Social Norms And Superheroes

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Social Norms and Superheroes Most great heroes are made; they are not born into it. The same holds true for superheroes. These larger than life men and women of the page and screen are created when immense tragedy strikes or they want a better lives for themselves and that comes from helping others. Whatever it is that drove these people to don a cape or mask is by definition social defiance. Most people often see these heroes as a menace to society or doing more harm than good, but at the end of the day it’s because of their social defiance that a job gets done. Batman is actually Bruce Wayne. Spider-Man is actually Peter Parker. When that character wakes up in the morning, he is Peter Parker. He has to put on a costume to become Spider-Man and it is in that characteristic, Superman stands alone. Superman didn't become Superman, Superman was born Superman. When Superman wakes up in the morning, he's Superman. His alter ego is Clark Kent. What he wears; the glasses, the business suit, that’s the costume that Superman wears to blend in with us. This is his way of falling into line with social norms. The same can be said about Buffy Summers, the Vampire Slayer. She did not choose to become the Slayer as a way to help or because vampires killed her family, she was chosen by fate and it is her destiny to be the Slayer. When destiny caught up with her, her standard of “normal” shifted. Her social norm was now to train to stay in physical shape, patrol at night for danger and literally save the world. Just because this is what was expected of her doesn’t mean she willingly accepted it. She was still a teenage girl and wanted to do what teenage girls in America normally did; talk on the phone, go out with friends, date boys etc. She would skirt on her Slayer duties occasionally and engage in some of those activities so she could feel like a normal teenager

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