Week 6: Behind the Cape

I think we all know what a superhero is, though everyone's version may be a little different. Whether it's a firefighter, the guy with the red cape, or your mom - it doesn't really matter. If they're doing something that inspires others, then they probably qualify. I suppose there's a difference though between a hero and a superhero, but maybe it's just that the latter brings in more money. (That's probably not the whole story.)

In the recent history of popular culture, it's quite easy to see just how much comic book characters have penetrated mainstream culture. In fact, the first thing that comes to mind when I think of superheros now is Hollywood and theatrical trailers with epic soundtracks. So, it seemed relevant when I chose to attend a lecture called, "Psychology of Superheros" at the Women's Resources Center (which, by the way, is quickly becoming one of my new favorite places on campus).
    
The speakers were three men, one of whom was John Jennings, a former professor of graphic design here at the University of Illinois. It was interesting to see how superheros and comic books play a role in some of his current work. The other speakers seemed quite knowledgeable in their respective fields as well. Of course, at the time I didn't find it strange that our speakers were males only. This specific area of pop culture is very male-dominated, as indicated by the majority of masculine characters and overly-sexualized female ones. In fact, it was kind of funny when they noted how female superheroes were often drawn in such a way that their front and backs could partially be seen - nothing ambiguous about that. It's not just the depiction of women though that brings up a discussion about body image; popular heroes such as Batman have also been "bulkified"over the years (as shown below) to the point where the results are practically unattainable for the common man.    

The most striking thing that I got out of this conversation was learning how naive I am in regards to the social and political history that may have fueled much of the creation of superheros. Obviously the battle between good versus evil is evident, but to realize its relationship with actual historical events and figures is important.
One of the speakers, Mikhail Lyubansky, mentioned this quote by X-men writer Chris Claremont: "The X-men are hated, feared, and despised collectively by humanity for no other reason than that they are mutants. So what we have....intended or not, is a book that is about racism, bigotry, and prejudice." He also made correlations with the key X-Men characters Charles Xavier and Magneto to Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcom X. Charles Xavier, the leader of the X-men, dreamed of a world in which humans and mutants could live in peace and unity. Magneto (the villain) also identified with the oppressed mutants but intended to liberate his people "by any means necessary." Although Lyubansky finds that these metaphors work to some extent, they are also flawed and damaging. Check out his article in Psychology Today to see more of his thoughts on the racial politics of X-Men: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/between-the-lines/201106/the-racial-politics-x-men