Superheroes and Supervillains in Media

The media often portrays victims and offenders of crime in the context of superheroes and supervillains. Villains or Villainesses represent criminals.  Sometimes they become seduced by madness and power, sometimes they become involved with criminal activities through a romantic partner, and sometimes they are just born evil. Additionally, sometimes they are portrayed as an Anti Hero/Heroine, who was once a hero or upstanding citizen and then turn into a villain through some traumatic event or grief, characterizing the victim-offender overlap. These Villains and Villainesses cause havoc and destruction to institutions and citizens. In contrast there are various types of Superheros or Superheroines. There are Willing Heroes, individuals who assert themselves to the role of a hero. Unwilling Heroes, individuals who are pushed to heroism by a destiny or prophecy. Tragic Heroes,  individuals who fight inner demons and face adversity on their quest to heroism.  And Loner Heroes, individuals who fight for the greater good but choose to separate themselves from society. Heroes and Heroines are the gatekeepers of justice. It is their job to protect the general public from said villains/villainesses.

This begs the question, what does the superhero or a supervillainan icon of the American imaginary look like? Further, what do the characteristics of a superhero or supervillain communicate about how social groups are viewed within the context of crime, victimization, and justice?

First, read the NPR article Who Gets to Be A Superhero? Race and Identity in Comics (Links to an external site.) by Gene Demby. 

https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2014/01/11/261449394/who-gets-to-be-a-superhero-race-and-identity-in-comics

Second, complete a write up including the following three sections.

Section 1: Heroes/Heroines in Media   

• Think about any Superhero books, television series, or movies that you’ve see. What are some typical qualities of the hero or heroines? (you may choose to focus on personality, physical attributes, strengths or weaknesses, or a combination)
• How do portrayals of heros/heroines differ among different demographics? (Are there differences between how men and women hero/heroines are portrayed, differences between White and Persons of Color hero/heroines, etc.)

• If you desire, you may also touch on additional social identities such as gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, religion, ability, nationality.

Section 2: Villains/Villainesses in Media 

• What are some typical qualities of the villain or villainess in books, film, or television? (you may choose to focus on personality, physical attributes, strengths or weaknesses, or a combination)
• How do portrayals of villain/villainesses differ among different demographics? (Are there differences between how men and women villain/villainesses are portrayed, differences between White and Persons of Color villains/villainesses, etc.)
• If you desire, you may also touch on additional social identities such as gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, religion, ability, nationality.

Section 3: Criminal and Criminal Justice Representation in Film and Television

• How do you think these depictions of hero/heroines and villain/villainesses play a role in how we view victims, offenders, and justice in real life?
  • More specifically, how is hero/heroines portrayal reflective of our justice system (policing, courts, corrections)?
  • How is the villain/villainesss portrayal reflective of victims and/or offenders?

*Please feel free to reference specific superhero/heroines and supervillains/villainesses from books, film, or television shows in your writeup.

EACH section should be at least one paragraph (5-9 sentences) and be separated by subheadings. New paragraphs should be indented.

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