Superman on the Couch
October 12, 2009
Fingeroth,Danny. Superman on the Couch: What Superheroes Really Tell Us About Ourselves and Our Society. Continum. (2004)
This quick based text discusses the history of the comic book and how it was constructed around the society it was developed in. It does an excellent job at meshing pop culture super heroes with the contemporary times in which they were crafted in and explaining how the comic book is a mirror of the culture at that particular time. The topics covered in the book range from economics to the social disadvantages of women and men. Fingeroth puts forward an outstanding social critique in this book.
Like Gamson and Stuart’s article, Superman on the Couch discusses the direct connection between societies and comic books. Still, what makes this text stand out is that it focuses on how the rhetoric of society is actually encompassed inside of the super hero. For example, the text states that the Green Lantern’s is a direct reflection of the attitude held in the 1970s. His bold attitude was a mirror image of America’s young people. However, as the attitude began to change and uncertainty began to spread throughout society, so did the Green Lantern’s rhetoric as he began to express doubt and uncertainty. Fingeroth does an outstanding job explaining how super hero rhetoric can be linked to its people.
