Opinions about children's media and the superhero problem

The theme song of the PBS show Hero Elementary sums up every single one of my problems with the whole genre:

If you're a kid with powers, then where's the place to be?

You belong at Hero Elementary!

If you have super strength, and can lift a ton or three?

You belong at Hero Elementary!

If your power lets you fly (Lucita: You're like me, Lucita Sky!)

Like to help out when there's trouble? (Benny: Oh you bet, I'm Benny Bubbles!)

Teleport in no time flat? (Sara: Sara Snap can, just like that!)

Use super tools to save the day? (AJ: Like AJ Gadgets, I'm on my way!)

How do they save the day?

Well, the scientific fact is...

They use all kinds of powers they just need a little more-

Practice!

If you're a future hero, come and you will see.

You belong at Hero Elementary!

We all belong at Hero Elementary!

NO. YOU BELONG AT SUPERPOWER ELEMENTARY.

SUPERPOWERS =/= HERO

SUPERPOWERS =/= YOU MUST SAVE THE DAY AND/OR PROBLEM SOLVE BECAUSE THIS IS A LITTLE KID SHOW

SUPERPOWERS CAN BE USED FOR SO MANY OTHER THINGS.

Anyway, this rant is not at this show in particular (it's... fine? it's not the best current PBS offering, but it's not the worst) (pinkalicious is pink-terrible ~~the horror the horror~~) but at this entire unending trope.

Also don't ever get me started on the word "hero" but BESIDE FROM THAT--

you can fly? Awesome, so many things you can do for that! Want to be a tree surgeon?

You are really strong? Want to build stuff?

Teleportation? I have a courier service that will pay you very well.

You can do random bubble stuff and bounce around? I am sure there are things you can also do, Benny.

And AJ Gadgets is Tony Stark, so that's been covered already, it's well-trodden ground.

Ugh, this show.

(thank god it's not pinkalicious)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

So many people with superpowers would do well in the building trades, or medicine, or any one of a number of other fields. Or jobs that don't use their powers at all, and they use those powers in a hobby, or not at all. Kids don't need to be defined by a single talent!

You can see through walls? HOME INSPECTION CAREERS.

Man, if someone could tell me what was going on with the soil around my house foundation right now, I would pay them so much money. And every contractor would love to know what the wiring is like before they open up the walls and say 'uh-oh.'

Have you made the acquaintance yet of

ysabetwordsmith and their Polychrome Heroics universe? They and their army of crowdfunders are busy smashing those stereotypes into itsy-bitsy pieces. It's full of superpowered folks of a variety of ethical standards, many of whom have no desire to be heroes or villains, but use their powers in a variety of interesting ways.

Yes, there are heroes and villains, but some of the "heroes" are nastier than many of the villains, and the "villains" frequently have higher standards than the supposed "good guys". There are super-professions that expect absolute neutrality from those who employ their relevant powers in their jobs. There are powers that don't seem to help a heck of a lot -- until they do.

A bunch of storylines about popular characters have grown into massive collections in their own right. If you go to the menu bar at the top of the page, pull down "My Work", pick up "Serial Poetry" from that drop-down, and then "Polychrome Heroics" from the new drop-down, there will be a final drop-down menu with index pages for all those collections. (This may get improved soon.)

WARNING! MASSIVE TIME SINK! Please do not do this without several hours to spare! Odds are very good that you'll read more than you intended to.

Enjoy!

Thanks for the rec! Sounds like it's probably not for me, but maybe someone else will go "oooh, perfect!"

Maybe not -- but for each of your opinions, there are stories there that go in exactly that direction, and then beyond.

New readers and sponsors are always welcome.

Never heard of the show but yeah having superpowers = being a hero does seem very short sighted. Far too often there's no real thought about what to do with any particular power other than how it can be used for fighting/protecting. Which is too bad.

Even using it for fighting! The Benny Bubbles character probably deserves some meta on him, but anyway, his power is making bubbles of things, which he can use to bounce himself around (but can't fly), and to put bubbles on things (such as to cushion the fall of someone going through the air). That's not offensive powers! That's even hard to justify uses for in a kid's show!

I’m reminded of Ethan saying, you’re a telepath! Amazing! Please come and help me communicate with stroke patients and sickly small babies so I can help them better! and Terence’s total WTF at this perspective.

We definitely need telepaths for these things!

When reading superhero stories I can usually ignore "why is this person a superhero instead of doing other things with their powers" because it is just part of the trope and the suspension of disbelief necessary for the genre, but it is hardest with a) kids, and b) healers.

Or a combination, I'm never over Baymax in the Big Hero 6. He could be doing incredible medical things! Instead he's not.

Opinions about children's media and the superhero problem

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