Blogpost 7: Why Are We Interested In Superheroes?

Why are we attracted to superheroes? From boyhood to the present I have been intrigued by the powers of Batman, Superman, Captain Marvel, Spider-man, and several others. As box office sales indicate, children, and many adults, continue to be captivated by these awesome men and women. Though men dominate the field, beginning with the feminist movement there has been an influx of female superheroes, e.g., Cat-woman, Batgirl, Wonder Woman just to name a few.

In my research, I came upon an article entitled " Superheroes, Why do we like them? " by Niels Van Hellemont from the website " grumbleltd.wordpress.com ". This article talks about why people are attracted or interested in superheroes. Ordinary people can identify with the vulnerabilities of these superheroes. We know what it feels like to feel inadequate, shy, and helpless. And we don’t like it. We want to feel powerful, confident, and independent. We harbor fantasies about how different life would be if we were invincible, if we could transform, or had some magical superpower. How cool would it be “Flame On!” like the Torch, stop people in their tracks with an Ibis Stick like Prince Amentep (aka Prince Ibis). If we were able to do perform amazing feats of courage, perhaps we would be popular and attract the popular people, the attractive girls and boys, and feel good about ourselves. Niels said, " I believe we like these so-called super humans, not because they are something we do not see in real life, but because they are different from us, special if you will. " It means that we get stimulated in the fact that they have abilities or superpowers that other people don't. Another thing is how they receive their powers, either from radiation, failed experiment, mutation, etc. The last reason is because superheroes lead us into 2 lives. They create another world for us wherein it is like our fantasy world. It creates a dimension where everything we wish for, can happen. Thank you imagination!

I did more research on the topic and I stumbled on the article entitled, " Superheroes, Superpowers, and Sexuality " By Rebecca A. Demarest from the website " Studentpulse ". This article talks about the factors on why we are interested in superheroes. I found it awesome because she laid the information down in an awesome way.
We are interested in superheroes because of their sexuality and appearance. Most superheroes have our " dream bodies " because we all like the bodies superheroes have. For the guys, they would like the bodies that male superheroes have because of the big muscles. For the women they would want the sexy body female superheroes have.
The next factor is the clothing, most people are interested in what the superheroes wear. The color, masks, uniforms; it's what differentiates superheroes from the rest of the people. People are into the details, they check the capes, the skin tight jumpsuits... and for some cases rugged trousers like what the Hulk wears.
Another factor is the story line of the superhero. People tend to compare and contrast themselves to the superhero they choose. Yup, it's normal for people to role play. They want to be the character that they want to be.

On examining these fictional characters a bit further, however, I noticed that their normal personality was far more endearing that their superhero persona. While people admire the superhero, they feel more attached to the ordinary person who may remind them of the person next door. Clark Kent, Bruce Wayne, Billy Bateson, Peter Parker all are people of character. They are compassionate, sensitive, kind, loyal, and want to make a difference in the world. They live their lives with integrity. They are a good friend, someone you would want in your life. It is their essential humanity that attracts us to them, not only their super powers.

Think about how it would be to be a friend to Superman, if there was no Clark Kent. How would it feel to know that this person was imperturbable, in some cases inhuman? Would you feel inferior? Intimidated? Inadequate? There would be little reciprocity or mutuality. There would be nothing you could do for this person. You could only bask in his/her glory and triumphs. You would feel good by proxy or association, i.e., “my friend Batman.”

The women in these comics admired the superhero, but befriended the human being. No doubt that would like to have a superhero in their life, but would they like to marry one? Back in the 1940s, ’50s, and ’60s, women looked to men for their strength. It was expected that men would protect the women-folk. That was their job. Who could do that job better than Superman? He protected Lois Lane. And Bruce Wayne, the multimillionaire playboy was a good catch just as he was; how much better to be Batman!

This image, unfortunately, left many men feeling inadequate. They believed that unless they could perform like Superman, there would be no Lois Lane in their life. And women were often disappointed by their men who could not live up to this ideal. With the advent of the feminist movement, women became more powerful in their own right. Many were tired of having to depend upon men for their protection and to provide for them. They developed their own superheroes. Wonder Woman was among the first (during WWII). The Amazon lady with her magic bracelets, did not need any man in her life; she could take care of herself against all foes. No brute of a man was a match for her! So, Why are you interested in superheroes?
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