Superheroes : the making and unmaking of a genre in a stupid culture

Krečič, Jela (author)

Z žanrom superherojev so težave. Kako pojasniti popularnost junakov s supermočmi, čudaško izbiro kostumov in s konservativnim ideološkim svetovnim nazorom. Precej avtorjev superheroje analizira v religijskem kontekstu. V nasprotju s tem Umberto Eco v svojem tekstu o Supermanu pokaže, da velja fenomen superjunakov videti kot dovolj nenavadno kombinacijo antičnih mitov in modernega romana. Ecov pronicljiv uvid je treba danes dopolniti z analizo transformacije samega žanra. Njegov obrat od ironičnega samonanašanja v zgodnjih filmih o Supermanu in Batmanu je zamenjal bolj resen ton. A te novodobne adaptacije so prej znamenje regresije žanra in ne njegov napredek. Shyamalanov film Nezlomljivi po drugi strani ponuja bolj uspešen pristop k reševanju žanra superjunakov.

• Language: English
• Work type: Not categorized
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences
• Year: 2016
• Number of pages: Str. 859-874, 1021
• Numbering: Letn. 53, št. 4
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-85484
• UDC: 316.7:791.2
• ISSN on article: 0040-3598
• COBISS.SI-ID: 34218589
• Publication date in RUL: 16.09.2016

KREČIČ, Jela, 2016, Superheroes : the making and unmaking of a genre in a stupid culture. Teorija in praksa : revija za družbena vprašanja [online]. 2016. Vol. 53, no. 4, p. 859–874, 1021. [Accessed 14 April 2025]. Retrieved from: http://dk.fdv.uni-lj.si/db/pdfs/TiP2016_4_Krecic-Zizek.pdf

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Teorija in praksa : revija za družbena vprašanja
• Shortened title: Teor. praksa
• Publisher: Fakulteta za družbene vede
• ISSN: 0040-3598
• COBISS.SI-ID: 763652

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian

Abstract

The genre of superheroes is troubling. How to explain the popularity of heroes with superpowers, strange fashion choices, and conservative ideological background? Many authors interpret superheroes in religious context. In contrast to this approach, Umberto Eco's analysis of the genre in his text on Superman traces the phenomenon back to ancient mythologies which the genre combines with the elements of modern age novel. Eco's approach should be supplemented by the analysis of transformations of the genre. The shift from the ironic self-referential tone of the early Superman and Batman films to the more serious tone in later adaptations is not a sign of progress but a regression. Shyamalan's Unbreakable, on the other hand, opens up a new way to interpret the genre.