On Monday, TIME magazine published an article called, “We’re Re-examining How We Portray Cops Onscreen. Now It’s Time to Talk About Superheroes,” in which the author, a staff writer for the magazine, rips into cops and superheroes simultaneously, stating, “What are superheroes except cops with capes who enact justice with their powers?”
Near the beginning of the piece, the author, Eliana Dockterman, argues that onscreen portrayals of police are too often positive, writing, “Legal procedurals and shoot-em-up action movies have long presented a skewed perception of the justice system in America, in which the police are almost always positioned as the good guys. These ‘good cop’ narratives are rarely balanced out with stories of systemic racism in the criminal justice system. The ‘bad guys’ they pursue are often people of color, their characters undeveloped beyond their criminality.”
Dockterman then segues to linking those members of law enforcement with superheroes. “But as we engage in this long overdue conversation about law enforcement, it’s high time we also talk about the most popular characters in film, the ones who decide the parameters of justice and often enact them with violence: superheroes,” she writes.
She notes that superheroes have become “icons to more than just our children,” acknowledging that they are “beacons of inspiration,” including among protesters, who have “dressed as Spider-Man and Batman have turned up at recent Black Lives Matter demonstrations.” – READ MORE
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