This is a spin-off for anyone interested in the psychology of Supers.
On the subject of honesty, I find myself remembering a scene from a favorite movie,
Rigoletto: “I never lie. A lie is a black hole that grows deeper and deeper, getting blacker and blacker, swallowing everyone who stumbles into it. Then when all are consumed by it; friends, loved ones, family all- do you know what happens?... It turns into a great black beast, which turns on its creator, and devours him- or her." {
girl: "I never lie either."} "That is good to know;
trust is the best way to start a relationship.”
So, where does honesty and moral law fit into the superhero universe?
Browsing live-action superhero TV series, I've noticed the older superhero (say, the 50s Superman series and the 70s
Wonder Woman) doesn't actively protect his/her identity. Outside of normal precautions, he/she even on occasion makes 'nudge, nudge, wink, wink' comments for the audience by suggesting that they and their secret identity have similarities. (And the other character reacts like this>
, which I find incredibly endearing.)
From there, the TV shows progressed to the 'friends start to notice and ask questions, hero pulls off something "proving" them wrong, things go back to normal' scenario. This seemed especially popular 15-20 years ago, before the writers moved on to realism: the hero eventually admits secret to significant other, and the relationship after a dramatic tug-of-war moves forward (like the early 90s
Lois and Clark series).
But currently, the entire genre seemed to be caught in a psychological rut of distrust, despair, dysfunctional relationships, trying to discover, conceal, and exploit secrets . . . call me naive, but I find myself wondering how far will this go on before there is no longer a 'hero' in modern Supers. Or are we just so far gone as a culture that our fictional representatives must either adapt, or fall into irrelevance; useful only for tragic, tear-jerking deaths, like Captain America?
Can heroes even survive in our cynical day and age, where right and wrong, truth and lies are increasingly more 'relative'?
Comparing the “smile; I have a good secret” way of older heroes, content to protect the innocent while friends and family remain oblivious to the fact that this person is the best kind of hero; one who doesn't boast or take credit for it, against the new 'I have a deep, dark secret; no one can really understand' self-pitying mentality of the new generation, am I the only one unsettled?
Admittedly, it is not so much about Old and New; it is about portrayal. Real heroes are always focused on others and give their all until, like the sun, we couldn't look at them directly even if we wanted to- we just want to bask in their rays, and see by the light they shed. Against this, self-absorbed ‘superheroes’ are like a black hole- dark, mysterious, alluring to those who take a closer look, and amazingly able to suck in and destroy everyone who gets too close.
I just want to hear what you guys think, and how simple or complicated you see this issue. All rhetoric aside, I put the poll up so we can get a general feel for popular opinion.
Silence