Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Superhero Worship

For her essay, Postrel interviewed a random fan of Superman about this enthusiasm for this superhero. Borrowing her methodology, interview at least three fans of superheros, asking about the reasons for their responses to these characters. To what extent do they illustrated Postrel's argument about glamour? Use your results to argue yourself what you think the appeal of the superhero character is.

19 comments:

  1. I asked around and thought to myself about it and the conclusion is pretty much the same as hers. Everyone that likes the superheros, wether they like it or not, is attracted to the glamour of the superhero themself. Wether it be Superman disguising himself as Clark Kent or Bruce Wayne putting on a suit to disguise himself as Batman we have an attraction to the heroes. I think she hit the nail on the head with her description of hero worship. My favorite is superman, and obviously it isn't possible to be him or to even have any of his supernatural traits but wouldn't it be really cool?? I wish i could fly or run really fast or stop bullets with my chest, and so do millions of other people, becuase Superman has glamour. He has those unreachable abilities we all want. And you can't really argue with that.

    Kresten Brown

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  2. The first person that I talked to stated that their favorite superhero was superman. When I asked why, the first thing they said was that he seemed like an ordinary guy that just so happens to have super powers. Secondly, they liked superman because of the fact that he could fly, and always got to rescue the damsel in distress. I think this follows pretty closely to Postrel’s definition of glamour. I agree with this definition, and can see why the ordinary Joe that can jump into action and save lives sparks so much interest in people. The next person I questioned said his favorite superhero is the flash. He said that is his favorite character because no one else really likes him and he is not very well known, but his powers are still really cool. So, this is an example of someone being interested in a character that has nothing to do with a glamour factor, which I can understand, because then your favorite character gets to be someone that isn’t mainstream and cliché. Finally, the last person that I asked said that their favorite superhero was spiderman. They said it was because of the fact that he could swing around town freely (kind of like flying), but still has super strength and can beat people up. The fact that peter parker is a regular guy in his off time had nothing to do with it. I agree with Postrel’s theory of how people are attracted to her definition of glamour, but I think it is a combination of all the things mentioned by the people I talked to, and it definitely varies person to person.

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  3. I definitely think that all superheroes have the glamour effect and all of the people I talked to agreed, with the exception of one. My dad and I are huge superhero buffs. We're the nerds that show up for the midnight showing of every movie! Every superhero has fans and everyone has their favorite. They have unrealistic powers that allow them to do what we can only dream. I guess this is the reason so many people idolize them. However, something my dad said got me thinking. Most superheroes do not actually have glamorous lives. Although they save people and do a lot of good for their cities, think about Batman: he's seen as a threat in the beginning. Although he tries to do good for Gotham City, the authorities first try to seek him out as a culprit. Also, Bruce Wayne's family dies and he's left with a butler to take care of him. Where's the glamour in that? Superman also has no real family here, being from another planet and all. And if you think about it, no superhero ever gets the girl. It's always too complicated and dangerous for anyone to get too close. There's tons of other examples, but I'm not going to bore you with all of that!

    I know it's the complete opposite of what the blog was asking, but it's just something I thought to be interesting! It would be awesome to have super powers, but it's also awesome to be just a regular person:)

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  4. After interviewing a few people it was very clear that almost everyone envies being a superhero. All three of my interviewees liked the fact that most of these superheros, like Spiderman and Batman, live regular lives like us for the most part, but when something goes wrong they have these supernatural powers that allow them to exceed us. We all wish we could have these powers, and to me that is the glamour the author is talking about. For that moment in life we want to be those superheros, giving them glamour. I know I wish I had those powers.

    -Nicholas Roger

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  5. Who wouldn't want to be a superhero? The idea of being able to lift massive boulders with one hand or being able to fly around the world in 20 seconds is very very appealing to me. I think that the essay is dead on when it says the superheroes are glamerous. They offer us an escape from our normal lives and transport us into a world of imagination.

    -Jordan Crawford

    Two of the three people that I asked what superhero they liked chose spiderman. They liked the idea that he was just a normal nerdy guy who just happened to be a superhero who was able to swing around buildings and had super strength. They also liked the fact that he used to be a normal guy and only became a superhero when he was bitten by a spider. The third person that I asked said that they liked Aquaman. They liked the fact that he was able to communicate with his environment. All three people agreed with the fact that superheroes were glamerous and that they offered us an escape. They didn't necessarily agree that they wanted to be a superhero though. For reasons such as Amanda said with their lives being a bit more complicated.

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  6. ignore the signature... i had forgotten it and then went back to edit it and put it after the wrong paragraph...

