Superhero culture teaches masculinity

Every time I read an article for a class or just for fun, I always learn something positive; and want to compare it to what I've experienced in the past that could be comparable. 

I grew up in Tajikistan, Central Asia, and a post-Soviet country that went through many difficulties in the past 22 years of independent. To be honest I did not grew up watching Disney movies. Well except Aladdin, but yet not all of it, since we did not have a good TV or electricity to sit around TV and watch all what was happening in the world of superheroes and little princesses. 

Instead we watched a very old Soviet Union cartoon of Nu, pogodi! “Ну, погоди!” It was about a very

A Soviet Union cartoon Nu, Pogodi!

angry wolf always trying to catch and ‘presumably’ eat a little rabbit. It was a good cartoon for kids of my era because we saw bad and good in every creature in the world. Since wolf was a good friend sometimes. 

We also watched Hollywood movies of Jean-Claude Van Damme. He was my superhero of childhood; a very muscular man who helped people and always involved himself in fights. I always wanted to grow up and save my people from hunger and poverty. But just to think about, even my childhood was affected by superheroes and princesses. So far away from the western world we also were affected by this culture of Hollywood and Disney movies. Van Damme was a strong image for many kids in my neighborhood and princes Jasmine of Aladdin was a beautiful queen for little girls. 

However, my parent not always wanted us to draw our attention to this world of superheroes and princes, but showed us the reality of everything.  Of course my parents made me to read a lot of books and find my heroes from there than from the movies but yet it also affected my childhood.

What I am trying to say is simple; parents are the one in here to be blamed to make their kids to think that they can do whatever they wanted to. There is or should be at least a balance between the media, and film industry. 

Most of those who grew in families that parents allowed them to do whatever they wanted to don’t live in a real world and everything are perfect for them. I experienced that in my first two month of being in here in the states. It happened that I met a family here in Muncie, Indiana for a dinner. In a conversation when I was talking to their 15 years old daughter about Disney movies she suddenly said, 'no those characters are real.- Like you, pointing to me, you came from the world of Aladdin. He lives there.' I laughed and told her that this all is not real, and that all those movies are made up. She became so upset and made me feel bad. I was more shocked when her mom said ‘oh don’t worry he is just joking, they do exist!’

To me it was a slap in the face. No! I replied they don’t. You should know that, and smiled to not be all negative. 

In conclusion, I just want to say that there should be some morals even when parents let their kids to think they are superhero or princes. It would be perfect if parents thought their kids the different between real and cartoon of Disney world.