Last week, we spent some time discussing Batman’s character and watching clips of him. I love how diplomatic he is, as he is not worried about getting credit for his good acts, as he just wants the world to become a better place. I think this is very applicable to the way we are in the real world. People tend to be “concerned” for others and go to Africa and other impoverished areas to help starving children for a few weeks, and they come back feeling great about themselves. Instead, many of the orphans and other children get attached to the Americans who come visit, and the projects that the Americans do sometimes are more of handouts than sustainable contributions. I think people should want to travel and search for programs that benefit others in the long run, instead of traveling around the world doing non-sustainable projects for a week or so (and don’t forgot how every college student who goes abroad just has to post an “Instagram worthy” photo of their adventure so others can see their “great work”). I wonder if social media did not exist, if there would be as many of these African study abroad trips to “help” others. I think people need to focus on helping others in the best way possible and not always look for a reward. Batman exemplifies that beautifully.
Another topic I wanted to discuss is Wonderwoman and her presence as a superhero. I love Wonderwoman and I think she is an incredible hero who inspires others and saves the world. My only issue with her is that while Batman and Spiderman get full-on body suits to wear, Wonderwoman goes around trying to fight in a skimpy little outfit with her boobs sticking out. It makes me think how we live in a society that objectifies women even when we try to show them as powerful. I’m not trying to say that she needs to be in a Nun robe, but I think that there is no reason for her to be in a tiny spandex dress that barely covers her while the other super heroes are well-covered. It makes me wonder if she is a good role model for young girls, since children today are more concerned with their appearance than years ago. I know children as young as eight with Instagram accounts, and they follow celebrities and blogs who show airbrushed models. Wonderwoman is super tall, skinny, white, and big-chested. Is that the image we want to portray to our children as someone to look like? I feel like that gives girls an unrealistic standard of beauty. I’ve never once seen a female superhero who is full-bodied or a woman of color. I challenge her character type because I think her role is fantastic but the image of her may be unrealistic for viewers.
Humanities 200 