Would Anyone Consider you a Hero?

 

    This week Hannah and I watched the HBO documentary Superheroes on Netflix. On the surface this film was exactly what you might expect; a collection of people who many might consider unbalanced, running around the city streets, in the middle of the night, in costume, on the off chance that they might be able to prevent a crime or help someone in distress. However, I believe there is something deeper that we might be able to learn from this film.

Nyx

    The documentary follows several self proclaimed "superheroes" some of whom have even started groups of costumed crusaders who monitor crime and attempt to help people around the clock. They call themselves Real Life Superheroes and use the acronym RLSH.  Each of these people have a costume, most carry weapons, train quite a bit and some even believe that they have super powers. To protect their hidden identities they make up their own names such as Dark Guardian, Amazonia, Master Legend, Mr. Xtreme, and my personal favorite Apocalypse Meow. We see these heroes training in combat, and patrolling the streets of their cities doing their best to help people. Stereotypically, the documentary also shows the police trying to politely discourage this behavior.

The Statesman

   One thing this documentary did not well show is how well these RLSHs are at helping people and preventing crime. There was some footage showing one of the heroes helping a homeless man who had just had his foot run over by a car. The same group of heroes later witnessed a hit and run by a drunk driver and were able to take his keys away from him for the night. They also called the police, who simply drove on by for some unknown reason. There was also one short anecdote at the beginning about a crime that was prevented but it lacked enough detail to determine if it was a true story.

       With the efficacy of these superheroes in question many people would consider this behavior at least strange and at most dangerous and psychotic. I would like to suggest that these people are simply expressing their individuality and hoping to change the world into a place where the evil are punished and the good are glorified. These RLSHs often actually have a very real and positive impact on the homeless with whom they interact on a daily basis. Many of them raise money for homeless charities or hand out care bags purchased from their own money.

Life

Just like about everyone else, these people want to be seen as a force for good in the world rather than just an onlooker. I would dare to say that many of us do not even try to be an active force for good. We all have heard of the bystander effect, and the story of Kitty Genovese who was murdered in Queens, New York in front of over 30 people who did nothing to stop the crime. Most of us hear that story and say that we would never allow that. Real Life Superheroes hear that story and take the next step designate themselves as the person to take the responsibility that no one else wants.