"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.

[Ecks]

It's usually the grittier heroes with the revenge schtick going on (Punisher, Batman, etc.) and most of the rest have at the very least some goal or ideal they work toward, no matter how futile or pointless it seems.

[Professor Smarmiarty]

They all solve their problems through liberal applications of violence. It doesn't matter if the character's epxplicit goal is "revenge" that';s what the superheroes represent as characters/

[Ecks]

Okay, so apparently actual law enforcement doesn't imply a threat of violence? They do all carry firearms or non-lethal means of incapacitation, all of which are violent. And aren't superheroes just fantasy law enforcement?

[Locke cole]

It depends. Some, like Captain America, are part of the armed forces or other government-sanctioned thing. And in some stories, some superheroes are organized into something like SHIELD.

Then there are guys like early-in-his-career Batman, who work alone and independent of the law. Those guys are vigilantes.

[Professor Smarmiarty]

Originally Posted by EckScizor

Okay, so apparently actual law enforcement doesn't imply a threat of violence? They do all carry firearms or non-lethal means of incapacitation, all of which are violent. And aren't superheroes just fantasy law enforcement?

The majority of policemen are also carrying out these revenge fetishes yes.
Like if we're going to rack up guys with good morales policemen are probably pretty low on that list.

[Ecks]

Originally Posted by Smarty McBarrelpants

The majority of policemen are also carrying out these revenge fetishes yes.
Like if we're going to rack up guys with good morales policemen are probably pretty low on that list.

As long as we're keeping score, pretty much everyone is low on that list. In fact, finding anyone who'd be high on the list would take more time than just generalizing humanity as horrible in general.

[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.

[Ecks]

Holy shit, is that Toby McGuire? I haven't seen that movie in a long time. Almost like I forgot it existed.

Oh wait, I did.

[BitVyper]

In fairness, fuck movie Peter Parker. The movies missed everything that was good about his character.