What’s the Point of Superheroes if they don’t save the day?
It’s not our fault that we are fascinated with superheroes and have come to expect them to save the day. It’s the fault of those writers who make a living out of giving out false hope to impressionable minds, and then it is the fault of those who expose this material to you.
Superheroes came into existence much later than the proverbial Prince Charming. You know, the guy who comes riding on a horse after much of the trials and tribulations are overcome. He’s the one who serves the happy ending in a castle we never get to read about. If he’s riding about the woods and looking for princesses to save, does he even have a castle and any sort of royal duties?
But the better question is, what about the men? What of the distressed male who needs saving? Does a princess come get him on a horse or a carriage?
Perhaps it is this thought that prompted writers to create superheroes. Hey, men need saving, too, so let’s create these super beings that have superpowers. And not many will get it, but the few will notice that these superheroes wear a cape. A cape…something the princes would wear as they rode on horses, saving princesses from their wicked family.
Yet, we still don’t have that one story that is famous for being about a man being saved by a superhero/princess. He is expected to be doing all the saving himself.
We have superheroes, but they are busy saving the world, and have absolutely no time saving damsels from their wicked stepmothers. Maybe it’s because we live in a time where stepmothers are far better behaved than the “damsel” in question.
The superhero stops crime, saves the world from otherworldly beings, and is luckily wealthy enough to invest in fancy costumes and gadgets. They are out there saving the world!
Or are they?
Fiction is fictional, and should be regarded as such, yet it gives promise of hope. They tell readers that no matter how bad the situation, the story isn’t over until you get your happy ending.
Okay, so that bit is fine. Without hope, there is only despair. We need something to hold onto to get out of bed every morning and face the world.
But then these fictional stories dangle false hope in front of us. We are not capable of saving ourselves. We must rely on external beings to save us. Someone will walk into your life, and take all your pain away, and take you far away from all the things that made you sad.
Unfortunately, real life doesn’t work that way. There is no savior, no superhero, and no princes on horses. It’s way too expensive to keep horses anyway, and they are definitely not galloping about in the city where there are congested roads.
It’s not about cynicism but practicality that defines this world now. Everyone has their challenges. Period. Most can barely make it through to the end of the day without collapsing. The world is falling apart. Their lives are falling to pieces.
Rising costs, stressful jobs, complicated relationships, and medical issues keep all of us busy. Surviving a single challenging day is a victory. Many of us can barely pick ourselves up to eat and take care of ourselves.
Do you really expect any of us to turn into superheroes? Can we save the day?
We can try to save ourselves every day, but the whole world? Or even our neighbor?
So…what is the point of superheroes if they can’t save the day?
There are no superheroes. We save ourselves every day. We can try to be our own superheroes, but costume-making charges are high, and you’re on a tight budget.
Besides, you do not want to slip while running and hurt yourself. Your insurance will not cover that.
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