Superheroes Essay

1549 Words7 Pages
Superhero Play: Beneficial or Detrimental? Superheroes have been a component of American culture for decades now. What child has not flown through the air, arms extended, searching for evildoers. Or course, our feet never really left the ground, but who noticed? What is the attraction, the fascination that our culture has with superheroes? Why do we want to emulate them? Do they contribute to childhood notions of the roles of men and women? Evidence suggests that children need fantasy, superheroes and make believe violence for a healthy development. Superhero play has long been thought of as a traditional male activity. To a great extent, this has been true. But more and more, as the traditional roles of women in society have changed, so has their participation in superhero role play. What is the allure of Superheroes? In her article, Superhero Worship, Virginia Postrel asserts that “ on a fundamental, emotional level, superheroes, whether in print or on film, serve the same function for their audience as Golden Age movie stars did for theirs: they create glamour” (Postel). She describes glamour as “an imaginative process that creates a specific, emotional response: a sharp mixture of projection, longing, admiration and aspiration.” (pg. 142) Under that definition, I totally agree. Superheroes are the larger than life characters we all would like to imitate. To immerse yourself in a world of Superheroes fulfills the promise of escape. Escape from the mundane, everyday life to the excitement and potential of the imagination. Yet there are critics of this genre, who say that this sort of activity leads to further aggression and stereotyping. The comic book heroes of earlier times were much different from the heroes being portrayed today. Yes, Superman, Spiderman and the Batman of old were strong, manly and violent. But they were also vulnerable and altruistic.

More about Superheroes Essay

Open Document