Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be superheroes.

[Utgardloki]

These psychologists say that modern superhero movies are not good role models for young boys, not like the in-depth three dimensional superheroes of yesterday.

I'd like to know what movies they watched. Granted, I haven't seen all the superhero movies, but every one I did see had the superheroes consider their role in society and the effects of their powers on innocent bystanders.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-10957590

[yukonhorror]

I haven't seen it, but from the previews, I could see how Iron Man would do this. I don't see how this is ANY different from the action heroes of the 80' and 90's. They were worse in my mind, although SUPER cool.

Of course, this is why they should bring back the classic x-men/spiderman/batman cartoons. The ones on tv today are pure crud.

[Tribunus]

Chello!

Part of the problem is that psychologists today see any form of patriotism as a form of mental illness. Anyone who is willing to sacrifice themselves to save others is obviously unhinged, because the natural human impulse is to not get hurt and to protect one's self. I would argue that this is a classic example of sapience and what separates us from animals (in general).

Tony

[Sascha]

Funny how those same supers were used as evidence of corrupting the youth, heh. I don't think it's so much a function of "today's superhero movies are bad influences on child development" as it is commentary on where male role models are found. I'd bet if there were more prominent comics for a girl audience, we might see the same argument with the gender reversed, or inclusive of girls' development.

I'd like to know what movies they watched. Granted, I haven't seen all the superhero movies, but every one I did see had the superheroes consider their role in society and the effects of their powers on innocent bystanders.

Which doesn't really address the issue. A kid and an adult won't necessarily take the same things away from a film (tv show, comic book, novel, etc.), due to the still-developing brains of children. An adult might see a scene where the hero weighs his actions vs. their impact on society at large, while a kid might simply see "he punched that guy!"

I haven't seen it, but from the previews, I could see how Iron Man would do this. I don't see how this is ANY different from the action heroes of the 80' and 90's. They were worse in my mind, although SUPER cool.

It isn't different; the argument's pretty much the same as it was when Seduction of the Innocent was published, back in '54. It just shifts the focus from supers comics to films.

Of course, this is why they should bring back the classic x-men/spiderman/batman cartoons. The ones on tv today are pure crud.

Batman: the Brave and the Bold is awesome, I tells ya. And, as much as I loved it, the old X-Men series is pretty dated; the cultural climates of then and now are different. (Which is sorta what this whole topic's about, in a sense.)

Part of the problem is that psychologists today see any form of patriotism as a form of mental illness. Anyone who is willing to sacrifice themselves to save others is obviously unhinged, because the natural human impulse is to not get hurt and to protect one's self. I would argue that this is a classic example of sapience and what separates us from animals (in general).

Self-sacrifice isn't a required component of patriotism, nor are all supers patriotic. That, and the article doesn't mention patriotism at all.

[Utgardloki]

This reminds me of when I showed Superman Returns to my parents, and my dad yelled at Lois Lane for being "A LOOSE WOMAN!" A kid probably wouldn't have questioned why Lois Lane had a four year old kid and wasn't married yet, but would probably fantasize about how he could get adopted by Lois Lane.

And I was disappointed when Perry White says "Truth, justice, all that stuff?" I wanted to shout "THE AMERICAN WAY! SUPERMAN STANDS FOR THE AMERICAN WAY!"

On the other hand, being a superhero is more complicated today. Kids today might be asking questions about why the superhero just doesn't fight the supervillian, because these days an encounter is not automatically a fight.

[Utgardloki]

Today, Carlos Mencia is talking on TV about superheroes these days. He says that when he was a kid, the Justice League kicked the Legion of Doom every week. Now superheroes don't know what they are doing. They're like "I don't know what to do with these super powers."

[Tribunus]

Chello!

Sad, isn't it?

[Utgardloki]

I don't know. The original Legion of Doom was more like the Legion of Lameness. I mean, seriously? You are going to invent a time machine so you can go back to the Mesazoic Era to mine gold from the Rocky Mountains before it was buried under the dirt in the first place? Why don't you just build a spaceship to go to an asteroid and pick up as much gold as you want and nobody is going to bother you?

At least the modern day Justice League fights super villians you can believe in. The Legion of Doom that Luthor and Grodd led in the 2nd season of Justice League Unlimited was one that you could actually believe would be formed.