who.wants.to.be.a.superhero.
Reality Television shows are one in a million now a days, and it seems as though with each new show the quality diminishes. 'Reality' becomes more scripted as the 'plot's progress, and each of the characters are predictible and two dimensional. I've yet to find a series that has grabbed me. No, not even Project Runway.
After briefly glancing over a few reviews, I figured I'd give the new SciFi Channel reality television show Who Wants to Be a Superhero a chance. Twelve normal persons who have transformed themselves into 'Superhumans' compete against each other for the chance to have their own comic book about them by Stan Lee, the creator of Spiderman who also serves as the show's host. These self-made superheroes come in multi-faceted varities, from a 30-something software engineer who calls himself Feedback to a single mother called Big Momma who sports a string of donuts on her hips. Pretty rad.
First of all, the challenges don't involve radiation tests, flying races, or defeating the ultimate weapon. Stan Lee clarifies in the very beginning of the show that to be a Superhuman, you have to show the power of the heart, so tests involve both a test of character and a test of being a super hero. Second of all, you have to take the show with a slice of cheese. The players are there to live out their ultimate fantasies, some of them more into it than other. Major Victory (shown, and who happens to be a DJ from San Francisco), for exmaple, has super-fied everything from his run to his slicked up hair. This cheesiness, however, leads to utter hilarity. There was a rare moment that my brother and I weren't laughing or guessing what the characters would do next. It's a surprisingly fun stuff!
So, I'm going to keep watching it and see where i goes. It could
be super nerdery to the maxiumus, but I'm willing to give it a
chance. And so should you! Meanwhile, if you want to be a
superhuman, check out the Superhero Store that I visted in Brooklyn, NY.
Comments
fat momma needs a rolling pin
I also suggest City of Heroes for people wanting to be superheros (and City of Villians for the opposite).
I've never been a fan of reality shows either (except when I catch The Simple Life on when I'm bored because who isn't sucked in by the hilarity and stupidity of Paris Hilton??), but this looks somewhat interesting. What time is it on?
superhero store? i must go there. once it gets cooler. if i were a superhero, i'd be a ninja
It's the oddest store in creation! You go in there, and they literally have tons of stuff that you can buy. Random contraptions, weird substances. It looks like a front for something, because there is no way they could legitimately stay in business selling capes and x-ray goggles.
If I were a superhero, I still think I'd want to be tank girl (the show has a tank girl wannabe named creature who, in my opinion, isn't that stellar) but maybe I'd have the power to do something cuter...like turn into a koala. I don't know.
Project Runway is one of the few reality shows I find at all interesting, mostly because it really does seem to be about the design. I can totally understand how it wouldn't appeal, though. Reality tv in general is... ugh. The girl is super interested in Who Wants to be a Superhero, but the commercials somehow make me terribly uncomfortable. I wonder if it all hits too close to home for a comic book geek like me.
Also: I read comics and live in Brooklyn but have never been to Superhero Supply. Color me ashamed.
To be perfectly honest, I only mentioned Project Runway because I feel like everyone loves it. The time I tried to watch it, I don't think I gave it a fair chance, so maybe I should check it out again. Maybe I'm bitter because last semester when I was busy studying when the show was on, and thus, was excluded from many a intense discussion about the show within my girl friends.
My boyfriend lives out in Brooklyn and when I went to visit him this summer we just stumbled on the store while walking up and down the street. It's quite a bizarre find, I think you'd enjoy it!
Go on and give it another shot. The drama seems real, rather than manufactured; the producers/judges seem to be trying to strike a good balance between promoting wearability/usability and cutting-edginess, which is nice; and Tim Gunn, the host/mentor, is supportive, critical and funny all at the same time. As reality tv goes, it's a gem amongst ka ka.
You have to start watching Project Runway from the beginning with Season 1. Then you'll love it! Or maybe now. ;)