Tuesday 17 August 2010

Now The Righteous Have It In For Sarcasm?

They thwart dastardly supervillains and have saved the world countless times over but macho superheroes now face a determined new foe in the guise of a mild-mannered child psychologist.
Oh, this’ll be a rehash of all the usual Righteous bugbears, I bet…
Professor Sharon Lamb, from the University of Massachusetts in Boston, accuses the new generation of superheroes, exemplified by Robert Downey Junior's playboy millionnaire Iron Man, of being bad role models for young boys.
A millionaire playboy alcoholic who resolves world problems with ultraviolence?

I’m shocked, shocked, that this doesn’t go down well with progressives…
Unlike conventional superheroes such as Superman, who stood for justice, fairness and decency, the modern macho superheroes portray a negative masculinity, characterised by mindless aggression and rampant sexism.
*yawn*
"There is a big difference in the movie superhero of today and the comic book superhero of yesterday," she said.

"Today's superhero is too much like an action hero who participates in non-stop violence; he's aggressive, sarcastic...
Wait, what?

Sarcasm? Sarcasm is verboten now? Since when?
…, and rarely speaks to the virtue of doing good for humanity," she said
Do they need to?

Isn’t it enough that they actually do good? Does it not count unless they yammer on about it night and day, like…err…Progressive Man?
In contrast, Lamb said the boys could look up to the old-style heroes such as Superman, "because outside of their costumes they were real people with real problems and many vulnerabilities".
Well, Superman was an illegal alien with adoption and identity issues, and a chronic allergy that could prove crippling. Despite this, he held down a responsible job as part of the Fourth Estate.

It’s really no wonder the progressives are chuffed to little mint balls with that portrayal…

10 comments:

Bucko said...

Maybe she should reccommend reading the modern Beano. There's no more slipperings for Dennis the Menace and no more rampant bullying of Softy Walter.
Very PC.

PT Barnum said...

Now there's an idea for a new superhero blockbuster - Progressive Man. He'd never fight evil, he'd just ban it and issue FPNs while trying to explain to the criminal mastermind that if he could achieve closure on his childhood ishoooos he would become a productive member of the community. Not sure how he'd be dressed tho'. Underwear on the outside would be a big no-no, tantermount to paedophilia surely?

Longrider said...

She also seems to miss a significant factor. They are fiction. Little boys are fully aware of this.

AntiCitizenOne said...

She probably can't see what's funny about Viz's "The Modern Parents".

RAB said...

Yes dammit Bucko, Dennis the menace was my childhood role model, along with Just William, and the Beano have totally emasculated him!

Time for a new superhero then, how about...

Big Society Boy!
Helping little old ladies across the road whether they want to go or not, painting poo green and picking up litter...

A person very like softy Walter in fact.

David Gillies said...

As Ton Chivers points out in the Telegraph, Stan Lee created Iron Man in 1963.

AJ said...

Don't forget Iron Man is a dreadful Capitalist even subconsciously lefty types show their prejudices.

Anonymous said...

Well if you want to see a truly "progressive" superhero I direct you to the film "Robocop 2" the effects of the righteous directives is both breathtakingly stupid and hilarious. Like the TV series, this collection of films and episodes repays paying attention to the backgroud. The "E Coli Brothers Meat Packing Co" for instance...

blueknight said...

She probably can't see what's funny about Viz's "The Modern Parents".

- or Millie Tant.

JuliaM said...

"Maybe she should reccommend reading the modern Beano."

Oh, god, yes! A real travesty. I bet it's sales have suffered as a result.

"Not sure how he'd be dressed tho'."

Fabulously, of course. In eco-friendly fabrics...

"Well if you want to see a truly "progressive" superhero I direct you to the film "Robocop 2"..."

The film they should never have made. Why are so many sequels just dire?