So I've been thinking a lot about this lately. Can Gods and Goddesses actually be heroes? And if so, why? Sure they go around saving the world and helping mortals, but does it truly count if they have supernatural powers?
While reading the Odyssey this felt really relevant in terms of Athena. Without her help, our two "heroes" Telemachus and Odysseus would not have been able to complete basically any of their heroic acts. So does that make her a hidden hero in the Odyssey?
I really cannot come to a concrete conclusion about this, honestly. With her ability to transform into anyone she needs to, along with countless other powers that mortals do not possess, how can we compare her to Odysseus or Telemachus?
I think for me this came up when I started noticing just how much she was doing for Telemachus. I don't think he would have gotten anything done with out Athena. If it weren't for her, wouldn't he just still be stuck at home, moping surrounded by suitors?
Obviously, Athena doesn't have to be the only example of this. Can all greek gods/goddesses be truly heroic in our classic notion if the term if most of their heroic acts are backed by the knowledge that they're either immortal or have supernatural powers to save them?
This has been a rambly and confusing post of my thoughts. I apologize.
Monday, January 26, 2015
Sunday, January 11, 2015
The Female Hero
It's kind of funny. I consider myself a feminist. Absolutely no doubt about it. But when I'm asked to consider what a hero means to me, my mind automatically jumps to a man wearing a cape. There are two things wrong with this picture; 1) why does it have to be a man? 2) everyone knows capes are an impractical garment to wear while saving the world. In the word's of Edna Mode from the movie Incredibles: "No capes!"
Perhaps my skewed notion of a hero is due to the fact that this isn't a subject I really think about a lot. But more than that, I feel as though my pre-conceived and subconscious notions about what makes a hero really shows what I've been taught and exposed to growing up.
Who saves the day? Superman. Who protects the city of Gotham? Batman. What do most super-women do? Fall in to peril (kidnapped by the bad guy is a popular option) only to be saved by the super hero, who they usually fall in love with by the end of the movie/book.
Is that the vision of a hero we want young girls being exposed to? As women, we are taught to want to be saved. The Damsel in Distress is a very desirable figure. But why? In this day and age, why must we continue to focus on the Lois Lane's and not the Wonder Women?
More than superhero's though, are simply every day men and women serving as role models for average children. For many kids the President of the United States is the closest thing they get to a real life "hero". But how many female presidents have we had? Exactly. None.
To me, it seems as though the portrayal of the female hero still has a long way to go. For now, we can continue wearing lingerie like Wonder Woman costumes for Halloween, and not questioning Mystique's scantily clothed body in the X-Men movies. Though there may not be a great Marvel female hero, at least we can look to the every day women who are kicking butt around the world.
Perhaps my skewed notion of a hero is due to the fact that this isn't a subject I really think about a lot. But more than that, I feel as though my pre-conceived and subconscious notions about what makes a hero really shows what I've been taught and exposed to growing up.
Who saves the day? Superman. Who protects the city of Gotham? Batman. What do most super-women do? Fall in to peril (kidnapped by the bad guy is a popular option) only to be saved by the super hero, who they usually fall in love with by the end of the movie/book.
Is that the vision of a hero we want young girls being exposed to? As women, we are taught to want to be saved. The Damsel in Distress is a very desirable figure. But why? In this day and age, why must we continue to focus on the Lois Lane's and not the Wonder Women?
More than superhero's though, are simply every day men and women serving as role models for average children. For many kids the President of the United States is the closest thing they get to a real life "hero". But how many female presidents have we had? Exactly. None.
To me, it seems as though the portrayal of the female hero still has a long way to go. For now, we can continue wearing lingerie like Wonder Woman costumes for Halloween, and not questioning Mystique's scantily clothed body in the X-Men movies. Though there may not be a great Marvel female hero, at least we can look to the every day women who are kicking butt around the world.
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