Everyday Canvas

Far-out Heroes

Prompt: In movies and fiction, cartoonish heroes and characters such as Rambo, Batman, Indiana Jones, Wonder Woman and The Warrior Princess Zena charm the audiences. Why do you think is this popularity of cartoonish heroes, and why are they so loved in popular culture?

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To begin with, these types are sensational and electrifying characters, as somewhat tamed versions of pagan gods, and where do the pagan gods all come from? Mythology.

Mythology, therefore, must be inherent in the thinking process of the human brain, or else, so many wouldn’t still believe that Eve has been the starter of all our ills. Whether these astonishing heroes are Hercules or Wonderwoman, they have the minimum of our negatives, if any, and a huge proportion of the assets that we wish we had.

As cartoonish as they may be, these protagonists act freely and bravely, molding the rules or laws to their way of judgment at times, but that’s not all. Let’s just look at their common traits in general that people in their heart of hearts wish they had:

• Being born of royalty or to parents of high or respectable class either in a moral or social way

• Being born with courage in them or finding courage during the flow of events

• Being clever and resourceful

• Having a special talent (Superman flies)

• Staying on the verge of being an outlaw—that is living by their own rules

• Being good in what they outwardly do, as a living

• Having the ability of taking the bull by the horns; in other words, taking the lead in a cause or fight

• Being motivated by idealism at least once, in some way

• Being attractive to the opposite sex

These heroes are usually wounded in some way, too, with which most people can identify. They may have had an unhappy childhood or they may be longing for a loved one or they may have been hurt in a love relationship. This wound gives this dramatic character the need to be healed and it becomes his internal motivation; thus, his out-of-this-world heroic deeds.

These are the basic reasons I can think of why these characters are so popular. When other characteristics are added to them—such as, loyalty, civility, cynicism, courtesy, stoicism, strength, speed and having wit--, they can become more refined and make themselves even more appealing to us.

After all, didn’t we all have, at one time or another, a daydream of being rescued by a hero, or doing something extraordinary and coming close to being a hero, or at least, becoming someone’s hero?