Oh The Places I'll Go!

Coming into this class I have to admit that I didn’t know very much about Wonder Woman.  Of course I knew who she was, but since there was no major motion picture about her I never really knew what she was all about.  Now I understand her a lot more.  As the first (major) woman superhero I believe that she can tell us a lot about the society that we live in now and a lot about the society she was born into.  Wonder Woman stands for universal justice (at least the newest version does and that’s the representation I like the best); she represents how powerful women are, even if they do come in an adorable package!  When she first came into being she was very much the opposite of the male superhero.  Where Batman and Superman were violent, she tried to be reasonable and peaceful, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t kick ass whenever the need arose.  The Wonder Woman now represents a more scantily clad Wonder Woman, but she is a diplomat from Paradise Island to America rather than just a citizen of the U.S.  This change shows the subtle shift from woman under man’s control to woman working her way up and not taking shit.

Well I was never a big fan of Superman, but from reading Superman: Earth One I decided that I love him!  This newer version of Superman shows the layers that make Clark Kent the man he is and will always be.  The old Superman was a sort of one dimensional character for me and I couldn’t relate.

                I learned that the best way to help is to sometimes open our eyes to the world around us and start small from watching the real life superhero documentary.  The people in that show (yea most of them are kind of weird) really care about people and they are willing to make a sacrifice in order to help people on their basic human level, such as, giving food to the homeless or providing air conditioners to those who don’t have one.  We can all be superheroes!  We don’t have to put on a mask, but we do have to take off the blindfold.

                I wish that we could have gone into more detail about gender in comic books.  I feel like we could have gone into a little more detail on how badly women are abused in these graphic novels.  We did talk about the subject, but I just wish we could have spent more time on it.  We did spend a lot of time on Watchmen, but I feel that we could have maybe opened up the discussion more and let the class run away with the symbolism and hidden meanings found between those pages.  But then again, we could spend the whole semester on that book and would still not have fully analyzed everything there was to analyze. 

                When I read about that woman being murdered and no one did anything I got a little angry, but I realized that we always think that someone else will call the police or someone else will put a stop to it, but we can’t think that way.  If we ignore the screams of terror coming from outside our apartment buildings all the time then shouldn’t we expect that other people will do the same thing if we are in trouble?  Being a hero isn’t about superstrength; it’s about having the courage to do what is right.  The best model superhero I can think of would be all of the real life superheroes because they are the ones who are doing something in real life and not just in the 2D world.

LIVE IT UP!!

I don’t really know how I would react if someone kicked me off of a team because of my sexual orientation.  But it would not be pretty!  My parents would probably kick some ass as well.  My father is a pretty intimidating person and he’s very protective of his girls so I’m not sure that that coach would have his/her job for much longer.  I also know that whatever my sexual orientation is my parents would support me.

            When Ruth says “You can’t go on like you’re going to start living one day, like all this is some preamble to some great life that’s magically going to appear. . . Don’t Wait.”  She is telling Thom not to wait around for something to happen.  That he needs to be the change that he wants.  No one is going to give him what he wants on a silver platter.  He’s going to have to work for every single thing that he gets.  I believe that Ruth has it right.  It will be hard, but it will also be the most rewarding.  If you wait for something to happen to you then you will be waiting a long time.  Plus there’s no guarantee that anything great will happen to you and then what will you be left with?  You’ll end up having a long life with nothing to show for it. 

When Thom says that “Everyone in the world should have at least one moment in their lifetime when an entire crowd of people cheers them on for something, one moment to feel exceptional, one moment that lets you know you really do mean something to the universe,” he is completely right.  Everyone should feel like they matter.  I don’t know about crowds of people cheering for you, but I do think that everyone deserves to be great at something at some point in their life and to be praised for it.  I can’t imagine going through life without anyone being proud of me. 

 And now to the intimate part of the paper…my ideal kiss.  Hummmm…okay so my ideal kiss would take place somewhere that I’ve never been before with someone I care about.  I mean I don’t go around kissing strange men like Thom, but hey I’m not judging.  I don’t think it’s the kiss so much as the kisser.  If the guy kissing me isn’t special then the kiss certainly isn’t going to be either.  I personally never had an obsessive crush on someone famous.  That is not to say that I’ve never had a crush on a movie star,  but it really only lasts until I see the next hot guy on screen.  Why do we have these impossible crushes?  Maybe we want to be a part of something (or someone) special.  We want to feel like we matter and being attached to someone who matters helps us to get that feeling because of all of the girls out there Chris Evans chose me!!  That makes me special…right?? 

