Superheroes as Role Models: Today's Heroes Send the Wrong Message to Boys

Well said, Fred. Parenting by guilt goes a long way to creating spoiled, sissified, obnoxious boys. And there's a lot of guilt to go around when mom puts her baby in a daycare, and tries to substitute quality time for quantity time. Moms need to come back home and become anchors in their neighborhoods once again. Also, it's time we stop emasculating boys, and drugging and labeling them for their failure to sit still like girls.

Well said, both of you! Heaven forbid that mom wants a life outside of the house. Wait, wait a minute, WHAT ABOUT DAD? Does he not have a role in raising children or is that simply for mom to manage? Actually if boys had real men a.k.a FATHERS to teach them how to be real men then they wouldn't need fake heros to look up to. But I'm just being a stupid women assuming men have a role in anything else other drinking, women, and money.

Why don't you shut your 1920's mouth? There are parents who abuse the system and then there are parents who have to work because in this god forbidden economy there is just no other way to make it work!

Realistically what do you want!? Another family on food stamps because mom's at home waiting for their child who's at school half the day to come home? Another strain on the economy? Dinner time, Church and weekends are the best time to leave your mark on the next generation.

Mom never seems to mind Dads paycheck, just the time he spends out of the house getting it.
Todays pudgy, sissified boys need a superhero not the school counselor types wringing their hands over roughousing in the yard.

Mom can cut out the me time nonsense and Dad cut out the taproom and raise the kids.

Well said P, though lest we forget that when women stayed home we didn't have soaring juvenile crime rates, boys and girls had manners, divorce rates were lower, homes and cars cost less even when adjusted for inflation and PPP, teen pregnancy was unheard of, juvenille murder was largely a myth, and children actually had somewhere to go when they had problems. AND children weren't so fat they were on schedule for their first heart-attack at age 30.
Your comment is a perfect example of the selfishness of so many women that it is not PC to talk about. I truly don't envy the life women have some times, but in the end a woman having a life outside of the house should be a CHOICE, people like you helped ensure that a life outside of the house is not a choice but in fact mandatory.
And kudos, on your comment about men, I hope you didn't chip a tooth falling off of your high-horse.
I have nothing against a woman who wants the ability to define her own life. But a child is a responsibility, and children need someone at home. Who would you rather that person be? Personally I prefer it be the one with greater tolerance and empathy, imparted largely through the unique mother-child relationship. Father has many responsibilities of his own, but this is a case of "Right Person for the Right Job"
Has out society seen any benefits since mother decided her life outside of the home was more important than the upbringing of her children?
What makes me laugh is women like you who when confronted with this immediately point their fingers at men. Kind of like the children who point fingers at each other when a misdeed occured because no one was supervising them.
Once more we see how "I want" and "I can" was pursued without ever asking "Should I?" or "What will be the cost?"

women do not become moms by themselves. men need to step up and be decent dads to their children. children not exposed to both sexes treating each other with respect will not learn how to give or receive respect.

When men take responsibility for the raising of children, then the woman could stay home. There are too many divorces and what is the divorced mom supposed to do? Stay home and just get by while the husband lives high off the hog with only giving minimal child and alimony support payments? Get real! Here is a simple solution to a married couple with careers, DON'T HAVE KIDS!!!

I'm betting P, and ParrotLady are the same kind of women who support abortion on the grounds an unexpected pregnancy is an unfair burden.

Sadly Red; Court Statistics prove it is OVERWHELMINGLY women who file divorce and the vast majority of times it is during a time of financial difficulty for the couple, and then women turn around and scream that the men aren't helping enough when it was the woman who got herself in that situation to begin with.

Red asks: "There are too many divorces and what is the divorced mom supposed to do?"

Perhaps more divorced moms should spend less time whining about how unfair life is, and more time warning younger women to be very careful about selecting a future husband wisely.

In this economy, it's hard enough to be at home. Taking some part in the kid's lives beyond seeing that they're fed and clothed is very difficult these days. I think that there should be some note made that this applies mostly to the TV and film versions of the superheroes. The few times I've picked up a comic books recently, the heroes all seem to have the same problems that we all face.

