Invasion of the Bodybuilders - Newsweek
It is no surprise that the new crop of superhero movies feature strong male characters. Comics book have always offered an idealized version of white male power. While the physicality of these characters may shift, as authority figures, superheroes are always reflect our collective vision about ourselves. As this article points out, this summer's superhero crop plays up these idea.
From Thor to Captain America, these characters represent the values and ideas the U.S. citizens wants to believe about themselves. The next big release, Green Lantern will continue this trend. Ryan Reynold's Green Lantern has already appeared shirtless in trailer, flown a fighter jet, and kissed the girl. In the comic, Hal Jordan (Green Lantern) is a test pilot given the job of galactic guardian. As a 1960s character, he embodies atomic age Cold War U.S. values. He is white, males, brave, and stalwart defender of traditional values. It makes sense to make the Green Lantern movie now. His primary weapon is a ring fueled by willpower and keyed to the wearer's ability to overcome great fear, thus the character's popularity in this decades corresponds with a continuous war on terror and plays on our collective desire to reject the uncertainty of contemporary times.
It is no surprise that the new crop of superhero movies feature strong male characters. Comics book have always offered an idealized version of white male power. While the physicality of these characters may shift, as authority figures, superheroes are always reflect our collective vision about ourselves. As this article points out, this summer's superhero crop plays up these idea.
From Thor to Captain America, these characters represent the values and ideas the U.S. citizens wants to believe about themselves. The next big release, Green Lantern will continue this trend. Ryan Reynold's Green Lantern has already appeared shirtless in trailer, flown a fighter jet, and kissed the girl. In the comic, Hal Jordan (Green Lantern) is a test pilot given the job of galactic guardian. As a 1960s character, he embodies atomic age Cold War U.S. values. He is white, males, brave, and stalwart defender of traditional values. It makes sense to make the Green Lantern movie now. His primary weapon is a ring fueled by willpower and keyed to the wearer's ability to overcome great fear, thus the character's popularity in this decades corresponds with a continuous war on terror and plays on our collective desire to reject the uncertainty of contemporary times.