Book Club Anyone??

When I first read Watchmen I wasn't sure how I felt about it.  I saw the symbolism in it and how the characters represented different ideals present in today's society, but I just didn't know quite what to make out of it.  Then I went to class and we discussed the novel.  I was listening to what others got out of the book and told them my thoughts and I began to love the way the conversation was going.  I began to think even more than I had previously about the book and the things that an intelligent reader is supposed to read into it.  By the end of class I decided that I did, in fact, love this book.  I came to class a little confused about the book and left in awe of it.  Being able to talk about the deep symbolism found inside those pages with other people made the subject come alive for me.  I suppose the point of this specific reflection is to say that having this outlet where I can talk freely about a specific novel is really cool.  It helps me to expand my mind and to be a more involved and aware reader.  I now know why book clubs are appealing to people. 

I always felt that children’s books, fairytales, comic books, and even folk tales had so much more to tell us then the obvious.  One has to really dig deep into these rich stories in order to understand the full message and figuring it out is where all the fun is.  That is not to say that people get the same message from the same story and that, again, is why these “stories” are so important.  We are able to use the same tale and glean different meanings from it that help us cope with what we may be going through ourselves.  Thus explains, in further detail, my fascination with so called “children’s books.”  I put quote around children’s books because I believe that all ages are able to discover something between those pages that was worth picking the book up in the first place.  

Fighting Back

My costume would be made of black Kevlar.  Just because you never know what will happen on patrol.  But I most likely won’t have any identifying marks on my costume and I will definitely be wearing a mask because I’m from a small town and if I were to fight crime there then I would need to keep my identity a secret.  The only problem about wearing Kevlar is that it’s a little expensive so I’d probably end up just wearing all black, but ideally it would be Kevlar. 

Since my town is small there aren’t really any gang related problems.  If I were to fight crime I would probably have to go to St. Louis in order to make an actual impact on society.  There are more people to help there.  I would probably end up giving help to the homeless, raising awareness about criminals, and do a little patrolling on my own.  The problem in St. Louis is mostly crime.  East St. Louis is extremely bad and I wouldn’t be patrolling on my own either.  It’s always good to have someone watching your back especially when your main problem is crime.  Doing vigil ante justice work without a partner is a little silly, especially when you don’t have any superpowers.

The hero that keeps creeping up in my mind is Life.  He isn’t trying to recruit people; he’s just doing what he thinks is right, what any other person would do.  Life is also not bulstering his own ego by taking down “bad guys,” he’s honestly just trying to do what good he can and that is really what a superhero is isn’t it?  Isn’t a superhero someone who does good, not because it’s expected of him/her, but because it’s the right thing to do? 

Change Up!

I have to say that if I had superpowers like Iceman then there would be no way that I would ever give that up!  Having that secret power that can be brought out whenever you need to defend yourself, someone else, or just plain show off is extremely attractive.  On the other had if I had a power like Rogue where I couldn’t touch anyone then I would give that up in a heartbeat.  In the movie Storm was saying how that would be cowardly, but she is no place to judge others!  Her powers can be hidden from society and that makes her a closet badass.  Rogue is just seen as that weird chick with the gloves who can, by the way, potentially kill whoever she has skin to skin contact with.  Storm is such a strong personality as well so by saying that whoever wants to give their powers is a coward is not helpful in the least because some people simply cannot handle what they have been dealt and again it is not up to her to judge. 

                If there was a cure for autism, Down syndrome, or six fingers on your right hand would it be wrong for you to want to have that fixed?  Who knows?  It is for that person to decide and that person alone.  Superheroes like the X-Men provide an outlet for individuals who feel alone in society to imagine that there are other people just like they are.  So maybe they aren’t as alone as they thought. 

The Family Trap

In my view I have a perfect relationship with my sister because we both do things for each other that is purely because we care about each other or because we are supporting each other.  We do not use each other as a means to an end, but as a means itself.  I can’t say that I can give another example of this kind of relationship, but I know of at least one.  Sometimes we get angry with each  other, but you could not pay me enough money to hurt any member of my family and I think the same goes with my family members.  Everyone has relationships where they use one another mutually because that is what friendship is.  I love being around my friends, but if they ask for a piece of my sandwich and I’m starving I might not give it to them (it depends on how desperate they look I guess).  On the other hand if one of my family members asked for a bite of my sandwich I would fork half of it over.  I don’t take any credit for being this way because that is just the way I was raised.  Growing up at my house was all about the family.  If I asked why I had to give my sister a toy then my mother would say “Because she’s your sister!” (I am the youngest so this usually worked the opposite way, but still).