    -Jordan Crawford

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  7. I think that everyone at some point in their life has wished that they were a superhero. Everyone wants to be good looking, super strong, witty, smart, and have a sweet costume. If it wasn't for the glamorous aspects of superheroes they would just be considered freaks in our society and no one would look up to them. "Superhero Worship" pretty much describes the way almost everyone feels about superheroes spot on, and I don't think anyone can disagree. After interviewing people I realize that a lot people look up to most superheroes because it gives them a chance to let the imagination run wild. To say to yourself things like "Hey, Peter Parker was just a normal guy like me, what if I got bit by a radioactive spider and became a superhero too?" These superheroes allows us to pretend to do things like jump off buildings and take down bad guys. Now days with the vast amount of movies and video games out it is easier than ever to sit back and put yourself into the shoes of your favorite heroes.
    -Kevin Plath

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  8. I think there is a certain appeal and draw to the super-human powers of superheros. Everyone has a need to feel safe and protected, and every superhero rescues those who are in need of help. Whether we want to admit it or not, we all wish that we could climb walls, fly, or have super-human strength. Hollywood has, as the essay said, made these characters glamorous. They are mysterious and powerful, and we all want to get to know the person behind the mask. When I asked my friends about why everyone loves the idea of a superhero so much we all agreed on the same thing, its all about the appeal of being rescued when all hope is lost. In every superhero movie, it seems as if the person is certain for death, kidnapping, or whatever it is, but then superman or spiderman just swoops in and saves the day. How awesome is that! I know that we are bombarded with stories in the news of kidnappings, murders, rapes, break-ins, and so many other things that show the ugly side of our world. So how can you expect someone not wish that there really was a Superman to come save us? The appeal of superheros is their physical abilities, their want to fight for the "good in the world," and their mysterious persona which makes us all want to be one ourselves or have one as our best-friend.
    -Katie Clark

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  9. The glamour aspect of superheroes is definitely the main reason people obsess, or "worship," them. Out of the three people I interviewed, 2 of them said their main love for the superheroes wasn't necessarily that they could fly. Their admiration came from the idea that they have the supernatural powers, but we still see their "human" side. This is something that Postrel pointed out in her essay, and it definitely attracts people to superheroes. Amanda, I really like your point about how the superheroes don't really live glamourous lives. But that's a reason, I think, why they are so adored. If people see that although they have awesome powers and save people from danger but they don't have a perfect life, then viewers actually feel like these superheroes are HUMAN. Which is glamourous, in a way. Am I making any sense?

    I will say, however, that one of the people I interviewed did not give me a response I expected. Coming from Nick, a 9 year old boy that I babysit, he (in so many words) told me that he's NOT a fan of superheroes. He doesn't like the idea of people flying around. But I know this boy pretty well, so I put a spin on it, asking him if he thought professional baseball players were superheroes. He said yes. When I asked who was his superhero baseball player, he told me Ryan Braun. I asked why, and he said, "because he has really good stats, and he has only made one error in his whole career. I wish I could be him." Postrel makes a good point when she says that the whole point of the glamour is "to escape" and "to transcend the everyday." I think that Nick sees something in professional baseball player that is glamourous -- something that is hard to achieve, maybe even impossible. So it's almost like a dream. Nick even said, "it's almost like he's not a real person, he's so good."

    There is definitely a huge element of glamour in people's love for superheroes, including professional baseball players. But I do not think it's always the mask that makes the superhero.

    -Rebecca Griggs

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  10. I am going to have to disagree with this argument that one, superheroes are glamorous, and two, people like superheroes because they are glamorous. Lets be real here, none of the famous superheroes live glamorous lives. Most of them have to constantly hide their identity, often from friends and loved ones. They are constantly getting disrupted from their everyday personal lives to rescue a woman in distress, or to save the world from some unprecedented evil. They never get a quiet, relaxing dinner or movie without being interrupted. As any police officer would tell you, fighting crime is by no means glamorous, and all superheroes fight crime in one way or another. I also believe that the driving force behind superhero popularity is none other than the public's craving for action and the belief in the awesomeness of superpowers. My three candidates confirmed my suspicion. I had two Supermans and a Batman. Both the Supermans were impressed with his ability to fly and the Batman just liked his car, relatively simple answers to a question the authors of Superhero Worship might be over thinking just a tad.

    - George Bursavich

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  11. I interviewed my roommates and some of my friends, and the overwhelming consensus was the fact that they are superheroes and regular humans at the same time, and furthermore, the consensus was that Batman was the best superhero because he has no super powers and at the same time demolishes criminals. In interviewing my friends, after some warming up to the questions, the childhood love of superheroes quickly came out, and it was like them stepping back in time and remembering when they were 6 and thought they would grow up to be the next batman or superman. I always wanted to be the incredible hulk growing up because he was so ridiculously strong. I now understand why superhero movies are so popular because they bring out the bright eyed superhero loving child in all of us and at the same time brings back the secret desire to become the next superman
    -Erik Ross

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  12. As a response to Amanda's comment, Spider-man actually got the girl in the end (Mary-jane).

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  13. Like Rebecca, I also talked to the 11 year old boy I babysat today. He said, “If super hero could be awesome at baseball and basketball and still have super power, that would be cool.” But as far as choosing between a super hero and a great baseball player, he said he would definitely go with the baseball player, because baseball players are actually human where as being a superhero is basically unobtainable. Then I spoke with a 20 year old guy friend of mine, after we argued about superman and Batman (I prefer Superman personally), he said he would rather be batman because he come equipped with a bat mobile. So it’s not so much that he admires batman for his good deeds and glamorous life, he just like the cool “power tools” Batman gets to use. I don’t think I have ever admired the “glamorous” lives of superheroes, but mainly just their superhuman powers. Because if you really think about it, their lives aren’t really that glamorous, having to constantly hide your own identity and powers until wearing a mask or costume doesn’t sound enticing to me.

