Another Day Within The Pages..

Monsters and Marvels

Several means have been utilized on many occasions to influence the minds of the public. In the most archaic form of media that has existed since the early twentieth century, comics have been known to bring about ideas that were eventually accepted into certain aspects of society. In fact, those particular ideas that will be mentioned later in this discussion have actually originated from them. Through various characters, one can identify the perceptions that have been inflicted upon our minds, as opposed to the possibility of each individual having their own conception of what another culture, or its people, are typically like. This is what leads to the overall influx of stereotyping in the eyes of citizens that witness those depictions on a daily basis, whether it be based on intellect, motives, or personality.

When it comes intellect, “the brain” character comes to mind but is not really seen as a human being. Rather, he is seen as a “hyper-intelligent mind without a body;” In this case, someone who personifies this idea would be seen as a humanoid, and more comfortable with machines instead of social interaction. As a result, they are also seen as outcasts who will possibly become the most powerful as a result of the technological age that arose over the past few decades. The absence of interaction leads many to believe that they actually operate similar to a machine, joyless and robotic. Unfortunately, this results in logical guidelines regarding what other countries expect from people who may be trying to outgrow these expectations. This classification derived from the personality of “oriental” or trickster. The existence of this term came to be as Westerners suspected such trickery from the nation of China while visiting as a result of the guardedness that was portrayed by the foreign nation. The deception that Westerners expected from the Chinese had began to presume as a stereotype that now resonates throughout the expectancy of most American citizens. The assumption that out of a crowd of people, most would suspect people of this nation to be experienced in major technology development as well as engineering thus proves that this opinion has not in any way dissipated since its creation.

Although people may not quite fit this narrow window of characterization, the media has done more than needed to exploit the idea that such is a popular trait, and therefore also caused others to question the motives of not only “the brains,” but “the brawns” of the operation as well. When it comes to comics, this aspect is solidified through characters like “Gangsters, thugs, minions, martial arts masters, etc.” As opposed to the master mind that considers all his options and declares each decision in the pages of dialogue that follow, the several derivations of occupations that require muscle and strength must hold their tongue and simply follow instructions without a voice to be heard. Therefore, the character(s) designated to fill in this role become infinitely replaceable as they seem anonymous more often than not. To aid in that perception of endless replacement, the focus of the story is usually on other “crusaders,” which makes others seem unnoticeable or similar to just accessories. If anything, they are constantly viewed by readers as the game pieces that villains use to place their target in checkmate, and hardly anything more. Interesting enough, this trait is found throughout numerous scenarios within comics, and is further independent of timeliness, ethnicity, and culture being major contributing factors.

The last character addressed is the victim who the minions pursue as a result of orders from their boss, “the blossom.” Overall the motives of this character is seen in a romanticized light. Her role is usually one of meaningful distress, with a motive of hopefully benefitting a loved one with her death. Through grace and passiveness, this character accepts her fate one moment at a time- usually accompanied by the eloquent last words that truly capture the passing thoughts of the character for the reader to be emotionally encompassed in the story as much as possible. In a sense, one grasps the alternative archetype of the Asian woman in this description. The particular perception here presents her as a martyr who sacrifices all she has to protect someone who is usually from a foreign place in hopes of overcoming the limitations of social interaction, similar to “the brain.”

Despite the various cultures that are viewed by the public in a respectful manner, stereotyping has managed to prevail in its attack against what each individual recognizes when they pass by others on their way to a destination. Such ideas become an unwelcome hindrance to those who suffer from judgment, and further cause unnecessary confrontations in some cases. Whether it be caused by ethnicity, social skill, religion, or personality in difficult situations, the effects of stereotyping have never been benevolent in any circumstance. And yet, it is seen frequently throughout our society.