  I have acted out of anger a couple of times because I’m not really an angry person so it doesn’t happen that often, but what I really get defensive about is when people are insulting or belittling those that I love.  I distinctly remember a time when I was with my sister in Wales that some Welsh guy was making fun of us Americans and I didn’t really care what he was saying about me, but I could tell that my sister was getting embarrassed so I told the guy flat out that he was being extremely rude and he either should change the subject or he could shut-up and leave.  Well he then became really embarrassed and apologized and I realized that I might not have had to yell at him in order to make this change, but he upset me because he was upsetting my sister.  People who know me realize that I take jokes well and I don’t get angry, but if the joke goes too far or you are insulting someone I care about deeply then we are going to have a problem.  I am not proud of this trait, but neither am I ashamed of it because the people who I tell off are usually the people who are relentlessly hounding someone who is not able or too polite to defend themselves.  And I do not like bullies.

Creative Genius...okay maybe not so much

When I was a kid I would find myself often daydreaming about what it would be like if I was someone else looking at me.  What would that person see and how that person’s life relates to mine.  Obviously when I was little I wasn’t thinking about it in quite that much detail, but I remember asking myself how do I know who I am and what is keeping me from knowing who other people are around me?  How did I get to be in the place where I am now, what would be different if I had been born a year later?  Again this wasn’t as coherent as it is now and it doesn’t even make any sense, but you can’t tell that to an eight year old.  Oh and I also had some pretty special ways of moving our house around so that when we moved to Tennessee we could keep our same house (we moved back to that house I was so attached to by the way).  I told my parents that we should just attach a hook to the top of the house and have a helicopter fly the house down to Tennessee! 

I don’t do this so much anymore, but before I knew the teachers here I would sit through the first day of class and I would observe how the teacher interacts with the class and how the students would interact with that teacher and I would take my queue on what was appropriate in that class from them.  This way I wouldn’t draw negative attention to myself. 

One of my favorite scenes of recent super hero movies is when Iron Man built his first Iron Suit.  He did it under the guise of building a weapon of mass destruction.  In the end he used the suit to get free and he was able to obtain all of the materials by saying that it was for this mega-weapon…pretty creative.   

Driving Mr. Superman

The scene starts with a ordinary taxi driver named Emily.    All of the sudden Clark Kent hops into her taxi and strikes up a conversation with the (more than a little weirded out) taxi driver.

Clark Kent:  Emily I have to tell you something.
Emily:  I'm sorry, but do I know you??  Wait...how do you know my name?
Clark Kent:  There's no time.  I have some extremely important information to give you and what you do with that information could determine the fate of the world!
Emily:  Fantastic!  I'm just going to pull over and talk to this police officer real quick...you just sit tight.
Clark Kent:  This is no time for games!  (he rips his shirt off to revel his Superman uniform).
Emily:  Holy SHIT!
Superman:  Well that got your attention.
Emily:  ...you're....you're...
Superman:  Yep
Emily:  This may sound weird, but I always thought of you as being a hermit.
Superman:  A hermit??
Emily:  ...yea, a hermit that only came out of his hovel in order to save the world from utter destruction.
Superman:  Okay enough small talk we've got to get down to business.
Emily:  You do know that you're sitting in Emily Frazer's cab right?  I'm not a rocket scientist and I don't have super powers...you realize that right??
Superman:  You're special Emily. 
Emily:  That's what people keep telling me, but I'm starting to think that they meant it in a different way than you do.
Superman:  Stop distracting me this is an important message and if I don't tell you then I'm not going to be alive in the next couple minutes.
Emily:  Well JESUS!  You could have told me five minutes ago and then you wouldn't be pushed for time!
Superman:  It doesn't work that way you have to accept the message.
Emily:  Done.
Superman:  No you have to really accept it.
Emily:  Okay ya lost me!
Superman:  This is a message from your home planet and you have to accept it with your other sense in order for the krypitnite bomb implanted in my ear goes off and scatters gray matter all over your cab!
Emily:  I have no idea what you're talking about!  I grew up in Jerseyville, Illinois!  I didn't even live in the town!  I lived 15 minutes outside of the town limits!  I'm no one.
Superman:  Everyone has some part of themselves that they don't want to accept, but you've got to do it now or there will be dire consequences!
....MANAF!
Emily:  Wha... (Emily's eyes turn white and her skin glows green) Thank you Ka-el.  You have proved to be most useful in helping my planet.  The understanding that will be gleaned from this place will serve well as we rebuild our homeland.  Take care of Emily...she will need you for what lies ahead.  This is only the first step in her trial of fire.  We are an old race set in our ways that is why we sent Manaf here.  She is to be the savior of our people.

