Monday, July 03, 2006
Will today's computer-game generation even know of superman?
Children know who he is from certain iconography like the shield, and the idea of flight and strength and power. You take the "S" into the jungle and you're going to have about 50-50 recognition.
First introduced in 1938, now 70 years since his creation, we have been through World War II, the feminist revolution, the hippie movement, a Gulf War, a dotcom boom, 9/11, a dotcom bust, the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq, Jihad, Sars and tsunamis. Can super gosh-darn square Superman and his truth, justice and the American way be of any further relevance?
Superman is the anti-terrorist, he represents an idealism that we, as Americans aspire to. Instead of taking dysfunctional people like the mutants of X-men and placing them in a normal world, you take a dysfunctional world and place this virtuous character into it, and that's what makes it interesting. Superman doesn't go overseas to clean up the war problem. Instead he does heroic things and leads by example. At a time of moral ambiguity, he is a breath of fresh air.
Welcome to the 21st century superman. We do need a hero, more than ever.
10:05 AM