    Erin King

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  14. After interviewing three of my friends, the response from all three was unanimous. All of the interviewees stated that they would enjoy being a superhero and a regular human as a whole. Two of them stated that Iron Man was the greatest example due to the fact that he is a superhero with no powers who overcomes criminals. They shared that he learned from his past mistakes, he was down to earth, and still was a regular guy after fighting crime. The other interview liked Batman the best and shared the same reasoning as many of the other students’ individuals. My interviewees enjoyed the idea of superheroes and what they stood for. They all agreed that it would be really great to have some type of super power, but the idea that heroes like Iron Man and Batman are regular citizens with no power who still fight crime. This idea is a more realistic approach and can be related to modern day heroes who identities are well known. The two individuals who agreed that Iron Man was the greatest even stated that the world in his city know his identities because he told the world. He wasn't afraid to face the repercussions of being a superhero and that was one of the top reasons they would say he is the greatest example of a true superhero.

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  15. Three people interviewed, all different responses. My favorite though, was my roommates response. He had The Punisher marked down as his favorite Superhero. I don't really think you could get any more random than that, but I liked his response. I guess I liked it because it was just perfect rebel response to this question. He said he liked the Punisher because he was a dark hero or I guess like an anti-hero. He liked the fact that he was a good guy, but a bad guy at the same time. He fought out of revenge and not justice. He's just a normal guy who's family got killed and now he's out to serve all those that do wrong and nobody knows it. He's a superhero without the glamour aspect. He has no supernatural ability's, no crazy weapons, no fans,no real costume. He's about the closest thing to a superhero that we could ever be. I don't really know who the Punisher is, but it seems to me like he's the furthest thing from the essay. I don't really know why I chose to share this particular response with everyone, but I guess after reading the essay, the blog and getting my results this seemed pretty unique.

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  16. The favorite superheroes of my interviewees in order were green lantern, spiderman, and catwoman (the original Michelle Pfieffer, not Halle Berry). All participants mentioned that their personal superhero's characters were their favorite because the superhero is the romantic embodiment of what they would want to be - there state of being and superpowers are intangible, but the personality of the superhero was close to that of the admirer. The green lantern of earth was actually someone who was forced to become a superhero, but ended up discovering his calling to be a hero after his first battle with evil. Spiderman is a regular college student that also went through a series of events, which ultimately laid upon him the "responsibility" of being a hero. Yet, he must also deal with the problems of being a college student and a human tempted by human desire. Catwoman was a person, also trapped by circumstance, which allowed her to gain cat-like abilities. However, instead of being trapped into becoming a plain hero, she had the ability to choose her battles, "to be moral when need be." When mentioning the reason that each person chose their hero, the hero's life appears glamorous, but usually when the character is dissected, the personality is more 3 dimensional and the "dream" isn't so perfect.

    In response to Korey, the Punisher actually has some pretty cool weapons and unique skills at his arsenal. He's really cool in the comics, because in spite of his lack of powers he has taken down characters like wolverine.

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  17. After spending a very long weekend with my 4-year-old nephew I must agree with this essay that kids and even adults truly worship superheroes. After watching several episodes of Spiderman with my nephew I must admit that I would not mind having the super hero powers that Spiderman posses. It is obvious why children and even adults are fascinated with superheroes even if we know it is impossible to achieve any super powers. Besides my nephew’s obsession with Spiderman I asked about three other people and they also agreed that superheroes do express the glamour factor. One person continued to say that because superheroes are more than just characters in a show and are advertise on all types of items it makes the characters seem much more glamorous. My nephew is a shining example of a child who is ridiculously obsessed with Spiderman down to his underwear, his shoes and even the utensils he uses to eat.

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  18. I did not have three people available to interview, so I interviewed my roommate three times. That's okay, right? His favorite superhero is Batman. His reason, he says, is "because Batman is badass". Which I assume to mean that he favors Batman because of the dark, anti-hero sort of character that he portrays, and because of his unique approach to crime-fighting (i.e., sans super powers). (He said this all three times that I interviewed him.)

    His reasons for liking this character, I believe, are exactly what Postrel meant by her idea of glamour-inspired superhero-worship -- liking a character out admiration for the life that they lead and the person that they are, much like the movie stars of the Golden Era.

    -- Brandon Ross

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  19. Similar to what a few of my classmates have posted above, I believe everyone has had a secret fantasy of being a 'glamourous' superhero. Like Kevin said in his Spiderman reference, '"Hey, Peter Parker was just a normal guy like me, what if I got bit by a radioactive spider and became a superhero too?"' The idea that writers plant in our minds that it is possible for us to be superheroes attracts us on a deep level. The chance of escaping our content albeit mundane lives is too much for our own imaginations, so we read and watch and listen to these great, epic stories of what our lives could be.

    Christian Ornelas

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