There is just a minor issue I have with your comments. I am a widow, and have not remarried, as I do not see the need, since I have had children, do not desire any more, and am basically self-sufficient in matters of "bringing home the bacon", taking care of my house, and yes, I OWN a house, not RENT an apartment, and spending time with my child. Every evening after I COOK supper, we sit together and do homework. While the child is in the bath, I sit in the bathroom, and we talk about what happened during the day, upcoming events etectera. Some of us have no choice but to work outside the home to provide for our families. Just keep this in mind before you go off on an idea saying that children would be better off with both parents available, granted, I agree with that, but in some cases we are not given a choice in the matter.

Well in most cases the choice of working is on of force. I think most moms want to be able to stay home with thier children but cant. I am a single mother I would love to be able to stay home but I am the "man" of my house so me going to work is something I have to do to make sure my son has all he needs and more. How many men stay at home after they had a child? Not many. Yes it's important to watch what and who you allow into your childs life and I block all channels that show garabage so he cant even see it. It's not that we rush back into work we have to in order to provide for our children.

Although I understand where you are coming from, the idea of superheros being role models was never a good thing to begin with. I mean seriously, watching a 4 year-old running around with a cape like superman, and jumping out in front of cars? How is that being a good "Role Model"?
This whole thing isn't as bad as people make it out to be. Granted I DO still think that Media doesn't do good in such an aspect. But it never has and never will. So please don't complain, all it's doing is giving people a reason to do just THAT... complain.

Oh and P.S. I am no perfect person, i have my flaws as we all do. But i grew up on characters such as Wolverine and The Punisher, And i have not once had a case of abnormal misbehavior in any fashion. Neither has hardly any other guy in my age group that I've met, ever had such a thing.
Just because it may seem wrong or bad to some of you, doesn't necessarily mean that it IS bad. Especially mothers "no offense" but a mother never can and never WILL be able to fully understand her son. Except with communication. So my advice to any mothers is to talk to your sons and see what they like to do, who they look up to in life, and why they like it or them. Take an interest, even if it doesn't INTEREST you.

sincerely, Ethan D

This might be one of the most ridiculous arguments I've heard in a very long time.

Firstly, this article has no basis. Iron Man is the superhero this article is concerned about. Just him. One superhero character that fills one superhero niche. Iron Man is Marvel comic's way to compete with DC's Batman. One lone superhero does not mean that all superheros in the media today are poor role models. If this is a real concern, I'll carry my umbrella with me when Thor, a character that is supposed to be a GOD, is released. The shit will be raining pretty hard apparently.

Secondly, we're acting like movie characters and pop stars are the only options our children have for role models. Did somebody do away with authors, artists (not of the performing type), or scientists and the like? Hows about we stop arguing over who's in the stupid kitchen and worry about the opportunities we're giving to our youth.

On that note, what the hell are you all arguing about? Seriously. Is everybody that posts on here under the age of 18? There really is still an argument over who should be cooking dinner? Yes, women may be more biologically inclined to nurture their young, but is it not also true that men are biologically inclined to screw anything with a hole? And do we not overcome that male tendency on a daily, nay, hourly, basis? I thought that the use of intellect over instinct was what set us apart from the rest of the animal kingdom. We see that example everyday with a *monogamous marriage*. I'm pretty sure the people left still defending that women should stay at home are the same people that look at someone else's work and say 'I don't get it, therefore it doesn't mean anything to anyone.'

And lastly, lets go back to Iron Man for a moment, you know, keep this comment relevant? Maybe that will set it apart from everything else on here. I quote directly from the article here: "Yesterday's superheroes talked about serving the public good, where today's -- as typified by Iron Man -- participate in nonstop violence" Did we forget the part where the Iron Man suit is created in order to rectify the misdeeds of an arms manufacturer? Or was I hallucinating when I saw all the parts in the movies where Tony Stark laments over the violence his father's business caused? Furthermore, the Iron Man we see in the film is but a snippet of the overall Iron Man storyline. Later on in the progression, Stark deals with the repercussions of being a boozing, carousing, womanizer. In fact, at one point he was a politician. But the article is right, how can a parody of a drinking, womanizing, politician be a good role model? It's those darn fake people that the entertainment industry creates that ruin the real people for us, right?

