Extreme Valor in the face of Paperwork
Apr. 16th, 2012 12:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lonesparkI am very excited for the Avengers movie. But it's weird, because I can't recall being this heavily involved in a fandom prior to getting a look at the source material...OTOH, if all Marvel Cinematic Universe canon is the source material, I'm probably good...
Sooo, Agent Coulson, then. Why do we love him so much? I think he comes close to representing the Heroic Bureaucrat that's so important in our society and largely absent from entertainment. I don't know if it bothers me that he's a white guy. More like we just need more diverse representations of Awesome everywhere, and more Heroic Bureaucrats participating in such.
Scientist as Action Hero is good, too, and REEEALLY needs more diversity. Jane Foster could be good on that front, possibly? One can hope...
Oh, and to the extent that I like Movie!Pepper (which is mostly the extent to which I can ignore the romance and she doesn't let that asshole Stark get away with anything) she's a bit of a Bureaucrat Hero, too. Damage Control is Important, Dammit. And The Big Picture isn't the only thing that counts.
In IM2 she's kind of almost a relatable example of someone struggling with mental health issues and concluding that maybe you should respond by treating them and/or making lifestyle changes. Instead of, you know, drinking heavily and/or dressing like a bat. Not quite personally relatable in the sense that Pepper's original job would have put me in the hospital, and I therefore feel cheated, like, the company needs you, just get some better meds and be a role model. Totally unfair to Pepper, but I don't think it's all me; I blame the movie.
Sooo, Agent Coulson, then. Why do we love him so much? I think he comes close to representing the Heroic Bureaucrat that's so important in our society and largely absent from entertainment. I don't know if it bothers me that he's a white guy. More like we just need more diverse representations of Awesome everywhere, and more Heroic Bureaucrats participating in such.
Scientist as Action Hero is good, too, and REEEALLY needs more diversity. Jane Foster could be good on that front, possibly? One can hope...
Oh, and to the extent that I like Movie!Pepper (which is mostly the extent to which I can ignore the romance and she doesn't let that asshole Stark get away with anything) she's a bit of a Bureaucrat Hero, too. Damage Control is Important, Dammit. And The Big Picture isn't the only thing that counts.
In IM2 she's kind of almost a relatable example of someone struggling with mental health issues and concluding that maybe you should respond by treating them and/or making lifestyle changes. Instead of, you know, drinking heavily and/or dressing like a bat. Not quite personally relatable in the sense that Pepper's original job would have put me in the hospital, and I therefore feel cheated, like, the company needs you, just get some better meds and be a role model. Totally unfair to Pepper, but I don't think it's all me; I blame the movie.
