by Leroy Martinez
There are many different ways to think about the Iron Man persona and why it is bred into our society as a developed sense of the human being. Industrialization and modernism have changed the way we believe to think, developing us into futuristic human beings. But the gladiator and warrior still linger in all of us in one form or another. This now affects the mainstream population at large. Mindless violence, warlike violence and authoritarian personalities. This was some kind of inhumanity that humans should have conquered in this day and age, but it seems that we are going backwards in time to barbarian ways. Peace is hard work and killing is the coward's campaign as we see in our present day society. Give a soldier or cop a gun and they will us it.
Heroism comes in many forms and there is an alternative to violence. Iron Man's heart is at the center of this story and is an emerging machine consciousness which is tension between self and persona. Are we afraid that creation will replace the creator? It takes a dramatic event in one's life to make them reflect on what they have become through imperfect, biological, and emotional turbulence.
Sequential art is a part that may give us some insight into our own personal reality. "With great power come's great responsibility," it says in Spider Man. Yet humans still don't know how to contain this. Take, for example, the ongoing problem of killings and the Albuquerque police department. Worlds of imagination can be useful to give us great insight to the actions that we might take, for instance in The Iron Giant by Ted Hughes is a great example. This is an extraordinary action of humanity by an Iron Man (machine) to save the world by not using his weapons of mass destruction but uses his heart and mind to save the world. This is the possible world that we all want to live in, the perfect world of love and peace.
Sequential art is a part that may give us some insight into our own personal reality. "With great power come's great responsibility," it says in Spider Man. Yet humans still don't know how to contain this. Take, for example, the ongoing problem of killings and the Albuquerque police department. Worlds of imagination can be useful to give us great insight to the actions that we might take, for instance in The Iron Giant by Ted Hughes is a great example. This is an extraordinary action of humanity by an Iron Man (machine) to save the world by not using his weapons of mass destruction but uses his heart and mind to save the world. This is the possible world that we all want to live in, the perfect world of love and peace.
I can relate to what you said about going backwards to barbarian ways, in a world that is progressing so intensely and speedily with technology, I find myself fantasizing about living and even fighting for survival with only my bare hands or simple weapons. Perhaps because technology is progressing faster than I can keep track of, it is easier to imagine things the way they used to be: simple. The weapons that were featured in the first Iron Man movie blew my mind (no pun intended) and it is absolutely terrifying to think that such weapons exist. I love the idea of a hero, such as Stark, who would have such a huge heart, or ironically a weaponized heart that would help him to try to save the world from his own weapons of mass destruction.
ReplyDeleteGreat Post :)
Shadow Dove
It's the protected heart of a man who is dictated by society to be combat ready. all those heart attacks, all that competition. What about the choice of compassion? I'll get into my ideologies that i've picked up from a great book called "the world peace diet" by William Tuttle. he stresses that it is karmic that we recipricate cruelty by choosing to eat murder and contribute to the medical, military, educational, food complex that trains people that we need to eat animals. it's a book on veganism. he has a doctorate from UC berkeley in Philosophy (love of wisdom). i interviewed Tuttle three years ago at a Raw foods convention in Prescott AZ. it's awesome footage. really enjoyed hanging out with him.
ReplyDeletei blew up my GIJoes when living in the Occupied Palestinian territories in 1987. but i still loved war video games. anger and rage are common. Tantric transformation and facing expressing and being patient with these emotions is what is essential. the weaponry is taught. maybe many of us are destined to be warriors, in one way or another.
TMF at RTG
With the advancement of technology so has come the advancement of weaponry. Almost to say that it goes hand and hand but it does and will always as long as the government controls the research and development of said advancements. The development of video game technology has played a substantial role in the way society as a whole has come to over look the violence associated with how much of these things are tested or brought to life.
ReplyDeleteIt has desensitized the moral compass of society as a whole making Corp think a way of today.