Written Analysis 3: Heroes and The cult of the celebrity

 Written Analysis 3: Heroes and The cult of the celebrity

Melissa Tucker

Popular Culture

Professor Whitney Iles

July 23, 2014

 

Introduction

                For this discussion, we will be analyzing how the subjects of hero and the cult of the celebrity apply to my chosen topic of the Superhero. First, what is the difference between a “hero” and a “celebrity”? A celebrity is one who is sometimes worshiped as a hero are most times here just for entertainment purposes. They often like to think of themselves as heroes but are only willing to solve problems by throwing money at it to make the problem go away. Not very effective. The hero on the other hand, while they can be seen as celebrities, can and do make an actual difference in people’s lives. They are our firefighters, our teachers, etc. The Superhero has both qualities present in their personalities, and that is what we are going to examine.

What theories seem to apply to this topic, and how do they help us analyze the superhero?

                As stated above, the superhero can be seen as both a hero and as a celebrity. Take for example Iron Man. He very much has a celebrity personality and is seen as a celebrity most of the time. In the movies and also in the comics he is seen as a no nonsense, no regrets rich man, and while he may be brilliant, could certainly learn some humility. He is the type that seems himself as better than others so he holds himself to a different set of rules. This is true with most celebrities. However, when he is in the Iron Man suit, he becomes someone completely different. He cares about the “little man” and those less fortunate then himself. He actually cares, and when he is chasing down the bad guy, he will actually stop and help those in distress. Thus, he becomes the hero. This is true with some superheroes but not all of them. Another example might be Batman, but the one who reminds me the most of the hero/celebrity cult is Iron Man. In the movies especially because he usually has a “cult” of fans following him everywhere both as Tony Stark and as Iron Man.

Insights gained from applying the theories to the topic

                In conclusion, I would say that the superhero can be both celebrity and hero. They help save lives by killing the bad guy and helping those that are in trouble. However, they also seem to have a cult sort of status amongst the public. People simply cannot seem to get enough of them, they follow them around, take pictures of them, buy merchandise with the superhero’s face on it. We watch movies about them and read both books and comics about them. This is because the superhero embodies what we are looking for not only in ourselves, but also what we expect our “real life” heroes to be. And while the real heroes of the world may not have the celebrity status they deserve, they are definitely out there fighting the good fight, saving lives and helping those less fortunate. That is not to say that celebrities can’t be heroic as well. Angelina Jolie comes to mind as a celebrity that has used her cult status for the greater good by becoming a good will ambassador and helping children in less fortunate countries by bringing to light the fact that these children need resources such as food, clean water, stable shelter and education. If I could choose a real life person to be a superhero, it would be her. Too bad more celebrities don’t use their “powers for the greater good”. If they did, maybe we wouldn’t need superheroes, because they would be in our everyday lives, thus blurring the line between celebrity cult and heroism.

Written Analysis 2

Written Analysis 2: Rituals and Stereotypes

Melissa Tucker

Popular Culture

Professor Whitney Iles

                                                                      July 17, 2014

Introduction

            The topic that I chose was the super hero. The purpose of this writing is to analyze how the topics of ritual and stereotypes are shown in the superhero. Within the superhero there are many examples of both of these topics. The superhero has a ritual of preparing themselves before they go off to “fight crime”. Each superhero has an “alter ego” to hide the fact that they are the superhero that they are. Each one has to shed the appearance of their alter ego before they can become who they truly are. They all don some sort of masked costume before the work begins. The stereotypes run rampant through the superhero world as well. Each superhero has to put up with the stereotype of the “superpower” they have. This is exemplified greatly in the “X-Men”. Almost every single hero in the X-Men’s world has to face stereotypes and prejudice. They not only have to deal with the special gifts they have but also how other “normal” people perceive them.

What theories seem to apply to this topic, and how do they help us analyze the superhero?

            As explained in the introduction, both theories of ritual and stereotype are easily explained within the superhero. An example would be The Batman. He has a ritual of preparing himself before he goes out to fight crime. He has to don his “cape and cowl” before he can become “the batman”. He also has his “batcave” to which he has a ritual of honoring his fallen parents, by either saying a silent prayer or honoring them in some way. The other part of his ritual is that he only fights crime at night. He bides his time “hunting” down the criminals during the day and then strikes at night when they are most vulnerable. He also has to fight stereotypes, because his “alter ego” is Bruce Wayne. Bruce has a reputation of being a “playboy” and a “trust fund baby” since he inherited all his wealth and status from his parents.

