In a screed worthy of J. Jonah Jameson, Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Karen Heller takes to task superheroes, and those who might see deeper meaning in the costumed characters:
Depending on who is doing the explaining, superheroes are representative of the unacknowledged talents lurking inside us all, the duality of the human condition, shredded values in a darkening world, or, barring that, every man’s desire to drive awesome vehicles or beat rush hour by, you know, flying, while dating babes far above one’s station.
What was once silly fun, child’s play and light reading has become important art, a mirror of something. The characters, long regarded as cartoons, have been supersized to signify everything, a preposterous notion. Since when did a man in a cape solve anything?
I’m guessing Superman Returns led to Heller’s anti-capes stance, but it’s difficult to say, as she has sharp words for everyone’s favorite wall-crawler, too: “Men think women are moody? Look at the sulkfest that is Spidey.”
Still, Spider-Man fares better than Superman; I’d rather be described as a “sulkfest” than “neutered.”
July 19th, 2006 at 10:34 am
Man, is that lady a bummer or what!?
-”but right now I’m trying to stay away from the box office that’s faster than a speeding bullet, which isn’t easy when you have a 12-year-old boy in the house with a bit of time on his hands.”-
Poor kid, can’t even go see a summer blockbuster because his mom is such a poophead.
July 19th, 2006 at 11:24 am
Philadelphia Inquirer columnist in sounding like an old crank SHOCKER.
July 19th, 2006 at 5:11 pm
The truth hurts. Ouch.