January 6, 2011
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Thinking about Heroes and culture
Here’s an interesting thought.
When people fifty years ago were young (say in the west) they had a certain cultural identity and stereotypes taking film for example there are all the recognisable themes and types of Hero and Villain and as time has moved on these stereotypes have changed and evolved.So rather than the clean cut hero saving the day we now are swamped with Anti-Heroes or even no hero atall. I was recently watching the HBO series Broadwalk Empire and I actually had to stop watching because I realised there was noone, not a single character who wasn’t corrupted or ugly in someway and I just couldn’t see the point in watching something so dark.
I’m quite a fan of Horror but that’s different often it’s just about giving you a scare but certain programs now are just dark, dark and darker. This is not really a ‘bad’ thing because art and culture has to be used to explore our humanity and unpleasantness is all part of that.
But the interesting thing is there are children today watching things like SinCity and 300 or Dexter. Each new generation is being exposed to the products of the last generation, so as we push the extremes of whats acceptable today we then open up the next level for those to come.
It’s not a new thought of course but I find it entertaining to think about what could possibly happen in the future, will this be the height of extremity and freedom? And in response will things fall back into more strict and ordered society? Or is there another way? perhaps the to and fro of culture and dualist reaction will be replaced with something as yet unimagined?
Whatever is to come I think Broadwalk Empire has proven to me that I’ve reached my limit. I like there to be heroes, okay maybe they can be flawed heroes but in the end I want to be left with the belief that everyone no matter what knows what’s right.
I suppose it’s a desire for simplicity, for the black and white of a comic book world, but it’s also more symbolic in my mind like the definition of the word Paladin (which is mostly used to describe a Heroic player class in computer games) one definition described it as ‘A Champion of cause’ and I quite like that it doesn’t specify a morality but is symbolises a clear belief and strong purpose.
Well once again never really sure where I’m going with this hence the jumble of thoughts.
Comments (15)
I understand what you’re trying to get at with said “jumble of thoughts”. lol And I agree. I want my kids to grow up with a good sense of morals. Knowing what is right or wrong. I’m afraid watching all those dark portrayals of our world will only affect their views in a negative way. Having a hero will add hope to life. Hope that despite any bad that we may face in this life, there is a chance to be good again..to redeem ourselves and know that perhaps our world isn’t doomed. Okay, now maybe I’m the one with the jumble of thoughts. lol
As corny as this sounds, I think the best thing to do is be your own hero. At the very least if you carry yourself with integrity and honor honed by your own sense of truth and ethics, people will be influenced by that.
It’s certainly interesting, but I think it’s a good thing that we’re showing children how the real world actually works rather than making up some impossible super hero that simply won’t be there to save the day. That means that they – we, actually – will work harder to make things better ourselves, rather than relying on someone else. And it means that we will think we can actually change the world, rather than thinking that we have to be allergic to kryptonite first if we want to help anyone.
@Babieboo_Annie - Your paragraph actually sums up what i was getting at much better than my entire post lol, thankyou
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@Bodhiseeker - Again very nicely summarized, that’s good enough to be on one of those quote sites.
@SerenaDante - This is also very true. The level of awareness and understanding has to be getting more complex as each generation is allowed to see more and do more.
I agree with these comments. They are all true and better than I can comment on this post lol I like Bodhiseeker’s comment the best
I kinda like how heroes are being treated as being human nowadays. It gives it some realism that can be lacking in some older comics and whatever. It would be nice to think there are heroes that have made no mistakes, but I personally think that without mistakes those heroes wouldn’t be as strong without overcoming those mistake.
@Bodhiseeker - Very true words to live by, oh wise one.
lol
@BFB1131 - You’re welcome..although I’m just sharing my thoughts as you are. My way of saying it isn’t better than yours I don’t think. lol
Do you mean Superman from the 1970s movies? Hahaha
I think I see where you’re coming from with your jumbled thoughts.
It’s a shame the media portrays many things in such a negative light, but in the end – there’ll always be good & bad.
@Elizabeth_Ho - hehe yea that would certainly be an example of the more simplistic and symbolic ‘Hero’ sorting everything out with a ‘Kerpow’
@HelloKitty0809 - Yep you can’t really have one without the other, but also good and bad are all just matters of perception.
Great post.
I see where you’re coming from but I love “Dexter”, he’s kinda like “The Punisher” except he doesn’t use guns. A lot of the time anti-heroes are more interesting than traditional heroes.
I kept watching “Boardwalk Empire” even though everyone on the show is corrupted, but I actually think that was intentional. I have a feeling they’ll introduce another Prohibition agent in the second season that isn’t a murderous lunatic.
I don’t think many kids who are even allowed to watch “Sin City” or “Dexter”, my nine year old nieces and my little cousins definitely aren’t allowed to watch stuff like that. Kids mainly watch cartoons in which there are traditional heroes so I don’t think movies and shows with brutal violence and anti-heroes will affect them.
They won’t watch most of that until their teen years when they’ll actually have a good enough understanding of the material to know that there is hope and there are actual heroes in this world.
@A_NY_Zone61 - Those are some very good points, I have to admit although it can get a bit depressing when they take the idea too far a good anti hero is a lot of fun. There’s an old game called Blood where you play as basically revenging demon who slaughters an entire evil cult he used to work for, and it’s one of my favorite games/characters
And yeah i would hope most kids don’t get exposed to that sort of stuff, it’s just it’s now available and so much more real than other generations had to deal with. But then at the time i’m sure there were similarly shocking black and white films depicting things that for the culture of that time would have been just as extreme.
My parents are my hero. My dad is my most favorite all time hero. I adore him!
@RestlessButterfly -
thats what i’d like my daughters to say about me someday 
@BFB1131 - I’m sure they will. But first thing first, you’ve to get married and make babies… ops… make family first and that’s not necessary in the proper order… LOL