            However, Batman is not the only superhero that has to deal with these rituals and stereotypes. He is one among a large group that deals with personal rituals amongst the heroes such as Superman, (who has his “fortress of solitude” that is mostly devoted to the memory of his parents and his home world), the X-men, who, as was mentioned in the introduction, has to consistently deal with the stereotypes of not only the same stereotypes we all deal with (race, religious background, and culture), but also the stereotype of being a “mutant”.  All the X-men deal with ritual as well, because they have such diverse backgrounds, they have different religious outlooks on what to do to prepare themselves before a major fight or dealing with a particular issue that they must face. They also all have the ritual of the costumes that they put on before heading out to take down the bad guy. And it’s not just the superhero but also the villains sometimes will wear costumes. Rather if this is to hide who they really are to keep their identity safe, or just a way for them to “mask” their insecurities, that is up for debate, but you cannot deny the fact that putting on a costume and mask helps empower these individuals to help them find the inner strength to overcome the stereotypes they face to help the inner heroes they are come to the surface. 

Insights gained from applying the theories to the topic

            In conclusion, the superhero’s ability to over the stereotype is inspiring to us. They can overcome the prejudice that is thrown at them because they are different and the stereotypes that are expected of them. The rituals they perform before and sometimes after they bring down the villain, helps us relate to the superhero because we all have rituals that we perform to prepare for a particularly important project or obstacle. Some rituals are simple, (like Batman saying a small prayer to the spirits of his parents before he goes out to fight crime), others are more complex, (like Thor when he performs his rituals before heading to earth to take down an interstellar villain). But no matter the ritual or the stereotype that they face, they are able to overcome this all and they do so in a way that is peaceful (mostly), and in a way that is an example for others to follow. It is what makes superheroes so appealing to the general public. The fact that they too face the same things that we do and it helps us identify with them and makes them seem more “human”.

Written Analysis

Written Analysis

Melissa Tucker

Popular Culture

Professor Whitney Iles

July 12, 2014

Introduction

                The popular culture I have chosen to analyze is the phenomenon of the super hero in our culture.  The super hero has become part of our culture so much that even if you have never read a comic book in your life, you know the names of the superheroes and have heard a least a little about them. However, they have become such icons in our minds that most of what they are and what they stand for are often brought into myth. The images they invoke when you hear their names or see them in an advertisement or even on a piece of merchandise is unmistakable. In the following paragraphs, I will discuss how certain theories, such as popular beliefs, myths and icons are integrated into the topic of the superhero.

What theories seem to apply to this topic, and how do they help us analyze the superhero?

                The theory that seems to play out most in this topic the myth theory. While it can be said that all three of the above mentioned theories can be explained in the superhero, the narrative with the superhero in almost every case is the modern American myth. An example of this would be with either the superhero “Superman” or “Captain America”. Either one of these characters are known for their heroism and bravery. They embody the very spirit of the American belief that if you work hard and do the right thing, good will triumph over evil every time. What makes them so timeless is that they do not change. Superman’s morals today are the same they were when he first came onto the pop culture scene back in the 1940’s. As is Captain America. They have the same driving force to be the moral compass of those around them. However, they are not perfect. They make mistakes, they own up to those mistakes and they try to right the wrongs of the world, even if they are the reason for it. This has caused them to become almost mythical, since they embody a belief structure that was in the minds of most Americans during and then the end of World War II.

                And it is not just Americans that follow these superheroes. All over the world these men and women of the comic book world are admired as icons because they all embody our beliefs, values, and morals. They empower us to be able to do things to solve problems that we normally would not be able to. They give us courage when we need it and strength when things seem to be too much to handle.

Insights gained from applying the theories to the topic

                The ability of the superhero to provide stability in world full of instability has people in general, rooting for them. We go and see the movies, we read the comics, we buy the merchandise, we have in depth discussions on line about who is the better superhero. It is evident that we, as a society, are looking for that one person that can make us forget that there are horrible things going on in the world right now and give us hope that maybe there are heroes out there that are saving the day against the tyranny of the evil-doer. Because in the end, good always triumphs over evil, and Superman would never lie to us like politicians do. He does the right thing, because it is the right thing to do. Not because he is trying to get votes or money.