SupermanHawaii.com

by Scott Shinsato

Recently a pre-school in Australia has sent notice to parents that all superhero merchandise will be banned from the school in January. This decision is based on the theory that “SUPERHEROES such as Spider-man and Superman are being banned from pre-schools because they make the children more rowdy”.

This is similar to complaints that schools in Hawaii had back in the ‘70s when the popular Japanese hero Kikaida was shown on a weekly basis in the islands. School administrators claimed that “Hawaii youngsters began mimicking Kikaida's combat moves, which were potent variations of karate, judo and aikido techniques”. After hearing this I began to think… truly, what do our heroes offer other than a weekly beating of bad guys? Is it all about the violence? What other redeeming qualities do they possess? So the question arises as to what our beloved heroes teach and instill in children.

Right or wrong, it is a fact that a part of what heroes do is “beat up” the bad guys, especially if the story involves the hero confronting the villain in some way. This doesn’t necessarily mean that that is what a hero is about, as there are so many other things that can be associated with heroes and what they stand for.

In the case of Spider-man, the underlying theme is the guilt that Peter Parker feels for not saving his dear Uncle Ben when he unknowingly had the opportunity. The lesson of “with great power comes great responsibility” helps give the character the depth that has made it a fan favorite for years. Coupled with the powers and the costumes is the realization that everything you do or don’t do has consequences that you must live with… good or bad.

The Dark Knight shows that through hard work and determination anything is possible. Even though he has the finances to do what he does, Bruce Wayne’s training and persistence are some of the main weapons he has. Unlike most of his comicbook counterparts, Batman has no powers and, therefore, must rely upon himself to achieve his goal. While he does get into many fights, his title as the Dark Knight detective helps to prove that his keen mind plays a huge role in defining the character. Through hard work, studying and training you can accomplish anything in life.

Superman himself could easily be a showcase for what should be instilled in the children. Taken the wrong way, his strength could show that might is right and his flying ability has undoubtedly placed the idea of jumping off the roofs of houses into the minds of young children. However, Superman the character is more than that, much more.

The character is courteous to a fault. His parents instilled in him a sense of truth and fair play as well as a generous amount of manners. He often puts the welfare of others ahead of himself. Sure it may be easy for him to do these things but considering his upbringing, it seems that if he weren’t Superman, Clark Kent would turn out the same way. The character may be the world’s greatest hero but more often than not, it seems that the ‘man’ outweighs the ‘super’ in his name.

So, again we ask the question…”what do our heroes instill in our children”? These are just a few examples, the Green Lantern's courage, perhaps Bruce Banner's inner conflict to keep the beast within or maybe the X-men’s hope for racial indifference and equality are others to consider... but in the long run, the heroes are more than just violent "beat ‘em up" characters. They have a range of characteristics that can instill positive things in our children, not just violence. Hey man, I buckle my seat belt every time I get in the car because Adam West’s Batman told me to.

Till next month gang, take care! Happy Holidays to you all and best wishes in the New Year!

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