In Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, the titular character is contextualized as a total villain, but in reality, he is a good, person at heart. Captain Hammer on the other hand, outwardly behaves like a hero but is selfish and mean on the inside. For instance, Dr. Horrible states on numerous occasions that he wants to rule the world to make it a better place. Captain Hammer, however, acts like a hero because he enjoys the attention it gives him.

For my last blog post in Critical Thinking and Writing, I’d like to explore the concept of nuanced heroism in other stories. One of my favorite graphic novels, Watchmen, does a great job of portraying people who are contextualized as heroes, but make many morally questionable decisions for the cause of justice. Two of the most interesting characters in the book, Ozymandias and Rorschach, are prime examples of this kind of hero yet are polar opposite in character. Ozymandias is a wealthy businessman/philanthropist who once fought as a costumed hero, and is outwardly characterized as one of the greatest human minds in the world. However, it is eventually revealed that he has masterminded a plot to kill millions of people by faking an alien invasion in order to stop nations from sparking nuclear war and wiping out all human life. Rorschach is a vigilante who uncovers this plot and resolves to telling the world about, but sacrificing humanity’s best opportunity for survival. It is in this conflict that exists the idea of nuanced heroism: is it better to prevent the murder of many but let even more die, or cause the death of many to save even more?

I recently saw the new Marvel superhero movie Matt Wahl with my friend Black Panther. Wait, what? Anyways, I noticed that not only was the movie groundbreaking in terms of being the first superhero movie with a mostly black cast, but its portrayal of women was especially feminist. Almost all the women in this movie are respected and powerful in their own right, and have a sense of agency and leadership that inspires and guides T’Challa into becoming the king of Wakanda.

Take Shuri, for instance: she is T’Challa’s sixteen-year old sister, and she is the smartest person in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to this date. She is an inventor of incredibly advanced technology and the Black Panther’s armor, making Tony Stark’s Iron Man suit look like a pile of legos. Additionally, she is skilled in combat, and is cool under pressure; she at one point takes on the main villain while instructing a confused CIA agent how to fly a Wakandan airship.

Another great female character is found in Okoye, the general of the Dora Milaje bodyguards and second in command to Black Panther. She is a fierce and skilled warrior, arguably more so than T’Challa. There is a scene in the movie where Black Panther hesitates in combat, and almost gets someone killed; she does not hesitate to call him out for his mistake. Additionally, she is dutiful and loyal to the throne, abiding by her code even when T’Challa is overthrown in ritual combat.

Nakia, T’Challa’s love interest, is more than a Lois Lane within the movie; she goes out of her way to pursue what she believes is right even if it compromises her relationship with T’Challa. She is always dedicated to humanitarian causes, and her desire to help others eventually sways T’Challa’s attitude towards this cause.

In recent times, anti heroic qualities have been increasingly associated with masculine ideals. This can be seen in many movies; one such example would be Clint Eastwood’s character in the Dollars Trilogy. He plays a quiet, brutal, deadly man whose actions speak far louder than his words, and is always looking to make money out of a situation. Another example can be seen in many depictions of James Bond; Bond has always been somewhat chauvinistic, and has a very cold, brutal nature about him. Character in these movies over the years have been idolized for the masculine qualities; they care only for their own well-being, and are generally dismissive of women.

This ideal of masculinity can be seen in Oscar de Leon’s struggle in the Dominican Republic and in college in New Jersey; he is overweight, nerdy, and struggles to develop sexual relationships with women as per the standard of masculinity present in the world around him. His roommate, Yunior, however, is very much the embodiment of this ideal, and serves as a foil for Oscar’s character. Though Oscar never embraces the masculine culture he is so tormented by, he does eventually have sex with Ybon, the prostitute, even though it gets him killed; though he dies, Oscar rejects the concept of invulnerable masculinity and allows himself to be vulnerable with other women.

Lucifer is the protagonist of biblical epic Paradise Lost. In this story, the angel Lucifer rebels against God, whom he describes as a tyrannical, evil despot. He is cast out of heaven, and builds an army of fellow rebel angels who seek to overthrow God. Though they eventually fail, Lucifer’s struggle and motive is a timeless moment in literary history. Much like the titan Prometheus, Lucifer disobeys higher power; In this situation, however, Lucifer does this out of a belief in his own inherent power, and argues that it is “Better to reign in hell, than to serve in heaven.” This marks a shift away from the concept that God is all knowing and all powerful, and posits instead that Lucifer’s character spawns a whole new tradition of heroes who do not follow the noble, holy path of moral virtue.

