The Impact of Heroes
I grew up watching superhero movies of all kinds. I
adored them then and still love them now. One of the first superheroes I
distinctly remember watching a movie of was the Incredible Hulk. I absolutely
loved him! I asked my dad to buy a pair of Hulk gloves so I could wear them and
stomp around the house, growling/grunting pretending I was the Incredible
Hulk.
Somewhere in my subconscious, this made me want to
become more physically adept and strong. I didn't want to go through some kind
of radioactive accident to become a superhuman, but I wanted to be at least
a little bit stronger than I was. I am (and always have been)
a complete nerd, sitting on a chair playing on my Gameboy for hours or at a
desk, drawing portraits of people. The Hulk inspired me to change that fact in
some ways. Sure, I knew I would never be able to obliterate an asteroid twice
the size of the earth with one punch or create shockwaves just by clapping my
hands, but maybe I wouldn't just be some out-of-shape, chubby nerd who could
only barely do basic physical tasks even if his life depended
on it.
Another movie I grew up with was Fantastic
Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. I loved the characters within the
movie, their distinct personalities, and their powers of course. I loved Mister
Fantastic’s authority and pragmatic view of the world, Invisible Woman's
abilities and ability to calm and talk to others, the Human Torch's sense of
adventure and carefree personality, and the Thing's cantankerous but loveable
being. I tried to pick up and use each of their best qualities as a person. I
can say I've been most successful picked up the Human Torch's sense of
adventure, perhaps even a little bit too much...
However, I can still confidently say that
superheroes have helped me and affected me in a very positive way. They also
provide many benefits to the culture/society they belong to; be it giving a
child something to dress as during Halloween or giving your average citizen
something to aspire to embody in small ways. Giving a person a hero to look up
to, whether that be telling them about one of the various superheroes in
existence or becoming a heroic person they admire, is an amazing gift and
beneficial to all parties involved.
I agree. Superheroes can be role models for so many people. Despite that heroes typically are not human, or at least have abilities far outside of those of an average person on the street, they share a fundamental desire to do what's right that anyone can admire. You can watch Superman and learn that reversing the Earth is the course of action for saving a city from certain death, but you can also see an incredible being who, even if he possesses great power, always tries to do his best. Superheroes set a bar that may seem only attainable for the bravest of people, but through hard work and integrity, anyone can exceed. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with what your saying. Although for me personally, most of the superhero movies that I've watched have been in my later years as a teenager instead of in my childhood, but it still holds true all these years later. Especially Marvel movies, which incorporate humor very well, and makes the viewing experience that much more enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteThis was so relatable. As someone who was absolutely infatuated with superheroes in the past, I know how easy it is to get sucked up into this "the impossible can become possible" fantasy world. Though tragedy/freak accidents are often in the backstory of these heroes, how they use their past to become stronger and overcome great evil later in their lives is admirable. Kids could definitely have worse role models.
ReplyDeleteI felt the same way about superheroes when I was little. They gave a sense of being safe knowing that superheroes like Superman or Batman is out there saving the world. I definitely admired my superheroes for their braveness and selflessness as they are risking their lives to save people.
ReplyDelete