MovieChat Forums > Shazam! (2019) Discussion > Why do grown men like superhero movies?

Why do grown men like superhero movies?


In my day, the people who'd go to the mat arguing about superheroes, or going to the bother to rank them, all looked like Beaver Cleaver. Have all the men but my husband taken to wearing onesies, drinking cocoa, and going ape for DC and Marvel?

reply

Back in yer day... yup, that about says it all.

Sanctimonious old timers. Silly ignoramuses. Sanctimonious people of all ages in general are ignorant, but what a cliche the holier-than-thou older generation can be. Well, you enjoy the big boys stuff and feel good about it... while the people who don’t have a stick up their ass will enjoy and appreciate what is accepted by millions of non-narrow minded folks (granted these fandoms have their immature and not-so broad minded people but this is true about all fandoms — case in point: you).

reply

Can’t wait until all your words come back to bite you when you’re old. Yup, I’m now saying what my elders said. I now know they were right. You will too if you live so long.

reply

If I'm being honest, it sounds to me like you kind of have a chip on your shoulder.

Just because superheroes weren't considered a cool thing back in your day, doesn't mean it's not something that the majority of the population enjoy today. It's very common for things that were once considered uncool to become popular. It's happened all throughout history.

It's perfectly fine if you don't enjoy films, characters or comics like this (I myself mainly just enjoy the films and haven't read much in the way of the comics). It's a valid opinion to have but it doesn't change the fact that for the most part, these films make money and they make money because people like them or are interested in seeing them. I'm sure that the interest from people will dwindle over time as most phases in life go but that doesn't mean that everyone that likes things that you don't is a loser or a beta male.

reply

I really hate when people judge something they know nothing about. It's like John Stewart. I'm a comic book fan, I do not drink Coco in onesies nor do I go into heated debates over Marvel vs DC. I personally think that the sports fandom can get extremely childish (Also violent) and perhaps even more childish than the comics community when their team doesn't win.. but sure lets ignore that because unlike comics, sport is athletic and nothing say grown ups like over paid grown dudes running after a ball..Comics involve reading, that is for babies because there is also images with it right? I know the smartest people in the comics community, that speak several languages and one is even a lawyer. And for comic con, I do not what is wrong for one time a year to go to a convention and keep in touch with our inner child. Really, of all of the fandoms the comic fandom is the most ridiculous to pick a fight with as we are one of the most harmless ones! I rather be stuck in a room full of comic book fans than a room full of politicians!

reply

I know SEVERAL lawyers who like comics. And none of them can explain it to me. If you ask me why I like Billy Joel music I don’t get testy, I give reasons.

And yes, sports fans can be just as unsettling.

reply

What's wrong with Billy Joel's music?

reply

[deleted]

Some I don't care for, but the greater part is the most literate and musical of any of the pop/rock music out there. My point in bringing up Billy Joel was that unlike comic book fans, if someone's going to say they just don't get what was so great about Billy Joel, I'm not going to go into a whole thing about how judgmental they are, or slam their generation. I'll try to explain why I like Billy Joel's music. 🤷🏼‍♀️

reply

Ok, thanks for the explanation.

I love Billy Joel, by the way!

reply

You didn't start your enquiry in good faith. You started it by insulting people. If you attack people don't be surprised if they attack you back.

reply

Ask people who adore Donald Trump how anyone could be fooled by such an obvious two-bit con man, and while it's a legitimate question and loses a good deal in translation if one dumbs it down to diplomatic language, you're going to see people hopping mad, behaving like two-year-olds, and complaining that the question wasn't asked in good faith because it began by attacking people who would naturally attack back. Again, it's a legitimate question, and loses too much if put in delicate and diplomatic terms. In fact, in delicate and diplomatic terms, it's not the same question at all.

I have touched some of you to the quick; I have attacked your darling, your worship, your love! And my simply saying that as an explanation of the red-hot anger and vituperation I'm seeing poured out here, while 100% true and the only explanation for such an emotional reaction, is certain to stir up the hornets again. Hornet away. I don't care.

And though I don't have an emotional investment in this as many who've responded do, I really do believe the premise of the question, that it's absurd for grown men to get THIS excited over superhero movies. Some people I greatly admire are nuts about these movies, and hotly debate which is better, DC or Marvel, Superman or Batman. I thought I must be missing something, and as I suspected, I wasn't. And once I realized I wasn't, there's not much incentive to come back and respond to each and every post.

