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I heard from a guy about their 80s heroes and it gave me a new perspective on something. I didn’t have an answer back and I’m still thinking about it. They were someone who didn’t like LAST JEDI ... but they expressed how personally wounded they felt not just because of —
— Luke ... but because of a general social movement. They said (spoilers for the topics to follow) : “Am I allowed to have even just one hero who isn’t post-modern deconstructed to reveal they were never a hero ? That heroes aren’t allowed and don’t exist ? —
— Luke Skywalker? LOL, nope sorry he abandons everyone who needs him. Optimus Prime ? LOL, nope sorry he’s a sadistic murder-bot. Hell, even Bill & Ted can’t be heroes — LOL it was never them who saved the world ! Just their kids! LOL!”
He went on to say “Media has taken every hero I have ever loved and made sure to tell me in no uncertain terms that not only were they most definitely not heroes, but that the premise of heroism itself is predicated on a lie every time. That heroes don’t exist.”
He said “Dragons don’t exist either ... but movies and shows aren’t smugly chuckling ‘dragons don’t exist and you’re a primitive piece of shit if you like to read about them — lol evolve’ but with heroes it IS that right now. Can I have just one? How many are OK?”
He went on — “Superman? Nope — a screaming guy encouraged not to help people because fuck ‘EM. Batman? Nope, he’s just a miserable rich guy who deserves criticism for being a rich guy. Godzilla ? He’s a virus now LOL. Like I said, can I just have one ? Which one ?”
I didn’t have an answer. I think it’s important for us to do those criticisms, but I couldn’t help sympathizing even if I didn’t have the same connection to that. Like ... I mean, my favorite media is Care Bears. If someone did a “take” where it was revealed that —
— the Care Bears had actually caused more harm than good and been responsible for millions of deaths because they didn’t belly badge hard enough, or had them having given up and knocked down the Caring Tower ... I would be really sad. Like super sad. Like ... SAD.
So I realized I had to ask myself “would I be complaining if that happened ? Is it fair for me to criticize people upset about these new post-modern ‘never meet your heroes’ stuff if I would be upset about such a take against the media I love ?”
How would I feel if they did a big budget STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE movie where Huckleberry Pie is all “You murdered them by your inaction, Strawberry ! You never told us you were secretly in league with the Pie Man and Sour Grapes the whole time!” and Strawberry was like “YUP!”
I mean, to be angry about Luke is to ignore “wars not make one great” and the fact that obi wan was obi wan and that Vader gets redemption etc etc etc. that’s not the part I can’t answer. Star Wars is also full of racism and corporatism and violence-solves and sexism.
And I think it’s legitimate to analyze what heroism is. Heroism can be kindness. Heroism can be patience. Analysis of racism and sexism and corporatism needs to happen. New heroes need to be introduced who address these issues in heroic media.
And we need to look back and criticize and condemn the isms. Promote social justice. So — IS he allowed to have any of the before from his past ? I dunno. I have no answer for him. Cuz there’s so much awfulness associated with it all, and so much stuff to change.
It’s important to find new heroes. I get that. But I’m still here hugging my Care Bears. Maybe I shouldn’t be. But I am. And now I’m wondering how I would react to the aforementioned idea of the post-modern Care Bears I mentioned. I’d be so sad. I hope I’d adapt, tho.
And here’s what I ultimately decided even tho I still don’t have an answer for him: it’s about what’s at stake in the real world. Racism, sexism, queerphobia — the bottom line is that there’s no nostalgia and no franchise more important than those issues. None.
So suck it up, and recognize that if you think that your love of (Hero) requires you to demand from everyone else an uncritical space where no one can point out troubling elements of what you love ... maybe you’re not being heroic. Maybe you’re being part of the problem.
If you really do love heroic virtues like kindness, compassion, justice, opposing prejudice ... then maybe you should be the hero who’s able to handle critiques of your favorite fictions. It’s not always easy doing what’s right, but you still should !