This new anti hero is a very popular trope in modern pop culture; some notable examples are the characters from gangster movies. Take the film Goodfellas, for example. The protagonist, Henry Hill, is a smart, handsome man who is well-respected amongst his peers. However, he is heavily involved in the mob, and commits heinous crimes on a constant basis. While he may have some admirable qualities, such as his brotherhood with his fellow mobsters and his hard-working attitude, he also cheats on his wife and abuses his status to benefit himself.

Another example of an anti-hero would be Trevor Phillips from the video game Grand Theft Auto 5. Trevor is essentially a psychopath, regularly engaging in brutal murders of often innocent people. In many ways, he is a reflection of the way many people play the video game; going on bloody rampages, running over civilians for the fun of it, killing cops, blowing up vehicles, and causing pointless mayhem.

If the past couple of months are anything to go by, it’s pretty clear that many of the people working in the entertainment industry have plenty to hide from the view of the public. Personally, I feel that this is a good chance to re-evaluate our perception of celebrities who use their star-status to support humanitarian ventures, specifically feminism. I’ve heard a lot of my classmates wanting to write their essay on popular champions of gender equality, but I can’t help but feel skeptical.

I feel that celebrities getting publicly involved in feminism is sketchy, simply due to the implications as a result of their relationship with the general public. Firstly, popular figures are already adored by millions of fans worldwide; the choice to get involved in feminism, a currently popular movement among young people, only amplifies this celebrity worship. Celebrity worship is problematic, as it makes superheroes out of humans. For instance, Wonder Woman works so well as a feminist icon because she is a character; she can’t say or do anything out of turn that would taint her reputation as a feminist. Beyonce or Emma Watson, however? They are human, and infinitely fallible compared to a character; young, adoring fans would be crushed by revelations that contradict their heroes’ feminist posturing. Secondly, celebrity feminism creates a political relationship with people that is unnecessary. When I speak of political relationship, I am referring to the codependency of politicians and voters; politicians need voters to vote, and voters need politicians to govern. Celebrities, however, are entirely dependent on fans. By endorsing feminism, they create the notion that fans need celebrities to fight for their values, and politicize themselves as a result. While this post may come off as overly cynical, I think it’s something that needs to be acknowledged.

The debate over superhero brand dominance has always raged between the characters, comic series, movies, and TV shows of DC and Marvel Comics; recently, a new point of contention has emerged, partly due to the ever-growing feminist socio-political climate. This new fight resides between Wonder Woman (DC) and Captain Marvel (Marvel, duh), over which of these two comic heavyweights are the superior female superhero. While Wonder Woman has always been a prominent figure in DC Comics for decades, she has never had the same coverage as Batman or Superman; that being said, the recent Wonder Woman movie was well-received in spite of the faltering DC films of late. On a different note, Captain Marvel, aka Carol Danvers, has only been recently established as a major player in Marvel comics. While she may not have the same legacy as Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel is regarded as the most powerful of her peers in the Marvel universe and she has a movie coming up in 2019.

My favorite panel from Wonder Woman: The Hiketeia

Ultimately, I feel that Wonder Woman’s legacy and character solidifies her dominance as the talisman of female superheroes. The princess of Themyscira has become almost synonymous with female heroism at this point, and has literally decades of comics to back this up (The Hiketeia is my personal favorite). Captain Marvel, in my opinion, is an upstart; in the comics, her character has been downright villainous at times, partly due to her taking on an overtly hyper-masculine personality. While this characterization may be due to the writers at Marvel comics needing to hype-up her character in preparation for her upcoming movie, she is still clearly lacking in a definitive comic or graphic novel that would set her apart from all the other Avengers.

Yes, that is yet another Star Wars quote. I think I’m going to keep referencing Star Wars in all of my blog posts, not just because they’re cool, but because they often relate greatly to the topic of discussion at hand. This week, I would like to discuss the fear and anger within the article by Rebecca Solnit, and relate it to the current socio-political climate which I feel has taken a rather sour turn. Rebecca Solnit’s article, while making many valid points, is stooped in a very fearful, angry and accusatory tone. I doubt that many white guys would want to understand Solnit’s perspective when she says “But seriously, you know who can’t take a joke? White guys.” While the following paragraphs go on to explain her quite valid frustrations, I don’t think many white men would continue reading that far. This is problematic, as this could potentially frighten white men; as Yoda said, “Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering”. More importantly, I think that is situation is not reserved to feminists, and is certainly not their fault. Many people online are quick to spout divisive, anger inducing rhetoric; some for the sake of their beliefs, others to troll. This kind of behavior is driving people apart in an exponential cycle. I think that it is better for people to discuss these kinds of social and political issues face-to-face, rather than duking it out online.