But it is, as someone else pointed out, like the women who go gaga over the Royals and dream of a wedding just like the wedding of Diana, Princess of Wales. To me, that belongs to the age where little girls act out Ken and Barbie's dream wedding. Those women going gaga would hotly disagree, just as most of you have hotly disagreed.

reply

Haha.

The fact that you compare support for Trump, a political figure with, alas, power, to the enjoyment of comic-book films and shows, demonstrates to me that you're not thinking straight.

What harm does it do you, or anyone for that matter, if some people feel any sort of investment in these characters?

Also, as a side point, it's never a good idea to attack people from the off, even Trump supporters. It's much better to find out where they're coming from first, and then, if you still think they're speaking garbage, you can insult away to your heart's content,

reply

Easy answer. comics and superheroes are the modern mythology. The same way that people centuries ago would believe in the Roman, Indian, Norse, Greek and sundry of pantheons of gods (heck, they built entire religions around them). People need to be inspired. They need to know that, even in a fictional universe, there are people who are...better. Who do the right thing because it's the right thing. Who fight back the darkness.

And yes, it would be great if we had real life examples of these sort of people....but this isn't the dark ages you and your husband apparently come from. In the 1940's, the people of the USA were either ignorant of or able to look over having a President in a wheelchair. Mostly that was because there wasn't an omnipresent eye on everything or a 24/7 news cycle. Nowadays, even the people who would normally be inspirational have their tawdry secrets exposed. Babe Ruth was a hero of his age....but nowadays his ....faults would make him a late night show joke.

We still need inspiration but it's harder to find real life examples. So we look to fiction.

reply

Destinada I wasn't getting testy at all. Sorry if you think I was lol Just was saying people who basically act like comic book fans are overgrown child frustrate me .

reply

you replied to me, not destinada

reply

I've heard that, but we also have the ancient myths. Maybe one of the reasons this is so appealing, beyond the appeal of mythology -- I was crazy about that, too, when I was a kid -- is that classical, or even near-classical educations are so lacking today.

Lots of people knew that Ruth was a heavy drinker and womanizer. When the gangster was being idolized, that wasn't such a shock. They didn't know it about Mickey Mantle. Different day, different age.

Another possibility -- the ancient mythological heroes were gods and demi-gods. As we, as a nation, have turned our backs on the stories of the Bible, people don't want to seek their heroes in a boy slaying a giant armed with nothing but a sling and a few smooth stones, or a man slaying hordes of his enemies with nothing but the jawbone of an ass.

We don't have to turn to comics for heroes, we just want to. Why we feel the need is what I don't understand.

reply

Because we all aspire to be better and have to rationalize that the only way to be better is to be ....more powerful.

reply

Because of mass-marketing... Maybe because we're not getting the love we wanted from our fathers?

reply

You think? If so, that's a real let-down. But much of reality isn't as big, and bold, and grand as we think it will be. You might be right. I do tend to overthink things.

reply

So if they are lawyers and are succesful why do you care what they do in their spare time and what do you propose they should do in their spare time to appease you?

reply

We often like them because they are modern mythology. Do you question enjoyment of Greek, Roman or Egyptian mythology? Do you not understand enjoyment of SF or Fantasy such as Star Wars, Star Trek, Game of Thrones, etc?

Quite simply, people like different things. Yes, there was a time when society tried to force people to act a certain way or discard "childish things."

As C.S. Lewis said, “When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.”

Equally in error are those who think those above a certain age are automatically stuffy or sanctimonious.

And just set my perspective: I'm 62. I know a great many people my age and older who enjoy comics and Superheroes.

reply

What's wrong with onesies and cocoa? Why do old women like to judge people?

reply

Thank you. You enjoy your onesies and cocoa. And thank you for proving my point.

reply

I don't know what point you're trying to make let alone how I proved it. Go be outraged at a department store and ask to speak to a manager 😂

reply

Still proving my point, and yes, I know you don't get it.

reply

A lot of us just like movies, superhero movies included.

reply

Spoiler alert-- Destinata is a troll. "She" has been posting the same thing in every comic movie forum for awhile now.

reply

And getting the same kinds of responses -- nothing that really explains why people like Jonah Goldberg are swooning over these movies.

reply

Who the hell is Jonah Goldberg?

reply

Right wing propagandist who writes for the arch-conservative National Review responsible for spreading alt-reality ahistorical revisionism like how fascism is a product of liberalism. Not sure why anyone would cite Goldberg like he's a serious thinker.

reply

Why do older women like to troll movie boards?