Mothers are the heart and soul of any family. I would never even suggest that they shouldn't be allowed to leave the home. But the brutal truth is that day care centers and\or babysitters dont give a damn about our kids. They just want a check every week.

Today's family is total crap. Two parents working (thanks to the selfish women who wanted to have a career and be a part time mom in the 60's) all the while public schools have become glorified daycare centers for those families. I am meeting more and more kids who have never been spanked or even punished for that matter when they do something wrong. Boys coming from families where the father is a total wuss and the mother plays the alpha male feminazi role. Even when a father tries to take up his natural role, the feminazi mothers become the path of least resistance when the kid wants to do something "dad" doesn't approve of or is constantly hamstringing the fathers authority. Adding insult to injury the modern mother likes to force her emotional and irrational decision making on the family and not allowing the father to demonstrate his talent for logical and reasonable decision making. Even worse the govt. holds the father at gun point to enforce the misguided feminazi ideals and influence on the family(making him pay everything and taking his children away) This is why so many young adult women are choosing garbage mates for their soon to be fatherless children and why so many wussy, instant gratification, slacker young men are being produced. Put the father back in his natural role and get the govt. out of the family and you will see better results.

I am a woman in my late 20s who is married with no children. Don't you think I would LOVE to have children and stay home with them and cook them and my husband fresh meals, and make sure my children are doing their homework and studying? I guess when they build the first time machine I will go back to the 50's to do just that. Today it is nearly IMPOSSIBLE to do that. Home prices are so exorbitant that you need a 2 income (or 3) just to afford a basic, modest house. You can also forget about having children because your house will take up all of your income. I know some people will say "well why didn't you study and get a degree for a job that could make you lots of money?" First off, EVERY profession in the world is a needed profession. If everybody was a doctor or lawyer, who would pick up the trash? Who would come to our aid if we were ever robbed? Who would fix our cars? Etc. Unfortunately not all of these professions make the income they deserve, and even if you do not purchase extravagances it is still hard to live within your means. America is so greedy and everybody always wants more than what they can afford which is why we are so far in debt. We run up our credit cards to purchase clothing and bags and tv's, and take out loans on Escalades and Range Rovers just to feel like some celebrity when we are just normal people. I do not know anybody who has a house who is not worried about having enough money to pay bills.
Another thing, the divorce rate is so high in my opinion, because now that we need 2 incomes to live, we women are expected to go to work full time and earn a living, but we are also expected to take care of the house and raise kids all by ourselves while the husbands do nothing. So yes it would be good if one parent (not necessarily the woman) stayed home to make sure kids had a good upbringing, but unfortunately that is never going to be able to happen again in America.

I have only one thing to say. DON'T FREAKING OVERSIMPLIFY THINGS! If it wern't a complicaed issue it would be a memory.
Yes it would be fantastic if at least one parent could be home to raise any offspring they have. That isn't always an option. What about the girl who has a one nighter and a few weeks later finds out she now has a lifetime commitment to a little growing life in her body and no idea how to contact her "fun night" guy? What about the guy who dated a girl, proposed, married, and then found out the girl he married was a big lie?
Divorce is never a pleasant thing and though it happens more often now....it DID happen in the brady bunch era right allong with teen pregnantcy, juvinile lawbreaking, and abuse of ALL kinds.
Boys and girls were then and now were and are still brainwashed into thinking a certain way. The details of what is thought to be appropriate changes often.
I like to remember a quote "Takes a villege to raise a child" and think that we all have to help and support each other...yes even people we bairly know...when it comes to kids and stop wagging fingers at each other and instead just do whatever it takes in OUR day to day lives to help ALL kids. Especially our own. Just be there, care, and listen not just preach. Most importantly, TEACH BY EXAMPLE. (Thats my personal montra)