Sadly, recent political events culminated in the rise of widespread meme warfare that crossed boundaries with politics, feminism, and racism, so I doubt this issue is going to be resolved anytime soon. Hopefully we can have more discussions on this issue in class, as I find the current battle between feminists and the right-wing absolutely fascinating.

Don’t worry, I’m not against gender equality, just keep reading; the title is a Star Wars reference. The more and more I think about Joss Whedon’s words and the stigma surrounding the word “feminism”, the more I feel that having a title for the movement for gender equality is problematic. First, off you shouldn’t have to take on an idea or movement as you come of age to agree with the simple notion of gender equality. Believing in gender equality, I think, is something that almost all people agree with. It is true that there is plenty of progress to be made in many parts of the world, including Western nations, and people often have differing opinions of what gender equality means especially when it comes to reproductive rights. That being said, because the concept of gender equality is now far more widespread and accepted, it’s time to find a way to make it more accessible.

One of the problems currently faced by feminism is that it is losing an ideological war on the internet. Feminism is being dragged through the mud by ignorant charlatans on YouTube, Facebook, Reddit, and 4chan; as a result, a considerable percentage of the young male population is being indoctrinated into believing that feminism is evil, and, as a result, that the fight for gender equality is a thing of the past. As it looks, the battle for the internet is one that “Feminists” simply will not win. It’s time to start teaching feminist concepts in schools without the word “feminism”. I’m not yet sure about the word “genderist,” but I think Joss Whedon was right on the money with his conceptualization of the future fight for gender equality.

“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” is one the most famous sayings in the history of sports, and was uttered by legendary boxer Muhammad Ali. Ali is well renowned in the boxing world for his colorful personality and supreme prowess in the ring; he would taunt his opponents, and triumph over fighters that were expected to obliterate him. However, he became a true icon for his dedication to humanitarian issues. Though in his time he was often vilified and feared by many white Americans, he eventually was recognized as one of America’s greatest athletes. In my opinion, Muhammad Ali is a great hero because he fought against injustice at the cost of boxing glory, won many victories in the ring against great odds, and spoke with eloquence and flair in a manner that no other black athlete had done before; I feel that his legendary qualities should ultimately serve as heroic role models for future generations.

Muhammad Ali defeats Sonny Liston (February 25, 1964)

The term hero, I feel, is often misused nowadays and ascribed to anyone who sets an example or does something noble; I personally feel that a true hero is someone who goes above and beyond the actions of the average human. I believe all of Ali’s qualities, even the ones that may not directly relate to justice, add to his heroic character.

Muhammad Ali’s iconic status in the boxing world comes from the exciting style of boxing that he employed to defeat many powerful opponents. His penchant for dodging opponents’ blows and striking with power and precision defines him as a primal warrior hero. Ali’s sport is so much more combative and intense than others like football or basketball; it requires incredible nerve to be willing to put your body at such great risk of permanent harm. It is also worth noting that defeating an opponent in hand-to-hand combat has so much in common with the primal human imagination of a heroic figure; almost all heroic figures in ancient myths are warriors, like Beowulf or Achilles. In a sense, Muhammad Ali is modern myth; his upset victories parallel the triumphs of ancient beings against monsters.

Compilation of Ali’s best skills as a boxer

Ali was also incredibly intelligent and witty when speaking in public, and this trait challenged the racist notion that blacks were stupid and humble. For instance, Ali would consistently trash-talk his opponents and boast about his boxing prowess, often employing rhymes and poetry. This combination of poetic eloquence and arrogance, as well as the skill to back it up, made Ali an icon for black pride in the face of racism in America.

Ali boasts about his ability before his legendary fight against George Foreman, which he won in a stunning upset.

The greatest argument for Ali’s qualities as a hero come from his refusal to be drafted in the name of goodwill and justice during the Vietnam War. I argue there is great heroism in this refusal to be drafted, as Ali was stripped of his championships and lost his passport and boxing licenses in the prime of his career.

Ali argues with a pro-war college student regarding Ali’s refusal to fight.

In conclusion, Muhammad Ali’s skill as a boxer, eloquence in public speech, and devotion to non-violent justice makes him a true hero. I feel that it is important to remember Ali as a hero because there are so few people who shared all the wonderful qualities he had; because of this, he should embody the same role as the ancient heroes of legend.

Artwork of Ali using the words from one of his most famous sayings.