has had on the "real world", quoting author Nicole Turner Lee who claimed in 2018 "Black Panther has unequivocally become one of many recent inflection points for the African American community." The movie also "gave a lot of on-screen visibility for POC in America which inspired audiences across the country."
This analysis by Waibel is something I believe certainly holds true with the upbringing of these "modern" heroes. Their witty and almost humanlike nature is what shapes our ability to identify with the adrenaline-rushing journey of their superpowers.
Hey Pradhi! I loved that you chose the film industry to talk about for your last blog on power because I did the same! Firstly, the Flash and Spiderman are my two most favorite superheroes of all time. The flash came out when I was in middle school and I watched every single episode of the first couple seasons. I admit the last seasons were not as entertaining but I still loved the concept. Similarly, I have watched all the spiderman movies including Tom Holland’s version, Tobey Maguire’s version, Andrew Garfield’s version and the new animated movie series. Being such a fan of superhero movies, I have never once asked myself why I was so drawn to this genre. After reading your blog, I realized it is true that I loved the movies because I could see myself in the characters and felt a sense of justice when the character defeated the villain. It almost felt like I myself was the one who was saving everyone and becoming a hero.
ReplyDeleteYour decision to include rhetorical questions, anecdotes, and quotes made the writing in your blog extremely diverse and interesting to read. Your mention of another similar blog showed that you did your research and that there are professionals who also agree with this statement which affirms the credibility of your claims. The picture you included is also powerful because I remember everyone running to the movie theaters for the Marvel Infinity Saga which shows that people do in fact enjoy superhero movies. I really enjoyed reading your blog and I will be sure to remember it every time I watch a new superhero movie in the future.
I thought it was really creative to explore the theme of superheroes in this blog post, which is especially relevant in the theme of power that we are exploring in this quarter, as each superhero has their own unique superpower. I also liked how you separated your blog into short, readable paragraphs and also decided to include a question as one paragraph, which was one of the suggestions that Mrs. Smith had for our blog posts. I always thought that I was intrigued by superhero movies because they were fun to watch: the storyline, the action, and the famous actors. However, I had never thought about this interest even remotely coming from an ability to relate to any of these superheroes. Now that I think about it, this may be one of the main reasons why I began watching superhero movies in the first place. I really enjoyed watching Tobey Maguire’s Spiderman because I was able to see him as a human being, just like me; he was just a normal kid who got lucky. Another one of my favorite superheroes, Ant-Man, was also portrayed as a regular person: his wife divorced him after he was sent to jail and he was struggling to find work until he became the Ant-Man.
ReplyDeleteHi Pradhi! Your blog was a great read! I also think that it's really intriguing that we always look to superheroes from seemingly normal backgrounds and idolize them more or find them more relatable than morally righteous superheroes. I think that it goes back to the question of "If they can, why can't I." Though he's not a part of the Marvel Universe, Superman is an example of a superhero who isn't someone everyone can relate to. Just his origin as an orphaned alien born with great powers separates him from the rest of society, and people don't get the chance to think that they might ever act like him one day. Superman is also made out to be someone who always knows what his next move is and knows that what he's doing is right whereas most normal people don't even have their next meal of the day planned out. Superheroes like all three Spidermans, Ant-man, the Wasp, or even Black Widow, are regular people who were forced into responsibility and grew into it. They weren't born into their power and they also made decisions that didn't always prove to be right, which made the general public more receptive to their stories. It's also why Marvel's 100000x better than DC :P
ReplyDeletePradhi, I was drawn into reading your blog with the way you began it, drawing attention to two very well-known and loved superhero characters and describing their distinct abilities. I thought it creative how you had chosen the Flash and Spiderman specifically, out of the hundreds of possible options—it reflected your consideration for your audience as you craftily included teenage and young adult characters who came into power by chance in their very regular lives, rather than seeking it or being born into it for some alien reason. Spiderman, especially, is a character we can understand and relate to, as he comically battles evil villains and monsters while also battling high school. As we were immediately reminded of characters who we could relate to and understand, the rest of your blog and the message it spread became undeniably clear. These characters don’t wear capes to accentuate their powers but suits to mask themselves, and they aren’t “‘fueled by justice’” but instead by the goal of simply getting through life. They are much like many of us, and I agree that that is what makes them so appealing. As much as humans are mesmerized by the supernatural, we will always instinctively covet the familiarity of human nature—especially in these candidly vulnerable superheroes.
ReplyDelete