Less Than Super

I’d like to tell you about my new web series.

Superhero shows aren’t anything new. In fact, it seems like they’re rivaling crime dramas and procedurals for the spot of most prolific genre right now. There are shows with black and white morality, tortured anti-heroes, bumbling accidental heroes and everything in between. Our goal is not to be groundbreaking. I’m a few years too late for that.

What I do want to accomplish is being relatable. There’s a big movement right now for diversity in entertainment. People want to see more characters like themselves. And while I strongly support calling out the homogeneity of the industry, I don’t believe that diversity for the sake of diversity is beneficial. In some cases, it can even be destructive to the cause.

I don’t just want to see a character like me on television or in the theaters or on the Internet. I want to see people living a life like mine. Because unless you live a sheltered existence, the world around you is diverse. And not just because someone wanted to fill a quota. I’m not looking to start any social commentary or be a champion of a movement. I just want to hopefully give you characters you come to love for reasons that go beyond stereotype. Because that’s what I find entertaining, and I hope you will, too.

http://lessthansuper.com

Saturday was a very busy day on the Nashville Film Festival red carpet! We managed to catch up with the friend of Nashville’s new superhero, Wonderboy, to find out what’s been going on with Wonderboy and what we can expect next.

Relative Moralism

I’ve really been enjoying the new show The Flash. Nevermind that Barry Allen is my favorite superhero, and, wow, that #Flarrow crossover event! But there’s another factor of it that intrigues me, and that’s the evolution of its villains. (I will try to make this post as spoiler free as possible, but no promises).

With the exception of whoever killed Barry Allen’s mother, all of the villains we’ve encountered so far are metahumans that were created after the explosion. The same explosion that gave Barry his abilities. But while Barry chose to use his abilities to save people, nearly all of the other metahumans have chosen to exact revenge or just wreak havoc on Central City. Now, granted, a few of them obtained abilities that were pretty alienating. But the others? Well, the only thing that Barry has that the others seem to be lacking (besides a heart of gold) is community. 

Suddenly finding out you’re not like anyone else can be really isolating. I’d imagine it would spark a wide range of emotions, including fear and anger. This is true not just in the comic book world, but in our world, too. Somewhere along the way, our minds are programmed to believe that different is bad. The things we can’t understand must be wrong. Without people who can remind you of your strengths, it’s easy to get lost focusing on your weaknesses. When that happens, many people have to find a way to focus the pain, which ultimately leads to harming themselves or others.

Sure, there are many people who have community but still suffer silently. Our self acceptance can’t be controlled by anyone other than ourselves. But it helps to have people around who are a good mirror of who we truly are.

Ultimately, the difference between being a hero or a villain hinges on one choice. Barry saw his fate and decided to make the most of it. I hope that if I some day wake up with super powers, I choose to be a hero.