The End

Obsession's A Good Thing

When reading Morrison’s book one is able to understand why he is so obsessed with superheroes.  Well, who wouldn’t be with the way he describes the way reading these comic books helped him to find his passion, pass the time, or escape his everyday life and immerse himself in the love triangles, struggles, and triumphs of the godlike creatures created by Marvel and DC Comics.  Seeing his reason for adoring superheroes made me think about why I love superheroes so much.  Now I didn’t read any comics (except for Archie), but I remember watching movies about Batman and thinking “Wow!  This is someone who fights for what he believes in and never backs down, even if the odds are stacked against him.”  This began my superhero obsession.

                When I was little my grandma gave me a book of fairy tales and I used to love reading about the brave leading women and the men who saved them or were saved by them (i.e. Bell in Beauty and the Beast, Mulan, etc.).  I tried to model myself after these brave women.  These women who, regardless of their plight, would take the time to help anyone who asked them and were genially kind and caring people.  The morals taught in these children’s books helped to shape into the person I am today.  And when I discovered superheroes it was like my favorite fairy tales on crack!  Batman was so concerned with riding the streets of evildoers that he committed his life to that single purpose; sacrificing himself for others.  How much more moral can you get??  So some of my education in moral ethics I learned from fairy tales and then I graduated to superheroes!  I  am completely fascinated with the entire concept of extraordinary individuals that seek justice even in the face of danger.

How Super are Superheroes??

When I began this class I believed that superheroes are extremely courageous individuals and I still do, but what about all of the regular people out there that do not have the huge advantage that superheroes do…meaning super powers?  Where are the comic books made about the one fine upstanding and socially conscious citizen that sees a problem and decides that they will fix it.  Don’t these people have more courage than superheroes?  The firefighters and police officers and other people who stand up for what they believe in even if it isn’t their job.  That’s an extremely brave thing to do.  Superheroes know that they have super strength or speed, or any number of things to protect them if they are outnumbered or threatened, but average people don’t.  So who is the stronger character?  Who is braver, the person without superpowers who stands up for herself and others or the superhero who does the same thing, but with the advantage of special powers? 

And while it is true that superheroes (at least the ones in comics) always end up behind masks to protect the ones they love, but regular people don’t normally have time to put on a cape and mask before helping someone out.  They are easily recognizable and they are putting not only their selves in danger, but also their loved ones.  So really who has more to lose by being a hero?  Superman keeps stalkers, villains, and evil-doers under control with his secret identity, but Meg who saw a mobster kill two of her friends has to stand face to face with the one who murdered her friends and send him to jail knowing that by doing so puts herself and her family at risk for retaliation from a mob…who is braver?

Superhero Crush??

When I was younger I had a crush on multiple superheroes, but there was one in particular that caught my fancy and that was Batman (the Val Kilmer version anyway).  To me he embodied all of the best qualities in a human and he was just a regular "joe".  Well in so much as he is a superhero without having toxic waste dumped on him or coming from a completely different planet.  One is able to see the different types of personalities that Batman embodies and that we, in general, also possess.  He shows humility, loyalty, drive, ambition, and strength (both mental and physical) as well as being unsure, prideful, and torn between doing what is right and what is maybe the best solution to a problem.  These characteristics are not uncommon problems and virtues throughout the regular population.

As a child I always loved watching batman movies!  I've watched them all! Michael Keaton Batman, Val Kilmer Batman, and George Clooney Batman.  These movies were my favorite and I would watch them over and over again.  I would also play cops and robbers where I would have a grapling hook and swing from places all over my basement (like a true Batman imitator). 

Being able to put myself in the shoes of my favorite superhero would definitely help me out with the problems that I have faced throughout my life.  By asking myself "what would Batman do" in a sticky situation it allows me to take the most effective use of my resources and my knowledge.  It also guides me in making decisions that are the most just.