Batman...Who da Punk?

When I hear the name “Batman”, I initially think of the costume/ uniform he wears.  The slick black ears, long black cape, and tight-fitting black and grey onesie, with a black and yellow Bat insignia placed on the chest.  The next thing I think of is the incredible strength Batman has, being able to defeat multiple villains a day and never seeming to tire.  Lastly, I imagine Bruce Wayne, the multi millionaire man behind the mask.  Knowing that there is a normal human being behind that mask, although I never realized it until now, gives me great comfort.

You never realize this until you put yourself in the shoes of the people of Gotham.  The innocent civilians. The ones who receive their information by the media or word-of-mouth.  To them, there is this unknown vigilante who is beating up people in the streets, some of those people turn out to conveniently be criminals.  Their perspective is limited, because they hear what the media wants them to hear.  A story can be told in many ways, so only hearing one side of the tale doesn’t really give you the right to pass judgement.

Granted, if I heard about an unpredictable vigilante taking the law into his/ her own hands, I would be very afraid.  When growing up, we are always told to “leave it up to the professionals”.  I don’t know how I would feel if I couldn’t put an actual face the the person handling the law and order of the city.  It really twists your brain when you watch the Batman movies, and root for Bruce/ Batman, because you understand his motivation. His tragic childhood and encounterance with untrustworthy people led him to hate the minds of criminals and for him to want justice.  In Bruce Wayne’s case, he created the Batman figure so he could live a double life.  One that, he thought, wouldn’t affect his day life.  But in real life, I think law enforcement would be more interested in unmasking the Batman than catching the real criminals of the city.  

In the movies, its the mystery of the Batman that keeps the petty criminals off the streets of Gotham, but it also brings forward the most devious and powerful villains of all.  In real life, I feel like the real mystery would be why a full grown crazy man is leaping around Gotham, causing trouble, in tights wearing cat ears. It automatically comes down to perspective, which can be altered by who or what surrounds you.

I Need a Hero...But Who do I Call?

We hear many people use the word “hero” to describe someone who has acted extremely brave or has the ability to inspire you on a day-to-day basis.  The word “hero” is a term that has become colloquial in society today.  In movies, we consider the hero of the story to be the courageous warrior who fights off the evil forces terrorizing his city, country, or even the world. (This is a very general presumption, of course).  

But, nowadays, athletes, fictional characters, and even animals are considered the heroes of our generation.  But is “hero” really the correct term?  Even though an athlete can be inspiring to many, I wouldn’t consider any of them a hero.  For example, as a swimmer, I look up to Michael Phelps with great reverence for his passion for the sport.  But I wouldn’t consider him a hero of mine.  I am drawn more to the Greek view of heroes/ heroines; the all powerful, courageous person fighting against evil for the good of society.  So, naturally, as a swimmer, Michael Phelps doesn’t really fit that description.  In my opinion, although he has won many titles in his career, hero is not one of them.  

The reason the ancient Greek interpretation of heroes/ heroines appeals to me is because of the multitude of people considered “heroes” in society.  People today are either drawn to a sources of power, or yearn for a leader of the source.  As people are either sheep or shepherds.  The sheep do over power the shepherds in numbers, but refuse to rebel unless they are moved by choices made by the shephards.  Since sheep/ followers are so eager to find someone to lead or inspire them, they tend to appoint many figures in society to fill that need.  For example, if a man saves a dog that is stuck in a tree, he automatically becomes a hero.  I consider this act a very heroic deed, but I wouldn’t immediately give him the title “hero”, because that is one small act of kindness.  It’s not like he saved thousands of people in a burning city. It was just one dog.  

As my rant comes to an end,  I would like to reiterate the point that not everyone is a hero.  Anyone can inspire or be inspired, but not everyone is hero material.  To answer the question I asked in the title “I need a hero... but who do I call?”, depending on the amount of trouble you are in, I would say call 911.  But if you are in search of true hero/ heroine, you are looking for the person who, inspite of a glorious title, puts forth their lives to serve society and its needs.