In my day, the people who'd troll forums or post numerous threads to get a reaction, all looked like Eric Cartman. Have all the older women but my mother taken to being desperate for attention, judging others, and going ape for lulz and pwnage?

reply

Older women can spell "own," so they're not going for "pwnage."

Still no idea why conservative icons like Jonah Goldberg go ape for these movies? They seem otherwise settled and stogey -- interested in their dogs and being managing editors of things like the National Review. That's what's honestly got me scratching my head. But something tells me that by and large I'm asking the wrong people here about the motivations about men like that.

reply

That took you five whole days? You need to up your troll game.

reply

I collected comics for over 40 years. When you actually read comics, you find out that there is literary quality hidden in about 10% of them and then that is what you read. The rest are basically garbage and that is what the lofty types like OP focus on when they want to attack what they don't understand.
So on to the movies. Some of us like them for the same reason you like a good Western. It reminds us of when we were kids. The other reason is more common: Grown men like lots of action and special effects. So, like of the comic book movies is really the same as like of a Schwarzenegger movie. Same lure.
... and I'll bet your husband drinks cocoa. I also suspect that neither of you read.

reply

Oh, I can understand collecting comics as an investment. What I don't understand is obsessing over them. I also know why Watterson adored the old-fashioned comics with the more realistic drawing. He considered them art. And when he'd have Calvin and Susie arguing about playing house with those drawings, it was an absolute scream.

I love action. Special effects, to a lesser degree. The only comic movie I really love is RED. I've watched it so many times I can almost do all of the dialogue from memory. But if someone wants to get into a heated argument about how Spiderman is so much better, I think I'd probably just say, "Cool. You like Spidey, I'll like RED." I can't see why anyone would obsess over these things to the point that they had to get all heated and/or nasty about it. There are comic book aspects to RED, but mainly it's an action/comedy.

Schwarzenegger movies are, in my opinion, invariably bad. The man can't act. I hear he's a great businessman and cheater on his wife, though.

Speaking of, I drink mocha. My husband is a diabetic after they took 2/3rds of his pancreas when they discovered neuroendocrine pancreatic cancer. And our house has bookshelves in every room with wonderful books we treasure.

Anything else you want to be wrong or an utter cad about?

reply

People in this thread are rolling their eyes at you, wondering when you will notice how your behavior looks to people of our age.

reply

Do you care what kindergarteners think of your opinions on movies? Likely not, because you know their opinions haven’t matured.

They’d probably roll their eyes about some of the stuff you like. Not superhero movies, of course.

reply

What would you think of a man who regarded his date as a kindergartner?

reply

If she started gushing about the last Royal Wedding and how all women dream of something like that from the moment they get their first Barbie wedding gown -- the carriage, the long train, all the trappings -- just like something out of a Disney princess movie (the female correlation to comic book heroes), then I would congratulate him on seeing the obvious. Grown women who think like that -- and I know one -- are a case of extreme arrested development.

reply

OK, fair enough.
So, what superhero movies have you seen?

reply

One of the incarnations of "Spiderman." When it comes to comic book movies, the "Men in Black" series technically comes from a comic book. But I'd have watched Will Smith read the phone book. The first movie was great. I'm not even going to watch the next one. And "RED" is another that supposedly came from a comic book. These aren't superheroes, but they're great action comedies -- which are not supposed to be anything but entertaining. We're not talking "His Girl Friday" level of wit.

I suppose "Unbreakable" would be a guy with a superpower. I like Bruce Willis, and have since "Moonlighting," but I'm not going to watch "Glass."

I'm not against comic book movies. I don't understand the obsession, though. Out of all of those I've seen, "RED" is my favorite. If you're planning on playing the, "I'll diss Bruce Willis or 'RED,' and she'll get just as flamingly angry as the rest of us," it's been tried. There's a lot NOT to like about Bruce Willis. And if "RED" isn't your cup of tea, that's cool. We don't all have to like the same movie.

reply

I love Bruce and Red is fantastic (not so much part 2). I, too, have been his fan since Moonlighting. What would you say to someone who "doesn't understand the obsession" with Bruce Willis and likened it to childish, basic adoration?

So anyhow, your understanding, or lack thereof as you put it, is supported by having watched 2 superhero films. A Spiderman movie of unknown title and the excellent superhero deconstruction Unbreakable. So one, really.

reply

Why do some women call themselves princesses and watch Disney princess films?

Why on their wedding day do they want to cosplay as a princess for a day.

