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Post by Erika on Jul 4, 2014 22:43:16 GMT -5
Discuss the evolution of the superhero genre over time. Which themes have remained the same, and which have changed, and how? What sorts of behaviors were once acceptable for superheroes that are not now?
This is a short answer assignment.
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Post by rypperd0c on Jul 30, 2014 1:02:03 GMT -5
Quick and simple.. In the beginning, it was enough for a Hero to simply save the day and then disappear in to the distance, mission accomplished. The Hero was a symbol of an ideal, without real personality. The shining hero that was, then, the modern and fanciful representation of the Knight in Shining Armor.
One of the biggest changes in Heroes over time is that they are now expected to be human, to have flaws and personal lives and problems to deal with. Another change is seen in what is considered acceptable attitudes. Back in the "Golden Age" of comics, if a woman in a short skirt and tight blouse was saved from a rapist, the Hero might then admonish the woman for dressing to provocatively if she was going to be anywhere without an escort(man) to protect her. Now, the 21st century, the hero that said such a thing to a near rape victim would get slapped, either by hand, or by a lawsuit.
Once upon a time, Heroes could do no wrong, but now, nothing is going to be good enough to please everybody.
Grade: Peaches
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Post by Twitch on Aug 2, 2014 13:50:57 GMT -5
Superhero stories are older than comics. One of the best known 'superheroes of yore' is Hercules from the Greek mythology. However, the modern superhero can trace its roots to pulp fiction. Several elements of the early D.C. Superman can be traced back to the action hero Doc Savage created by Lester Dent under the housename Kenneth Robeson.
Doc Savage - is known as 'the man of steel' and has a 'fortress of solitude' (exact terms used in book), trained from birth for greatness. He fights crime and is an altruistic hero. Sound familiar?
Trivia aside, the core theme to the superhero genre is the an individual with the ability to bring great change. What has evolved in the genre are the window dressings. These are determined by what the audience at the birth of the story would find entertaining and edgy. Note that last word, 'edgy' not offensive. As society changes, elements like the hero's motivations, moral of the story, and what is shown 'on camera' loosen or tighten. These elements also vary by culture.
Since becoming a main-stream media, superhero behavior has been edited/revised to be political correct. Lobo, Deadpool, and even some of the old 'don't-take-women-into-battle' from Green Arrow and Batman have been hastily redone to avoid alienating the new fan base.
Being a writer is a delicate balancing act between provoking emotion and insulting the audience - who's support pays the bills.
Grade: Culinary vegetables which are botanically fruits
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Post by Erika on Aug 7, 2014 17:22:26 GMT -5
Interesting that you both mention what amounts to the idea of there being less misogyny in Hero comics over time. Our one and only Ragequit (aka, Internet Flounce) was over gender. The Flouncer was irate that an unnamed female character was killed by the Dollmaker back in the Another World arc. In his opinion, women were damsels in distress that are supposed to be rescued by the hero, and the heroes were worthless if they did not rescue her. This is despite the fact that not only had female characters been killed by villains before, but that this person was clearly in the uniform of the Dark Temple Champions: a hero herself. A whole team of people had been slaughtered, but that violence wasn't a problem until the captive woman died.
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Post by Twitch on Aug 7, 2014 18:36:36 GMT -5
Interesting that you both mention what amounts to the idea of there being less misogyny in Hero comics over time. Our one and only Ragequit (aka, Internet Flounce) was over gender. The Flouncer was irate that an unnamed female character was killed by the Dollmaker back in the Another World arc. In his opinion, women were damsels in distress that are supposed to be rescued by the hero, and the heroes were worthless if they did not rescue her. This is despite the fact that not only had female characters been killed by villains before, but that this person was clearly in the uniform of the Dark Temple Champions: a hero herself. A whole team of people had been slaughtered, but that violence wasn't a problem until the captive woman died. Speaking as a self-taught anthropologist, I understand Internet Flounce's point. There is something visceral about a captive woman dying. I think response has been hard-wired into the human brain to help the race survive. If your small wandering tribe doesn't have enough women who can bear children, you'll be defeated/enslaved by a stronger tribe. Women become the key to the future - hence some cultures developed a 'collect-them-all!' mentality. While this does turn women from individuals into resources, it does mean that a wise man should keep as many...ahem, 'options' as possible. Killing a woman, captive or local, could doom you and your lineage. As humans started living in groups larger than 20, the consequences of killing a woman could be absorbed by the rest of the population. However, the instinct still remains strong in some people. Now granted, Internet Flounce's view of women in comics isn't healthy, and I'm sure his got more than one wire crossed if that scene alone triggered a Ragequit. However, I'd been more worried if a man didn't feel anything about that scene versus letting the 'old blood' take over. |
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Post by Erika on Aug 7, 2014 18:54:59 GMT -5
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Post by Twitch on Aug 7, 2014 19:16:32 GMT -5
Woah, blue ink! I agree with you about the media and violence against women and I'm sorry if I wasn't clear in my point.  I'm saying that culture/environment programs our instincts and the instincts can survive long after the formative culture changes. It will take another 'programming' event to counter act it. Instincts aren't rigid. In fact, humans are capable of forcing themselves to overcome, adapt, or even pervert their impulses. The concept of women or anybody as resources is a perversion of the basic desire to build a happy life. ' My happiness is more important than your happiness, so I'll force you to serve me' that's a perversion that many cultures turn a blind eye to. The culture then allows for 'bad programming' events to continue. The perversion replaces a good desire with a faulty instinct. Again, sorry that I made you break out the blue pen. I hope you'll forgive my unclear ramblings. |
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Post by Erika on Aug 7, 2014 19:56:36 GMT -5
Yeah, don't mind that blue pen. It did itself. Literally, the text turned blue and there's no color change in what I typed. It looks like it thinks there's supposed to be a link there, and yet, there is not.
Besides, it's the RED pen you have to look out for.
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Post by Kashiro on Sept 1, 2014 7:00:48 GMT -5
Two things that have remained the same: spandex costumes, Stan Lee. Things that have changed: literally everything else. We no longer have clearly defined black and white morality about characters. Even Superman, the bastion of purity that is so pure that they can't make a modern movie about him due to the lack of possible problems with his personality, has been portrayed as corrupted and controlling (See: the Justice Lords). We have seen sympathetic portrayals of many, many, many villains (Mr Freeze) and heroes that are anything but (Booster Gold, Shadow Stalker, etc.) Women are portrayed much more in comics, and have graduated far beyond being kidnapping bait and plot devices (See: evolution of Sue Richards). Comics have become less racist/biased than before (even though there is much distance left to go). We have moved past the Golden, Silver and Bronze ages of comics, in a setting of constant deconstruction, reconstruction, subversion, inversion, aversion and confusion. There are rarely any comics left that play traditional superhero traits straight (Even Squirrel Girl is an homage to and reconstruction of the Silver Age). There aren't really any behaviours that were once acceptable for superheroes that aren't any more (bar race/bias/stereotype etc. issues) but there are a large number of new behaviours, thanks to the antiheroes that smudge the moral line between heroes and villains to a degree that was not possible before.
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