Tuesday, February 15, 2011
#6
Coincidentally, superheroes are some of my favorite pop icons. This made the readings very interesting. I find it interesting that one of the articles referred to superheroes as projections of the hopes and dream of Americans. I think it goes even deeper. Superheroes are a projection of American itself. For this reason, the just-post-9/11 Spiderman and Superman share the same strong patriotic spirit. America is going to triumph all evil, even after taking a blow. In today's political culture, however, we call for a different type of hero. The Dark Knight explores the political turmoil through the ethical questions of being a superhero when no one wants one. We used to believe (almost unanimously) that we were here to solve all of the world's problems. Now, however, there is nation dissent about whether rescuing dictatorships is our job, especially when the people of those nations don't seem to want someone with a mask and cape to come solve all of their problems. Batman has to go into hiding for awhile, posing the question "is it time for America to hang up it's cape and take a rest?". Superheros reflect who we are as a nation, which is what makes them icons.
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I really find the idea of super heroes intriguing. I had actually been talking to my roommate the other day about what Superman and Batman stood for. She brought up a point that I found extremely interesting and that I remembered during this chapter. She said that Superman represents the United States' view of itself and Batman is how foreign countries view the United States. I thought this was interesting because it seemed to fit perfectly to me. Especially how you were describing the Dark Knight as a way to show how times have changed and there is turmoil and misfortune in the United States. One of the things that the reading said that I think solidifies this point is that right behind every powerful icon is a powerful idea and I think that this is exactly what we are dealing with here.
ReplyDeleteThat is very interesting insight into the superheroes. Primarily they're around to entertain us, but I believe that they have rooted themselves deep into our culture for the very reason you mention here. They have become the embodiment of America itself. I had never actually thought this about Batman, but now that you mention it, it makes a lot of sense. Great insights!
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