Why is 50 Shades one of the most popular films for a female audience, a story of plain Jane naive girl who gets into an abusive relationship with a millionaire and the story arc is that she fixes him and he settles down.

Super Hero- overcoming the characters personal obstacles building character and defeating the evil bad guy and or saving the world.

50 Shades, a millionaire taking a shine to a basic, overcoming an abusive relationship and defeating his assholishness until he is locked down.

I know which one I'd rather watch multiple films of.

reply

[deleted]

I know a woman who actually rented a carriage with horses to take her three lousy blocks on her wedding day. No, I don't get that or the 50 Shades junk, either. Or obsessing over royalty. That's a different topic, and certainly not the only other choice rather than superhero movies, but you have a good point -- I don't get that, either.

reply

Its a point you need to look into. Spending many hours trying to shame men for their hobbies saying they will get dates walking out on them for bringing up what entertainment they enjoy after being asked.

Yet on the other side that date may culminate with a wedding where the bride cosplays as a princess for a day costing £10000's.

reply

"Yet on the other side that date may culminate with a wedding where the bride cosplays as a princess for a day costing £10000's." Which I can't understand any more than I can understand the comic book hero obsession stuff.

When I'm a fan of someone, it's okay if you're not. I see these stories as either well-written or not. Some movies are great! I love "O, Brother, Where Art Thou?" But I don't see the point in arguing which Coen bros. movie is the best. I can't stand "Fargo," which means I'm a mental midget to some. Okay, but you're not going to convince me homicidal maniacs are funny. And yet I could get the humor of the people in "RED" who couldn't turn off their training and stop the CIA/MI-5 kinds of antics. Different writing, different timing, and in my opinion, a much better plot.

I've wasted enough time on this. It's a matter of taste, and as is often the case, if it's "out there" far enough, person A cannot understand the taste of person B. Such is the case, here.

reply

>>>I've wasted enough time on this. It's a matter of taste, and as is often the case, if it's "out there" far enough, person A cannot understand the taste of person B. Such is the case, here.<<<

And yet you denigrate those whose taste differs from yours. You are attempting to infantilize those who enjoy something you cannot understand.

There is nothing wrong with you. As you say, tastes differ. De gustibus non est disputandum. But it goes both ways.

reply

No Country for Old Men is the best Coen movie.

reply

Dude, the Hudsucker Proxy is their best one. No Country for Old Men is super good, though.

reply

that.... was awesome

reply

Some women actually get married in the costumes of Disney brand princesses that I believe are officially licensed.

reply

Because they contain content that grown men feasibly enjoy.

Better question: why do grown men ask stupid questions on the Internet?

reply

What's the content that a grown man would enjoy? Fantasy beings with fantasy powers? Seriously, I'd like to know.

BTW, I'm not a man. I explained to Caleb Howe on Twitter that the worst double date from a woman's point of view is the two men arguing all night whether Superman could beat Spiderman, both of them getting into the minutiae of each comic book character's abilities, while the two women are rolling their eyes and making plans to ditch the men, with bets on how long it would take the men to notice.

Mr. Howe did say that women seem to have the wrong point of view on this subject. 😉

reply

The question is what content do you think we should enjoy?

What should men replace their hobbies with in your eyes?

What are your hobbies?

What entertainment do you consume that is much better than Superhero films?

Now let me guess, men shouldnt have hobbies, if it's not time spent devoted to you and your wants its a waste of time. If a man is not gathering resources to deliver to you its time spent on frivulous activities.

I'm betting you also hate men watching sports in their spare time and can't understand why they get so worked up about it.

So you expect your man to sit with you and watch trashy reality shows about women acting like children?

>while the two women are rolling their eyes and making plans to ditch the men

Your shaming tactics wont work either. Basically saying "men who like superheo films will be ditched by women". When thats not even true and the fact is men dont care and just do what they want anyhow's.

Also that you have taken this to Twitter also shows something has really put a bug up your ass.

Are you sure you werent dumped on a date so 2 guys can talk about their hobbies?

Or just dumped because you are trying to take away the tiny slice of joy a man gets between working and filling it with your idea of time well spent.

reply

Men should restore old cars, do woodworking, take up a particular scholarly study they didn't have time for in school, and/or several dozen other things. They should even obsess over superheroes if they wanna. And just as men of yore used to tell first dates what their hobbies were, I think women should be told on the first date that the guy has a larger than usual interest, yes, obsession, with superhero movies. I think his voice should raise and his fist should pound the table as he declares his love for DC over Marvel (or vice-versa), and I think the fellow should notice the woman's reaction.

