"Super Science Headache Time" or "A Question About Morality And Emotions"

[Nique]

Originally Posted by Krylo

Nah, see, stopping bullies is an aspiration toward good, but that's not really what it's about. It's a revenge/power fantasy of hurting the people who hurt you, and also all the male super heros get totally hot girlfriends because more male power fantasy.

Also: Batman is actually a pretty good example, 'cause even the character of Batman lives in a revenge power fantasy. Not that we need to beat it too much more, but I'm pretty sure that he's not really fighting Joker or Two Face or anyone else. In his head he's fighting the people who killed his parents. Which is why he's Batman instead of doing all the shit Katie said he should do in the Cracked thing.

It's all about power and revenge and hurting people who hurt you. Not really about being good people.

I think Spider-Man is a good counter example to this though. I mean, his stories have the same explicit moral message in every incarnation.

I guess what I'm saying is that the empowerment fantasy is just one element to the modern superhero and that this ideal of moral goodness also contributes to their appeal. Like, they have the ability to revenge but (often) don't.

[Krylo]

Originally Posted by Nique

I think Spider-Man is a good counter example to this though. I mean, his stories have the same explicit moral message in every incarnation.

I guess what I'm saying is that the empowerment fantasy is just one element to the modern superhero and that this ideal of moral goodness also contributes to their appeal. Like, they have the ability to revenge but (often) don't.

[Fifthfiend]

Originally Posted by Krylo

Even allowing that Tobey Parkerman is shit this scene still doesn't prove what you want it to because the point even by the movie's shittacular terms is that Tobeyman tries to do the power fantasy thing and then God reaches down from heaven and kills his uncle to punish him leaving him no choice but to go out and stop muggers or else one of them will kill his uncle again.