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Assignment 1-3
Introduction
Holding Out for a Hero: Reaganism, Comic Book Vigilantes, and Captain America is a very interesting article that discusses the heroes of the 1980's. This article is intended for a general audience. No type of specialized vocabulary is used, only a few large multi syllable words are utilized. The author explains why the need for heroes in the 1980's was so important. The previous decade had been particularly rough for the United States. America, land of plenty experienced a debilitating gas shortage, Americans were kidnapped from the U.S. embassy in Iran, and inflation was extremely high during the 1970's. With all of this muck, America need heroes more than ever. It is then, that it is explained how popular culture of the time dictated characteristics of this eras heroes. Four heroes were evaluated, Ronald Reagan, Batman, Ozymandias, and Captain America. What made these heroes is their ability to "do good" and not be for or against the "system" but to be above the "system". By "system" I mean government or the established power.
Ronald Reagan
The first of the four heroes was Ronald Reagan. In this section of the article it is explained that President Reagan thought he was the hero Americans needed to make them believe in themselves again. President Reagan personified himself as a hero by portraying himself a cowboy, a classic American hero icon, a role he played many times during his acting career. He also put forth the image of being a political outsider. This is a very important point the author wanted to make. It was this cowboy/outsider image that Reagan used to "blur" the public's view of him as a politician. He was for the people, and not the government. While in actuality he was great politician, and lead in a way not seen before. He was the leader of the United States, but not part of the government, he was above it.
Batman
Before we continue any further I have to define some terms used in the article. They were not necessary in the discussion of Ronald Reagan, but are for the remaining heroes. Politics and morals are widely used in the consideration of these heroes, and their ability to transcend the powers that be. Vigilante and police vigilante are terms used quite a bit throughout the remainder of this article. A vigilante is someone to takes matters into their own hands, operating on their own accord. Vigilantes step on the toes of the established power, because they are an example of their inadequacy. A police vigilante is a vigilante but operates to the will of the established power.
The Batman used in this article is "The Dark Night Returns". At the beginning of the book Batman is a vigilante. He uses his own judgment to determine right and wrong and sets out to correct it as he sees fit. Also in this book is Superman, who is a police vigilante, because he takes orders directly from the government. In either case the author indicates that neither is a hero at this point. The two are pitted against each other, because the government can't be undermined. After a long battle Batman retires. He becomes Bruce Wayne again, and becomes a hero at this point. He no longer fights crime, but trains an army of crime fighters. He does not fight the government, nor does he work for it. He is totally separate from it, setting out to do good, and that is what makes him a hero.
Ozymandias
I found this part of the article hard to grasp. Ozymadias is a hero by default in the novel called the "Watchmen". He is established the hero, because like Batman he establishes an entity separate from the government that is neither for or against the it. Instead it is a new establishment making him the hero. At the beginning of this section it would be thought that Ozymandias is the villain, also, the supposed hero (Rorschach)is merely a vigilante. On the outset Rorschach is investigating the murder of The Comedian, who is another costumed superhero, like himself and all the other characters in the novel. Rorschach discovers that Ozymandias murdered The Comedian. Rorschach and his posse of other superheroes stumble upon Ozymandias plan to unite the USA and the USSR, for the greater good of mankind by staging a fake alien attack on earth. The plan worked, and a new world order was established.
Captain America
In this article Captain America has to deal directly with the changing times. He was frozen in a block of ice for 20 years. When he came back everything was different, and he had to adapt to remain viable. When Captain America first came out he was a soldier, he had a clear conviction of what was right and wrong. In the 80's things weren't black and white anymore. He soon began to tolerate other ideas, but would be called to action if someone tried to impose their ideals on others. In the end Captain America is declared a hero, because he sets himself apart from the government. He realized the government can be wrong, and change the rules to suit its own purpose.
Conclusion
This article depicts the turmoil surrounding the U.S. in the 1980's, and Americas need for new heroes. Things were no longer just black and white. Americas heroes couldn't be a mere vigilante, setting off to right wrongs as they see fit. Nor could they be a police vigilante, admitting the system was flawed. Still trying to good, but outside the established rules of the system. The Heroes of the 80's had to be above and beyond the system. They had to be moral, and not part of anything that imposed its will on others.




References

Dubose, M. (2007)Holding Out for a Hero: Reaganism, Comic Book Vigilantes, and Captain America. Journal of Popular Culture, Volume 40, Issue 6, 915-935. Retrieved April 12, 2009. from Ohiolink.