Re: [BNW] Four Colored Heroes in BNW

[Theo McGuckin <tsm@jlab.org>]

> Okay the disscussion about Magician's Freedom Force idea has got me
> thinking. What do you guys see as the role of traditional Four Color
> heroes in BNW? Do they have a place or are they a relic of an earlier,
> more naive age?

They're a relic. Sure people might say they really want them back and
remember the "good old days" but it's like those old black-and-white space
movies from the 50's (with the model rocket ship shooting a sparkle out
its anis). People pay $7 to go see "The Matrix" in theatres and watch
"Buck Rogers vs. the Angry Martians" on Mystery Science Theatre 3000 (and
laugh out how goofy it is).

Seriously, what would you do if a guy in red and blue tights showed up to
save the day for you?

> More importantly what does the popularity of darker "anti-heroes" say
> about our societies in the westernized world?

I think it definitely shows a tendancy away from the un-realistic. Most of
the four color heroes were so perfect/idealic as to be laughable (today).
And the villains were such stereo-typical, rub their hands together, while
laughing manically with shoulders haunched over and stomping on puppies
while trying to control the world types to be equally laughable.
Today we're less likely to accept a character without any realistic flaws
(Old D&D only had edges or proficiencies, not flaws like many modern games
also incorporate). 

I think it also shows our tendancy to be more jaded about the world. There
isn't the same loyalty to gov't, nuclear family environment that there
used to be, so heroes that come from this mold are not accepted (it's not
what's realistic to us).

Theo McGuckin - SysAdmin, JLab


	After the shoot out at the OK Corral the Tombstone Epitath had
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