I used to love to watch the best at anything compete in sports. I didn't get obsessed about it, but I loved the artistry of someone like Dr. J. He could make basketball look like ballet. Just like not knowing if you're looking at photoshopped pictures, it took a lot of the enjoyment out of it when they started using steroids in sports and larger racquets in tennis. The finesse went out of the game. And then, I had more responsibilities and couldn't spare the time to watch.

I don't watch reality shows. Women acting like children is as stupid as men acting like children.

"It doesn't happen and besides men don't care...anyhow's." It's late, so I'll give you that one. But I will just say we're bordering on Bart Simpson logic, here.

I asked guys on Twitter first because I know who they are and respect their opinions. Caleb Howe (it's clear you don't know who he is) turned it into a joke, as usual. The other guys didn't respond because people who write for the National Review don't stoop to respond to little nobodies like me. So I asked here. Sadly, beyond the mythology thing, there really haven't been answers that rise to the occasion, although I'd heard that one before.

I'm too old to have dated boys who were obsessed with comic book characters. There were laws against that sort of thing when I was single. 😂

reply

>Men should

Men should do whatever they want with their own free time.

It's as bad as me saying women should take up sowing rather than watch Disney films in onesies slurping up ice cream with one hand and a mobile phone glued to the other hand.

Women should be in the kitchen! /s

>I think the fellow should notice the woman's reaction.

aah the old dating shaming again. And when the woman of today lists her hobbies they wont be just as nerdy and sad?

>I used to love to watch the best at anything.........I didn't get obsessed about it.........

So you have never really been into anything with a passion?

>And then, I had more responsibilities and couldn't spare the time to watch.

So any time you did spend on half hobbies and amusements was moved to going on Twitter and forums to shame men of their hobbes.

>I asked guys on Twitter first

Look, you are calling men sad about enjoying a hobby.

You have no hobbies yourself. You are taking this shaming to multiple mediums, sounds like you are passionate about something and this very thing is your hobby.

That's a lot sadder than men enjoying a superhero film and talking about it with other fans.

>Caleb Howe (it's clear you don't know who he is)

I dont care to know who Caleb Howe is after ive looked him up, constant posts about Trump and conservative obsessions. No thanks.

A photo of Trump making a face, punchline added underneath. I thought you were going to enlighten me with someone I should be taking notice of. Why should would you try and make me look inferior by not knowing who a US politics blogger was?

I have never voted in the US general election. I live in Europe.

>I'm too old to have dated boys who were obsessed with comic book characters. There were laws against that sort of thing when I was single. 😂

Is that all you have, shaming, it all comes back to "women will not date you". Thats all you have. When in fact, that is as opposite from the truth as it gets because women are dating guys who like comic books.

reply

>>>There were laws against that sort of thing when I was single.<<<

Law? Do tell. And where were these laws in force? And how did they avoid the obvious unconstitutionality of them?

I'm sure you are simply being facetious. "Society" didn't allow such things and we should return to those times. Sorry, I enjoyed and obsessed over those things when I was a kid, when I was a teen, and when I was an adult. No one tried to shame me.

I knew many people, men and women, who shared my obsessions. I married one of them nearly 38 years ago. I'm still married to her.

reply

Restore old cars? Do woodworking? Go f ck yourself you stupid old c nt.

For any dudes reading this and get upset with her opinion, DON'T. This is the kinda chick that likes a really dominant guy to throw her in the bathtub and piss on her for not keeping the tub and sink clean.

reply

OP is right. I used to be a fervent superhero fan and bought piles of comic books. Then I turned fourteen. Sometimes these movies can be fun, but when a grown man is obsessed with them, I sort of wonder about him.

reply

[deleted]

Thank you. It's the obsession that's so odd to me. Every conservative pundit I follow on Twitter is deep into this stuff, and I just don't get it at all. Of course, they're all younger than I am, but they do get the Beaver Cleaver reference. Now they don't argue about their heroes so much as they write creepy articles for National Review about how their obsession is justified. Cue Twilight Zone theme.

reply

My observation is that noticing a deep interest in something that one is not interested in is considered an “obsession”, while noticing a deep interest in something that someone can relate to is a “passion”; it just comes down to different strokes for different folks. Who am I to tell someone that it’s wrong? It’s not hurting anyone. Maybe it’s just me, But I don’t see much of a difference between someone that goes to a comic book convention and collects comics versus someone that goes to an art gallery and collects paintings they are both different forms of entertainment and interests.

reply