A coworker of mine who is currently taking classes at a university told me about a discussion he had with his peers. The professor asked, “Who is your favorite superhero?” My coworker said it was a question to open the discussion about idols and beliefs. What caught my attention, however, is the fact he told me no one said Superman.
This came as a surprise to me because Superman is arguably one of the most iconic superheroes of all time. He is personally one of my favorites because no matter how difficult a situation gets, he always finds a way to do the right thing. Makes sense, right? Altruistic morals should be the epitome of what a hero is based on. Yet, Superman was not the first choice nor a popular one.
Why is that? Then, another thing came to my attention. Superman represented an age where faith was a prominent notion to live your life by. We have now taken a shift to a generation where individualism is the pinnacle to live by. On the surface, caring and improving one’s self sounds like a great philosophy to adopt. Though, over time this obsession with self can turn into selfishness rather than selflessness.
Popular heroes now still ultimately save people, but their personalities can steer people’s beliefs on what a good role model should be. For example, Batman protects the citizens of Gotham, but the fact he insists on doing everything alone can deter him from saving the day. Rather than exploiting this negative, it appears to be commended as he saves the city anyway with or without someone’s help on most of his escapades. Iron Man prevents dangers in the world, but his ego prevents him from seeing fundamental lessons in life. Instead of allowing such lessons to be portrayed, it is neglected almost entirely, making it seem there isn’t any repercussions he needs to face.
Because of such emphasis on these heroes, it can be said they contribute to the continuous issue of entitlement. Moral discipline is a necessity in society, which is an essential attribute Superman was based on. I say “was” because the current adaptations of this hero portray him in a new light, so to speak. Current mainstream media outlets such as video games and movies peg him as a villain or a broken man who is potentially dangerous. This influences the view of such a renowned hero to be more hateful than loved. Is Superman apart of a dying generation or an idealism still needing to be implemented in today’s society?
Reginald andah 