For some reason, superheroes seem to dominate a lot of pop culture.
Batman, The Dark Knight Rises (which took me months to figure out was Batman), Spiderman, Superman, the Hulk (which I'm not sure is a superhero, but he still falls into this lame-o category) and I'm sure I'm forgetting other ones. Like ironman or transformers or something.
Whatever.
It's just that some of these stories/characters/concepts have been around since the 1930s.
It's time to move on, guys.
Maybe people are still obsessed with these stories because there's nothing better in our generation? That's understandable.
But that says more about our generation's inability to be more creative!
Comedy Central: Important Things With Demetri Martin
I just don't think superheroes are anything to get excited about.
And whenever a "brand new" (insert one of Marvel's superheroes) movie comes out, people act like it is the best thing since sliced bread.
But it's just not.
Apparently explosions, weapons, and boring dialogue equals exciting entertainment,
TWS
I couldn't agree more! Wake up and think out of the box, people living Now()!
ReplyDeleteWhy are they still popular after so many years? For some, it's the nostalgia factor of having a childhood action hero come to life once again on screen. The fact that any particular super hero is still popular today is a testament to their influence on our current civilization. A super hero is a role model, someone you can relate to that shows you a very important lesson...
ReplyDeleteNo matter who you are, you can aspire to greatness.
The men and women fighting fictional crime with their powers have that super persona, but without the mask, they are any other person. Some struggle with simple high school issues such as Spider-Man while some like Iron Man struggle with alcoholism.
If you grow up watching these icons, then see them once again, you get excited about seeing a hero from your childhood. You take your kids to see them and then they are exposed to it. To that end, it's cyclic. I don't think it means that we are out of ideas. Reboots take concepts we like and make them shine again. The series have been rebooted for our modern times. Batman, Superman, Spider-Man... these are icons in the fictional universe and they are treasured.
Why?
Super heros are the myths of a modern world. Each of them can teach an individual lesson, just like in the epics of old if you are willing to listen to their tales. Just as there were gods and demons, there are heros and villains. It's the oldest most intriguing story ever told, again and again and again. Everyone enjoys the idea of the struggle between good and evil, no matter how relative those terms can become sometimes.
The idea of someone coming to power and dealing with the responsibility of his new found abilities and choosing to fight for the side of good or becoming evil is a concept that shall never die. The only difference between a hero and a super hero is the difference between John McClain and Harry Potter or Indiana Jones and Spartan 117. A hero performs within the limits of a regular human. A superhero has additional abilities beyond the scope of the norm. Both try to do what is right and good... and they usually make mistakes. All of the ones mentioned so far certainly have.
It is wrong to say that Marvel is the only producer of superheros, or at least the comic book ones you mentioned. DC Comics has generated their fair share as well and I believe they were there first.
Why do people still like ninjas, pirates, ghosts, zombies, werewolves, vampires, demi-gods, or any other mythical creature? Are we out of ideas, or are they such intriguing concepts that we simply cannot let go of?
Just because you don't have a vested interest in the guys in tights who fight crime doesn't mean that they are unimportant. You may not share the passion I do for Spider-Man nor my best friend for the Ninja Turtles (which were published by Mirage Studios.) Regardless, everyone has hero, be it a fictional character, someone they know, or even themselves. Everyone likes to see that hero shine again.
Does that mean I like all the new Spider-Man stuff? No. I like the web-slinger, but that doesn't mean all installments are great. Will I get excited to see something I think is awesome produced again? Definitely! If they make another Die Hard, I'll be there to watch it. As long as people who produce the content are true to form and understand their audience, I'll always stick around for the next installment.
Also... for whomever it may concern, function calls are lowercase.
Sticking up for conventions,
Zavior
Welcome to the Internet, where people have different opinions than you.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to message boards, where people will disagree with your original post.
ReplyDelete